Bow type, carbon content, and weight. Get those three decisions right and the rest takes care of itself. Get them wrong and no amount of skill makes up the difference. This guide cuts through the noise and gives you straight answers, whether you are an attacking midfielder chasing drag flick power, a defender who needs durability, or somewhere in between.
Bow type: the most important decision you will make
The bow is the curve built into the stick profile. It determines how the stick interacts with the ball during trapping, pushing, hitting, and flicking. Everything else is secondary.
There are five bow profiles to understand. The position is measured from the head of the stick, and these figures come from our product specs.
Mid bow (300mm)
The bow point sits at 300mm from the head, further from the head than any other profile in our range. This geometry distributes force evenly across a wide range of skills. It is the default for defenders and all-round players who prioritise clearances, aerial passes, and strong flat hits. It is forgiving across skill levels. It does not support drag flicking at elite level.
Pro bow (250mm)
The bow point sits at 250mm. It gives a balance of power and touch with room for 3D skills and tomahawks, and it is the profile of the Dream range. It suits ambitious club players who love to attack, and defenders who want a more skilful stick than a mid bow.
Low bow (200mm)
The bow point sits at 200mm. It bridges general play and 3D skills. Midfielders and forwards use this profile for its balance: enough bow to flick, lift and disguise passes, without sacrificing the control needed for two-way play. This is the most versatile profile for senior club and international players.
Extra low bow (190mm)
The bow point sits at 190mm. It is the profile of the Supernova and Red Bull sticks, built for power and control. It suits attackers and technical midfielders who want head-heavy punch with fast hands.
Extra late bow (190mm, concave face)
The extra late bow is our drag flick profile, built into the Extreme range alongside a concave face. It is designed to maximise control and power at the point of flick release. Drag flick specialists and penalty corner routines use this profile. It is a specialist stick, not a general-play stick: used correctly it is extraordinarily effective, but receiving and flat hitting are harder with it than with a low or mid bow.
The most common mistake
Choosing the most specialist bow available because it looks like what the pros use. The bow should match your current game, not the game you are trying to have. If your game is mostly open play, a low or extra low bow will serve you better than an extra late bow.
Naked Hockey bow profiles
- Mid bow: The Zeme range, built for defenders, all-rounders, and players who dominate with a classic hit.
- Pro bow: The Dream range, for club players who want power and touch with room for 3D skills.
- Low bow: The Supreme range, the midfielder and forward profile for players who flick and use 3D skills alongside general play.
- Extra low bow: The Supernova range and Red Bull sticks, built for power and control.
- Extra late bow: The Extreme range, the drag flick specialist profile with a concave face.
Not sure which bow fits your game? Read our full breakdown: Mid, pro, low, extra low and extra late bow field hockey sticks: the complete guide
To see every Naked stick by bow type and carbon percentage in one grid, read Which Naked Hockey stick is right for you?
Carbon content — power, touch, and the honest trade-off
Carbon content is the figure most players fixate on. It matters, but not in the way most guides suggest. More carbon does not equal a better stick for every player. It means a stiffer stick, and stiffness has consequences in both directions.
What carbon actually does
Carbon fibre is added to composite sticks to increase stiffness. A stiffer shaft transfers more energy from your swing or flick into the ball. It also returns less vibration absorption to your hands, meaning off-centre contacts hit harder. Higher carbon sticks are lighter for their stiffness. They are less forgiving.
The carbon spectrum
- 30–50% carbon: The practical range for club players who want reliable power without sacrificing touch. Enough stiffness for clean hitting. Enough flex to trap well at pace and absorb hard tackles. Forgiving on imperfect contacts. The Supreme 50 (50% carbon, low bow) and Zeme 50 (50% carbon, mid bow) both sit here.
- 70% carbon: The step up for players with solid technique who want noticeably more power and a crisper response. The energy transfer is sharper. The demand for clean contact is higher. The Supreme 70 (low bow) and Dream 70 (pro bow) are in this range.
- 90% carbon: Suited to experienced players with refined technique who prioritise energy transfer above everything else. Less forgiving on off-centre contacts. The Dream 90 sits here: pro bow, high output, demanding.
