What is the difference between left and right handed hockey sticks

The first time that a child picks up a hockey stick, he will probably put his strong hand on the bottom of the stick. With the more powerful hand generating the power, it becomes a more natural motion to shoot the puck.

Source: Hockey India. Ideally, a left-handed shooter in hockey holds the top of the stick with his right hand, whereas lowers down the shaft with the left hand. Likewise, a right-handed shooter will be the reverse, more often than not leaning to hid right allowing the stick blade to open.

Unlike other sports where you find a player using bats or balls, field hockey dedicates itself to players using right-handed sticks, even to those who are naturally left-handed.

Some believe that hockey is the realm of the right-handed, well, it is more a matter of hockey players learning to play the sport with shots that go against their normal dominant side. Each and every hockey stick has both a flat and rounded side. It may seem possible to obtain a customised left-handed stick, one cannot put it to use during official matches.

They are rendered illegal for use in official competitions and field hockey matches, according to the International Hockey Federation FIH. A player with a left-handed field hockey stick is very likely to be hit from a follow-through swing while tackling against a player with a right-handed stick, who has ideally much more dominance on the field.

In fact, among the top 25 goal scorers in NHL history, 15 are right-handed shooters, but only two—Brett Hull and Jari Kurri—are naturally left-hand-dominant. On the other hand, the fact that Canadians—who know a thing or two about the sport—believe that right-hand-dominant people should play left-handed makes it a strong recommendation. A less common belief—but one with many adherents—is that having your dominant hand lower on the stick helps you to generate a more powerful shot.

Some players even feel that the dominant-hand-on-bottom method gives you more control. You stickhandle with your bottom hand. The top hand just guides it. This is especially true for youngsters just starting out. There are other reasons hockey players end up as lefties or righties. For some, it was determined by the first stick they used, which might have been handed down from an older sibling.

For others, it was a desire to be like their heroes, such as Wayne Gretzky lefty or Alex Ovechkin righty. While most players have already established how they hold their stick by the time they choose a position, some players might choose to hold the stick a certain way to gain an advantage while playing a particular position.

You should carefully consider what you want from your hockey stick before committing to one source. When holding a hockey stick, your left hand is usually positioned at the top of the handle and is responsible for maneuvering and turning the stick. The right hand is placed at the bottom of the handle and provides power and control. The distance between your hands will change as you play different shots, but your left hand will stay above your right source. The shape and hold of a hockey stick lend themselves well to the game generally being played from right to left as the ball is hit in that direction with the left, flat side of the stick.

The stick can be turned to execute left to right movements, of course, and, when dribbling, the stick will be turned quickly from side to side to keep the flat side in contact with the ball. Though ice and field hockey are not precisely the same, there are some commonalities between the two, and they are easily compared. The sticks used, however, differ a great deal.

The direction of curvature depends on whether it is meant for a left- or right-handed shooter. If you shoot right, your blade will curve to the right and vice versa. Your hold on an ice hockey stick also changes when you change hands.

Your left hand is on top if you shoot right, and the blade is on the right side of your body. The opposite is true if you shoot left. Generally, you want your dominant hand to be above the other. Still, all ice hockey players do not always apply this. Unlike that of a field hockey stick, the design of an ice hockey stick allows a player to use both the back and front of the stick when stick handling, and it is not necessary to turn the stick as you play.

Despite ice hockey sticks being made for left- or right-hand shooters, some players switch hands in the middle of play to significant effect. Theoretically, left-handed hockey sticks can be made, and they do exist. Still, they are challenging to find and illegal to play in official matches.

Regarding the design of a left-handed field hockey stick, everything would be in reverse. The flat, playing side would face to the right, the right hand would hold the stick on top of the left, and play would naturally happen from left to right. As with any and all professionally organized games, a governing body has established a set of rules that needs to be adhered to.

When reading through the FIH rules and regulations for field hockey, it does not explicitly state that only right-handed sticks shall be used when playing the game. The description of the sticks that can legally be played with does make this apparent, though. The playing side is the only side that should be flat and smooth. The non-playing side must be rounded and smooth. Any flat section along the edges and non-playing side are not allowed, and you are only legally allowed to use one side of your stick.

The FIH rules do not make reference to left-handed sticks not being allowed in a match. However, as described above, the specifications leave no room for doubt that a left-handed stick is not permitted. The stick specifications do not provide alternatives concerning the playing- and non-playing side of the stick.

It does not say that the left or right side of the stick is the playing side and must therefore be flat and smooth. If this were the case, a left-handed stick would be legal source. It is thus clear that left-handed sticks are not allowed at all. With many other sports making allowances for left-handed players, one has to wonder why that is. As the majority of people in the world, and, therefore, field hockey players, are right-handed, the sport developed in a right-hand dominant society.

The majority of right-handed stick users means that if a left-handed player with a left-handed stick is thrown into the mix, there is an increased risk of injury.

Injuries could happen when players meet each other head-on. If both players have right-handed sticks, the sticks will collide rather than their bodies.

This would potentially not be the case if one player had a left-handed stick and the other a right. Ball tackles could also be dangerous. These unnecessary risks of injury led to the use of left-handed sticks being banned completely source. Image by Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash. With the rules and regulations being what they are, left-handed players obviously have to adapt and use a right-handed stick.

By no means does this have to be a disadvantage since you can turn it into a strength and improve your game.