What are Field Hockey Balls made up of?

Field hockey balls have gone through many changes over the years, but they are now standardized and reliably predictable due to a design that uses modern materials. Organizations at the local, national and international levels make sure that the balls you use when you play are made from the best material possible, so that you can focus on playing the game that you love.

 

Just like with a lot of field hockey player equipment, plastics and other modern materials have brought big improvements to field hockey balls. Before the 1980s, the balls were made with a leather exterior. This meant that the ball could swell in wet conditions, making it very spongy. This ruined the reaction of the ball when struck. If you’ve played in wet conditions, you know that the ball already slows on a wet field, so a wet leather ball made this even worse.

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The Kookaburra Ball

It was not until the 1980s that the leather-wrapped ball design was abandoned in favor of one with a plastic shell. This made the reaction of the ball when struck much more predictable, especially when combined with the patented Kookaburra design. This incorporates dimples on the shell of the ball, making it roll much better in both wet and dry conditions on real grass or fake turf.

Inside the Kookaburra ball is a cork core, which keeps in line with the old traditions of ball design while promoting a lighter weight. Other game balls, such as the TK Multi Turf or Gryphon Game Ball, are made of solid plastic, and these may or may not be dimpled. In almost all cases, the field hockey ball is white, although other colors such as orange or yellow can be used in game play. This can especially help in conditions where a white ball might be difficult to see.

Practice Balls

Practice balls can sometimes be made of hollow plastic, making them lighter weight than regulation game balls. This gives you the advantage of being able to purchase a large quantity of balls for practice at a lower cost, since there is not as much material used. You can also find a wider variety of colors to choose from in practice balls such as pink, blue, glitter, or rainbow balls from TK Hockey.

There is nothing quite as satisfying for a field hockey player as hearing the sound of field hockey sticks striking a ball up the field. Now you know that you are part of a long tradition of field hockey players taking to the field to enjoy the game that you love. Even if the design of the game ball has changed, many aspects of it stay the same. No matter what your needs are, Longstreth is the sporting goods store that specifically finds and provides the products that you need to enjoy your chosen sport. Click here to find the finest selection of field hockey sticks.