Stick pattern is almost entirely player preference. 8. BLADE LIE. The lie, or blade, of a stick is a classification of the angle that the stick shaft would take when the bottom of the blade is sitting flat on the ice. When purchasing a stick, the lie is part of the pattern, meaning that players tend to select sticks based on patterns they prefer. The more upright a stick is, the higher the lie number. Normally, stick lies range from 4.0 to 6.0 in half increments. Most sticks have a 4.5, 5.0 or 5.5 lie.