Lie on a Hockey Stick: The Overlooked Number That Actually Decides Your Shot
Hockey stick lie: the number almost nobody checks – and the one that decides your shot
Last updated: October 2026
Flex? Everyone knows it. Curve? Sure. But lie? Even experienced players often just look confused. Yet lie is one of the factors that most directly decides whether your stick feels "right" – or never quite does. In this guide you get the explanation, three tests you can do at home, a guideline table by height and stance – and something nobody else offers: the lie of all 128 SOYUZ curves from our 3D Curve Lab.
What is lie, exactly?
Lie describes the angle between the shaft and the blade. In plain terms: how steep or flat the blade sits on the ice when you are in your normal playing stance with the blade fully resting on the ice.
The scale usually runs from 4 to 7, in half steps:
- Low lie (4 to 5) = flatter angle, the stick sits more "stretched out". For players with a deep knee bend and forward lean who carry the puck far from the body – often defensemen with a long stick.
- High lie (6 to 7) = steeper angle, the shaft stands more upright. For players who skate upright and handle the puck tight and close to the body.
- Most players sit between 5 and 6 – and most curves are built exactly there.
How to read the lie values in our shop: SOYUZ numbers the lie one point higher than CCM and Bauer. SOYUZ measured this against CCM blades: the P92 blade is printed «LIE 7», which equals CCM lie 6. So you can compare directly with your current stick, the whole shop – configurator, Curve Guide, Curve Lab and this article – shows the CCM lie first and, in brackets, the number printed on the SOYUZ blade, e.g. «Lie 6 (SOYUZ 7)».
Why lie is massively underestimated
Most people choose a stick by brand, flex and maybe curve. Lie just comes along for the ride without ever being chosen consciously. The problem: if the lie does not match your stance, the blade does not sit flat on the ice when you shoot or pass.
- Lie too low for you → the heel of the blade lifts off the ice, you hit the puck more on the toe. Puck control and shot accuracy suffer, passes bounce.
- Lie too high for you → the toe lifts off, you play more on the heel. Shots become inaccurate, handling feels "tight" and unnatural.
The nasty part: many never notice it consciously. They just feel that "something is off", unconsciously adjust their technique – a slightly different knee bend, a different grip – and lose efficiency without knowing why. Lie is the quiet factor behind the sentence "this stick feels weird".
Three tests to find your lie at home
1. The tape test (the most honest one). Look at the tape on the bottom of your current blade after a few practices. Tape does not lie: it is worn exactly where the blade really touches the ice.
- Wear mainly at the toe → your lie is too low. Go 0.5 higher.
- Wear mainly at the heel → your lie is too high. Go 0.5 lower.
- Even wear along the whole length → it fits. Change nothing.
2. The stance test. Stick flat on the ice (or on a smooth floor, on skates or on tiptoes for the height), take your normal playing stance, puck in front of you. Check whether the whole bottom edge of the blade has contact. If only the toe or only the heel touches, the lie is wrong – or the length, more on that in a moment.
3. The video test. Have someone film you from the front during wrist shots and stickhandling. In the freeze frame you see immediately whether the blade tips. This is the test that shows the actual game situation, not just your stance.
Guide values: which lie fits your height and stance?
Lie depends less on your height than on your stance – how deep you sit in your knees and how far from the body you carry the puck. The table is a starting point, not a law.
| Height | Deep knee bend, puck far out front | Normal stance | Upright stance, puck close to the body |
|---|---|---|---|
| up to 165 cm | 5 | 5.5 | 6 |
| 165–180 cm | 4.5–5 | 5–5.5 | 5.5–6 |
| over 180 cm | 4.5 | 5 | 5.5 |
Defensemen with a long stick who carry the puck far from the body usually end up at the lower end, forwards with an upright stance and tight puckhandling at the upper end. One more thing: if you love the toe drag, a slightly higher lie often works better, because the toe then stays cleanly on the ice.
Lie and length belong together
This is the point almost everyone misses: the length of your stick changes the effective lie. A stick that is too long forces you to hold your hands further from the body – the shaft gets flatter, the heel lifts, it looks like "lie too low". A stick that is too short does the opposite: the shaft stands steeper, the toe lifts, it looks like "lie too high".
Hence the order: first choose the right length, then judge the lie. Whoever "corrects" the lie on a stick of the wrong length corrects the wrong problem. How to find your length and what cutting does to the flex is in the size chart and the guide to cutting and extending.
Lie and curve: the lie is built into the blade
Lie is not an option you set separately – it is part of the blade shape. Every curve is built with a specific lie, and the differences are bigger than most people think. Here are the most popular SOYUZ curves with their lie (standard version):
| Curve | Lie (CCM) | Printed on the SOYUZ blade | Type | In the Lab |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P92 (Bauer P92 / CCM P29) | 6 | 7 | Mid curve | View in 3D |
| P28 (Bauer P28 / CCM P28) | 4.5 | 5.5 | Mid-toe | View in 3D |
| P29 (Bauer P92 / CCM P29) | 6 | 7 | Mid curve | View in 3D |
| P90TM (Tavares) | 6 | 7 | Mid-toe | View in 3D |
| P88 (Bauer P88 / CCM P40) | 5 | 6 | Mid curve | View in 3D |
| P28M | 5.5 | 6.5 | Mid-toe, taller blade | View in 3D |
| P92M | 6.5 | 7.5 | Mid curve, taller blade (Classic SPR only) | View in 3D |
| P29 +1/4 (Bauer P92 Max / CCM P29 + 1/4) | 6 | 7 | Mid curve, taller blade | View in 3D |
| P86 (Bauer P86 / CCM P86) | 5 | 6 | Hybrid (standard models; Classic SPR: lie 6 / SOYUZ 7) | View in 3D |
| P90 | 5.5 | 6.5 | Mid curve | View in 3D |
That explains something many players notice: switching from the P92 to the P29M suddenly gives you a stick that «sits differently» – not just because of the curve, but because there are two to three full lie steps between them. And comparing the P92 with the P28 shows that the P28 sits one and a half steps flatter (4.5 instead of 6). That is exactly why its toe stays so cleanly on the ice during toe drags.
