Hockey sticks are sold in inches, and the number on the label is the entire specification: the full length of the stick from the top of the handle to the bottom of the toe. No small, medium and large. No unisex fudge. One number, and for any given player there is only a narrow band of numbers that will work. Most adults finish up on either 36.5in or 37.5in. Juniors step down from there in fairly predictable increments.
The awkward part is that the number is easy to get wrong in both directions, and a stick that is an inch out changes how a player stands over the ball for every minute of every match.
The height bands, in one table
This is the conventional hockey stick size guide used across UK club and school hockey. Treat it as a starting point rather than a verdict, and check it against what your coach says once the player has had a stick in their hands on grass or turf.
| Player height | Common stick length | Rough age guide |
|---|---|---|
| Under 4ft (122cm) | 28in | Around 4–6 |
| 4ft to 4ft 3in | 30in | Around 6–8 |
| 4ft 4in to 4ft 6in | 32in | Around 8–10 |
| 4ft 7in to 4ft 10in | 34in | Around 10–12 |
| 4ft 11in to 5ft 3in | 35in | Around 12–14 |
| 5ft 4in to 5ft 8in | 36.5in | Teen to adult |
| 5ft 9in and above | 37.5in | Adult |
Two things to notice. The junior lengths move in two-inch jumps, which is why a growing eleven-year-old can genuinely need a new stick inside eighteen months. And the adult end has only two realistic options, separated by an inch, which is why so much counter conversation about sizing is actually a conversation about 36.5 against 37.5.
The hip-bone check, and how much to trust it
The traditional test is simple. Stand the player upright in the shoes they play in, rest the head of the stick on the floor beside their front foot, and see where the top of the handle lands. Somewhere around the hip bone is the classic answer. Below the hip and the stick is probably short; up towards the waist or ribs and it is long.
It is a useful thirty-second check and we use it in the shop every week. It is not a rule, and it was never meant to be one. Two honest caveats:
- It measures the player standing up. Hockey is played bent over. A stick that looks correct against a straight spine can still be long once the player drops into a proper receiving position.
- The modern game has drifted shorter. Plenty of skilful players deliberately choose a stick an inch under the chart because a shorter stick sits closer to the body, makes the ball easier to keep under control in tight spaces, and helps with the pull-and-drag skills that dominate indoor and small-sided play.
So if the hip-bone check and the height table disagree by an inch, that is not a fault in either method. It is the range you get to choose within.
Juniors: size for the player, not for the season after next
The single most common sizing error we see is buying a junior a stick they will grow into. It is completely understandable — sticks are not disposable and children grow — but it works badly.
An over-long stick forces a young player to stand taller than they should. From there everything downstream suffers: the ball sits further from the feet, the hands ride too high on the handle, trapping gets scrappy, and the reverse stick becomes almost unusable because there is simply too much lever to control. Habits formed in that position take far longer to unpick than the cost of the correct stick.
The better approach is to size honestly now, expect to move up a length as they grow, and spend accordingly at each step. A sensibly priced, correctly sized stick beats an expensive one that is two inches too long every single time. If you are buying ahead of a school season, work through the junior lengths in the hockey stick range against the child's current height rather than their birthday, and if you are checking a school's kit requirements first, they are set out in our schoolwear directory.
When you are genuinely between two lengths
Plenty of players land squarely on a boundary — 5ft 8in and a half, say, with 36.5in and 37.5in both defensible. A few things tip the decision:
- Position. Defenders who want reach into a tackle and length on a hit often prefer the longer option. Midfielders and forwards living in congested space usually prefer the shorter one.
- What you are worst at. If your receiving is untidy under pressure, go shorter. If you are strong on the ball but keep getting outreached, go longer.
- Stick weight. A longer stick swings heavier even at the same stated weight, because the mass is further from your hands. If a stick already feels sluggish, the extra inch will not help.
- Arm length. Two players of identical height can have noticeably different reach, and the taller-torso, shorter-arm build usually gets on better with the shorter stick.
One regulatory note worth knowing: governing bodies do set a maximum permitted stick length, and it sits well above anything on the chart above, so ordinary sizing decisions will not run into it. If you play in a league with its own equipment checks, confirm the current regulations with your club rather than relying on a figure quoted in a blog post.
Whatever length you settle on, hold it before the first match rather than during it. Take a few minutes on a hard surface, push the ball across your body both ways, and see whether your hands feel like they are working with the stick or fighting it. Once that is settled, the rest — grip, bag, shinguards and the other bits in the hockey accessories — is far easier to sort out, and you can ask in store if you want a second opinion with the stick actually in your hands.