How do I choose the right floorball stick?

Choosing the right floorball stick can be a difficult job. Certainly, if you do not have much experience with floorball (also known as unihockey). At many floorball clubs, you have the opportunity to try out a number of different sticks, so that you know which stick you like. Don't you have that option? Then we want to give you a boost in the right direction with this article.

Which side of the body?

First, let's get rid of a widespread misunderstanding. On which side of the body you hold your floorball stick does not depend on whether you are left or right. In the Netherlands, many floorballers play with the stick on the right side of their body. Because this is also the case with field hockey and therefore it often feels more natural. Have you never played hockey? Then you can use this neat trick, think of the way you hold a shovel. That often corresponds to which hand is on top of the stick and which hand is on the bottom.

When you hold the stick in your hands, the lower hand determines which side of the body you hold your stick to. If your left hand is the bottom hand, you need a stick LEFT of the body. Is your right hand at the bottom? Then choose a stick or blade RIGHT of the body. We also use these names in our shop.

Stick length

In addition to the side of the body, the length of the stick is also of great importance when playing. With a shorter stick, you often have more ball control, while a longer stick increases your reach. However, if you have a stick that is too short, you will get back problems.

A good guideline to reach the correct length of the stick is to hold the stick in front of your body. Put one end on the ground and the other end of the stick should approximately come to your navel. You can also take a look at the table below for a good indication of the length of your stick. Note: the stick length in this table is the length of the shaft. The blade is not taken into consideration here.

Flex

When choosing a floorball stick you often come across a number that indicates the flex of a stick. Every floorball stick is tested for flexibility in a laboratory. The more millimeter a stick bends during this test, the more flexible the stick. In general, it can be said that beginners are better at playing with a higher flex. More experienced and more powerful players will like a stick with a low flex.

Which flex is best for you also depends on the way you play. For example, an attacker could shoot harder with a lower flex. Are you more of a technical floorball player? A higher flex gives you a bit more ball feeling and lets you more easily control the ball.

Materials

Different materials are used to make floorball sticks. There are sticks made of plastic, fiberglass, composite and carbon. Plastic sticks are by far the cheapest, but also break the fastest. In addition, a plastic stick often feels "toy-like". Fiberglass and composite are common materials in a floorball stick. These materials are durable and have a good price-quality ratio. Last but not least there are carbon sticks. This is an ultra-light material and it will give you the best floorball experience. However, carbon is a more expensive material.

The right blade

Every stick that you buy has a blade. Two factors are important for a floorball blade. The hardness of the material and the concavity (or curve) of the blade. A floorball blade is made of soft, medium or hard material. In general, you can say that the harder the blade, the harder you can shoot. But also that your ball control is reduced when playing with harder blades.

In addition to hardness, concavity also plays a major role. Floorball blades are often provided with a so-called "ball pocket". The blade is then slightly bent at the end so that the ball stays in 'the pocket'. This offers a great advantage when shooting. In our webshop, the title of the product indicates whether a blade is made for a player who holds their stick left of their body. Or the other way around.

In addition to blades with concavity, we also have blades that are not bent. You can leave the blade as it is (which is useful if several people play with the same stick, such as at schools) or you can bend it yourself in the desired concavity. Keep in mind that you do not bend the blade too much, as there are strict rules for this.

Grip

The last aspect of the stick that you need to take into consideration is the grip of the stick. There are sticks with a round shaft (the vast majority of the sticks) or an oval shaft. Which you like best is purely a personal preference. In addition, each brand has its own grips. You can easily replace them yourself and they vary from very simple to more advanced grips. These more advanced grips have features like moisture absorbing abilities and/or have a "sticky" feeling for an extra good grip.

Questions?

Are you still not sure which stick is best for you? Or have any other questions? Then contact our customer service. We are more than happy to help you choose the right floorball stick!