When you're purchasing goalie sticks, there are a handful of variables to consider. It's important to choose the options that will suit your needs best. Here are some of the goalie stick options that you'll want to take into account when you're making your next purchase at Hockey Giant.

1. Hand – It may seem confusing at first, but with a little help you'll quickly understand what the terms "Full Right" and "Regular" mean. It all comes down to which hand you wear your catching glove on. To give this a little bit of logical context, most people catch with their left hand and throw a baseball with their right hand; you could say that this is the "Regular" way to catch and throw. Your throwing hand in baseball ought to be your blocker hand, which you use to hold your goalie stick. If you wear your goalie catcher on your left hand and your blocker on your right hand, you're a "Regular" goalie. If you wear your catcher on your right hand and your goalie blocker on your left hand, you're a "Full Right" goalie. Full Right goalie sticks are curved the same way a player's right handed stick is curved.
   
   So, to quickly recap:
      REGULAR = Catcher on left hand, stick and blocker in right hand
      FULL RIGHT = Catcher on right hand, stick and blocker in left hand


2. Paddle Length – The paddle on a goalie stick is the wide portion that starts about halfway down the shaft and continues down toward the blade. From one manufacturer to the next, the paddle lengths vary just a bit. So, if you're planning to order a goalie stick of a different brand than you typically use, you may notice a slight difference even though the two sticks are labeled with the same length. The best thing you can do is go into a store or find someone who has a goalie stick made by the manufacturer you're looking to switch to and then compare it to your current stick.


3. Blade Pattern – The blade pattern you choose is a matter of personal preference. You should always try to choose a blade pattern that suits your style of play. If you handle the puck frequently and make lots of passes up ice, you'll probably want a deeper curve with more of an open face angle. This will allow you to get more loft and power on your passes. If you tend to play a more controlled style with less puck handling, a blade with less curve and a more closed or neutral face angle will probably suit you better.

Once you've decided on each of these variables, you're ready to order a goalie stick! And don't forget, we have a huge inventory of goalie equipment and hockey apparel, too. You can find great deals on goalie leg pads, catchers and blockers from Brians, Bauer, Reebok and Warrior.