Quick answer
Hold the floorball stick with your hands about 30-45 cm apart, the top hand near the end of the shaft and the lower hand lower down, with the blade on the side of your body that feels natural. Stand with feet slightly wider than your shoulders, knees bent, back straight and weight on the balls of your feet. The stick should be about as long as the distance from the floor to your navel, or a few centimetres below.
Key takeaways
- Describe your grip by the side of the body the blade is on: blade on your left side or blade on your right side. Both are normal.
- Your top hand steers and your lower hand controls the blade. Hold the stick with fingers, not with a tight fist.
- A wider hand spacing gives more power, a narrower one gives more control. Most players sit between 30 and 45 cm.
- Bent knees, a straight back and a head that looks forward make you balanced and quick to react.
- If the stick is too long or too short, your whole technique suffers. Check the length first.
- Teach beginners to switch hands in stickhandling drills only after the basic grip feels natural.
Which side should the blade be on?
Many beginners ask whether they are left-handed or right-handed in floorball. That question confuses people, because your stronger hand is not always the one that should be on the lower position. So we describe the grip by where the blade is: blade on your left side means your left hand is the lower hand on the shaft and the ball travels along the left side of your body. Blade on your right side is the mirror image.
The easiest test: pick up a stick, take a few swings and shots with the blade on each side, and notice which feels more natural for balance and power. Many players choose the side that matches how they swing a broom or a bat, but there is no strict rule. Once you choose, stay with it. Switching later is slow and can cost months of progress.
How should your hands be placed?
Place your top hand on the upper part of the shaft, close to the end of the stick, with the fingers wrapped around it and the thumb pointing down the shaft. Slide the lower hand down so the gap between your hands is roughly 30-45 cm for most players. Younger players with shorter arms may use a narrower gap.
| Hand spacing | Effect | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| About 20-30 cm | More control, less power, quick wrist movements | Tight stickhandling, beginners |
| About 30-45 cm | Balanced power and control | Most situations, passing, shooting |
| Wider than 45 cm | More leverage on the shot, less feel for the ball | Strong shots by older players |
Treat these values as starting points, not rules. Test them with your own height and arm length. Slide your lower hand up or down a few centimetres, try five passes and five shots, and choose the position that feels best. Use fingers, not a clamp. A relaxed grip lets the blade move with the ball, while a squeezed grip makes your touches heavy.
What does a good stance look like?
A solid floorball stance is an athletic stance, similar to the ready position in tennis or football. The checklist is short.
- Feet: a little wider than your shoulders, pointing forward.
- Knees: bent so that your knees are in front of your toes. If you cannot see your toes, bend more.
- Back: straight, with your chest slightly forward. Do not round your shoulders.
- Head: up, with your eyes on the field. Look at the ball with your eyes only, not with your whole head.
- Weight: on the balls of your feet, so a step in any direction takes one touch.
- Stick: blade on the floor, in front of the body, slightly to the blade side.
The stance protects the stick rules too: if your knees are bent and your back is straight, the stick stays naturally below waist height in the backswing and follow-through. Keeping the ball below knee height with the stick is much easier from a low position.
Coach Erik's tip: Do the "wall test" once a week. Stand with your back lightly against a wall, bend your knees to a floorball stance and hold it for 30 seconds. If your thighs burn, your stance is lower than most players use, and that is the point: strong legs make a quick, balanced player.
How long should your stick be?
Stick length affects your grip and your stance more than most players expect. A rule of thumb is that, standing in your shoes, the top of the stick reaches roughly to your navel or a few centimetres below. The maximum total stick length under IFF rules is 114 cm. If the stick is too long, you must stand upright and the ball is hard to control. If it is too short, you hunch over and strain your back.
| Player height | Approx. navel height | Suggested stick length |
|---|---|---|
| 130 cm | about 78 cm | 72-78 cm |
| 140 cm | about 84 cm | 78-84 cm |
| 150 cm | about 90 cm | 84-90 cm |
| 160 cm | about 96 cm | 90-96 cm |
| 170 cm | about 102 cm | 96-102 cm |
| 180 cm | about 108 cm | 102-108 cm |
| 190 cm | about 114 cm | 108-114 cm (the rule maximum) |
These are guide values for orientation, so always do the navel test with the player in the actual shoes. For a deeper explanation, read our guide to choosing a floorball stick and the kids' stick size chart. Lighter and younger players usually prefer a softer shaft flex, because a lower flex number in mm means a stiffer shaft.
