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Carbon percentage is taken as an indicator of price and quality. Carbon does matter, but it's the resin and build quality that make the difference - and even that, only time will tell, and even then. The more high-performance a stick is, the less durable it is, especially now that sticks are much lighter. A high carbon percentage gives better power transfer, but also more difficulty blocking and greater fragility. 75% carbon remains a great compromise between durability, versatility and performance. The boss, a bit old-school, prefers sticks between 90% and 95% carbon for his own use, and treats himself to a 75% one sometimes, just for a change.

What the "Olympic Indoor champions" will tell you: "you should start with a low-carbon stick, it's more forgiving." Low-carbon sticks are mostly cheaper, with nice graphics - good for a beginner who isn't sure they'll stick with it, but there's still that soft, mushy feel where you don't really control the stick's flex at the moment of ball impact. 40 to 50% carbon is a very good idea to start with: the stick will react better while staying very forgiving. It's ideal for an adult beginner.

Counter-example: a player who had the choice between her husband's all-carbon stick and a 100% fibreglass one (same shape, no carbon): "I prefer the 100% fibreglass one, the other one hits too hard, my teammates can't control the ball when I pass."

For a junior under 147 cm tall, the most reliable reference is navel height: the ideal stick length sits between that height and 2.5 cm more. This method only holds for that size range - past 147 cm, even for a big junior, switch to total height instead of stretching the navel-height range. Aim for the bottom of that range (right at navel height) for immediate performance - a fast-growing junior will likely need a new size within 6 months. Aim for the top (+2.5 cm) at the start of a season, to buy time before the next change. A defender can also size up sooner: reach matters more than agility at that position. An attacker who relies on dribbling prefers to stay at the bottom of the range instead. From 147 cm total height, the field below gives a practical shortcut - below that, proportions vary too much child to child for a total-height rule to be reliable: measure navel height directly instead.

A common myth: give juniors dead-straight sticks "so they learn the basics". In reality, juniors learn just as well on probow or latebow sticks - and it's often there that the most creative players develop their technique and pick up 3D skills sooner and faster.

• Midbow - good for starting out, or for very hard hitters - those who play more upright.
• Probow - a very versatile shape: particularly suited to tackling defenders, or very fast attackers who don't want to give up 3D skills.
• Latebow - for versatile hard hitters or fast attackers; a defender who scoops or pushes will like it too - it eases 3D play while staying easy to manage on flat hits.
• Lowbow - speeds up dribbling, especially on the reverse stick, and eases 3D play, scoops and pushes - at the cost of needing a bit more care on flat hits, and the ball can tend to lift the stick during a reverse-stick tackle. Kids adapt to it very well - no need to wait before putting one in their hands.
• Extreme Lowbow - pushes the lowbow effect even further: dribbling and 3D play are even easier, at the cost of needing even more care on flat hits.

In short, by playing style:

• Runner - fast play, counter-attacks → Probow, Latebow, Lowbow
• Artist - dribbling, technique, 3D skills → Probow, Lowbow, Extreme Lowbow
• Passer - build-up play, precise passing → Midbow, Probow

Position adds a nuance these menus don't fully capture: a defender who tackles will lean toward midbow/probow, while a defender who scoops or pushes will prefer lowbow/extreme lowbow - likewise, an attacker who relies on dribbling will lean toward lowbow/extreme lowbow. If you'd like us to fine-tune this for your specific case, write to us (see below).