Plastic Stick Design
Why use plastic sticks? Because after months of testing, we've found them to be better performing than wooden sticks. Have a look at our development section to see some of our progress and findings.
Plastic has many advantages over wood...
- It never needs painting
- It can be textured to provide consistent surfaces for puck grip
- It can be textured similarly to improve handle grip
- Sticks can be made 100% accurately and consistently the same precise design
- The standard "wooden plank" design template need not apply, allowing us to design in 3 dimensions and allowing ergonomics and aquadynamic design principles to be used
Our sticks have been performance tested at the 2007 Trans-tasman series and the 2008 WAA World Championships by a range of NZ players, from junior boys and girls to seniors, with outstanding results. Every player that has tried them has preferred them to their previous sticks, whether wood or plastic.
Myths about plastic sticks...
- They don't have the "feel" of wood!
...This is true of some plastic sticks, in particular sticks made of hard dead plastic like Nylon. SBE sticks are made of a compound which has flexible qualities that mimic the "feel" qualities of wooden sticks.
- They're just for kids aren't they?
...No they're not. Our SBE sticks have been designed by top players for the highest levels of play and are suitable for all levels.
- They can't be as good as my own custom-made sticks, for me.
...That's possible, but it's likely if they're not, they won't be far off. Try them and see.
- Plastic sticks are far too expensive! Once they've been textured, brushed and sanded they cost the earth, not to mention left handers!
...Our sticks are manufactured ready to go, and our left handed sticks are cheap as chips.
Recommendations for use
Our sticks are designed for use in glass-tiled pools. Gradual wear and tear is a natural part of the use of a stick. Use on textured tiles, non-slip surfaces and concrete/plastic pool bottoms will increase the rate of wear of the stick and should be avoided. Similarly, pools that are badly maintained with sharp tiles, cracks and bad grouting will increase wear and should be avoided if possible... unfortunately we know there are too many pools like this around!
Please refer to the terms and conditions page to view our product warranty