Grays Hockey Buying Guide

About Grays Hockey

H.J Gray founded Grays in Cambridge the UK in 1855. Originally the company was selling wooden rackets. However, they are now well known for manufacturing high quality sporting gear for a range of sports, including hockey. From a hockey perspective they are now one of the worlds most recognised brands and produce not only a large number of sticks but a vast array of other hockey equipment, including balls, shinpads, masks, glove, shoes, and clothing.
Throughout the years, many top international players have chosen to partner with Grays and they have been one of the top choices for many star players over many years. They were also one of the first brands to launch composite hockey sticks and have continued to innovate.

Here is a breakdown of some of the products that Grays produce.

Grays Hockey Gloves

Grays hockey gloves come in a range of sizes and styles, with differing levels of padding. The Grays field hockey gloves are therefore suitable for players of any position, age, and gender. A number of Grays hockey gloves also come in left and right hand versions to suit players who are looking for protection for both hands. The range of different designs ensure that there is a Grays glove for any player for both indoor and outdoor hockey. Whereas defenders are likely to want a hockey glove with extra padding and coverage, midfield and especially attacking players will often want something that offers protection without being too bulky. Here is a breakdown of some of the Grays gloves that are currently available.

Grays Hockey Stick Bags

As with gloves, there is also a Grays hockey bag for every level of player. Their current range covers everything from ball bags to goalie holdalls. In between it encompasses a number of different styles of field hockey stick bags from a single stick bag to a large kit bag. The Grays field hockey stick bags make it really easy and convenient to transport your stick and your kit to the pitch and make sure it is all kept safe and dry whilst playing. Take a look below for an overview of the range.

Grays Hockey Shin Pads

In our article on the best hockey shinpads, we have touched upon why they are so necessary. Shin pads are one of the most essential items of field hockey protection. Even more important therefore, that you use a brand that is reputable and known worldwide. For the 2019/2020 season, Grays field hockey shinpads come in 4 different styles that cover all the basic requirements for shin protection. Take a look at the choices below.

Grays Field Hockey Masks

A good hockey face mask is an essential piece of protective equipment for short corners in the modern game. It will serve as important protection from potentially serious facial injuries. There is only a single Grays hockey mask currently on the market, which is available in junior and senior sizes.

Grays Hockey Sticks

Grays are big for hockey sticks and throughout the years a large number of international hockey players have used Grays hockey sticks. The current season range of sticks covers around 90 different varieties, so we will not list them all below, but instead give a breakdown of the types of sticks that they have available and the differences between them.

Size

Size: The size of a Grays hockey stick ranges from 24 inches for a junior hockey stick up to 41.3 inches for a goalie stick. Generally for a stick to be considered the right size, it should come up to around the level of your hip when standing up. Here is a useful size guide to help get the correct size of stick. 

Stick Size (inches)	Player Height (feet)	Player Height (cms)
24	– 3′	– 92
26	3′ 0″ – 3′ 4″	92 – 102
27	3′ 4″ – 3′ 6″	102 – 107
28	3′ 6″ – 3′ 10″	107 – 117
30	3′ 10″ – 4′ 0″	117 – 122
31	4′ 0″ – 4′ 2″	122 – 127
32	4′ 2″ – 4′ 4″	127 – 132
33	4′ 4″ – 4′ 7″	132 – 140
34	4′ 7″ – 5′ 0″	140 – 152
35	5′ 0″ – 5′ 4″	152 – 162
36.5	5′ 4″ – 6′ 0″	162 – 184
37.5	6′ 0″ – 6′ 4″	184 – 193
38.5	6′ 4″+	193+

Stick Types

There are composite and wooden sticks. Across the board, composite sticks are now much preferred and far more widely used, so that is what we will focus on in this guide.

Grays Indoor Hockey Sticks

We are generally more focused on the outdoor game, so will highlight the differences between the various Grays hockey sticks that are designed for outdoor use. However, it is worth nothing that the indoor hockey stick range from Grays are the ‘i’ range and the ‘GTI’ range.

