Segmented Field Hockey Stick Resolving Loft and Control Trade-off
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional full-length bowed field hockey sticks impart undesirable loft to the ball and inhibit ball control due to the setback position of hands, especially during dribbling and push passes, as they increase power and shift hands behind the head.
Innovation Solution
A field hockey stick design featuring a substantially straight grip portion and a bowed hitting portion, with the hitting surface either in the same plane as the handle or set back from it, to maintain hand forward positioning and reduce loft, while allowing increased whipping action and ball speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the entire length of the field hockey stick is bowed from the end of the handle to the head, then the power of flick shots is increased, but the hands are shifted behind the head causing undesirable loft and inhibiting ball control during dribbling and push passes
Solution Approach 1:
The stick is divided into two distinct sections with different bow configurations: the grip portion (from handle end to throat) maintains a straight configuration, while the hitting portion (from throat to head) features the bowed design. This segmentation allows the power-generating bow to exist only where needed for shots, while keeping the grip area straight for proper hand positioning and ball control during dribbling and push passes.
2Speed
If the entire length of the field hockey stick is bowed, then the whipping action and ball speed are increased, but the hands are positioned behind the head creating unwanted lift on the ball
Solution Approach 1:
The bow is applied locally only to the hitting portion of the stick rather than the entire length. This localized application of curvature provides the whipping action and ball speed enhancement exactly where the hitting surface contacts the ball, while the straight grip portion ensures hands remain in the correct forward position to minimize unwanted loft during various ball handling skills.
3Power
If full-length bowed sticks are used to increase shot power, then the hands are set back behind the head, but this setback position inhibits a player's feel for the ball during cradling and dribbling
Solution Approach 1:
The stick design segments the functional zones: the straight grip portion provides proper hand positioning and tactile feedback for ball control skills like cradling and dribbling, while the bowed hitting portion delivers the power and whipping action needed for shots. This spatial segmentation of functions resolves the conflict between power generation and ball feel.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a field hockey stick having a substantially straight grip portion and a bowed hitting portion. In one embodiment, a stick has a substantially straight handle, a bowed throat, and a bowed head. In another embodiment, a stick has a substantially straight handle and a bowed throat, with at least a portion of the playing surface of the head in substantially the same plane or line as the front face of the handle. In another embodiment, a stick has a substantially straight handle and a bowed throat, with the playing surface of the head set back from the plane or line of the front face of the handle.