- 100% carbon: Elite and specialist use. Built for players with near-perfect contact mechanics. The Dream Plus (100% carbon, pro bow) and Supernova Plus (100% carbon, extra low bow) are the ceiling of the Naked range. Not more effective for most club players, and often less so.
The Naked naming convention
Every Naked stick with a number in its name carries that number as its carbon percentage. The Supreme 50 is 50% carbon. The Supernova 70 is 70% carbon. The Zeme 30 is 30% carbon. Plus sticks are always 100% carbon. This removes ambiguity from the buying decision.
The reinforcement layer argument
The headline carbon percentage tells you part of the story. How that carbon is layered with Kevlar or fibreglass tells the rest. Kevlar reinforcement increases durability and dampens vibration on hard tackles — relevant for defenders. Fibreglass increases flex and touch. Every Naked stick in the senior range uses 5% Kevlar, layered with Japanese Toray carbon and fibreglass in proportions specific to each model. The construction is designed for field surfaces, not a marketing spec sheet.
For a deeper dive: Carbon Percentage in Field Hockey Sticks: What Does It Actually Mean?
Why defenders should not chase maximum carbon
A 95–100% carbon stick in a defender's hands will deliver sharper vibration on every hard tackle and interception. Over a full season of repeated impact stress, this becomes a durability and comfort issue. The performance gain at the top of the carbon range requires technique that most defensive play does not reward. A 70–80% stick with Kevlar reinforcement will clear harder and last longer in a defensive context.
Weight and balance point
Naked senior sticks weigh between 500g and 530g: the Extreme range is 500–520g, and the Zeme, Dream, Supreme and Supernova sticks are 510–530g. The difference between the lightest and heaviest options in this window is small in absolute terms, but meaningful in practice.
The lighter end of the range favours quick stick work, aerial skills, and drag flicking, where acceleration through a short range of motion matters. Forwards and drag flick specialists typically prefer this end.
The heavier end generates more momentum in a full hit. Defenders clearing from the back and midfielders driving from deep tend to benefit from the additional mass. The swing does more of the work.
Balance point also matters. A head-heavy stick increases power in drives and hits. A handle-light stick improves control and manoeuvrability at close quarters. Naked senior sticks list a balance point of 39cm.
Lighter is not always better. If you are playing in a physical, direct style at club level, a stick at the heavier end of the range will serve you better than the lightest option on the market.
Position guide
The following blocks are direct recommendations. Read your position and the one either side of it.
What bow type should an attacker or forward use?
Low or extra low bow. The Supreme range (low bow, 30–100% carbon) covers attackers who need versatility, and the Supernova range (extra low bow, 50–100% carbon) suits attackers and technical midfielders who want power and control. Lighter stick weights suit the quick stick work and close-range finishing that forwards rely on. The trade-off at the top end of the carbon range is touch: a 100% carbon stick demands clean contact on every trap. Browse the full senior stick range.
What stick should a drag flick specialist use?
Extra late bow with a concave face, and 90%+ carbon for maximum energy transfer at flick release. The concave face increases control at the point of release by giving the ball a channel to sit in during the wind-up. Naked's Extreme Plus (100% carbon, extra late bow, concave face) is built precisely for this use case. The Extreme 50 (50% carbon, extra late bow, concave face) is the right entry point for players learning drag flick technique: the same mould, more forgiveness.
One point that does not get said enough: above a certain quality threshold, technique matters more than stick choice. A drag flicker with a clean, repeatable action will outperform a player with a more expensive stick and inconsistent mechanics every time. For technique guidance alongside equipment: How to Master the Drag Flick in Field Hockey: Techniques and Choosing the Right Stick.
What bow type should a midfielder use?
The position where the wrong bow choice causes the most problems. Midfielders are asked to hit long, trap at pace, distribute quickly, and get forward. A specialist drag flick bow will work against you in a defensive or box-to-box role. The practical sweet spot is low bow at 50–70% carbon: enough bow geometry to flick when the opportunity arises, and enough versatility for two-way play. The Supreme 50 is the most direct recommendation for an attacking midfielder. The Supreme 70 suits midfielders with refined technique who want more from their passes and shots, and the Supernova 70 (extra low bow) suits technical midfielders who want more power with a softer touch.
What stick should a defender use?
