Is it time to buy your next hockey stick, or even your first one? Follow Sports24seven’s guide on factors to consider to make sure you buy the ideal stick for yourself or someone else.
There are 3 important things to consider when buying a hockey stick – size, composition, and the bow of the stick.
COMPOSITION
When considering which composition of stick you should choose, it’s important to note that most sticks have information on the stick about their level of composition and for which level of play they are created. Carbon fibre is used to make sticks really stiff and rigid, and that’s where you get your power and performance. The higher the carbon percentage, the more powerful the stick is. As carbon fibre percentage drops, we start sacrificing power. You get some extra feel in control because the stick is not so stiff and the ball doesn’t end up ricocheting and actually ends up sticking to the stick a little bit more when receiving. As we go further down in composition, the sticks become a little bit more affordable, however, you will sacrifice power. Carbon fibre is an expensive material and manufacturers substitute fiberglass in the sticks to bring the price down. For younger players and beginners, these sticks with fiberglass content will be perfectly fine. As players progress, you will need more carbon fibre in your sticks to make sure you’ve got the power to match everyone else on the field. For really advanced players out there, we recommend sticks with a high carbon composition as it’s easy to overpower a stick that doesn’t have enough carbon in it. This also ensures the sticks last longer too!
Field Hockey Stick Materials
The three main materials used in field hockey sticks are wood, fibreglass and carbon. Wood and fibreglass is best for beginners while carbon is best for intermediate to advanced players.
Wood
Feel
Flexibility
Forgiving
(Some indoor players prefer wood)
Fibreglass
Durability
Strength
Carbon
Power
Stiffness
High cost
SIZE
Many people think that measuring a stick up to their hip will ensure the correct size hockey stick for them. However, it’s best to try a stick and perform a dribble. Then focus on how close your left hand is to your chest, and if there’s freedom of movement when you’re dribbling. If your left hand is too close to your chest, the stick is too big and will jam you up. Ideally, you want a good amount of distance between your stick and your chest to allow for a good range of movement as well as for good comfort and feel.
HEAD SIZE
Many people think that measuring a stick up to their hip will ensure the correct size hockey stick for them. However, it’s best to try a stick and perform a dribble. Then focus on how close your left hand is to your chest, and if there’s freedom of movement when you’re dribbling. If your left hand is too close to your chest, the stick is too big and will jam you up. Ideally, you want a good amount of distance between your stick and your chest to allow for a good range of movement as well as for good comfort and feel.
BOW
Hockey sticks range from the mid bow all the way up to the extreme bow, and you need to make sure that the bow you use suits your game. The more pronounced the curve, the more advanced the stick is. As a beginner or a junior, you’re looking for sticks with a little bow. This will really help in developing the fundamentals and the basics of the game. As we grow as players, we can start looking at sticks with more pronounced curves. The more pronounced the curve, the easier it is going to get the ball off the ground.
The Mid Bow is the more recent common starting bow shape, replacing the Standard Bow which has a higher bow point. Hitting and stopping is easily learnt with the mid bow however lifting the ball is favourable with this shape.
The Mid Bow measures around a 22mm to 24.75mm high at the 300mm point (from the bottom of the stick).
Probably the most common and versatile bow these days. The slightly lower bend position enables lifting and aerial skills.
Measuring at 23- 25mm high at the 225 – 250mm point (from the bottom of the stick).
The ultimate for lifting the ball but not friendly for hitting and stopping.
The height of the bow is at 23- 25mm while bow bend position is at 200 – 205mm point ( measured from the bottom of the stick).
The Mid Bow is the more recent common starting bow shape, replacing the Standard Bow which has a higher bow point. Hitting and stopping is easily learnt with the mid bow however lifting the ball is favourable with this shape.
The Mid Bow measures around a 22mm to 24.75mm high at the 300mm point (from the bottom of the stick).
The Mid Bow is the more recent common starting bow shape, replacing the Standard Bow which has a higher bow point. Hitting and stopping is easily learnt with the mid bow however lifting the ball is favourable with this shape.
The Mid Bow measures around a 22mm to 24.75mm high at the 300mm point (from the bottom of the stick).