Hockey players know how difficult it can be to keep their hands on their stick during a game. If you've ever had trouble keeping a solid grip on your stick, grip tape can provide the solution. Grip tape can help you to create a strong, reliable grip on your stick that ensures your stick won't slip out of your hands at an inopportune time.
Step 1
Unravel a piece of grip tape that's about 12 inches long, or the distance between your elbow and your wrist. Twist the roll of tape so that the unraveled piece begins to resemble a rope, then begin to apply this portion to your stick. Start at the top of the stick and wrap the tape around as you go down, creating a diagonal pattern. This pattern will serve as a grip for your top hand while you use your stick.
Step 2
Take the rest of the roll and work your way back up, taping over the diagonal pattern you just made. This coat of tape will be much flatter than the previous one. Tape the stick carefully on your way to the top, ensuring that there are no loose folds and that there are no gaps in your taping job. You should be able to see and feel the diagonal pattern underneath this layer of tape.
Step 3
Fold a piece of paper and place it around the butt end of your stick. Take the roll of tape and wrap it around the piece of paper as many times as necessary to provide a secure fit, then cut the tape with scissors. This provides a nub at the top of your stick, which minimizes the chances of the stick slipping out of your hands.
Step 4
Turn the stick over so that the blade is at eye level. Take your roll of tape and begin taping the toe of the blade. Wrap the tape so that each new ring of tape overlaps the previous one, resulting in a tape job with no gaps. When you reach the heel of your stick blade, use scissors to cut the tape.
Tips and Warnings
- Every player tapes his stick differently, so experiment. There is no right or wrong way to tape a hockey stick. Tape your stick in a way that ensures maximum comfort for you as you're playing.
- If you play street hockey, wrapping your blade in grip tape can cause a great deal of friction between your stick and the street. This will cause your stick to perform sluggishly and your tape to fray at the bottom. To avoid this, use a few horizontal strips of grip tape across your blade.
Things You'll Need
- Cloth hockey tape, or grip tape
- Hockey stick
- Scissors
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