Hockey Stick Bow Types Explained: Low Bow, Mid Bow, Extreme Low Bow (and Why Indian Players Should Care)

By Sagar Rai · Updated April 2026 · 10 min read

If you've recently started taking field hockey seriously in India and you're shopping for your first composite stick, you've probably noticed that every premium stick is described with a number like "low bow 24mm" or "mid bow 22mm". Most beginners buy whatever the shop owner picks for them, and most of the time the shop owner picks based on what's in stock rather than what fits the player.

That bow number is actually the most important spec on a hockey stick. It changes which shots you can hit well, which shots you'll struggle with, and whether you'll spend the next two seasons fighting your stick or playing with it.

I run KIBI Sports out of Bengaluru and we sell composite hockey sticks from Alfa, SNS, Rakshak, Shrey, Sega, and Penalty across every bow profile. This guide is the conversation we'd have if you walked into our office asking which one is for you. No marketing fluff — just what each bow does, who it's for, and which sticks in our current stock fit which type of player.

What is the bow on a hockey stick, exactly?

If you lay a hockey stick flat on a table with the head pointing up, you'll notice the shaft isn't straight. It curves toward the toe of the stick. The depth of that curve, measured at its lowest point from the table surface to the shaft, is called the "bow". The position of the curve (where on the shaft the bow is at its deepest) is the "bow position".

The FIH (International Hockey Federation) sets a maximum bow depth of 25mm. So everything legal in tournament hockey is between 0mm (a perfectly straight stick — you don't see those in modern field hockey) and 25mm (the deepest legal curve).

Two sticks with the same bow depth can feel completely different if the bow is in different positions. A 24mm bow with the deep point near the splice (high on the stick) is a "high bow". A 24mm bow with the deep point about 200mm from the head is a "mid bow". A 24mm bow with the deep point about 250mm from the head is a "low bow". And the most aggressive curve, with the deep point near 300mm from the head, is "extreme low bow".

The five common bow types in plain language

For 95% of players in India, you only need to think about three of these: mid bow (the all-rounder), low bow (the aggressive attacker), and extreme low bow (the specialist drag flicker). Standard bow is just a slightly cheaper variant of the same idea, and high bow is mostly historical at this point.

Mid bow: the safest first stick for most Indian players

If you're a school player, a college player just starting club hockey, a midfielder, or anyone whose game isn't focused on penalty corner drag flicks, you almost certainly want a mid bow.

The mid bow is the all-rounder of the family. The shallower curve means the stick face is flatter through the contact point, which makes the basic skills — push pass, hit, reverse stick stop, basic dribble — easier and more consistent. The trade-off is that you get less natural lift on shots, less angle for the drag flick, and 3D skills (lifting the ball over a defender's stick, scoop passes) require more wrist work.

For a beginner, that trade-off is the right one. You don't need lift on a shot until you've mastered the basic shot. You don't need a drag flick until you're playing penalty corners.

Mid bow sticks worth a look in our current stock

• Alfa Y-30 Junior Composite Hockey Stick — ₹1,890. The classic Indian beginner stick. Junior length, mid-bow, glass fibre + carbon composite. Thousands of school players have learned the game on this stick. We sell it constantly.
• Alfa Y-30 Senior Composite Hockey Stick — ₹2,030. Same Y-30 architecture in the senior length. The bridge between junior school hockey and adult club hockey.
• SNS Madman 1000 Composite Hockey Stick — ₹1,750. SNS Hockey is one of the better-known Indian brands and the Madman 1000 is their entry-level mid-bow. Light feel, decent build for the money.
• Shrey Legacy 10 Hockey Stick — ₹1,880. Shrey is the Indian brand cricket fans know for helmets — they also make hockey sticks. The Legacy 10 is a forgiving mid-bow with a balanced feel.
• Alfa Castle Hockey Stick — ₹2,660. A step up from the Y-30 line. Slightly more carbon in the layup, slightly stiffer feel, still comfortable for an intermediate player. Very popular with college teams.

If you're buying your first composite stick and you're not sure what kind of player you'll become, get a mid bow. It will not punish you while you're still learning what you actually want from a stick. You can always upgrade to a low bow in two seasons when you know.

