The hockey stick you play with can greatly influence your game. There is no better or worse hockey stick, the best stick is determined by your personal preferences and qualities and is different for every hockey player. Clubs can differ in many ways and therefore we want to help you find the best option for you, so that you enjoy playing.
How to Choose the Correct Size
Using the correct size of a club is important for your posture during the game. This can influence your technique and it is very important not to adopt bad habits. The length of a stick varies between 18″ and 41″ (the quotation marks “represents an inch, an inch is equal to 2.54 cm). Where the 18″ is a mini stick designed to make a nice gift for newborns, children under 2 years old, or as a souvenir or souvenir. The 41” is an extraordinarily long stick that goalkeepers use during shoot-outs. The most common sizes are 24″ - 35″ for Junior clubs and 36.5″, 37.5 “and 38.5″ for Senior clubs.
Determining the correct stick length can be difficult, especially for children. For this, we will explain it very easily. There are some methods of choosing the size, but they end up reaching the same final size. We will use the navel method because it is the easiest to understand and the most widespread.
The Navel Method
This method is a known and reliable way to estimate the length of the club you need. You must take the measurements with your shoes on.
Option 1: Measure the distance between the ground and your navel.
Read also: Choosing the Right Hockey Stick Size
Here's a table to help you select the right stick size based on height:
| Height (cm / ft) | Distance from Ground to Navel (cm / ft) | Stick Size |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 105 cm / down to 3’44″ | < 61 cm / < 2′ | 24″ |
| 105 to 110 cm / 3’44” to 3’60” | 61 - 68,5 cm / 2′ - 2’24” | 26″ |
| 110 to 115 cm / 3’60” to 3’77” | 68,5 - 74 cm / 2’24” - 2’42” | 28″ |
| 115 to 120 cm / 3’77” to 3’93” | 74 - 79 cm / 2’42” - 2’59” | 30″ |
| 120 to 132,5 cm / 3’93” to 4’34” | 79 - 81,5 cm / 2’59” - 2’67” | 32″ |
| 132,5 to 140 cm / 4’34” to 4’59” | 81,5 - 84 cm / 2’67” - 2’75” | 33″ |
| 140 to 150 cm / 4’59” to 4’92” | 84 - 86,5 cm / 2’75” - 2’83” | 34″ |
| 150 to 160 cm / 4’92” to 5’24” | 86,5 - 89 cm / 2’83” - 2’91” | 35″ |
| Más de 160 cm / up to 5’24” | > 89 / > 2’91” | 36,5″ |
| Más de 175 cm / up to 5’74” | - | 37,5″ |
| Más de 185 cm / up to 6’06” | - | 38,5″ |
Composition of Hockey Sticks
The composition of the hockey stick is important for its stiffness, power and feel to the game. Before hockey sticks were only made of wood, today, we still have wooden sticks, but most of the sticks are made of Composite. With Composite we mean sticks that are composed of Carbon, Fiberglass, Aramid, Kevlar and resins.
Type 1: Composite Sticks
Important Note: Composite sticks vary from 100% fiberglass sticks to 100% Carbon sticks. Whenever we see 20%, 40% or 90% Carbon in a stick, the rest is fiberglass to a greater extent. In less quantity there are materials such as aramid, kevlar to reinforce areas…
The carbon in hockey sticks represents stiffness, power, durability and strength. The more carbon the stiffer the hockey stick will be. A stiff stick means less flexibility and feel with the ball. Less flexibility means that there is not much flex in the stick when you hit the ball, this gives the ball more speed when you play. This is one of the reasons almost all of the best players choose 90-100% carbon clubs. Less sensation makes it a bit more difficult to control the ball but for experienced players this is not a problem. Carbon is a very strong but light fiber. That is why the strength and durability of these sticks are very high, but the sticks are still light. A high percentage of carbon in the club is the perfect choice for advanced players.
