Giving Your Stick a Longer Life

Hockey sticks can be very expensive items and, as with any consumer product, it is only reasonable to expect the owner to care for and maintain his or her stick. The players who do this correctly can expect the sticks performance and life span to be significantly improved. Here is some specific advice.

Tape
It is recommended that players should tape the lower part of the shaft of the stick with cloth tape. Not only does this protect the stick from the effects of stick clashes, it helps to control the ball when receiving, and thus improves play.
Firstly apply several lengths along the flat face and then one wrapping only, to produce a cushion, which will help control the ball. This will also prevent the shaft becoming too wide to pass the 51 mm ring test. Players should look to replace this tape as it wears and its effect diminishes.
Avoid wrapping any tape around the head of the stick since this may retain water and soften it. Softer wood wears more quickly.

REPAIR KITS & MAINTENANCE
All sticks wear with use. If wear is unchecked it can lead to further head problems. Good hockey retailers can supply various stick repair kits. When such materials are applied correctly and on a "little and often" basis, they can counter wear to the head, effect repairs and prevent water entering the wood, thus greatly prolonging the life of any hockey stick.

BREAKAGES AND COMPLAINTS
Manufacturers will look to replace sticks that are blatantly faulty and have failed very early in their usage - usually the first few weeks.
Wear to the head is an inescapable feature of modern hockey and manufacturers cannot and will not replace sticks for this reason. As detailed above, simple effective methods and materials should be used to lessen wear to the head or shaft.
Damage inflicted on a stick from clashes with other sticks is not a cause for complaint. Manufacturers will not look to replace any stick that is well used, well worn or shows clear signs of damage having been inflicted on it.

NOT COVERED:
chips, scratches, nicks, "invisible cracks", unraveling grip, cracks in the label, worn stick heel, or loose particles inside the composite's interior, rattles, vibration, or any other result of normal use. These problems will not affect play of the stick. Warranties do not cover damage to the edges of the stick from LBZ/Argentinian backhand shots.

" A Composite stick is made to hit field hockey balls, nothing else. Don't hit stones, rocks, other player's sticks (that's called hacking), or anything hard. It will cause your stick to chip and bring down the total performance of your stick.
.Players are advised to retain their till receipt and to present this to the retailer with any complaint in order to establish the exact age of the stick. Some suppliers will request this, or other form of proof of purchase, when a stick is returned under complaint.