@locknload
For the group: We got all our pads yesterday, and now I am looking into beginner level sticks. Do you guys have any recommendations that won't totally break the bank?
Maybe somebody here will radically disagree, but I don't think it matters. Go cheap, go wood.
Until you are taking snap shots and really trying to make some hay with a wrister, you are fine with a cheap, durable wood stick. Tape it. Wax the tape so the tape holds up well. Retape when the tape at bottom of the blade starts to fray.
Sticks are a sort of Faustian deal at this point where, on the one hand, they are are
incredible compared to old wooden sticks and even the first few generations of metal/composites that came out. But on the other hand, they simply don't last and they are pricey, even for low level/last year model composite (alright, maybe I slash way too much). But until you are playing at a level where you are really trying to pop shots -- and not just playing something close to shinny -- it won't matter.
When you do get to the point where you want to dump money on sticks, then it is probably financially wise to keep a few around for different purposes. For example, I have four sticks right now, and usually have some configuration of this set up:
1. Game stick. Most recent purchase, still in great shape, still has all of its pop. Save it for when it 'counts.' I try to buy lower end/last year models because, damn, they add up.
2. Pick up/ non-game stick. Worn down game stick or heavier/ more durable cheap stick. (This is the stick I use the most because I play fewer games than I play in open pick up.) Currently I have a "sale price" $60 Sherwood 'Stastny' composite that is holding up really well.
3. Back-up POS but seemingly indestructible old Bauer stick that sits on the bench unused until stick 1 or 2 breaks mid game. Same stick I've been carrying around for three years.
4. Driveway stick. Former #2 stick that is still in good enough shape for me to pass a ball around in the driveway. Headed for the landfill soon.
Having said all of that, I am interested in knowing about how people see the durability of the higher end sticks. I just can't bring myself to spend $200 on a stick, but I could
almost be talked into it if I thought it would last three times longer than a $70 one.