Fiberglass poles are flexible, affordable, and lightweight. The flexibility of the hockey stick gives less power, but being “softer” gives more touch and, therefore, it is easier to control the ball and learn new techniques. The feel of the fiberglass stick is greater than with the Carbon sticks. It does not have as much power as Carbon clubs, but this is not necessary in most situations. Fiberglass is also a very light material and this fiber allows for more affordable prices.
Read also: East Stroudsburg Field Hockey: A Look Back
From here, any stick that is between the two extremes, 100% fiberglass or carbon, will have characteristics according to the value of its composition. Example: a 20% Carbon stick has 80% fiberglass, so we will have sticks a little more rigid and resistant than a 100% fiberglass stick.
It is important, from our point of view, that the player evolves with the stick, that is, that as the player gains strength, the player chooses more carbon in his stick, than not taking 100% carbon at 11 years because you will not take advantage of its benefits.
Type 2: Wooden Sticks
Wooden hockey sticks are the most traditional sticks. The feeling you have with wooden sticks is even greater than with composite sticks, that is why there are still indoor hockey sticks that are still made of high quality treated wood. Because in indoor hockey hitting is not allowed, and control (the feeling of the stick when we have the ball) is essential.
In the market we find the wooden sticks as the first price for adults and children, and in indoor hockey sticks we find the first price and the highest price.
Field Hockey Stick and Ball
Read also: US Field Hockey in the Olympic Games
Bow (Curve) Position
The position of the curve is related to where the arc is optimal. This is given in mm. These millimeters are the distance from the lowest point of the blade to the point of maximum curvature of the club.
The closer the arc is to the ground, the lower the position value. At Flick Hockey we decided to divide the sticks into three types of curve positions: medium bow or Mid Bow, low bow or Low Bow and the super low bow or Super Low Bow. We decided to do it this way because each brand gives it a name and even we had problems understanding it. Super Bow: 3D dribling, draging, flicks.
For each brand, the height of the arch may differ in the name they give it. That is why we divide the stick into the following arcs:
- Super Low Bow Curve (-220 mm)
- Low Bow Curve (220 - 250 mm)
The arc of the club is the degree of curvature relative to a flat surface. If you place the stick on the ground, flat side down, the distance between the stick and the ground represents the curvature of the stick. The degree of curvature preferred depends on the person. We divide the degree of curvature into three groups, see the table, although the most common are 24mm or 20mm sticks.
Weight Considerations
The weight of the stick is given in grams. With a very light stick you can move fast and play easy, but you lose some power in your shot if you don’t have good shooting technique. With a heavier club you can shoot harder but moving quickly can be more difficult. Depending on your playing style and preferences, the choice of weight may differ. We divide the weight into three categories, see the table.
Sticks with more carbon, due to their rigidity give us power even though the weight is light, you will see that at the end of the size it says SL, L for example. This means superlight (SL) and light (L).
Buying the RIGHT Hockey stick to best suit your game!
Goalkeeper Sticks
When it comes to choosing a stick for a goalkeeper it’s important that you choose a stick which you feel comfortable with, as a goalkeeper you have different demands with your hockey stick compared to field players. Every goalkeeper is different and prefers different weight and length for their stick. Having a longer stick is beneficial for extra reach and is very useful during a penalty shootout.
There are two types of sticks that can be used by a goalkeeper, they are a regular field player stick which is very good for a goalkeeper and these sticks are used by most goalkeepers, the weight and strength of the stick makes them good for shot blockers and also aggressive goalies who like to sweep the ball away with there stick.
The typical goalie stick which can only be used by a goalie on the field has its benefits also as this type of stick is more curved at the head of the stick and has a bigger surface area. This stick is used best during a penalty shootout as it gives the goalkeeper a bigger surface area.
But some goalkeeping sticks that are on the market are sometimes too light which makes the stick not as strong, effecting how the goalkeeper can make saves.
When choosing a stick for a goalie you must try out different types to see what best fits that individual. For example a defender’s stick has a flat horizontal surface area which is good for stopping shots and is also good for an aggressive style which is key for a goalkeeper.