Which drills build a good grip and stance?
- Grip check (2 minutes). Hold the stick, close your eyes and slide the lower hand to different spots. Open your eyes and measure the distance to the top hand. Aim for 30-45 cm. Repeat 3 times and choose the position that feels best.
- Low walk with the ball (5 minutes). Dribble slowly across 8 m in a deep stance, keeping the ball near the blade. 6 passes. Cue: knees ahead of toes, back straight. Watch for: standing up when you speed up.
- Quiet hands (5 minutes). Pass the ball back and forth between forehand and backhand 40 times in 60 seconds with a relaxed grip. Cue: fingers, not fist. Watch for: knuckles turning white.
- Stance holds (4 minutes). Stand in your stance with the stick on the floor, hold for 30 seconds, rest for 30 seconds, repeat 4 times. Build to 45 seconds.
- Figure-eight on tiles (6 minutes). Dribble a figure eight around two markers 60 cm apart. 30 seconds per round, 6 rounds. Keep the same low stance throughout.
A smooth surface helps with all of these. The Extreme Floorball Tiles 8-Pack (€79) make a 0.9 m² area where the ball rolls true. Better Floorball is a Swedish brand, the tiles are designed in Sweden and tested for maximum durability, and they are Made in Europe. The Extreme Floorball Stickhandling Trainer (€69) gives you a fixed route to follow while you hold your stance.
Common mistakes
- Gripping too tightly. The stick becomes stiff and the ball bounces away. Fix: relax your fingers and loosen your forearms.
- Hands too close together. Power and reach suffer. Fix: move the lower hand down until the gap is about 30-45 cm.
- Standing up straight. You are slow to change direction. Fix: bend the knees until you feel your thighs working.
- Using a stick that is too long. The blade is far from your feet. Fix: do the navel test and shorten the stick if needed.
- Looking down at the ball all the time. The stance collapses and the head drops. Fix: look up every third touch.
- Switching sides every month. Progress restarts each time. Fix: pick a side and stay with it for a season.
FAQ
How do you hold a floorball stick correctly?
Place the top hand near the end of the shaft and the lower hand 30-45 cm below it, with the blade on the side of your body that feels natural. Hold the stick with your fingers, not a tight fist, so the blade can move with the ball.
Which side should the blade be on?
Choose the side that feels most natural: blade on your left side or blade on your right side. Test both with a few passes and shots, and then stay with your choice. Many players use the side that matches the way they swing a bat, but it is a personal decision.
How wide should my hands be on the stick?
Most players hold their hands 30-45 cm apart. A narrower grip gives more control for stickhandling, and a wider grip gives more leverage in shooting. Adjust a few centimetres and test with passes and shots.
What is the right floorball stance?
Feet slightly wider than shoulder width, knees bent, back straight, weight on the balls of your feet, head up and the blade on the floor in front of you. This stance lets you move in any direction in one step.
How long should a floorball stick be?
Standing in your shoes, the top of the stick should reach roughly to your navel or a few centimetres below. The maximum total length under IFF rules is 114 cm. If you are unsure, choose the shorter stick, because control is more important than reach.
How often should I practise my stance?
A few minutes in every session is enough. Include a low walk with the ball and a stance hold in your warm-up, and check your grip at the start of each training. Good habits form quickly if you repeat them daily.
Summary
A good grip and stance make every other skill easier. Hold the stick with relaxed fingers and a hand gap of 30-45 cm, stand low with bent knees and a straight back, and check that your stick length suits your height. Build the habits with short daily drills, and read the other guides in the Floorball Training hub. Follow us on Instagram @better_floorball for more coaching tips.
