How to wrap duct tape around a stick

First, a few words about the best way to wrap hockey equipment:

1. The stick wrap serves two main purposes: it protects the stick from damage and improves grip on the puck (for the blade) or the player's hands (for the handle). fabric-backed adhesive tape is best suited for wrapping. There is no universal recommendation for choosing the color of adhesive tape, but it must be remembered that:
   • black winding helps to confuse the opponent — it becomes hard to see if you are dribbler;
   • hook with white tape more contrasting easier to puck;
   • Using bright colors helps players on the same team recognize each other faster in the arena.
2. Even ordinary tape is suitable for winding shields. But if you want to print your team logo on adhesive tape, it is better to choose a product with interlayer printing. So the drawing will not be damaged during the game.

Now let's move on to specific wrapping instructions.

How to wrap a club handle

The main task of professional handle winding — provide a secure upper grip and prevent slipping of the hand during active play. How to achieve this:

1. Wrap the ribbon around the top of the handle in a few turns.

   

2. Without tearing off the tape, unwind it by 30-50 cm and twist it into a tight bundle, as in the photo.

   

3. Wire the resulting tourniquet onto the shaft with an interval of 2-3 cm.

   

4. When the tourniquet is fully wound, without breaking the tape, make a couple of turns around the shaft. Then wrap the handle along with the harnesses. Winding overlap, without leaving parts of the handle uncovered.

   

5. When you get to the end of the handle, wrap a few more layers of tape. They will serve as a knob that prevents the hand from slipping off the club. Then cut off the tape.

   

How to wind the blade of a stick

A well-wound blade allows you to better feel the puck on the ice and control it more accurately.

How to wind the tape around the hook of a hockey stick:

1. The wrapping starts from the heel of the club. Wrap the duct tape around the stick once and then start winding it around in an overlapping circle.
   

   

   The overlap can be done partial (the new layer interrupts the previous one by less than a third) or full (the new layer almost completely overlaps the previous one). In the second case, the club is better protected from damage, and the blows are more accurate.

   

2. The toe of the hook can be left open or completely wrapped with duct tape. In the first case, simply tear off the adhesive tape on the top of the stick, leaving the toe unwound.
   

   

   If you decide to wrap the hook all the way, continue winding until it is outside the toe.
   

   

   Then smooth the edge and carefully cut off the excess with scissors.

   

3. Get rid of the air between the layers of duct tape and the stick. To do this, iron the surface of the wrapped hook with a washer in the direction from toe to heel.

   

4. If your ice arena can use wax — we recommend using this. Special wax for sticks will extend the life of the tape and reduce friction on the ice surface. You can buy it at any sports store. Ordinary candle wax will also work (although its properties are slightly worse).

How to wind shields

There are some universal tips when wrapping shields:

• Adhesive tape holds shields much better than standard ties. And also — is not lost in the arena, unlike additional rubber bands;
• Wrap the tape tightly, but avoid squeezing. It's a matter of your safety!
• Try new wrapping methods and densities well in advance of the game so you have time to rewind if you feel uncomfortable.

We advise you to experiment with the winding of the shields yourself to find the winding that will be most convenient for you.