Mid bow, 50–80% carbon, with Kevlar reinforcement. Defenders need clearance power over long distances, aerials, and the durability to absorb repeated hard tackle stress. A specialist drag flick bow works against this, because clearance from a deep position requires a swing path that a flat-faced mid bow handles better. The Zeme 50 (50% carbon, mid bow, 5% Kevlar) and Dream 70 (70% carbon, pro bow) are the defender's range from Naked. The Dream 90 suits defenders at the elite end who want maximum output from their clearances and have the technique to manage a high-carbon stick under pressure.
Durability in this context means consistent performance over a full season of hard contacts, not just resistance to breakage. A stick with Kevlar reinforcement handles the lateral stress of interceptions and tackles differently to a pure carbon construction. It is the correct choice for a position that asks the stick to do things drag flick sticks are not built for.
What stick should a goalkeeper use?
A straight or minimal bow profile with a balanced weight distribution. The Truth 80 (80% carbon, straight bow) is Naked's goalkeeper stick, balanced centrally and engineered for the wide sweeping clearances and reaction saves that goalkeeper play demands. Browse goalkeeper sticks.
The Naked Hockey approach
Naked makes fewer sticks than most brands in the market. That is deliberate.
The construction philosophy is minimalist. Weight saving is applied to structure, not graphics. There are no cosmetic components on a Naked stick that do not serve a function. The result is a stick that is lighter for its carbon percentage and more consistent in how it performs across the full surface area of the face.
All Naked sticks use Japanese Toray carbon — a consistent, high-grade fibre used in aerospace and high-performance composites. The carbon percentage in the name is the actual composition, not a rounded marketing figure.
Naked does not make a stick for every position and every budget tier. The range covers the specific decisions that matter: bow geometry, carbon content, and the reinforcement balance that makes each profile perform as designed. If a Naked stick does not suit what you need, the recommendation is to find one that does. That is the position of a brand that cares about players performing, not one trying to close every sale.
Browse the full range: Senior Sticks | All Hockey Sticks
FAQ
What is the difference between low bow, extra low bow and extra late bow?
A low bow has its bow point at 200mm from the head and suits all-round midfielders and forwards who flick and use 3D skills. An extra low bow sits at 190mm and is the profile of the Supernova and Red Bull sticks, built for power and control. An extra late bow also sits at 190mm but is paired with a concave face, and is our dedicated drag flick profile in the Extreme range. The extra late bow is less suited to general play than a low bow.
How much carbon do I need for drag flicking?
90%+ carbon gives the maximum energy transfer at flick release and is the choice for dedicated drag flick specialists at club and international level. 50–70% carbon works well for players adding drag flick to their general game without specialising. The bow profile matters as much as the carbon: you need an extra late bow with a concave face, regardless of carbon percentage, to execute a drag flick effectively. Read more: How to Master the Drag Flick in Field Hockey.
Are Naked Hockey sticks good for defenders?
Yes. The Dream 90 and Dream Plus (pro bow, 90–100% carbon) and the Zeme 50 and Zeme 30 (mid bow, 30–50% carbon) are all suited to defenders. The Zeme 50 is the direct recommendation for most club defenders: mid bow geometry, 50% carbon with 5% Kevlar reinforcement, built to handle clearances, aerials, and hard tackles without excessive vibration.
What does the bow point measurement mean?
The bow point is the position on the stick where the maximum curve occurs, measured from the head in millimetres. In the Naked range a mid bow is 300mm, a pro bow 250mm, a low bow 200mm, and the extra low and extra late bows 190mm. The lower the number, the closer the peak curve is to the head.
Is a higher carbon percentage always better?
No. Higher carbon means stiffer, not better. A stiffer stick transfers more energy when the contact is clean and demands more precision when it is not. For most club players at 50–70% carbon, the improvement in touch and reliability on imperfect contacts outweighs the marginal power gain at 90–100%. Match the carbon to your technique level, not to what looks most impressive on the spec sheet.
What weight field hockey stick should I use?
Naked senior sticks weigh between 500g and 530g. Forwards and drag flick specialists generally perform better at the lighter end, where the lower weight aids quick stick movements and acceleration through the flick. Defenders and midfielders often benefit from the heavier end, where the additional mass generates more momentum in drives and clearances. Try both ends of the range if you can: the difference is noticeable.