GB2205757A

GB2205757A - Hockey sticks

Info

Publication number: GB2205757A
Application number: GB08713852A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martin Noel Conlon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-06-13
Filing date: 1987-06-13
Publication date: 1988-12-21
Anticipated expiration: 2007-06-13
Also published as: GB8713852D0; IN170541B; GB2205757B

Abstract

A hockey stick includes a lower shaft portion 3 having forwardly and rearwardly curved portions 16, 17. A head 4 preferably occupies a portion of a generally circular annulus, terminating in an upwardly directed toe 5, the centre of the annulus lying beneath the convexity of the shaft. Preferably, the head 4 grows generally thinner towards the toe 5 to preserve balance in use. A flattened boundary (10, Fig. 7) of the toe 5 may be provided to enable play closer to the ground. A finger guide 22 may be located on the handle 1. <IMAGE>

Description

I MPOVS:J I ral?RO -J79 HOCKEY STICK The invention envisages in general terms a hockey stick used in the game commonly referred to as field hockey, to distinguish it from ice hockey or roller skate hockey, but which is also played on a synthetic grass like surface, and shale, and other hard flat surfaces, as well as on grass. The invention also relates to the game of indoor hockey where a stick of thinner configuration of head and lower shaft is commonly used. The invention is a stick as described above with a head portion continued by an elongate shaft and with a playing surface common to the head, and to at least a lower region of the shaft, in which a curve is formed in the lower shaft region so as to be convex to the same side as the termination of the head.

Usually the head itself will be shaped so that in part it occupies a portion of a generally circular annulus, terminating in an upwardly directed toe region, the centre of such annulus lying generally beneath the convexity of the lower shaft region.

The commencement of the annulus is typically a smooth continuation, in the opposite sense, of the convex curve of the lower shaft, thereby protruding to the other side of the shaft from the toe and contributing. to a well balanced action.

Preferably the head grows generally thinner towards the toe region, again to preserve balance in use.

For descriptive purposes the parts referred to will be called and numbered (1) handle (2) upper shaft (3) curve; which is in two parts (16) the forward moving part and (17) the rearward moving part; (4) head (5) toe (6) foot (7) heel (22) finger guide (23) knob at top of handle. Other numbers will be used to indicate points, positions, or distances referred to in the description.

The configuration of a hockey stick is to a large extent controlled by the rules of the F.I.H. the World Governing Body for the sport.

Rule. "The head shall be flat on left hand side and rounded on the other, and this flat area may extend the entire length of the stick and this is the legal playing surface of the stick." In practice the handle 1) is normally narrow and round and the stick becomes wider and flatter in the upper part of the shaft (2) and is completely flat in the lower shaft and head on the left side.

The left hand side may be described as the side which is to a players left when he is holding the stick perpendicular to the ground by the handle (1) and the toe (5) of the stick is pointing directly away from his body to the front.

The natural hitting stroke is a movement of the stick from right to left and the turning of the stick to facilitate a hit with the flat side from left to right is called a reverse stroke.

Rule. "An annulus with an internal diameter of 5.08 cms shall pass freely over the whole length of the stick being capable of going onto the stick at one end and passing off at the other in either direction." Until 1977/78 this annulus comprised a metal ring with an outer diameter of 8 cms usually made of aluminium or brass. There were also in use rings which had a thickness of up to 1.5 cms so that only a limited curvature was possible to the head of a stick due to snaging the outer parts of the ring. All known hockey sticks are still made to fit the requirements of one or other of these rings.They were superceded by an annulus approximately 6 cms in diameter which was designed with the internal sides sloped back from the centre of the cross section, (see Fig 12) so that measurement was taking place around as thin a cross section of the stick as possible, and the outer diameter did not snag even very tight bends. These features of the annulus have allowed the development of part of the present invention - a stick with a head shape which is based on an annulus of approximately 110 mm in diameter usually with a 10 mm opening in the centre and then modified to suit the rules of the F.I.H. regarding the height of the toe from the ground.

Rule. "The stick shall not have any sharp or dangerous edges." Rule. "The stick shall not have any dangerous inserts of metal or other material in the head." Rule. "The head of the stick shall be made of wood." Rule. "When the foot (6) of the stick is in contact with the ground and the handle (1) is perpendicular to the ground the height of any upturn in the head will be such that the top of the toe (5) does not exceed 100 mm vertically from the ground." The description of the technical features will begin with the head (4) of the stick and proceed upwards to the handle (1).

