Floorball - Stick

In the sport of floorball, choosing the right blade/stick is very crucial in the performance of the players. The length of the stick and the flexibility of its shaft also play an important role in a floorball match. The stick is used to hit the ball inside a goal to score points so its construction should be precise enough to hit the ball in the right manner. The blades of the sticks can either be left or right which denotes the way, the stick is supposed to be held by the players.

Manufacturing and Construction of Floorball Sticks

The floorball stick usually weighs between 250 g to 300 g. During manufacturing of the sticks, the flex is measured by applying a weight of 30 kg. According to the height of the players, the length of the stick also varies. For a player with height under 1.30 m, the shaft length should be 70 cm, for 1.45 metres it should be 75 cm and so on. Players with over 1.95 metres height, the length should be 100 cm.

There are three parts of the floorball sticks. Have a look -

• Blade - The blade of the floorball stick is made up of carbon fibre, graphite, Kevlar or their mixtures and is used to hit the ball. Various other materials are also added to make the blades stiffer. Two types of blades are mainly available; softer blades and harder blades. The softer blades decrease the bounce rate of the balls. They are also preferred due to accurate passes and adequate wrist shots. The hard blades are useful in producing powerful strikes and are helpful for faster passes. The blades can be directed towards the right or left depending on the player’s pick and have a more open face in the bottom region. The higher the open face is, the easier it is to lift a ball.
• Shaft - The shaft is the extended middle region of the stick which connects the grip with the blade. The shafts can be oval or round depending on the players’ preference. Some players prefer the semi-oval sticks that are oval at the top and round at the bottom while sticks with bubbles or curves are also used. The bubbles present on the surface increases the strength of the shots while a curve on the stick improves the efficiency to handle a ball. The shafts are usually made from fibreglass, polycarbonate or carbon fibre.
• Grip - The grip is present at the upper end of the shaft and help in handling the stick better. There are various types of grips available in the market depending on the players’ preferences. Some players like sticky grips while others don’t.

Evolution of the Floorball Sticks

The floorball sticks were earlier used to be made from plastic tubes which can be still found in some toy stores. The new modified sticks, on the other hand, are made from various artificial materials making them a little sturdy and durable. The blades used in earlier times used to be loosely fitted and the shafts have a smaller diameter. In recent times, significant changes have been made to modify the blade surface and effectiveness. The revised new version sticks are lighter, durable and have better ball handling capabilities. The rules and regulation related to the modification of the sticks are generally governed by the International Floorball Federation (IFF).