What to Look for in an Aratac Hockey Stick
A straight guide to length, bow shape, carbon feel and the details that matter once the ball is moving.
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.
Before you compare
Think about the touch you already have?and the one thing you want to change.
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.
Start here
Start with the job, not the badge
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.
Fit and feel
Choose length, bow and feel?in that order
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.
Read the numbers
What the specification actually tells you
A good specification should narrow the choice, not turn into a performance score. Read each figure alongside what it changes on the pitch:
- Length: Your starting point for posture and reach. Check it with the way you actually stand and move.
- Bow height and position: Shows where the curve works along the shaft and which ball positions may feel most natural.
- Carbon content: Helps indicate stiffness and feedback, but does not describe the complete construction or guarantee a better stick.
- Balance: Changes how light or head-present the stick feels as you move it, even when total weights are similar.
- Weight: Useful for comparison, but judge it together with balance rather than as a number on its own.
A candid note
A spec sheet cannot choose for you
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.
On-pitch check
Compare the actions you repeat every week
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.
The decision
Aim for a shorter shortlist, not a harder sell
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.
Next step
Compare the current Aratac range
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.