field hockey
n.
A game played on turf in which two opposing teams of players, using curved sticks, try to drive a ball into the opponents' goal.
The game of Hockey is played widely across the world
In England it is a popular family orientated sport, played mainly in clubs by both men and women. The game is well-liked in many schools, particularly in the independent sector and offers a lifetime of both sporting and social opportunities for players, officials and administrators alike.
Hockey or "field hockey" as it is also known (to differentiate it from ice hockey) is an eleven a side game played on a pitch 100 yards by 60 yards (91.4 metres x 55 metres) with a ball which has a 23cm circumference. Each player has a stick with a rounded head to play the ball with the ultimate aim of scoring goals by putting the ball in the other team’s goal. Sticks are about a metre long and weigh between 340g and 790g.
The Rules Of Hockey
The rules of hockey are very similar to the rules of football except that players must use sticks instead of their feet to play the ball. There are 11 players on a team made up of a Goalkeeper, Defenders, Midfielders and Attackers. The only player on the field who is allowed to use their feet and hands as well as their stick is the goalkeeper.
Hockey Sticks
Hockey sticks are generally constructed in either Composite or Wood. Kookaburra, Grays, Slazenger, Mercian, Dita, Brabo, Gryphon, Malik, TK, Wasp and Zoppo are all very good quality Stick manufacturers and can be purchased from many online hockey shops (see links on the left).
Composite hockey sticks have evolved from the technologies used in other sports like tennis, golf and skiing. The main fibres currently used in manufacture are: Carbon, Aramid & Glassfibre.
The benefits in composite technology are:
Uniformity in shape, balance & weight.
Increased striking power.
Lower torsion.
Different wear and tear factor of head of stick compared to wood.
Slightly less maintenance needed as less effected by rainy or damp conditions.
Easier to choose same stick again.
Wooden sticks have not altered dramatically in fundamental design. The main changes we have seen over the last 10 years, are the reinforcement and shape of the heads.
Originally most sticks were either not reinforced or reinforced with local Pakistan/ Indian glassfibres. These days however the majority of middle and higher priced sticks are now reinforced with glassfibre, carbon and aramid, imported into Pakistan/India from Holland.
The benefits of a wooden hockey stick are:
More mellow feel against the ball allows easier first touch/control skills.
More “grip” against the ball. The face of the head of a wooden stick tends to grip the ball better than a composite stick.
Wider choice of headshapes and handle thickness.
Wider choice of pick/up and balance points.
At the end of the day, the choice is yours. As coaches we feel that a youngster should start off playing hockey for a couple of seasons with a wooden stick because the ball tends to bounce off wooden sticks less than the composite types. After this period it is personal choice which type of stick you choose. Some players who have tried composites are reverting back to wood because they feel it offers them better first touch control. Other players who have bought composites love them and would never go back to wood.
British Hockey Association Links
If you are looking for a hockey club you will find one in your area of the UK by following one of the relevant links below.
Field Hockey Information about Hockey Sticks (composite and wooden) links to clubs associations and hockey shops, UK, England. Hockey, Field Hockey, Hockey Sticks, Stick, composite hockey sticks, wooden hockey sticks, Hockey Shops, Humberside, Yorkshire, Midlands, Hockey Association, Kookaburra, Grays, Slazenger, Mercian, Dita, Brabo, Gryphon, Malik, TK, Wasp, Zoppo Field Hockey equipment and accessories. Whether it's top of the range Hockey Sticks and Hockey stick bags or hockey gloves or training balls, hockey grips, Field Hockey accessories at a price you can afford.
