Daniel Cain

When you change stick, the useful question is not which model has the biggest number. It is what you want to feel different: a firmer strike, a calmer first touch or easier access underneath the ball.We would rather help you make a short, sensible comparison than tell you one stick is perfect for everyone. Start with fit, then bow, then feel. The rest of the specification should help explain what you notice in your hands.

Compare Aratac hockey stick length, bow shape, carbon feel and balance, with practical advice on choosing a model that suits your game.

Bring your current stick into the decision. Which length do you use? Does the first touch feel calm or harsh? Can you move the head easily around your feet? Write down two things you want to keep and one thing you would genuinely like to change.

That small brief is more useful than starting with price, carbon percentage or a player position. It gives you something real to compare when the new stick is in your hands.

A stick should suit the actions you repeat every week. If your game is built around flat passing and a settled receive, protect those qualities first. If you regularly lift, throw aerials or use drag actions, compare shapes that make it easier to work around and underneath the ball.

Position can offer context, but it should not make the choice for you. Two midfielders may want completely different sticks because one carries in tight spaces and the other distributes early. Choose for your actual game, not a generic position label.

Length comes first because it affects posture, reach and how freely the head moves. As a real Aratac reference, Daniel is 6?3? and uses a 37.5? stick. A 38.5? gives him more reach, but he prefers how the 37.5? moves around his feet. Use the size chart to make a shortlist, then check the fit in your normal stance.

Next compare bow shape. A mid bow tends to feel familiar through flat skills; a lower bow gives easier access around and underneath the ball. Finally, decide how firm you want the response to feel. Higher carbon commonly feels more direct, while a more blended construction can feel softer on the receive.

A good specification should narrow the choice, not turn into a performance score. Read each figure alongside what it changes on the pitch:

There is no honest way to promise that one model will improve every player. Technique, surface, ball position and personal preference all affect what you feel. A more aggressive bow can help you reach a skill you already practise, but it can also ask more of your face control. A very stiff stick can feel sharp on a clean strike and less forgiving on an untidy receive.

Those trade-offs are useful. They are not flaws to hide. If two models both fit, choose the one whose compromise makes more sense for the hockey you play most often.

If you can test two sticks, use the same short sequence with each one: close touches, a moving receive, push passes off both feet, a controlled strike and any lifted skill you can already perform safely. Do not decide from one big hit.

Pay attention to posture, contact quality and whether the head arrives where you expect. If you cannot test on a pitch, compare the new specification with your current stick and change one major variable at a time.

Start with your current length and the skills you use most. Decide whether you want a familiar or lower bow, then choose the level of stiffness and feedback that feels manageable for a full match.

If you are still between two models, ask us with your height, current stick and the one change you want to feel. That gives us enough context to be useful?and to tell you honestly when the simpler option is the better fit.

Use the product pages to compare bow, carbon, available lengths and feel. The size, low-bow-versus-mid-bow and carbon guides are there when you want a little more detail.

How to Choose an Aratac Hockey Stick

A straight guide to length, bow shape, carbon feel and the details that matter once the ball is moving.

What to Look for in an Aratac Hockey Stick

Aratac Team

Stick length affects every touch: how naturally you get low, how far you can reach and how quickly the head moves in a crowded space. A height chart is a useful place to begin, but it is not the final verdict.The best fit is the length that lets you receive, carry and pass in your normal hockey posture without stretching or feeling cramped. Start with the <a href="/size-guide">Aratac size chart</a>, then use the checks below before you commit.

Learn how to choose a hockey stick length using your height, playing stance, reach and personal preference.

These ranges match the sizes Aratac currently sells. Our shortest stick is 32″, so a much shorter child should try one with a coach or in store rather than being pushed into an oversized stick.Once you have a likely size, move into your usual ready position. The head should sit flat in front of you without locked arms, badly rounded shoulders or an unusually upright stance.

A little more length may give you extra reach for tackles, interceptions and wide carries. A slightly shorter stick can feel quicker when the ball is close to your feet. Neither direction is automatically better, and a dramatic change can alter your hand position and timing.

