Equipment of the Game - the ball and stick

- The ball and stick -

The Ball:
Originally a cricket ball (cork center, string-wound, and covered with leather) was used for the game, however, balls today are usually constructed of a composite core with a PVC outer or a PVC cover depending on the 'feel' that is desired. The ball is about 9 inches (23 cm) in circumference and weighs about 5½ ounces.

For game play the balls are dimpled - they have dimples (indentations) like those found on a golf ball. However this is not necessarily true of practice balls which often differ from game balls in quality, feel and texture. When hit correctly this small, hard ball can travel at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour, which can make the sport rather dangerous for goalies and players alike especially since players where no protection beyond shin, and mouth guards.

**A dimpled ball**

**Hockey balls showing their relative size to stick heads**

The Stick:
An old style hockey stick

Field hockey sticks are usually 36 to 38 inches (about 1 m) long and weigh 12 to 28 ounces (340 to 790 g). The stick's striking surface is flat on the left side only and is curved on the back side and the ball can only be hit with the flat (front) side of the stick. To the right is a picture of an old 'English head stick'. This type of stick is not in use today but it gives a good example as to how much stick heads have changed over the years. Aside from the various weight/balance characteristics of a stick, there are two main features that come into play as far as stick design is concerned - these are the reinforcement of the stick and the shape of the head of the stick.

Reinforcement of the stick: All hockey sticks (with the obvious exceptions of the composite and aluminum sticks) begin life as a plain piece of wood. Various materials can then be added to the bare stick to determine it's strength and performance characteristics. It follows that the more reinforcement a stick has the stronger and stiffer it will be, and, as a basic guideline the stiffer the stick, the harder it will hit the ball (however, it will be less forgiving on a cold day). The main materials that can be added are as follows:

FIBERGLASS - For basic strength and stick durability.
KEVLAR - For increased strength and basic shock absorbency
CARBON - For extra stiffness
DYNEEMA - For supreme shock absorbency

Shape of the stick head: There are three main stick head shapes: shorti, midi and hook. The shorti is the traditional one piece head, whereas midi and hook heads are made of several pieces of wood attached together (laminated). These different shapes determine both the performance and durability of the head.

**A variety of sticks showing some of the different types of heads**

Traditional shorti heads are favored for their better striking capabilities, which is due to a more centered "sweet spot". They are also stronger and more durable due to being made of one piece of wood. Laminated midi and hook heads are designed to aid dribbling, reverse stick play and flicking. They are neither as strong nor as durable as shorti heads due to the fact that they are made up of several pieces of wood laminated together, however, this can be overcome with good care.

Sticks with kinked shafts Some sticks not only have different shaped heads but also have different shaped shafts: these kinked shafts are used by both players and goalies but are not that common a stick - you will see straight shafts far more than the kinked ones. For goalies the sticks offer more of a save area, and for players the sticks can help with dribbling and offer more of a stopping area (when laying the stick on its side to stop a ball). To the right are a few examples of sticks that have the 'kinked' shaft.