Hockey Sticks
What exactly are hockey sticks? A hockey stick is part of the equipment that is used in the sport of hockey. It is especially used for moving or maneuvering the puck or ball around. There are a few different types of hockey from ice to field to roller. However, the hockey sticks are specific to each sport and do have subtle differences. Lets take a look at some of these in detail.
But, before we do, lets explore the different parts of a hockey stick to understand the rest of this article. The head is the part of the stick that comes in contact with the ball or puck. This is also part of the blade, basically the curved lower section of the stick. The shaft runs is what the player holds while playing. Now that we know these specific parts, lets continue with our discussion.
When it comes to field hockey type sticks, there are generally four different types that have four specific names and distinctions.
The "Shorti" is used primarily by the midfielder. It enables the player to control the ball with a tremendous amount of dexterity.
The "Midi" is a striker position stick. This is the person that will be taking the most goal shots. This type of stick is a bit more tougher or stronger than the typical field based sticks.
The "J Hook" is thicker than the typical stick as well as wider. This is to increase stopping power. It is basically a defender type stick.
The "Maxi" is also primarily a stopping based type of stick. But, it is considerably stronger than the "Midi" type and is also used by defenders.
The length of these sticks vary greatly depending upon the player. They are designed around the overall size of the player. Many professional players often have specifically designed for them type of sticks which are created with enhancing their specific skills in mind. For example, maybe a striker would want a specific head with, therefore, no standard stick will do and a specific design would need to be created. Of course, the player could use a different position based stick, but that to may defeat the player's overall abilities. Although, there are differences between a field hockey stick and an ice hockey stick. The ice hockey sticks have a tendency to be much sturdier and stronger due to the violence of the game.
Nonetheless, in all the versions of hockey, a shorter stick will certainly increase a player's shooting speed and is the favored type of stick.
Therefore, when considering hockey sticks, they are not a one size fits all type or piece of equipment. These are specifically set up with the player as well as the player's position in mind.