An oversized junior stick can be awkward to swing and difficult to control, which may encourage a young player to stand too upright. It is usually more useful to choose a manageable current fit than to buy several sizes ahead.Ask the player to dribble, stop and push the ball with relaxed hands. If the stick catches behind their feet, forces their hands unusually high or makes clean contact inconsistent, compare it with the next size down. A coach who regularly sees their movement can also offer valuable context.

If you are between two lengths, test both through the same sequence: ten close touches, five moving receives, five push passes and a controlled carry at pace. The better option is usually the one that keeps your posture stable and your contact clean across the whole sequence.Length is only one part of the choice. Bow profile, weight balance and composition also shape the feel, so use our guide to <a href="/blog/choosing-the-perfect-aratac-hockey-stick">choosing a hockey stick</a> before comparing models.

Find your field hockey stick size with a practical guide to height, posture, reach and fit for junior and adult players.

Field Hockey Stick Size Guide | Aratac Hockey

Use height as your starting point, then refine your stick length around posture, reach and the way you play.

Hockey Stick Size Guide: How to Find Your Best Fit

If a new stick makes it easier to lift the ball but your first touch suddenly feels less settled, the bow may be doing exactly what it was designed to do. Moving the curve closer to the head changes how the shaft and face arrive at the ball.A mid bow tends to feel familiar through flat passes and receives. A low bow gives easier access around or underneath the ball for 3D skills, aerials and drag actions. Neither is a badge of ability; choose around the actions you repeat most often.

A clear comparison of low bow and mid bow hockey sticks, including control, passing, lifting and shooting considerations.

On a mid-bow stick, the curve is centred farther up the shaft. The face tends to feel predictable in conventional ball positions, which suits receiving, flat passing and carrying. On a low-bow stick, more of the curve is concentrated closer to the head, placing the handle and face at a different angle around the ball.The profile can make certain movements easier to access, but it does not replace technique. Head shape, balance point, weight and stiffness also affect the result.

Players often choose a mid bow when they want one familiar platform for receiving, distributing and carrying. It can be especially reassuring for developing players because the face position feels straightforward during common push passes and first touches.

A low bow can help you get the shaft beneath or around the ball during lifts, aerial-style passes, drag actions and quick changes of angle. That can suit any player who uses those skills regularly; your position or playing level does not make the decision for you.The trade-off is that the face may feel lively until your hands and ball position adjust. Test receiving and flat passing as carefully as the exciting skills.

List the actions you perform most often in a match, then test each profile with those actions rather than with one spectacular shot. Receive at pace, pass off both feet, carry through cones and attempt the lifted skills you can already execute safely.Choose the stick that improves your average touch. If both feel comfortable, composition and balance may become the deciding factors; our <a href="/blog/hockey-stick-carbon-content-explained">carbon content guide</a> explains the next trade-off.

Compare low bow and mid bow hockey sticks, the skills each profile supports and the practical tests that help you choose.

Low Bow vs Mid Bow Hockey Sticks | Aratac

Compare two popular hockey stick profiles and choose the shape that supports the skills you use most.

Low Bow vs Mid Bow: Which Hockey Stick Is Right for You?

Pick up two sticks with different carbon figures and the first thing you may notice is not extra power. It is the sound and feel of the first touch. One can feel crisp and immediate; the other calmer in the hands.Carbon percentage is useful, but it is not a quality score. A stiffer shaft flexes less on clean contact, while a more blended construction can feel softer and more forgiving. Two sticks carrying the same percentage can still feel different because fibre grade, lay-up, resin, balance and shape all matter.

A practical guide to hockey stick carbon content, stiffness, touch, feedback and choosing the right construction for your game.

The stated percentage describes the carbon contribution to a stick's composite construction, normally alongside materials such as glass fibre, aramid and resin. It gives you a useful indication of design intent, but not a complete blueprint.Fibre grade, weave, orientation, resin system, wall thickness, head shape and balance all influence feel. Percentages are therefore most useful when comparing sticks within the same range; identical numbers from different makers need not play identically.

A higher-carbon lay-up is generally stiffer, so the shaft flexes less during a clean strike or pass. Many experienced players like the immediate response and precise feedback that creates.That directness can also make imperfect contacts feel harsher and demand consistent hands when receiving. More carbon does not create power on its own: timing, technique and the complete stick design still determine the outcome.