Usually the head takes the form of a curl with a rounded toe (5).

The width of the timber (8) being substantially 50 mm to allow a 5.08 cms ring to pass over the open end of the head (4) called the toe (5). The gap (9) between the curve (3) and the inner surface of the toe (5) is substantially 10 mm but may vary, for example where the curve part of the invention is used with a standard field hockey stick the foot and the toe of the stick will be more nearly at right angles to the curve. See Fig 6.

The top of the toe (5) shall not exceed 100 mm in vertical distance from the foot (6) and will more usually vary between 7 cms and 9.5 cms.

In any variations the invention may have a flattened area (10) (see Fig 7) on the outer boundary between the foot (6) and the toe (5). This is to allow the shaft of the stick to come closer to the playing surface when the stick is used horizontally on a player's front and left side or trapping on the right a ball approaching from the rear. (See Figs 10 and 8). This flattening removes on average lcm from the curve at its furthest extreme from the shaft and any edges are rounded.

The reasons for the shapes of the head Fig 2 and the flattened variations Fig 7 are as follows: The first purpose of this part of the invention (Fig 2a) is to enable players more easily to move the ball rapidly and smoothly over the entire range of reach to the extreme right and extreme left across the front of the feet without ever allowing the ball to lose contact with the stick.

The second purpose is to allow a player more easily to draw the ball from in front of his feet back towards himself on either side and then turn the stick clockwise around the back of the ball and play it forward and/or to either side.

The third purpose is to allow a player more easily to draw the ball from in front of his feet back towards himself and turn the stick anti-clockwise around the back of the ball and move it forward and/or to his right.

The fourth purpose is to allow a player more easily to flick the ball high into the air without hitting it; this is commonly called a scoop stroke.

It will be seen in Fig 3 that the toe (5) of the head is tapered (11) to approximately between half and one third the maximum depth of the widest part of the head (12). In indoor weights this tapering will be more extreme stopping short only of the point where the head of the stick begins to resemble a sharpened blade.

Aiso in indoor configurations this tapering is carried right around the foot (6) and heel (7) and up to the bottom end of the curve (3). The purpose of this shaping of the indoor versions is to enable the blade (head) to be presented to the underpart of the ball on both the forehand and reverse sides when making flick shots at goal.

The thickest part of the head lies on and to the rear of a line down the centre of the handle (1) and upper shaft (2) to the foot (6). The joint protrusion of the lower shaft (16) and toe (5) to the front are balanced by the larger and heavier protrusion of the lower shaft (17) which culminates in the heel (7) of the stick. That is, the thickest part of the head (4) is in the area between the heel (7) and foot (6).

The heel of the head is a continuation of a sinuosity in the shaft described herein as a curve (3).

The part of the invention referred to as the curve (3), which is in the lower part of the shaft of the stick, can also be used in conjunction with the present standard short head hockey stick (Fig 6) but, is more advantageously used with the curl culminating in an upturned toe. (See Fig 2 and Fig 7). In combination with each other a curl shaped head and the curve give maximum effect to this invention, that is, an advantage in stopping a hockey ball.

The dimensions of the curve are such that the lower shaft (3) projects forward (16) towards the toe between lcm and 4cms but more usually 1.5cms and to the rear (17) towards the heel (7) between 1.5cm and 6cms but more usually 2 cms. Both sets of measurements refer to horizontal distance when the handle is held perpendicular to the ground and are taken from the front and rear edge of the shaft above the curve respectively.

The length of the curve (3) from a point (15) level with the lowest part of the internal opening of the head is usually 20 cms (14) but between 10 cms and 40 cms.

Tke rearward curve (17) is usually less pronounced than the frontward curve (16) which is usually sharper. They may, however, in some configurations be equal or transposed. The stick curves in a rearward direction (17) a greater distance in order to compensate for the combined weight of the forward curve (16) and the front part of the foot (6) and toe (5) of the head (4).

The horizontal distance (20) between the point (18) of the curve (3) protruding forward the greatest distance towards the toe (5), and the point (19) above the heel of the stick where the lower curve (17) blends into the head (4), which is the furthest distance from the outer edge of the toe (5) will be no less than 6 cms and no greater than 14 cms but more usually 8 cms.

