Many players warm up their hockey sticks by winding tapes in certain ways around specific areas. Wrapping hockey tape over your blade, butt end, or shaft preserves your equipment and improves grip, giving you a competitive edge on the ice. One of the most valued things of hockey players is their hockey stick, mainly if it is brand new. Ensuring you have excellent hockey tape work on both the blade and the hockey shaft is among the greatest methods to care for a hockey stick. Taping a hockey stick is a crucial aspect of the game as it provides grip and protection for the blade. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to tape a hockey stick
How To Tape A Hockey Stick
- Step 1: Get the Right Tape: Gather the necessary materials. This includes a roll of hockey tape, which is typically black or white, and a pair of scissors.
- Step 2: Prepare the Stick Blade. Before taping your hockey stick, ensure the blade is clean and free of debris or excess tape. To clean the blade, use a damp cloth or sponge to wipe it down and let it dry.
- Step 3: Secure the Tape at the Toe Start taping at the toe of the blade by securing the end of the tape with a few wraps around the blade. Make sure to leave some excess tape at the toe for later.
- Step 4: Start the Spiral. Once the tape is secured, wrap the blade in a spiral pattern, starting at the toe and working towards the blade’s heel. Make sure to overlap each wrap slightly to ensure complete coverage.
- Step 5: Keep the Tension As you wrap the blade, keep the tape tight and maintain tension throughout the process. This will ensure a smooth and even tape job.
- Step 6: Build up the Knob Once you reach the heel of the blade, begin building up the knob by wrapping the tape around the top of the blade. This will help provide a better grip on the stick.
- Step 7: Secure the Knob When you have built the knob to the desired thickness, wrap the tape back down towards the blade to secure it. Make sure to keep the tape tight and maintain tension.
- Step 8: Finishing the Toe After securing the knob, return to the toe of the blade and tap the excess tape. Wrap it around the blade a few times, then tuck the remaining tape under the previous wraps to secure it.
- Step 9: Add Additional Layers (optional). If you prefer a thicker tape job, add additional layers of tape to the blade. Follow the same spiral pattern and maintain tension throughout the process.
- Step 10: Finishing Touches Once the tape job is complete, you can add finishing touches such as wax or grip spray to improve the grip and durability of the tape.
Conclusion
In summary, taping a hockey stick is a simple process requiring attention to detail and patience. By following these steps and taking your time, you can ensure a high-quality tape job that will help improve your game on the ice. Change the tape if any component of your stick—knob, shaft, or blade—shows through. Some players and goalkeepers erase the tape and retape the stick before every match, although this is a personal opinion.