Increasing the proportion of other fibres can introduce more flex and vibration damping. Developing players often appreciate that calmer sensation, while experienced players may choose it deliberately for touch-led play.A lower carbon figure is not shorthand for a beginner-only stick. It is simply a different balance of feedback, stiffness and comfort, and quality depends on the complete construction rather than one material.

Start with the feel of your current stick. If you want a crisper response and your ball contact is reliable, compare a modest step upwards. If receiving feels noisy or the stick is tiring to control late in sessions, test a more blended construction.Use the same ball and surface where possible, and compare first touch, push passing and striking rather than relying on dry swings. Combine that result with the right <a href="/blog/low-bow-vs-mid-bow-hockey-stick">bow profile</a> and length for a well-rounded choice.

Learn how hockey stick carbon content affects stiffness, touch and feedback, and why the highest percentage is not always the best fit.

Hockey Stick Carbon Content Explained | Aratac

Carbon percentage matters, but construction, balance and your preferred feel matter just as much.

Hockey Stick Carbon Content Explained

Penalty corners look complicated because ten players move at once. Strip the routine back and it starts with three things: a clean injection, a controlled first touch and a decision before the runners arrive.This guide reflects the FIH Rules of Hockey published and effective from March 2026. Governing bodies and competitions can apply their own regulations, particularly around timings and protective equipment, so check the <a href="https://www.fih.hockey/about-fih/official-documents/rules-of-hockey" target="_blank">current FIH rules</a> and your competition's latest rules before playing or coaching.

Learn the hockey penalty corner rules, set-up and basic attacking and defensive roles in this concise Aratac guide.

A penalty corner may follow a defender's offence inside the circle when it does not prevent a probable goal, an intentional offence by a defender within their defensive 23-metre area, or a defender intentionally playing the ball over the back-line. It is also awarded if the ball becomes lodged in a defender's clothing or equipment inside the circle.The exact sanction depends on the location, intent and effect of the offence. An offence that prevents a probable goal can instead lead to a penalty stroke, so players should follow the umpire's decision rather than assuming every circle offence has the same outcome.

The ball is placed on the back-line inside the circle, at least 10 metres from a goal-post on the attack's chosen side. The injector plays it from the back-line with at least one foot outside the field. Other attackers start outside the circle, and nobody except the injector may be within five metres of the ball.Up to five defenders, including the goalkeeper, set up behind the back-line; the remaining defenders wait beyond the centre-line. Attackers cannot enter the circle and defenders cannot cross their starting line until the ball has been played.

A goal cannot be scored until the ball has travelled outside the circle. If the first shot at goal is a hit rather than a push, flick or scoop, it must cross the goal-line — or be on a path to cross it — no higher than 460 mm before any deflection. Flicks, scoops, deflections and later hits may be raised, but dangerous play remains an offence.That difference is why teams practise both the stop and the chosen finish. A routine is only useful when every player knows the ball position, the legal scoring condition and the safe response if the first option is unavailable.

For attackers, a consistent injection and first touch create more value than a complicated call with uncertain timing. Agree a primary finish, one safe variation and a clear recovery shape if the shot is blocked. Practise every role, including the players who collect rebounds and protect against a counter-attack.For defenders, communication starts before the injection. Confirm who leads the first run, who covers a pass and where the outlet will be after a regain. Stay responsive: rushing a remembered route without reading the ball can open the space the routine is designed to protect.

Use correctly fitted protective equipment required by your competition and follow the instructions of coaches and officials. FIH event regulations require defending field players to wear face masks at penalty corners, but arrangements in domestic and junior competitions can differ.After the corner is completed, defenders should remove penalty-corner equipment safely and as soon as they have a suitable opportunity. Never throw equipment aside where it could strike someone or interfere with the ball. Rules and event regulations change, so check the current versions before each season or tournament.

Understand field hockey penalty corner rules, set-up, scoring conditions, team roles and safety in this clear introductory guide.

Penalty Corners in Field Hockey: A Short Guide

Understand why a penalty corner is awarded, how it starts and the simple principles behind attacking and defending it.