The first purpose of this part of the invention, the curve (3) is to make it impossible for the ball to pass under the stick when the toe (5) is placed on the ground and the handle (1) is held parallel or nearly parallel to the ground. See Fig 8 and Fig 10.

An advantage is gained in stopping on the reverse side and also to the front with a ball approaching from the right and in addition, in stopping a ball coming from the rear on a players right hand side. This is especially so on synthetic and indoor surfaces where the ball is unlikely to be bouncing along the surface.

Additionally it is no longer necessary to place the knuckles of the hand holding the stick by the handle (normally the left hand) on the floor to achieve a stick position that the ball cannot pass under.

Placing the knuckles of the left hand on the floor in front of or to the side of the left foot has the effect if 'pinning' the foot to the floor until the hand is lifted again. If this no longer needs to be done an advantage in mobility occurs when stopping or tackling in this manner.

It takes longer to reach the floor with the knuckles than a position 20-30 cms above it, so even if the player continues with the downward movement to the floor, the stick is in the stopping position more quickly and thus the invention gives an advantage in speed of reaching a stopping position.

Indoors, knuckles are often grazed or bruised with repeated floor contact and it is normal practice to wear protective foam tubes on the fingers; the invention makes it largely unnecessary to hold the handle of the stick to the floor.

In the carrying out of this movement, particularly when making a tackle from the left side, players can put their heads so low and are so immobile that injury from collision to their heads, either from the knee or stick of an opponent, is not uncommon. Therefore the invention may increase the safety of the game.

With the toe (5) on the floor the ball cannot pass under the curve (3) from its widest point (18) to a point level with the foot (6) of the head even when the end of the handle (1) is some 20 - 30 cms above the floor, therefore the invention enables lunge stops or interceptions of the ball on the run particularly on the reverse side easier to achieve.

On the forehand side when the handle is laid on or slightly above the floor the height of the curve (3) and head (4) combine to form an effective trapping wedge.

Receiving the ball from the rear particularly on a players right hand side without giving 'obstruction' (illegally shielding the ball from an opponent with the body) is more easily achieved with this invention. (Fig 8). This is because of the vastly increased horizontal stopping area that is offered to the ball, compared with the conventional reverse stick stop, on the right hand side of the body that is the usual mode or receiving the ball from behind when closely marked by an opponent and trying to avoid the foul of 'obstruction'.

The second purpose is in the normal stopping position with the invention held to one side of the feet (see Fig 11). The lowest part of the curve (17) of the invention is perpendicular or almost perpendicular to the ground. It is therefore easier to trap a ball which is bumping along a surface without the player having to position his feet and body behind the ball to line it up for a stop, and also to prevent it jumping over the head of the stick. See Fig 11. This feature is also an advantage when dribbling with the ball particularly on uneven surfaces. See Fig 9.

The combination of area of the head and curve of the invention makes the 'sweep' tackle easier to execute.

The upper shaft (2) is the part of the stick between the curve (3) and the handle (1). The part nearest the curve (3) is flat on the left or face side and 50 mm across. The rear or reverse side is rounded. Gradually as the upper shaft (2) moves towards the handle (1) it tapers and also becomes completely round. At this point (13) it is approximately 3 cms in diameter.

At the lower end of the handle (1) the invention may offer a finger guide (22) as an aid to correct and positive positioning of the players right hand when dribbling the ball. The position of this guide can be altered 10 cms in either direction at the request of an individual who states a preference for such an alteration but, it will usually be approximately 33 cms from the tep of the handle (1).

The top of the handle of the invention may offer a knob (23) which is turned to give a firm heel for the left hand of the player to push against when hitting, pushing, flicking or scooping the ball with power. It is to prevent the hand slipping off the stick particularly in wet conditions or due to sweat. The approximate diameter just below the knob (23) is generally 2.5 cms. The diameter of the knob will be on average 4 cms at its largest point and it tapers at both ends.

The normal overall length of a stick is 91.5 cms but versions from 76 cms to 110 cms may be made at the demand of the market, for example for juniors or for tall individuals.

The stick is usually made of laminated timber throughout. The

stick may be reinforced with fibre-glass; carbon fibre, Kevlarlor a combination of any of these or other suitable material according to market demand and intended price level.

