The History Of The Field Hockey Stick

The History of the Field Hockey Stick

Jun 14, 2011 | By Jared Paventi

Field hockey is known in America as a high school and collegiate girls game. Internationally, it is a highly competitive coed sport with a history that dates back to Ancient Egypt. According to "Sports and Games of the Ancients" by Steve Craig, 4,000-year-old cave drawings from the Nile River Valley show men playing the game. The game's evolution has been seen in the J-shaped stick used in today's game.

Construction

Leicestershire & Rutland Hockey Association offers a history of the game revealing that early sticks were made from bamboo. British hockey players eventually switched to available local woods, such as willow. Cran Barry, America's largest manufacturer of field hockey sticks, uses hardwoods, fiberglass, ceramic, Kevlar and carbon composite to make their equipment.

Stick Weights

Field hockey sticks comes in three basic sizes, according to Cran Barry. Offensive players looking to strike quickly will use light sticks, which range from 18 to 19.5 oz. Medium-weight sticks, ranging from 19.5 to 20.5 oz, are used by the majority of players. Defenders will often use heavy sticks, weighing 20.5 oz or more, to drive the ball harder and clear the ball quickly. Stick heights can range from 29 to 30 inches, but Cran Barry reports that stick length is for player comfort and does not offer a competitive advantage.

Stick Lengths

Stick heights can range from 29 to 30 inches, but Cran Barry reports that stick length is for player comfort and does not offer a competitive advantage.

Toes

The bowl at the end of the J-shaped hockey stick is called the toe. The four different styles of toe, according to Cran Berry, are: the short toe, which is the standard shape used for ball control; the midi toe, which is typically used by players looking to improve technique or those looking for a hard-hitting stick; maxi toes, which have a pronounced concave surface that allows for the receipt of passes; and the hook toe, which is described as have a larger stopping surface.