Stages of Development
The development of the modern hockey stick has not taken place in one continuous flow with each development following on from a previous one. Many things changed in the same time frame but at different speeds, especially some of the later developments. There have been more changes in stick design in the last twenty-five years than there were in the previous one hundred and twenty-five and the pace of change has been an ever increasing one. There will no doubt be further development, probably in materials, possibly because of changes to the rules. In roughly chronological order this is what has happened so far.
1860s Hockey taken to India. Stickhead made shorter; move from Ash to Mulberry timber for the stick head.
Further shortening of stickhead; heel of head made tighter. Taken as far as possible by 1986, when a move back towards a midi length began.
1960s Reinforcement with fiberglass.
1970s Reinforcement with carbon and aramid as well as glass fibres.
1980s Stick-heads made from glued lamination of wood in addition to the one piece heads
1982 Introduction of upturned toe, first the Hook closely followed by Midi and 'J' shaped designs.
1980s Limit placed on upturn of 'toe' of head at 100mm.
1986 Kinked shaft stick. Set back stick head.
1980s Stick lengths other than 36", up to 39", become widely available and custom lengths 42"+ can be purchased.
1990 Permitted deviation rule - limited bends to edges of stick handle defined.
1990 Specialist goalkeeper's sticks introduced. The first being the ZigZag Save.
1980s Metal handled stick with a inserted wooden head (plywood)introduced.
1994 Composite sticks fully accepted in rules after a two year 'experiment'.
1990s Metal handles banned.
2004 Rule redefining of head and handle. Head the part from the base of the curve perpendicular to 100mm - handle the remainder of the stick.
2000s Refinement of head shapes, probably five shapes available as 'standard'.
2000s Number of wood core sticks in use declines as moulded 'composites' become the norm.
2006 Bow of the face of the handle is increased to facilitate drag-flicking. Closely followed by a rule concerning maximum permitted bow.
2007 Low bow sticks introduced.
Read more about this topic: Field Hockey Stick
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