Reinforcement may be within the handle or a wrapping or other application on or around the handle.

The handle and approximately 10 cms of the upper shaft (2) will be covered with porvair or other suitable grip. A further 12-14 cms of the shaft may be covered with cloth tape. The remainder of the stick to across a point (19) may be covered with plastic material with design logos, the name of the stick and relevant information about reinforcement.

LIST OF DIAGRAMS Fig 1. Overall view of the flat side of a sample stick with text numbers.

Fig la. Overall view of the flat side of a sample stick.

Fig lb. Overall view of end of sample stick viewed from A Fig 1.

Fig 2. Is a compound view of sample heads approximating to actual size which shows part of the range of possible head shape which may be contained within part of an anulus.

Fig 2a. View of sample head to approximate actual size.

Fig 3. A view from the direction of arrow A on Fig 1.

Fig 4. A view from the direction of arrow B on Fig 1.

Fig 5. A view from the direction of arrow C on Fig 1.

The views in Figs 3) 4) and 5) will vary according to the weight of each particular stick, that is the wood will be of various thickness but of the same general configuration except in the indoor versions where extreme tapering of the toe, foot and heel is the norm.

Fig 6. View of a standard short head hockey stick in which the invention of the curve in the shaft has been incorporated.

Fig 7. The style of the invention in which the curve is made closer to the floor in the reverse horizontal position (see also Fig 11) by the flattening of the front part of the toe.

Fig 8. Player receiving the ball from the rear while continuing to face his opponents goal thus avoiding the possibility of "obstruction" of an opponent with his body. A large portion of the lower shaft and head can be presented as a stopping area without putting the handle of the stick on the ground.

Fig 9. View of player with ball close to feet on forehand side, note that lower shaft is perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to ground.

Fig 10. View of player making one handed horizontal reverse stick stop. A large portion of the lower shaft and head can be presented as a stopping area without putting the handle of the stick on the ground.

Fig 11. Conventional upright forehand wedge stop td the right side of the feet. Note the lower shaft is perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to the ground and in this combination with the curl effectively prevents the ball from jumping over the head of the stick.

Fig 12. Styles of annulus for measuring width of hockey sticks.

Claims

I r3-J HOCKEY STICK Claim 1. The invention relates to hockey stick with a bend in the lower part of the shaft which moves in an outward direction towards the toe of the head of the stick and then in a backward direction towards the heel of the head of the stick. The bend first moves to the front of the outer line of the shaft and then to the rear of the inner line of the shaft. The outer line being that furthest from the body when the stick is held with the toe pointing away to the front.
Claim 2. A hockey stick as described in Claim 1) above where the rearward bend of the shaft moves smoothly into the shape of the heel of the head of the stick.
Claim 3. A hockey stick which has a head shaped so that in part it occupies a portion of a generally circular annulus usually terminating in an upwardly directed toe region.
Claim 4. A hockey stick which combines the features of the bends in the shaft described in Claims 1) and 2) with a head as described in Claim 3).
Claim 5. A hockey stick as described in Claims 1) 2) 3) and 4) where the centre of the annular shape of the head is lying generally beneath the convexity of the lower shaft region.
Claim 6. A hockey stick as in Claims 1) 2) 3) 4) and 5) where the combined weight of the convexity of the curve of the shaft and the toe of the head are balanced by weight of the curve to the rear and the heel of the head.
Claim 7. A hockey stick as in Claims 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) where the toe, foot and heel of the stick are tapered sharply so that the stick is more readily used for flick shots in indoor hockey because the head of the stick can be presented to the underpart of the ball in order to lift and propell it.
Claim 8. A hockey stick as in Claims 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) where a finger guide is offered on the shaft for correct positioning of the right hand.
Claim 9. A hockey stick as in Claimsl) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) where a knob on the end of the handle is offered as an aid to positive grip with the left hand particularly in wet conditions when striking, pushing or flicking the ball.
Claim 10. A hockey stick as described in Claims 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) where the toe region is flattened on its outter boundary to allow the curve of the stick to come closer to the floor when the stick is held in the horizontal position with the toe on the ground.
Claim 11. A hockey stick as in Claims 1-10 substantially as here in before described with reference to and as illustrated by Figs 1-12 of the accompanying drawings.