Grays Goalie Hockey Sticks

The MH1 range is the range of Grays goalie hockey sticks

Grays KN Hockey Sticks

Grays KN sticks contain Kinetic Core Technology that runs through the centre of each of the sticks in this range. This is designed to redistribute weight and results in a stick which has a light and quick pickup. This offers an improvement in using 3D skills at a fast pace. The sticks in this range are; KN5 Dynabow, KN6 Midbow, KN7 Ultrabow, KN7 Probow, KN8 Dynabow, KN9 Jumbow, KN10 Probow-Extreme.

Grays GR Hockey Sticks

This range builds on the popular and more traditional GX composite range, with the introduction of Graphene to the standard GX resin. As Graphene is a lightweight yet incredibly strong material the result is a stick that has extra power and durability. Sticks in this range are; GR4000 Dynabow (and Junior), GR5000 Ultrabow (and Junior), GR5000 Midbow (and Junior), GR5000 Jumbow, GR6000 Dynabow (and Junior), GR6000 Probow-Extreme, GR7000 Jumbow (and Junior), GR7000 Ultrabow, GR8000 Probow, GR8000 Dynabow, GR8000 Midbow, GR10000 Dynabow, GR10000 Jumbow, GR11000 Probow-Extreme, GR11000 Probow.

Grays GX Hockey Sticks

This is the classic Grays composite resin. The iconic technology behind this composition combines great performance with long lasting durability. The GX materials deliver a stick with unparalleled consistency that will suit all manner and levels of players. The sticks in this range are; GX2000 Ultrabow (and Junior), GX Black Custom Edition Ultrabow (and Junior), GX White Custom Edition Ultrabow (and Junior), GX2500 Dynabow (and Junior), GX3000 Ultrabow (and Junior), GX3000 Dynabow (and Junior), GX3500 Jumbow.

Grays SW Hockey Sticks

This is a special edition stick that is only available in one version. This stick has been created in support of Hockey4Heros and takes the shape of Sam Ward’s favoured shape and composition. The SWS13 H4H Jumbow is available in a senior and a junior size.

Grays Beginners Hockey Stocks

The remaining sticks are ‘Blast’, ‘Alpha’ and ‘Rogue’. These sticks sit at a very low price bracket and are really designed for younger or beginner players. They allow for basic and simple skills to be executed cleanly, but will lack the finesse and power of the high performance sticks.

Bow

The bow essentially determines the lift that you can get on the ball when hitting or flicking. With Grays hockey sticks there are two main groupings for the bow. These are Low Bow and Medium Bow. These indicate where on the stick is the ‘peak’ of the bow. With Low Bow sticks, the peak is closer to the end of the stick, whereas with Medium Bow models it is more towards the middle.

Low Bow

A low bow will allow you to get more height on the ball and makes these sticks ideal for drag flicking and other aerial and 3D skills. The bows which fall into the ‘Low Bow’ category are; Probow-Extreme, Probow, Jumbow.

Medium Bow

Sticks with a medium bow are better suited to core hockey skills such as passing, tackling etc. 3D skills will still be possible, but you may not find it as effortless to throw a huge aerial down the length of the pitch as you might with a Low Bow. If you’re a beginner player, you would likely be best served by sticking to a Medium Bow to begin with. Bows which fall into this category are; Dynabow, Midbow, Ultrabow.

The difference between the bows in each category is not to do with the height or location of the bow itself, but more to do with the profile of the stick and the angle of the head.

Grays PCS System

Grays define their hockey sticks based on their performance properties (known as PCS). These properties are; power, control, and speed and Grays give each hockey stick a score in these three elements to make it easier to see if a stick will be suited to your needs.

Power

This relates mainly to the stiffness of the stick, which determines how much power a stick can generate. Sticks with a higher power rating will result in a higher maximum ball speed.

Control

This is determined by the composition of the stick and the materials used to make it. The higher the control level, the more responsive the stick is.

Speed

This is controlled by the deadweight of the stick as well as the balance point and relates to the hand speed, or the ease of changing hand positioning. Quick hand speed is necessary for fast paced skills.

That outlines the different choices to make when it comes to buying a Grays hockey stick which hopefully is useful in helping you make the right decision!