Length
Choosing the right stick length is really important as it will support your abilities on the field. We recommend that the stick come up to approximately your hipbone, however, this really isn’t a hard and fast rule. The game is played with bent knees and the stick out in front. Some players prefer more reach so you may prefer a longer length.
Composition
There are a number of materials used to make a field hockey stick: carbon, glass fiber, aramid and wood, as well as resins. Carbon has become the most popular material used in the higher level sticks, as it is a very strong material used to generate power. Beginner sticks tend to be made from glass fiber, or wood, as they are much more flexible and forgiving, enabling beginners to learn the soft touch and close control of the game.
adidas sticks now range from a .1 to a .9 level. The .1 level is the stiffest and most powerful stick, containing the highest percentage of carbon. This stick is great for generating maximum power, but it does make the touch harder to control. The .9 level is designed for beginners and made from wood, which means it is much more forgiving, with a soft touch and feel, but has much lower power generation. A .4 level stick will have a mix of the two, so contains carbon to generate power, but also contains other materials which give the stick a softer touch and feel.
What stick level is right for you depends on your ability, as well as your personal preference for touch vs power.
Bow
The bow of a stick is the slight curve you see in the stick shaft and similar to the composition, choosing the right bow will depend on your playing style and skill level.
The location of the bow along the stick shaft determines the name of the bow. An ‘ultra low bow’ refers to the bow starting closer to the head of the stick (the playing area), a ‘mid bow’ means the bow is much closer to the middle of the stick.
Deciding what bow you want to use depends on what you are looking for from your stick and your playing style.
An ultra low bow makes it much easier to lift the ball in the air, for 3D skills and aerial shots, think of a spoon, but it can therefore be more difficult to hit flat and keep the ball down.
A straighter mid bow helps control the ball more easily and keeps the ball flat to the ground, but is harder to get the ball in the air for 3D skills.
Within the adidas range, we offer a full range of bows so you can choose how much of that low bow effect you want in your stick. We have created a quiz to help you decide what type of bow would be best for you from the adidas stick range: Which stick is best for me?
Click to here to see the Shosa, Chaosfury, Ruzo, Ina, Estro or Fabela sticks.
Head shape
The adidas range has two head shapes: the 3D head and the Pure Control head.
3D Head
The 3D head supports increased ball control and enhanced 3D skills, especially on the reverse.
The opened-up angle of the toe allows the ball to sit in the hook which allows for rapid spin moves.
Pure Control Head
The pure control head shape helps provide ultimate control in all situations and is seen as the more traditional head shape for field hockey sticks.
Take our stick quiz here to see which stick is perfect for you.
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