Hockey stick

From Encyclopedia Jr, free information reference for Kids

Field hockey stick

Girl with a field hockey stick

In climatology, the "Hockey Stick graph" is a nickname for a rising temperature reconstruction. In finance, the expression "hockey stick diagram" refers to the payout diagram of a call or put option.

A hockey stick is a piece of equipment used in field hockey, ice hockey, or roller hockey to move the ball or puck.

[edit] Field hockey

Main article: Field hockey stick

Field hockey sticks have an end which is shaped almost like a letter U.

Field hockey sticks vary widely in length, ranging from 26" to 38.5", and from $30 (Australian) to $580. The main brands of sticks include Grays, Mazon, Voodoo, Gryphon, Kookaburra, Malik, Dita and TK.

[edit] Some of the top sticks from each range

Grays: GX8000 Turbo, GX7000 Turbo, GX6000 Turbo

Gryphon: Taboo Blue Steel, Taboo Amber, Taboo LeTigre, Taboo Magnum

Malik: Comet, Galaxy, Citrus N.B. For unknown reasons, all Malik sticks contain the slogan "Do Not Eat"

Mazon: Black Magic Fusion Limited Edition, Black Magic Limited Edition, Black Magic Fusion

Voodoo: Precision Limited, Precision Gold, Precision Gold Banana, Precision Chrome, Blue Truth.

[edit] Ice hockey

Main article: Ice hockey stick

Ice hockey sticks are approximately 150-200 cm long, composed of a long, slender shaft and a flat extension at one end called the blade. The blade is the part of the stick used to contact the puck, and is typically 10 to 15 cm long. Stick dimensions can vary widely, as they are usually built to suit a particular player's size (taller players use sticks with longer shafts, for example). The blade is positioned at a 45° from the axis of the shaft, giving the stick a partly 'L-shaped' appearance. The blade is often curved in the direction toward which the skater moves forward, to aid in retaining or lifting the puck off the playing surface. The shaft of the stick is fairly rigid, but it has some flexibility to benefit some shots.

[edit] Roller hockey

Roller hockey sticks are comparable to Ice hockey sticks

[edit] Shaft

Hockey sticks have traditionally been made from wood, but in recent years, sticks made of more expensive Aluminum, Aramid, fiberglass, carbon fiber, kevlar and other composite materials have become common. In addition to weighing less, composite sticks can be manufactured with more consistent flexibility properties than their wooden counterparts. These sticks have replaceable wood blades. Composite sticks, despite their greater expense, are now commonplace at nearly all competitive levels of the sport, including youth hockey.

[edit] In culture

In business a "hockey stick graph" [2] is an absurdly optimistic projection of business growth which is flat for a long time like the handle of a hockey stick and then suddently turns upward like the blade of a hockey stick.

In the dances Cha Cha and Rumba, a "hockey stick" is a figure in which the woman moves along a straight line, with an angled turn at the end. ^[1]

[edit] References

1. ^ "DanceSport BC (download - Syllabus: International Latin) [1]