A weekend of matches leaves behind a list of small things: a grip coming unstuck, Velcro that no longer holds, a bag zip that has to be yanked, and a shoe with a worn-out insole. Some of these things are fixed in ten minutes at the table; some are a sign that the kit has done its job. Below is a split into one and the other, item by item, with a simple criterion: does the repair restore full function, or does it only push the problem back by two training sessions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hockey kit falls into two groups. The first is consumable items, designed to be replaced: grip, tape, laces, insoles, mouthguard. Here repair usually makes no sense, because a new part costs less than a lost training session. The second group is structural items that are meant to protect or transfer force: the stick, the shin guard shell, the glove foam, the shoe sole. Here a different rule applies: if the damage affects the material responsible for protection or stiffness, a home repair will not restore it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are not sure which group you are in, ask yourself what happens if the item fails halfway through a match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chips in the paint are cosmetic: you can clean them up, but that is not a structural repair. At home you cannot repair delamination, a suspicious crack (along the stick or across it) or exposed fibres; glue or tape will only mask the symptom. The sound when tapped on its own settles nothing and does not confirm the stick is sound. Put a stick with such a finding, or with changed behaviour in play, to one side and hand it over to the manufacturer or retailer for assessment; do not play with it until the matter is cleared up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A stick that spent the whole summer in the boot of the car or next to a radiator is a separate topic; we described the storage rules in the post how to care for your stick<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the simplest item on the list, because here we never repair. The grip is a consumable and is replaced when it has worn through to the adhesive, hardened or become slippery once dry. The method of replacement depends on the product: a base grip is removed together with the worn layer and wrapped afresh, while an overgrip is by design wrapped over a sound base layer. Remove only the worn layer, following the instructions for that grip, because adding more layers over a worn one thickens the handle and changes the feel of the stick. While you are at it, check the underlay tape, because that is what collects moisture. The step-by-step wrapping method is in the post stick grips<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We gathered the selection criteria, and what is required versus what is sensible, in the post on shin guards and mouthguards<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a shoe you repair what is replaceable: the insole, the laces, sometimes the heel lining. The sole is a different story. A worn-down tread does not grow back, and do not glue a detached sole at home, because you cannot test whether it will withstand a stop. If a shoe has lost grip or cushioning, its work on the court is over, even if the upper looks fine. The differences between indoor and turf footwear are described in the post hockey shoes, turf or indoor<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bag is a frequent candidate for repair. A zip and torn seams at the straps are a job for a leather goods or repair workshop; ask for a quote and compare it with the price of a new bag before you decide. Replacement makes sense when the material on the bottom itself has worn through or when the bag no longer holds the kit.<\/p>\n\n\n\nGrip, tape and handle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Protection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Shoes and bag<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Cheat sheet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n