While the first hockey sticks were made from mulberry wood, the modern-day ones are a composite of fibreglass, carbon and aramid, a type of fibre.

The hockey stick is the most important piece of equipment in field hockey, without which players cannot play the game.

All players on the field, including the goalkeeper, are required to use a hockey stick to manouvre the ball and score goals, the main objective of a game.

In layman’s terms, the hockey stick is a long shaft made of wood or an alloy of different materials with a curved bottom that looks like the letter ‘J’.

There have been several changes in rules related to the hockey stick, but the basic design remains similar to the first ones used in the 1800s.

The hockey stick is divided into three parts – head, splice and handle.

The handle, or the grip, is the long straight part of the stick used by players to hold and is covered with tape for better grip.

The middle portion of the stick, from the end of the handle to the start of the head, is called the splice. It is the thickest part of the stick.

Meanwhile, the head is the part used to hit the ball. It is shaped like a hook and is flat on the hitting side, with a curve on the end.

Notably, the stick is slightly curved on the hitting side, with a cap on the amount of curvature. 

The curvature or the bow on the stick should not be more than 25mm. In simple words, when the stick is placed facing down on a flat surface, the maximum distance between the surface and the stick should be lower than 25mm.

An increased curve leads to more power and speed, especially in drag flicks, which leads to injuries.

The rules also warrant the non-playing side of the stick to be rounded with a continuous smooth profile.

The international hockey federation (FIH), the world governing body for the sport, has set a standard size and weight limit for hockey sticks that all brands adhere to.

The hockey stick must not weigh more than 737 grams and the length of the stick should not exceed 105cm when measuring from the top of the handle to the bottom of the head.

A non-slip tape is applied on the handle for better grip and control. The stick, including any exterior coverings, must be able to pass through a ring with an interior diameter of 51 mm.

As the sport has evolved over the years, the hockey stick has also witnessed a gradual transformation with the advent of new technology and materials.

The first hockey sticks were made of wood from mulberry, timber, ash and hickory and required expert craftsmanship to carve the head. Metal was also used for a brief period but is now banned due to safety reasons.

The modern-day hockey sticks are composed of newer, more sturdy materials such as carbon, fibreglass and aramid, a type of fibre, and are mostly machine-made.

The strands of all these materials are woven together and placed in a mould, which is then heated to give rise to the widely used composite hockey stick. This stick is stronger, a lot stiffer, more durable and the use of these modern substances makes it lighter as well.