ROYAL BOWS
One of the most important features of a hockey stick is the bow and across our ranges, ROYAL currently has 5 different bows we feature, see some terminology below:
BOW HEIGHT:
The bow height is measured by placing the stick horizontally across a flat surface and measuring the distance from the ground to the highest vertical point of the stick. In accordance with FIH regulations, this measurement may not exceed 25mm an most bows vary between 18mm to 25mm.
BOW POSITION:
The bow position is measured by placing the stick vertically against a flat surface and measuring the distance from the ground to the maximum bow height of the stick (“The bend”). In accordance with FIH regulations, this measurement may not be less that 200mm and most bows vary between 200mm to 300mm.
BOW PROFILE:
The bow profile is a combination of the bow height and bow position, ultimately, giving the stick its overall shape and are broken down into predominantly three profiles: Mid Bows, Pro Bows, and Low Bows.
Mid Bows are generally the smallest bows which make the stick profile very straight compared to other sticks. This profile is commonly used for goalkeeping sticks and junior or lower-level sticks, or by professionals knowing exactly what they want. The benefits of the Mid Bow profile are that it makes it easy to control the ball, have a great first touch, and play it along the ground without accidentally lifting the ball. The bow height and position for a Mid Bow is usually a bow height of between 18mm and 23mm and a bow position of 300mm.
Pro Bows are can be considered the ‘in-between’ bow profile by giving you both the benefits of the Mid Bow and Low Bow Profile – it is well-balanced. The bigger the bow, the easier it is to lift the ball and aids with overheads and flicking the ball. However, since the bow is smaller than a Low Bow, it is still relatively easy to hit and pass the ball flat along the ground. The bow height and position for a Pro Bow is usually a bow height of between 23.5mm and 24.5mm and a bow position of 250mm.
Low Bows have become the most popular bow shape across all hockey sticks and are known as a more specialised bow profile that assists players with executing 3-D skills, throwing overheads, and drag flicking. This Bow Profile makes lifting the ball easier, however, it makes it increasingly more difficult to keep the ball flat when passing, slapping, and shooting. The Low Bow profile is best suited to players of a higher skill level that will be able to control the Low Bow. The bow height and position for a Low Bow is usually a bow height of between 24.5mm and 25mm and a bow position between 220mm and 200mm.
BOW SHAPE:
To summarise everything together, the bow height, position, and profile, ultimately all form part of the bow shape which is what creates unique looking sticks although all of the measurements may seem the same. (For example, the ROYAL R19, C14, and S10 have the same height, position, and profile, but the shapes on all 3 are vastly different) The varying bow shapes are most commonly found in the Low Bow profile which creates room for different styles of play such as drag-flicking grooves (some brands call this a concave face), creating holes, indents, or twisting different parts of the stick.
| ROYAL BOWS: | |||
| STICK: | PROFILE: | SPECIFICATIONS: | SHAPE: |
| G1 | Mid Bow | 20mm @ 300mm | Regular Mid Bow |
| 147 | Pro Bow | 24.5mm @ 250mm | Regular Pro Bow |
| R19 | Low Bow | 24.75mm @ 200mm | Regular Low Bow |
| C14 | Low Bow | 24.75mm @ 200mm | Low Bow Groove |
| S10 | Low Bow | 24.75mm @ 200mm | Low Bow X-Groove |