A Short Guide to Penalty Corners

Most players do not discover one perfect position and stay there. You learn what suits you by noticing where you see the game early, where your first touch survives pressure and what your team needs on the day.Try two roles with one clear question in each session, then ask your coach for one useful piece of feedback. The broad position labels below are a starting point, not a verdict on where you belong.

A practical guide to hockey positions and the skills, decisions and responsibilities involved in each area of the pitch.

Think beyond your fastest sprint or hardest hit. Do you scan early, stay calm when pressed, enjoy organising others or anticipate where the next pass will go? Those repeatable behaviours often reveal more about a suitable role than one isolated skill.

Goalkeepers protect the goal, organise the defensive unit and make rapid choices about angles and distribution. Defenders manage space, delay attacks, win possession and build the first phase with accurate passes.Midfielders connect the team. They scan continuously, offer passing angles and balance attacking ambition with recovery work. Forwards stretch defenders, press with purpose and create scoring opportunities through leads, touches and well-timed circle movement.

A central defender may see more of the pitch and organise the line, while a wide defender often has space to carry forward. A central midfielder works in traffic and changes the direction of play; a wide midfielder connects touchline width with inside support. A central forward occupies dangerous areas, while a wide forward may create separation before attacking the circle.Team formation changes these details. Focus on the responsibility your coach gives you — the spaces to occupy, opponents to track and options to provide — rather than the name printed on a team sheet.

Spend a block of training in two or three positions and choose one observation target for each session. You might count how often you scan before receiving in midfield, hold the correct defensive distance or arrive in the circle at the right moment.Ask your coach where your decisions helped the team and what limited you. The aim is not to find a permanent label immediately; it is to identify a role to develop now while building enough understanding to adapt later.

Explore field hockey positions, key responsibilities and practical ways to find the role that best suits your strengths and team.

Field Hockey Positions Explained | Aratac Hockey

A position is a starting point, not a label: find the role that makes the most of your decisions, movement and teamwork.

Finding Your Hockey Position

The quickest way to narrow the Aratac range is to answer three questions: which length already feels natural, where do you want the bow to work, and how firm do you like your first touch? Start there. Carbon percentage and price come after fit.Your best choice should make the ordinary actions repeatable: a settled receive, a pass released on time and clean control when the pitch becomes crowded. One spectacular practice shot tells you far less.

A complete guide to choosing an Aratac hockey stick by size, bow, carbon content, balance, experience and playing style.

Use your current stick as evidence. Note its length, bow, composition and the way its weight sits in your hands. Then write down two things it does well and one limitation you genuinely notice in matches.A clear brief might be: keep the familiar receiving feel, add easier access to lifted passes and avoid a head-heavy balance. That is more useful than shopping by position or experience level alone.

Height gives you a reliable starting point, but posture and reach decide the final fit. In your normal stance, the head should sit flat without forcing you to stretch or stand unnaturally upright. A longer stick may extend your reach; a shorter one may feel more agile around your feet.For measurements and junior recommendations, use the full <a href="/hockey-stick-size-guide">hockey stick size guide</a>.

A mid bow offers a balanced platform for receiving, grounded passing and all-round play. A low bow moves more curve towards the head, which can support players who already use lifts, drag actions and deceptive changes of angle.Do not choose an advanced profile because of one skill you hope to learn. Choose the profile that serves the actions you perform most often, then read our detailed <a href="/blog/low-bow-vs-mid-bow-hockey-stick">low bow versus mid bow comparison</a>.

Higher-carbon constructions commonly feel stiffer and more direct on clean contact. More blended composites can add flex and damping, producing a softer sensation at receive. Neither is automatically a higher level of hockey stick; they serve different preferences.Carbon figures are not perfectly comparable between brands because the complete lay-up and geometry matter. Use our <a href="/blog/hockey-stick-carbon-content-explained">carbon content guide</a>, then compare models within a range.

Balance can make two sticks of similar total weight feel very different. Move through close dribbling, a receiving sequence, push passes and controlled strikes. Pay attention to contact quality and posture after several repetitions, not only the first swing.If you cannot test on a pitch, compare specifications with your current stick and change one major variable at a time. A measured step is easier to adapt to than a completely different length, bow and stiffness all at once.

Choose an Aratac field hockey stick by comparing length, bow profile, carbon content, balance and the skills you use most.

Stories from the game.