Caring for Your Composite and What to Expect

If you take good care of your
Composite off the field,
it will serve you well on the field

Give your new stick a little TLC. After play or practice take a moment and wipe off any moisture or mud from your stick. Repair deep scratches with epoxy cement. The “5 Minute” type of epoxy will work very well in adding to the life of your stick.

Tape the lower four inches of your shaft. This will help protect your stick from the impact of other players sticks, known as hacking.

Your composite has a hollow core, honeycombed with a plastic membrane which magnifies the power of your hit. If you notice a rattling inside your stick it means that a tiny piece of plastic has been knocked loose by an impact. Your stick may sound like a “rain stick”. It will not affect the play of the stick. If it annoys you, there are several easy remedies. However, as it is only a small particle, the fly wing size flake may lodge itself in a honeycomb and never be heard from again. The first technique for "encouraging" the floating speck to "settle", is to tap the butt of the handle a couple of times on the ground. That may work for a short time, or wedge the fragment permanently. If that doesn't work to your satisfaction, you may want to cut a hole on the end cap and shake the particle out. Or use a method similar to "FIX-A-FLAT"; where you poke a tiny hole and add a drop of any sticky substance that the floating piece of plastic may stick to. Put tape back over the hole when you are done, but if you have added a gooey substance, leave the air hole open overnight before applying the tape to the hole.
If you want to keep your stick shiny and new looking, go to an automotive supply store and get a tube or tiny bottle of touch up paint. Bring your stick with you to match the color. (I would recommend "DUPLI-Color"tm SCRATCH-FIX.)

The orange Dita stick, illustrated above to the left, belongs to Teun de Nooijer. This is what his stick always looks like after he's played with it for a day. He plays hard. The paint loss is cosmetic, the goal scoring is real.Take a good look at the head of Teun's stick and you will see the exact spot where he ALWAYS hits the ball. That's the "sweet spot". In case you are unfamiliar with Teun de Nooijer, he is the most famous field hockey player in the world. He is the star of the Dutch team, and not only has been named the FIH Player-of-the-Year, but has multiple Olympic medals and World Championships.

Most elite players modify the grip, especially the top six inches, so that even with their eyes shut they know exactly at which angle the head of the stick is facing. A well taped top grip can eliminate slices and increase control!

WARRANTY
Although rare, defective workmanship does sometimes occur. Dita will repair or replace your stick if it is broken during normal play, within three months of purchase. Please keep a record of where and when you purchased your Dita. Examples of broken sticks include: a stick which the head or a large portion of has come off, a handle or shaft that is in two pieces.
NOT COVERED:
Chips, scratches, nicks, “invisible cracks”, unraveling grip, cracks in the label, worn stick heel, or loose particles inside the composite’s interior, rattles, vibration, or any other result of normal use. The above will not affect play of the stick.

If you have a concern about your Dita stick, immediately take a digital image and email a .jpg file attachment to: warranty@fieldhockey.net

Photography Hints:
DO NOT attempt to use a camera phone.
Use your digital camera in close up mode.
Switch off the flash, as it tends to obscure the details.
Look at the image before you send the photo.

Refund Policy: Only unused items may be returned for refund.
Goods must be in original wrappings and show no sign of use.

A V O I D T H E S E P R O B L E M S

1. A Composite stick is made to hit field hockey balls, nothing else. Don't hit stones, rocks, other player's sticks (that's called hacking), or anything hard. Why? Because it will cause your stick to chip. That will make it look ugly. I know you don't want an ugly stick or you wouldn't have selected such a beauty.
2. Play on grass or turf, not on dirt, in the street, on a texturized tennis court, in the parking lot, or any abrasive surface. It will grind down your stick and destroy it in no time at all!