If you take penalty corners at club or international level, the stick you use for drag flicking matters more than almost any other piece of equipment. The wrong bow profile, the wrong balance point, or a face that fights the ball through the motion can cost you goals. The right stick amplifies everything that is good about your technique.
Naked Hockey co-founder Felix Denayer captained Belgium's Red Lions to Olympic gold and spent two decades at the top of international field hockey. He was involved in designing the Naked Extreme range specifically around what elite drag flick performance demands. What follows is built on that experience.
What makes a stick good for drag flicking
There are three things that genuinely matter for drag flick performance: bow profile, face design, and shaft stiffness. Everything else is secondary.
Bow profile
Drag flickers need a low or extreme low bow. The bow position, measured from the base of the stick, determines how the ball sits during the loading phase of the flick and how cleanly it releases at the top of the motion. A bow positioned too high robs you of lift. Too extreme and you lose control in open play. The sweet spot for most specialist flickers is an extreme low bow sitting at around 200mm from the head with a 24 to 25mm curve, which is exactly where the Naked Hockey Extreme range is set.
At international level, Felix used an extreme low bow throughout his career. The position of the bow changes the mechanics of the flick fundamentally — it creates a longer lever between ball contact and release, which is where the extra velocity comes from at the highest level.
Concave face
A concave face channels the ball through the drag motion rather than letting it roll away from the shaft. It gives you a consistent loading point on every repetition, which is what builds the muscle memory that penalty corner specialists rely on. Every stick in the Naked Hockey Extreme range has a purpose-built concave face designed around this specific function.
Shaft stiffness
High carbon content, typically 90% or above, means the shaft stores and releases energy efficiently. Lower carbon sticks absorb too much of the force you put into the flick. For pure power at penalty corners, you want a stiff shaft with minimal flex. At 100% carbon, the Extreme range delivers maximum energy transfer from the loading phase through to release.
Why the Extreme is white
Felix was practising with Vincent Vanasch, the Belgian goalkeeper widely regarded as one of the greatest in the history of the sport, when Vincent pointed out something most players would never consider: it is genuinely hard to read the direction of a white ball against a white stick. That conversation led directly to the Extreme becoming the first white drag flick stick ever made in field hockey. The white finish is not an aesthetic choice. It is a performance detail, and it came directly from the experience of training at the highest level of the game.
The Naked Hockey Extreme range
The Extreme range is Naked Hockey's dedicated drag flick line. Every stick in the range shares the same extreme low bow and concave face. The difference is carbon content, which determines stiffness, power transfer, and feel.
The Extreme is the 100% carbon flagship. Maximum stiffness, maximum energy transfer, and the sharpest release in the range. Built for players who have refined their technique and want to extract every watt from the flick.
The Extreme Plus also runs at 100% carbon with the same X-Late bow and concave face. Engineered for players competing at the highest level who demand both elite performance and longevity from their equipment.
The Naked Hockey Supernova: power with versatility
The Supernova Plus is a serious option for drag flick specialists who also play a full role in open play. Built with 100% Japanese Toray carbon and an extra low bow, it delivers explosive power and exceptional control. Where the Extreme range is purpose-built exclusively around drag flicking, the Supernova adds more versatility for players who carry and create as well as flick. If you take penalty corners but are not a pure specialist, the Supernova Plus gives you everything you need for elite flicking without giving up anything on the pitch.
The Supernova 70 at 70% carbon offers excellent feel and power at a more accessible price point for players developing their flick technique.
The Naked Hockey Supreme range for flicking
Not every player at a penalty corner is a pure drag flick specialist. If you also need to hit, push, and contribute heavily in open play, the Supreme range is worth consideration. The Supreme sticks carry a low bow profile, are built light, and deliver the power transfer you need for both structured flicks and snap shots on the reverse.
The Supreme 50 at 50% carbon is the versatile option. The Supreme 70 at 70% carbon is the high-performance choice for players training daily who demand both speed and precision.
How to choose
If you are a dedicated drag flick specialist who takes the majority of your team's penalty corners, the Extreme Plus or Extreme are built for exactly that role.
If you flick well but also need to perform across all areas of the pitch, the Supernova Plus gives you elite flicking power with the versatility to match.
If you want a low bow stick for flicking that also serves as your primary match stick, the Supreme range is the right place to start.
For a full breakdown of bow types and how they affect your game, read our bow type guide.