How do you hold your stick?

[Lucky Pucker]

(Yup, that title has innuendo potential; have at it, if you are so inclined.)

So this might seem like a dumb question, but according to the inter-webs (which has also diagnosed me with mild-to-severe death on multiple occasions), a goalie stick is always to be held with the index finger over the top of the paddle, like this champ here:

I have been doing it wrong this whole time I guess - unless others also grip it with all four fingers wrapped around the shaft? Don't get me wrong - I understand the control benefits of the index over the paddle - but I just naturally always went for the four-finger wrap grip.

Should I be teaching myself to adjust to the index finger method?

Any other advice on how I should grip my shaft while playing with my... team?

[wox33]

I was taught to do it as the picture shows. Technically there's not really a right or wrong way if you can make it work for you but I just imagine really poor puck control and really having to cock the wrist at a weird angle if I was all 4 on the shaft. (Jesus, you really can't talk about this without it sounding ridiculous lol)

[IPv6Freely]

I’ve never seen anyone NOT put their finger on the paddle, TBH.

[Netnewbie]

I'm still figuring things out but sometime i slide my had to the top edge where the tape is built up and i seem to have some luck like that.

[old but slow]

I, unfortunately, am not as gifted as others and have no choice but to grip the shaft with 3 fingers or less 

[coopaloop1234]

I use my hand.

[seagoal]

Better, with this stuff, because I have a CR1 and they are way too slippery

[IPv6Freely]

9 minutes ago, seagoal said:

Better, with this stuff, because I have a CR1 and they are way too slippery

Interesting. I use normal hockey grip tape.

I also at one point used to make a "wad" of tape and stick that along the top shoulder where the index finger rests. Just found it was more comfortable. What's funny is that somebody actually came up with a retail product that does the same thing. 

That said, now that I've used a custom grip cut into my paddle I actually get soreness at the base of my thumb if I use a normal stick now. 

[seagoal]

The benefit of this tape is that it doesn't ruin the blocker palm, but it's still tacky. It sorta feels like a puck....puck tape, if you will.

[IPv6Freely]

5 minutes ago, seagoal said:

The benefit of this tape is that it doesn't ruin the blocker palm, but it's still tacky. It sorta feels like a puck....puck tape, if you will.

Grip tape doesn't either. 

[seagoal]

6 minutes ago, IPv6Freely said:

Grip tape doesn't either. 

Oh.  Noted. 

I guess I don't know what that is and assumed you meant normal hockey tape.  My bad.

[IPv6Freely]

3 minutes ago, seagoal said:

Oh.  Noted. 

I guess I don't know what that is and assumed you meant normal hockey tape.  My bad.

Nope, not the same. And I agree normal hockey tape is brutal on palms.

This is grip tape (aka stretch wrap):

https://www.icewarehouse.com/Renfrew_Stretch_Grip_Hockey_Stick_Tape/descpage-RSRT.html 

[Max27]

i use my pointer and middle on the front, other 2 on the back.

on my old sherwoof i had a custom cutout where it has a cresent shaped cutout on the side you grip your fingers and on the other side its rounded. 

[Lucky Pucker]

Well, I did the “correct” index finger method, and other than secretly knowing that it was correct, didn’t notice a huge difference; came just the same as usual.

...I mean the saves came just the same as usual...