CCM Youth Hockey Sticks: Tacks vs Jetspeed Explained

Buying a youth hockey stick from CCM means choosing between two very different philosophies. Get it wrong and you've got a $80-$120 stick that fights your kid's natural game instead of helping it.

What the Tacks Line Is Actually Built For

The Tacks is designed around power and aggressive loading — meaning it's engineered for players who lean hard into their shot and want that stored energy to release with force. The stiffer kick point and heavier feel (relative to the Jetspeed) rewards kids who have developed some shooting mechanics and leg drive.

If your 10U or 12U player is still learning to shoot, the Tacks can actually work against them. A stick that requires aggressive loading to perform properly is going to feel dead in the hands of a kid who hasn't figured out weight transfer yet. Save the Tacks for players who've been at it a few years and are starting to develop a real shot.

What the Jetspeed Line Does Differently

Jetspeed sticks are built from aerospace-grade materials that prioritize light weight and durability. The flex profile is more forgiving — the kick point releases more easily, which means younger or lighter players can actually load the stick without needing elite technique.

For a player under 100 lbs, the Jetspeed is usually the right call. You want a stick that responds to the player's strength level, not one they have to muscle through. The durability piece also matters at youth levels — youth hockey tournaments are rough on equipment, and kids aren't exactly careful with their sticks between games.

Flex: The Number Parents Get Wrong Most Often

The standard rule from USA Hockey's equipment guidelines is to use a flex roughly half your body weight in pounds. A 70-lb kid should be on a 35 flex. A 90-lb kid is in the 40-50 range.

Most parents buy too stiff because they're thinking ahead — "they'll grow into it." A stick that's too stiff doesn't flex, which means no energy transfer on the shot. Your kid will adapt their mechanics to compensate and develop bad habits. Buy the right flex now and replace it in a season when they've grown.

Grip vs. No-Grip: Small Decision, Real Difference

CCM offers both grip and non-grip finishes across the Tacks and Jetspeed lines. Grip finish gives more control but makes it harder to slide the top hand quickly during stickhandling. No-grip is preferred by a lot of players who like to move their hands around, but younger kids often benefit from the grip version keeping the stick from slipping.

If your kid tapes their top hand anyway (some do, some don't), the grip/no-grip distinction matters less. Stock up on hockey stick tape regardless — you'll go through more than you expect over a tournament weekend.

Stick Length: Cut It

Youth sticks are almost always bought too long. The correct length is chin-height in socks (no skates). In skates, the stick should come up to the nose. Most kids are playing with sticks that hit their chin or higher when on the ice, which kills their stickhandling posture.

Cutting a composite stick is easy — a hacksaw works fine — and it doesn't affect the performance significantly unless you're cutting more than 3-4 inches. Don't be afraid to cut it. A properly fitted stick that's been cut is better than a full-length stick your kid is fighting all season.

Tournament Play and Stick Breakage

At 12U tournaments and above, stick breakage happens. Have a backup. Bring at least two sticks to any multi-day tournament, ideally the same model and flex. Switching to a different flex mid-tournament messes with shooting mechanics more than most parents realize.

If you're shopping before a tournament weekend, CCM youth sticks on Amazon are worth checking — you can sometimes find last season's Tacks or Jetspeed models at a significant discount with no meaningful performance difference for youth players.

Tourney Hunter is a good place to start when you're figuring out which tournaments your kid will play this season — browse by age group and state so you can plan your gear purchases around the actual schedule. Girls hockey players should know the girls tournaments section has dedicated listings as the sport keeps growing, driven in part by the visibility the PWHL has brought to the game.

Bottom line: Jetspeed for developing players and lighter kids, Tacks for players with real shooting mechanics who can load the stick properly. Get the flex right and cut it to the right length. Everything else is secondary.