The sticks that have been developed by Zii FreeBandy in close cooperation with the show-team 1st Ambassadors, are available in a number of different models and variations. Every stick of course holds the characteristic cut-down hole in the blade, allowing to easily holding the ball to the stick with a little help from the centrifugal force. Other than that, the sticks are different in weight, flex of the shaft, hardness of the blade, grip, length and – of course – design.
The Blade
The blades of FreeBandy sticks are (of course) the biggest difference compared to any other sort of sticks. The hole must big enough to allow you picking up the ball in draws and the blade must also provide the right feel in hard shots and smooth passes. The blade that Zii Freebandy AB have developed and patented (Sanseido II) is a full-size blade available in three different grades of hardness. “Soft” allows a light and swift ball-contact. “Medium” has a slightly higher torque and increases the ball-speed at traditional ground-shots. “Hard” is a slightly heavier blade in nylon which allows even better durability during games outdoors and on asphalt for example.
The guideline is that the softer the blade, the easier to manage for the beginner. The advanced FreeBandy player would normally choose a harder blade.
The Grip
Here personal taste and style decides what feels just right.
Leather grip – gives the optimal grip with high durability.
Sanded 2/3rds – the bottom two thirds gives a glide as the top hand gets a firm grip.
Glide – the whole grip is smooth to allow an easy twist of the stick for a dynamic play-style and complex stunts.
The shaft
Three characteristics, despite design, separate the shafts from each other:
Length, weight and flex.
Length: A short junior would of course choose a short shaft for starters, but it’s not just the length of your body that decides what to get. A beginner often realize that a shorter shaft is easier to learn stunts and draws with, even if you’re up to 170 cms tall. A shorter shaft makes it easier to keep the ball close to your body in the draws.
You don’t have to make large body movements to pick up the ball – the risk of loosing it in the middle of a stunt/move/skill decreases radically. Even in the middle of shots and passes the risk of a slice in the ball’s track decreases with a shorter shaft. These are once again just a few markers to refer to. There are very tall players who play with short sticks and players who are just about 160 cms tall who prefer longer shafts.
Weight: The higher amount of carbon fibres in the shafts, the lighter the stick. A lighter shaft is by most people believed to be swifter, but that’s just a matter of taste. There are many examples of players who actually prefer a heavier shaft, with the explanation of not having such a turgid and quick technique, and seek stability in the draws.
Flex: The flex in the shaft – by that how much the shaft bends when weighted – matters during shots, passes and some quick draws. “The kick” in the shaft helps to accelerate the ball’s speed. The personal style and feeling must be the sole guideline of this matter. Honestly; not everyone notice much difference between the various flexes of the shaft.
Tsuba – what’s that?
The sticks in the Zii series “Samurai” have a so called tsuba as a standard in every variation of the models, based on a Japanese prototype. The Japanese samurais often attached a tsuba to their swords as a fender and these could be decorated with different motifs of nature or symbols.
At a FreeBandy stick the tsuba is made of rubber and not only does it protect the hands of the player in hectic game situations, it also helps to keep a firm grip. The tsuba can also be attached to a shoulder strap (lanyard) that can be used to carry the stick across your back.