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How to Select a Field Hockey Stick
Toe Lengths:
SHORTI - Most established toe length. Used by majority of college players and the U.S. National Team. Good balance
of maneuverability and control.
MIDI - Used by majority of top
international players, and growing in popularity in the U.S. Extra hitting
surface facilitates receiving, flicking, and reverse stick play.
MAXI - Head shape combining the extra
receiving surface of the hook with the hitting power of the midi. Excellent
for drag-flicks and reverse stick control.
J HOOK - U-shaped
head design offers significantly larger stopping surface for receiving
passes and defending. Good for play on grass surfaces.
Weight:
Most players use a medium weight field hockey
stick (M). Light sticks (L) are sometimes used by offensive players for
quicker stickwork. Heavy field hockey sticks (H or T) are sometimes
preferred by defensive players to increase power of drives and the weight of
the stick for tackling.
Weight Ranges:
-
Light (L) 18.0 - 19.5
oz.
-
Medium (M) 19.5 - 20.5
oz.
-
Heavy (T or H) 20.5 +
oz.
Bend:
Field hockey sticks have a slight bend on them to give players better
control. The more the bend, the more control you will have over the ball.
With more control, you will sacrifice some power. Normal bend is around 15
mm. Extra bend is around 25 mm. Extra Extra bend is around 35 mm.
Strong players like more curve because they can make up for the sticks lack of
power with their own. Most elite players use an Extra bend but if you are
having trouble controlling your dribble or receiving passes, then you might want
to buy a stick with more bend.
Length:
There are many theories
regarding the best field hockey stick length for a player, but generally
stick length is a function of height.
Select the appropriate field hockey stick
length according to your height...
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Field Hockey Stick
Size Chart |
|
38" |
5'9" & up |
|
37" |
5'7" - 5'8" |
|
36" |
5'5" - 5'6" |
|
35" |
5'1" - 5'4" |
|
34" |
4'10" - 5'0" |
|
33" |
4'8" - 4'10" |
|
32" |
4'5" - 4'7" |
|
30" |
4'2" - 4'4" |
|
28" |
Under 4'2" |
The Dutch Method:
Hold your stick upside down, with the head in the air. Insert
the head in your arm pit, as if the stick was a crutch. Your stick should end somewhere near your knee.
Where
the end of the handle is in relation to your knee is what you will want to look
at. The end of the handle should fall between the middle of your knee
cap to one inch below your knee cap.
Select a stick
of that length, from your arm pit to middle of the knee cap, and you
may be amazed at how much your ball control will improve. Lifted balls and broken stick heads
will be a thing of the past.
Power Index:
The Power Index of a field hockey stick is how Dita rates the amount of
power a field hockey stick.
- Beginners should use field hockey sticks with a low power ranking:
0 - 3.5
- Intermediate players should use a field hockey stick with a
medium power ranking: 3.5 - 5.5
- Advanced level players like a
field hockey stick with a high ranking: 5.5 - 8
- Professional
field hockey players prefer an extreme power ranking: 8 - 12
Field Hockey Stick Components
CARBON - Provides stiffness and power to the stick. As a
general rule, the more carbon content the stick has, the more powerful hits it
will deliver, but there is a trade-off. Greater skill is required when
controlling the ball on your stick because carbon is rigid and less forgiving
than other materials. The
Grays GX8000 Turbo
Composite Field Hockey Stick contains a large carbon content providing
superior power and stiffness.
ARAMID - Acts as a vibration dampener
and adds strength to the stick. The rigidity of carbon causes vibration in
the handle on ball strikes so aramid is added to balance this. Both the
Brine Guru Series C1000 Field Hockey Stick and the
STX 85/10 V3 Composite Field Hockey Stick contain aramid to decrease
vibration in the stick handle.
FIBERGLASS - Adds a great deal of
durability to any stick and is a component of almost every stick.
Contains some of the same properties as carbon but is a more economic way of
giving you the feel of the highest performing sticks. The
Cranbarry Break Away Composite Field Hockey Stick is composed entirely of
fiberglass providing great power and durabiity.
WOOD - Original field hockey sticks
were composed of wood. It is still used a little bit, but most sticks that
have wood in them are wrapped in fiberglass to add strength and power.
Wood provides great touch and feel. The
STX Palm Mulberry Field Hockey Stick contains high quality mulberry wood for
great ball handling control.
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