How do you choose your hockey stick?

This question has been frequently asked by parents, players and also visitors at my sales booth at various hockey festivals that I've been to. Therefore I thought I should share some of my knowledge on how a player makes his choice of a hockey stick:

• Stick Composition - the contents or the material of what the stick is made of, is what makes one stick different from the other. Today's sticks are made of wood or composite material and then added on with a choice of fibreglass, carbon and kevlar to enhance and produce different characteristic to the stick, suiting different type of players and their needs. I have on my blog posted the MERCIAN technology write up on compositions for your understanding.
  Beginner - choose a wood/composite stick with fibreglass coating if you have never played hockey before and want to try playing for the first time. Its a economical way to see if you will really enjoy playing this game.
• Fibreglass, Carbon and Kevlar - how does these 3 different materials make a stick different? Fibreglass provides strength to a stick. Carbon (also known as graphite) provides stiffness. Finally, kevlar provides additional shock absorbency, stiffness and strength to a stick.
• Length & weigth - the choice of length is important for a player to enjoy and perform to the best of his capability. A simple guide is to have a hockey stick which is up to your hip length (not higher than your hip length). I am sharing some very good links which also outlines on how to choose a stick for your reference, with some pictorial guide for choice of length:

http://www.usfieldhockey.com/hockey/stick_selection.htm

http://www.planetfieldhockey.com/PFH/Item-View-64-39

http://www.essortment.com/hobbies/sticksbeginner_skve.htm

Finally when choosing your stick, I always do propose that you spend your budget wisely with the total time of hockey you play. Most players buy a stick by merely looking at it's cosmetics (color, design and feel) but later regret to find that it does not suit his/her playing style and need.

I hope this brief sharing helps in making a right decision and I welcome you to visit my showroom if you need anymore assistance.

Happy Playing Hockey!

Cheers,

Gurdip S.Mann