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Angled field hockey stick toe

Angled field hockey stick toe description/claims

The present invention relates generally to sports equipment and more specifically to a field hockey stick.

Field hockey is a well-known sport that is played in many countries. In the game of field hockey, the object is to acquire as many points as possible by shooting a field hockey ball into an opponent's goal. Players control the ball by use of a field hockey stick. The rules stipulate that players cannot play the ball with the rounded back side, but do not specify which other parts of the stick may or may not be used. The design and dimensions of the stick are most commonly configured to conform to the requirements stated in the ‘Rules of Hockey’ as published by the International Hockey Federation, also known as the FIH.

Current field hockey sticks typically include a shaft having a generally U-shaped toe at one end and a handle at the opposite end. The shaft has a generally flat front surface that extends between the handle and the toe and a backside or back surface opposing the front surface. The back surface is generally convexly curved or rounded. The toe of the stick includes a flat, ball-contacting portion that is adjacent to the front surface of the shaft and a convexly curved back portion that is adjacent to the back surface of the shaft. The flat front surface of the shaft near the toe and the ball-contacting portion of the toe are generally positioned within one continuous planar surface. In other words, the tip of toe lies in the same plane as the heel of the toe.

This known design where the ball-contacting surface of the toe and the front flat surface of the shaft are one continuous surface can be problematic for a player because the ball can easily slip away from the player's control. It is also problematic because there is a large range of rotation required to rotate the field hockey stick to maintain control of the ball without allowing the ball to contact the back surface of the stick. This wide range of motion can be strenuous to the player's arms and wrists. Therefore, there is a need for a field hockey stick that provides a player with better control of the ball and decreases the range of rotation of the field hockey stick required to control the ball.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a field hockey stick that allows a player to more easily control the ball during play. The present invention allows the player to rotate the stick less in order to control the ball as compared to current field hockey sticks, thus exercising better control as the user dribbles, passes or shoots the ball.

In accordance with the above and the other objects of the present invention, a field hockey stick is disclosed that includes a shaft having a first end, a second end, a front surface extending between the first end and the second end and a back surface extending between the first end and the second end. A handle section is located near the second end of the shaft and a toe section is located near the first end of the shaft. The toe section has a ball-contacting surface adjacent to the shaft front surface that has at least a portion of the ball-contacting surface positioned at a forward angle relative to the front surface of the shaft.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent when viewed in light of the detailed description of the invention and taken in conjunction with the attached drawings and claims.

FIG. 1A is a side view of a field hockey stick that is known in the art;

FIG. 18 is a front view of a field hockey stick that is known in the art;

FIG. 1C is an end view of a field hockey stick that is known in the art;

FIG. 2A is a side view of a field hockey stick in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2B is a front view of a field hockey stick in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2C is a bottom view of a field hockey stick in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an end view of a first embodiment of a field hockey stick in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an end view of a second embodiment of a field hockey stick in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an end view of a third embodiment of a field hockey stick in accordance with the present invention; and

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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