Recently I broke my cherished eight-year-old wooden hockey stick, so with a heavy heart I began the confusing process of choosing a new stick. Having only used wooden hockey sticks in the past I thought I would just replace it with a similar stick. So I was dumbstruck when I started to search the web and got bombarded with options for composite and wooden sticks of varying weight, lengths and shapes. After days of research and a bit of experience I thought I’d publish my findings to help other hockey players when choosing their next stick.

Long gone are the days of hockey sticks made purely from wood and wrapped with a bit of towelling for grip. With advances in technology wooden sticks began to be reinforced with materials such as glass fibre, aramid, and kevlar to a point where now you can buy ‘wood free’ composite sticks. Heated arguments on whether wood or composite hockey sticks are best fill many a clubhouse, but in the end it’s down to personal preference. Choices on materials aside there are other factors to consider when buying a hockey stick such as weight, length and shape.

The most popular weight (based on availability) seems to be light, which suits players who need fast tight control of the ball such as forwards. Medium and heavy sticks are more suited to defensive players who need to tackle, hit and stop the ball with greater strength. When choosing the length of a stick it comes down to basically how tall you are. Short people have short sticks and tall people have longer sticks, get it the wrong way round and you either miss the ball or hit the pitch.

The shape of a stick differs in the bend or ‘bow’ in the shaft and the size of the head. Generally the greater the curve in the shaft the better it is for flicking, but it also gives more flexibility and some say more power to the stick. The head comes in three different shapes midi, maxi and hook. Midi is the smallest and useful for reverse stick control and hitting, maxi heads are larger therefore great for stopping and hitting the ball, whereas hooks have the largest surface area and so are even better for stopping, hitting and particular useful for flicking.

Essentially when choosing your field hockey stick consider where you play regularly and try a few different ones out if you can.

Written by Kernowjourno. For other articles on the subject see http://www.fieldhockeysticks.wordpress.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Norton http://EzineArticles.com/?Field-Hockey-Sticks&id=82520

Playing hockey is fun and a good sport to help your children build on their character although indulging your kid in hockey can be straining since it is a full contact sport. Supporting a kid joining this sport is costly because of its equipments and rink rental.

Buying quality equipments can be a headache for parents especially if they are not very knowledgeable about it. There are many types of equipments ranging from the very expensive professional grade materials to the basic entry level ones. As more and more kids join organized sports, many of the manufacturers have released models for consumers to choose from. The basics of buying equipment for your kid are as follows:

Skates

Since hockey is a sport that is played on ice, it comes naturally that the players would be using skates. Using figure skates is a big no-no in hockey because the shape and functions are different and this might lead to injuries. Essentially hockey skates protect the ankles and the feet.

A good fit for the boot is about a quarter or half an inch in allowance when worn with socks. Buying skates can be discouraging at times since it is not advisable to buy a big size and have the child grow into it. Having big skates can lead to fractures since the feet and the ankles are not snugly fitted. If buying used skates, it is advisable to check on the leather of the ankle area if it has not worn out.

Helmet

Helmet is the core protection of the face and the head. It is best to buy brand new ones to ensure that there are no hidden cracks or hairline cracks that might be overlooked during the selection process. A helmet with a face guard is the best choice for kids to prevent a hockey stick or a puck colliding directly at their faces.

Gloves

It is best to buy gloves that are long enough to meet with the elbow pads to provide maximum protection. It is best that gloves are the correct hand size of the kid for a stable grip and maximum hockey stick control.

Body Pads and Shin Guards

Body pads and shin guards should fit snugly and comfortably to prevent the protective gear from falling off. Body guards and shin guards are common items on garage sales. It is a good place to scour through the pile. Protective equipments for hockey are outfitted with hard shell plastics that distribute the impact evenly to the body. Before buying the used protective equipment check the plastic shell thoroughly for cracks.

Hockey Stick

This equipment is the safest to buy on garage and surplus shops. Hockey stick for beginners does not really matter because this is the time to gauge what curvature angle should the blade be through time. Also, hockey sticks can be customized by cutting off the top part of the handle.

J. Brown writes about SummitOnline promo code, Football Fanatics web code and The Sports Authority coupon codes

Article Source: http://www.abcarticledirectory.co