How are the values distributed? Of the 128 curves in the Lab, the standard versions put 30 at lie 5.5, 25 at lie 6 and 20 at lie 5 – almost two thirds of all blades sit between 5 and 6 (CCM). At the extremes there are outliers like the P12B at lie 7.5 (SOYUZ 8.5) or the P29M and P90M in the lie 3 (SOYUZ 4) version.
Note: blade length, height and face opening in the Lab come from CAD measurements. The lie values come from the current SOYUZ blade list and are always shown as the CCM value, with the SOYUZ number in brackets.
Lie variants: same curve, different angle
Some families come in several lie variants of the same blade shape – the way to go if you love your curve but the angle is off. The Lab shows the lie of every variant (CCM, SOYUZ number in brackets):
- P29 in lie 5.5 (SOYUZ 6.5, RH only), lie 6 (SOYUZ 7) and lie 7 (SOYUZ 8, LH only) → all variants
- P90TM in lie 5.5 (SOYUZ 6.5) and lie 6 (SOYUZ 7) → all variants
- P29M in lie 3 (SOYUZ 4) and lie 4 (SOYUZ 5) → all variants
- P90M in lie 3 (SOYUZ 4, LH only), lie 5 (SOYUZ 6, RH only) and lie 6.5 (SOYUZ 7.5)
- P28 +1/4 in lie 4.5 (SOYUZ 5.5) and lie 5 (SOYUZ 6), P25 +1/4 in lie 3.5, 4 and 5 (SOYUZ 4.5 / 5 / 6)
The standard curves (P28, P28M, P29, P29 +1/4, P86, P88, P90TM, P92), including their lie variants, can be ordered from one stick. All other blades are available as Pro Custom from 3 sticks.
👉 Put two curves side by side in 3D
Switching from Bauer or CCM? This is how you take your lie with you
Pick the same curve at SOYUZ that you play today – P92 stays P92, P28 stays P28. Then compare the lie: if your current CCM or Bauer stick says lie 6, look for «Lie 6 (SOYUZ 7)» with us. The SOYUZ blade will be printed «LIE 7» – that is not a mistake, just SOYUZ numbering. What really feels different when you switch is usually the kick point or shaft profile, not the lie. Noticed toe or heel wear on your old stick? Now is the moment to correct by half a step – with a lie variant or a neighbouring curve with the right angle. Which curve matches which Bauer, CCM, Warrior or True pattern is listed in the Curve Guide.
Frequently asked questions about lie
What does "lie 5" actually mean?
On the CCM/Bauer scale, lie 5 is a middle value and one of the most common: the blade sits at a medium angle to the shaft. A SOYUZ blade with the same angle is printed «LIE 6», because SOYUZ numbers one point higher – in our shop you find it as «Lie 5 (SOYUZ 6)». Unless you have a reason to deviate, the standard version of your curve is the safe start.
Does cutting change the lie?
Not the angle built into the blade – that is fixed. But it does change the effective lie on the ice: a shorter stick stands steeper, the toe lifts more easily. So set the length first, then check the lie. And remember: cutting also makes the stick stiffer, see the flex guide.
How do I recognise a wrong lie in a game?
Passes that bounce or come in too high despite clean technique. Wrist shots that flutter. A puck that keeps "tipping" over the toe or heel while stickhandling. And the surest sign: one-sided tape wear at the toe or heel.
Which lie do the pros play?
Almost all between 5 and 6, most of them at 5 to 5.5 – the extremes are rare. What matters more for pros than the nominal value: they tune length, lie and curve together instead of changing one variable in isolation. That is exactly what you can do with a custom stick.
Can I choose the lie freely at SOYUZ?
Lie is part of the curve: you choose the blade, and the lie is defined with it. If you want your curve with a different angle, several families offer lie variants (see above). In the Curve Lab you find the lie of every single blade.
Lie or curve – which do I decide first?
First the length, then the curve, then the lie as fine tuning. The curve determines how you shoot and pass; the lie makes sure the curve actually arrives flat on the ice. A perfect curve with the wrong lie is like a good shoe in the wrong size.
Conclusion: the quiet factor that often makes the difference
Flex gets all the attention, curve is the cool factor – but lie decides whether your blade sits on the ice properly at all. Do the tape test, check the length first, and then look up where your curve sits in the Lab. With that you will know more about your lie at your next stick purchase than most players in your league.
👉 To the Curve Lab: lie of all 128 curves in 3D
👉 Curve Guide: which blade suits you?
👉 Configure a custom stick with your curve, length and flex
Further guides & configuration
Lie is one piece of a well-tuned stick. Also relevant: which curve suits your game, which flex you need, the size chart by height and weight, how to cut or extend correctly and what the kick point does.
SOYUZ AURORA
SOYUZ HIT GRIT
SOYUZ ARCANE
SOYUZ AURORA INT
