Taping your hockey stick can extend the life of your blade. Whether you have a composite or wooden stick, water and snow can damage and weaken the surface of your blade. Taping your hockey stick can also improve your performance; on the blade, it helps give you better friction and handling with the puck, and on the handle it can help you keep a better grip, even with cumbersome gloves. Tape your stick properly for the best possible performance and protection for your stick.
Knob
The "knob" is the word for the large knot of tape found at the top of most pro hockey players' hockey sticks. The knob helps keep the stick from sliding down when wearing thick gloves, and can improve your handling. To create a knob, wind athletic tape around the top of the stick several times to make a raised bump. The size of the knob is up to personal preference. Some choose to have a larger knob, while some prefer it to be less prominent. The only way to tell what you'll like is to practice with your stick. Start small and add tape until you have the perfect size for you.
Handle
It's essential for hockey players to have a good grip taped onto their handles. While you would think that simple running the tape down diagonally on the handle would give your enough traction, this is not the case. You'll need to create some texture to get a better hold. The best way to do this is to twist athletic tape into a rope. Start from the knob and twirl the tape until you have the rope. Then wrap the rope diagonally down the handle, stopping about 12 inches from the top. Layer flat athletic tape over the rope by starting from the knob and pulling the tape tight as you wrap diagonally down the stick so that it's secure. You'll have enough texture for better handling, but a smooth and secure finish.
Blade
The most important thing about taping your blade is to make sure that you get a perfectly smooth finish. Any small bubble in the tape could cause the puck to ricochet off in the wrong way. Starting two inches from the end of the blade, press your tape down. Pull the tape tightly as you wind it; you'll notice that the tape is very flexible. Carefully smooth the tape as you wind the tape around the blade, overlapping the previous row of tape about a half inch until you meet the crook of the hockey stick. Press all of the tape down once more to make sure it's tight.
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