Stick customisation

I mean, lets say I wanted to make my own sticks where would I start in terms of design? (Apart from copying my original ones that is)

there are a few things that should be common to all good sticks.

you can use different types of wood, some like light wood... personally i like heavy hardwoods as its more solid, they dont break (i mean never, i have never broken a jarrah stick EVER over about 10 years of using them) and they add a bit of weight to your passes. the hardwood also keeps the initial sawn texture on the passing edges without wearing smooth like pine sometimes can.

the bevel on your passing edges should be flat and even all the way... the angle can change to suit your preference but you should make sure that the upper and lower edges are as clean and crisp as possible (min 2mm rounded for legality)

this is because when you pass the edge of the stick is the last contact point for the bottom of the puck as the stick runs under it generating the last little rip of spin (most standard passes)... if there are bumps on that edge or its uneven like on an old or feathered/worn stick then that last contact with the puck will be bumped or broken. bad.

thinner sticks are better for passing (thinner as in 16-17mm thick wood rather than 18-20mm which is a typical thickness to get timber in... try to get them to use a thicknesser on it when you buy)... they produce more consistency and longer passes, i assume because the reduced thickness makes it quicker to slide the stick through the water enabling you to get quicker movement with less water resistance.

tapering the top and bottom faces at the ends (say from halfway along the playing surface to the end, just a couple of millimeters, making the stick slightly thinner towards the end) also helps with consistency and stick speed (very slightly but a noticeable difference when passing)

the handle shouldn't be set back from the passing edge (or at least not very much) to make sure you can still use your index finger to rest the puck on for control.

...cant think of other stuff but theres a massive rant on sticks somewhere in this labyrinth forum, maybe there is more there.

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it's more polite on the grating than on the subs bench

You may need to experiment with a few different types of wood too to get the right characteristics for yourself. In Aus we get a good quality pine which is completely different to the European stuff, due to the growing climate. The European pine doesn't seem to last very long at all. If you can't get Jarrah over there, try mahogany or oak.

Experimenting with different designs is also the way to go when working out what stick is best for you. Try as many different sticks down at the pool as you can see. If you find one bat that you can flick well with use that front edge, find someone elses that you can back flick well with or control the puck on the back edge easliy and use that back edge joined with the other front edge. See what feels best for you for size (width and thickness) and work them into your design. Find what angle of bevel works best for you and add that too. Make a couple of different designs and modify them until you find what you like.

As Liam said there's a heap of bat making hints in the "Equipment and Gear" > "Can we have a bat making 'How to' please?" section of the forum.

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Breathing is overrated!

Mabe you could even look at what pucks you are using, some are much slipery than others?
Cheers
Belle

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Underwater Hockey Rules!

Last night my white stick snapped, so now I need some new sticks. At my club, most people use just plain plastic straight edged sticks or the britbat-which is rubbish!

I think I'm going to order some of the Sabre slims from BOA, see how the curved edge affects my flicking.

Thanks again for the advice guys!

the sabres are a good stick.

i wouldn't recommend slim if you're a back, (well i wouldnt at all but if you wanna flounce around with a little wee stick like the rest of the world thats your choice), but it'd be ok if you play forward i guess.

reason being little slim sticks arent so good for passing and stopping passes.

good luck!

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it's more polite on the grating than on the subs bench

But we all know that passing and stopping passes are highly over-rated skills...

:wink:

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It's not whether you win or lose - but whether I win or lose.

yeah unnecessary for some ay! hahaha

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it's more polite on the grating than on the subs bench

I am amazed at all the work some put into their sticks! I just buy my sticks off TrueBlue UWH Supplies - the slick flicker - and away I go. I prefer them to be brand new; I find the waterlogged ones a bit heavy and spongy. The best thing about their sticks are that they are consistent so I don't have to trial them, run 'em in or modify the flicking edge. But I suppose, I am only a girl....

The only change I make is to drill another hole in the stick so that I can tie the lanyard acorss my hand.

Ah, also, (and now I am contradicting myself) I have been rasping the hook side lately to make the hook a little sharper (bigger hook) as I am noticing a great improvement on my hook shots by doing this. Hmm, I might have to submit a design change request to Les....

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Off Half-Backs Rule

well, the slick flickers are a pretty good basic stick... if everyone just bought them everyone would probably play a lot better! you are just the mean trend-setter lena. don't blush too much.

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it's more polite on the grating than on the subs bench