Low bow: the upgrade for attacking players who want lift

Once you've played a season or two and started focusing on attacking play — and especially if you've started taking penalty corners — the low bow is the natural next step. The deeper, more rearward curve gives you two specific advantages:

1. More natural lift on shots. The angled face at the contact point lifts the ball without you having to manipulate the wrist. This makes scoops, overhead passes, and rising hits much easier.
2. Better drag flick technique. The drag flick, the dominant scoring move at penalty corners in modern hockey, relies on the curve of the stick to "pull" the ball through a long contact arc. A low bow gives you more of that arc and a steeper release angle.

The trade-off: the basic stop and hit get slightly harder. Your reverse stick stops want to slide off the angled face. You'll fail a few times before you adapt.

Low bow sticks worth a look in our current stock

• Alfa AX-2 Composite Hockey Stick — ₹3,080. The AX-2 is the entry to Alfa's premium AX series. 24mm bow, low position, decent carbon content. Best value low-bow we sell. School first XI players and college players gravitate to this.
• Alfa AX-1 Composite Hockey Stick (with stick bag) — ₹2,940. The Junior bridge into the AX series. Glass fibre + carbon + Kevlar layup, comes with a free stick bag. Good first low-bow for a 14–16 year old moving up from a Y-30.
• SNS Madman 2000 Composite Hockey Stick — ₹2,275. Step up from the Madman 1000. Low bow, slightly more carbon. For someone who likes the SNS feel but wants the attacking bow.
• Shrey Legacy 25 Hockey Stick — ₹3,159. The mid-tier of the Shrey Legacy line. Balanced low bow, good quality control across batches.
• SNS Madman 3000 Composite Hockey Stick — ₹3,150. Higher-carbon version of the Madman 2000. Same low bow profile, stiffer shaft, more punch on the hit.
• Alfa AX-2 (alternate listing) — ₹3,430. Same model with the upgraded grip and packaging.
• Shrey Legacy 35 Composite Hockey Stick — ₹3,799. The flagship of the Legacy line. 60% carbon layup, low bow, premium grip.

Extreme low bow: only if you know you want it

The extreme low bow (sometimes called J-bow, late bow, or 24mm-extreme by different brands) takes the low bow concept to its limit. The bow position is pushed as far back as it can go, the depth is at the FIH legal maximum, and the curve is extreme enough that the basic shot feels weird the first time you pick the stick up.

This is a specialist's stick. It's built for one job: making penalty corner drag flicks devastating. If you're a tournament-level penalty corner specialist, an extreme low bow is the right tool. If you're not, it will fight you on every other skill in your game.

I rarely sell an extreme low bow to a player under 18. The extreme curve requires real wrist strength and refined technique to get the most out of, and it punishes the basics. We sell most of our extreme low bow sticks to:

• State and national-level penalty corner specialists.
• Senior club drag flickers who already own a low bow as their backup.
• The occasional college player whose coach has specifically prescribed it.

If you fall into one of those categories, we mostly stock the higher-end Alfa AX series for this — the Alfa AX-9 (our flagship at around ₹16,800) is the closest we currently have to a true extreme low bow. We can also source Gryphon Tour, Adidas LX24, and other international extreme-bow sticks on special order. Contact us if you specifically want one.

How to actually decide which bow you want

Six honest questions:

1. How many months have you been playing field hockey? Less than 12 months → mid bow, no exceptions. The bow you'd actually grow into doesn't matter yet.
2. Do you take penalty corners? No → mid bow is fine. Yes → low bow.
3. Are you the team's primary drag flicker? No → mid or low. Yes → low bow, possibly extreme low if you're competing at senior level.
4. What's your strongest skill — basic stop and pass, or 3D / aerial / lifted shots? Basic and consistent → mid bow. Aerial and lifted → low or extreme low.
5. What position do you play? Defender or holding midfielder → mid bow. Attacking midfielder or forward → low bow. Penalty corner specialist (regardless of field position) → low or extreme low.
6. What's your budget? Under ₹2,500 → mid bow (most low-bow sticks above this price will out-perform any low-bow under it). ₹2,500 to ₹4,000 → low bow becomes available. ₹5,000+ → either, depending on the answers above.

If two or more of those answers point you toward "low bow", get a low bow. Otherwise default to mid bow.

Carbon content matters as much as bow

While we're here, let's address the other spec on every composite hockey stick: the carbon percentage. You'll see things like "30% carbon", "70% carbon", "95% carbon".

