The introduction of playing on both sand and water based artificial pitches has meant new materials have been needed in the manufacture of hockey sticks. In the 90s aluminium shafted sticks were introduced to the game. These hockey sticks significantly increased hitting power however injuries occurred from these sticks breaking which led to the FIH banning the use of metallic components.
This made brands turn to additional materials such as fibreglass, carbon fibre and Kevlar which had become cheaper to produce forming the now used composite hockey stick. Fibreglass: Cheap and easy to control, fibreglass is made from fine strands of glass and is often woven together and combined with a resin to increase strength and stiffness.
Most cheaper priced and junior sticks are made from this material. Kevlar or Aramid as it is generically called, is used to increase the strength of the stick to a level above that of fibreglass. This material is often used throughout the core of a shaft and on the head of a stick to improve durability.
Carbon Fibre: Very light strands of carbon are often woven into sheets or strips which can be then moulded into hockey sticks. Carbon Fibre is very stiff and strong and often makes up the entire higher level hockey stick. Carbon Fibre is the material used to create the stiffness in hockey sticks which in turn lead to the greatest amount of power being transferred from the stick to the ball.
In brief, the more Carbon Fibre in a stick, the stiffer it is. The weakness of carbon fibre is its low resistance to impact or brittleness, which causes it break. A composite hockey stick is manufactured by a number of woven fibres containing the materials listed above. These fibres are placed into a mould where the stick is baked often in batches before being cooled so that they can be branded with designs. The cross section highlighted shoes a twin channel shaft of a hockey stick which helps to provide a strength to weight ratio.
Composite sticks have a greater power to weight ratio than other material hockey sticks such as wood i. The heads of composite hockey sticks are designed to create a larger and more forgiving sweet spot for maximum hitting power. The manufacturing process leads to composite sticks being much more consistent in their weight, stiffness and power, so if you've used one stick you can be fairly confident another hockey stick of the same specification will feel and perform to the same level.
Hockey sticks are produced in a variety of sizes from junior through to senior with the largest normally being The average hockey stick size for adults is What hockey stick size you should use is normally dependent upon your height however an old method used to be to pick a stick which was level to your hip in height.
Ultimately the choice is down to the player on what feels most comfortable however choosing the wrong size can impact upon your playing ability. Field hockey sticks can be produced in a range of different weights Heavy, Medium, Light however composite sticks can also be produced in Super Light. The FIH set the maximum weight as g although as the composite sticks are stronger than wood and are significantly lighter most people play with a light stick and there are becoming less medium weights on the market.
With field hockey being played on artificial surfaces rather than grass, manufacturers have developed a number of different head shapes to provide better control and for shooting on the reverse stick side. Maxi Head: Developed in the 90s for composite sticks, the maxi provided more control on the reverse playing side. The increased surface area gave a greater sweet spot for increasing power. As the Maxi head is so dominant, manufacturers have turned to developing additional features to aid players such as larger reverse areas, concave head profiles for drag flicking and further bow development.
This development is aimed at players who like to drag flick as the ball can flow through the channel for greater accuracy and speed. Grays Scoop Profile uses a 4mm indentation around the head for greater control on the ball however it leaves a flat central playing surface. On the downside hitting from an upright position with poor technique can lead is a loss of control.
A hockey stick bow is the amount of curvature along the playing surface of the stick from the top to the head. The amount of bow can be measured by placing the hockey stick face down on a flat surface and measuring the maximum distance between the surface and the stick. As with the weight of a hockey stick there are limitations to the bow with the FIH setting the maximum level of bow to be 25mm. Additional Information Home 2 Sticks Giveaway! Site Information.
Never buy retail again Learn Why. Please wait Call us at Sticks Mass-produced sticks typically fall into three categories: Adult, Intermediate and Junior. Put on Your Skates The most common rule of thumb for sizing your stick is this: When standing in your skates, the end of a stick held with the toe of the blade on the floor should fall between your chin and nose. In stocking feet, the nose or slightly higher is the target for an average stick.
Get in touch Also read Who is the oldest player in the NBA? How big is an intermediate hockey stick? Read more. Read on Read later. Answred by. Earl Guinan July 23, Add Comment.
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