Higher carbon content means a stiffer shaft. Stiffer shafts transfer more power to the ball on a hit but absorb less of the impact, so they sting your hands when you make a bad stop. Stiffer shafts are also less forgiving when you hit the ball off the toe or near the splice.

The most common mistake we see: a school player buying a 95% carbon stick because it's the most expensive one in the shop. The kid spends three months with bruised hands, develops a flinch on every stop, and eventually gives up the sport. Don't be that person. Carbon content should match your level — and it should never exceed your bow choice (a high-carbon mid-bow for a beginner is still wrong).

Stick length: the spec everyone forgets

Composite hockey sticks come in standard lengths measured in inches. The right length depends on your height:

• Under 4'2" (under 127 cm): 28" stick
• 4'2" – 4'5" (127–134 cm): 30" stick
• 4'5" – 4'8" (134–142 cm): 32" stick
• 4'8" – 5'1" (142–155 cm): 34" stick
• 5'1" – 5'5" (155–166 cm): 35" stick
• 5'5" – 5'9" (166–176 cm): 36.5" stick
• 5'9" – 6'1" (176–186 cm): 37.5" stick
• Over 6'1" (over 186 cm): 38.5" stick

Most senior club sticks are 36.5" or 37.5". Most junior sticks are 32" or 34". A stick that's too long for you forces you to bend more at the back and ruins your dribble. A stick that's too short forces you to crouch unnaturally on the receive.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best hockey stick bow for a beginner?

Mid bow, every time. The shallower curve makes basic skills (push, hit, stop, basic dribble) easier and more consistent. Low and extreme low bows have advantages for advanced attacking play but punish basic technique. Once you've played a season with confidence, you can upgrade to a low bow if your game has moved toward attacking.

What is the difference between low bow and extreme low bow?

Both have the same maximum 24–25mm bow depth, but the bow position is pushed further back on an extreme low bow (around 280mm+ from the head, vs 250mm on a standard low bow). The extreme low bow is a specialist drag-flicker's stick. It makes drag flicks more powerful but makes basic stops, hits, and reverse stick play noticeably harder.

How much carbon should a beginner's hockey stick have?

Under 50% carbon. Higher-carbon sticks are stiffer and less forgiving — they transmit more shock to your hands on bad stops, and they punish technique mistakes. A beginner with a 95% carbon stick will develop a flinch on every received ball. Stick to 30–50% carbon for the first 1–2 seasons.

What's the best Indian brand for hockey sticks?

Alfa is the dominant Indian composite hockey brand and supplies many junior and club teams. SNS Hockey, Shrey, Rakshak, and Sega also make solid Indian-made composite sticks. For international brands, Gryphon, Adidas, Kookaburra and Penalty have wider model ranges but cost noticeably more in India.

How do I know what length hockey stick to buy?

Stand straight with the stick held alongside your body. The top of the handle should reach roughly the top of your hip bone. If it's higher, the stick is too long. If it's lower, the stick is too short. The length chart in this guide gives a quick reference by height.

How long does a composite hockey stick last?

A regular club player can expect 1.5 to 3 years from a mid-range composite stick, depending on how often they play and how rough the surface is. Astroturf is much harder on sticks than grass. Higher-end sticks (more carbon) can crack faster if you play on rough turf. Always inspect the stick for hairline cracks every few months — once the crack appears, it spreads.

Should I buy an Indian or international hockey stick?

For under ₹4,000, Indian brands (Alfa, SNS, Shrey, Rakshak) offer better value. For premium sticks above ₹6,000, international brands like Gryphon and Adidas have wider model variety and more refined drag-flick designs. KIBI Sports stocks both — message us if you want help choosing between an Alfa AX-9 and an equivalent Gryphon.

Are heavier hockey sticks better?

Standard composite sticks weigh 530g to 580g and most players don't have a meaningful preference within that range. Heavier sticks generate slightly more power on the hit but slow down your dribble and tire your forearms. Stick weight matters far less than bow type and carbon content.

Sagar Rai runs KIBI Sports, an Indian sports equipment marketplace based in Bengaluru. We stock 100+ composite hockey sticks from Alfa, SNS, Shrey, Rakshak, Sega, Penalty, and international brands across every bow profile and carbon level. Free pan-India shipping, COD, and 7-day returns. Questions? Contact us or message us on WhatsApp at +91 8928311642.

Want to read more? See our full hockey collection and our Alfa hockey collection.