#6 BuyingSliotars-What to look for?
Nowadays there is so much choice in buying sliotars. So here are a few key things that you need to be mindful of when you spend your hard-earned club or personal funds on new sliotars.
Core
The core will determine so many things about your sliotar. Over the years they have evolved and changed from animal hair to rubber bands, from cork to PU.
The two main sliotars centres that enter the Irish market are PU and cork. PU is the slightly more expensive choice of core but it’s benefits are undeniable. Cork balls by the nature of the material, once breached by striking or weather are essentially unusable. The cork takes on water, loses its shape, dries out to become brittle and their short life-span heads on a downward trajectory.
The PU core is plastic so it’s weight, shape and longevity remain. Be aware that qualities of PU can vary greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer which can affect the above factors.
Outer-shell
The sliotar covering is the next vital component. Again there are numerous choices available. While older sliotars were entirely covered with genuine leather newer sliotars are increasingly being wrapped in leather/plastic synthetic mixes. These sliotars hold a distinct advantage over their older equivalent. Leather while processing the properties of softness we seek, it too is permeable to water and also retains it, meaning your new ball can become wet and heavy- unavoidable in the Irish climate. Some companies have tried to waterproof the real leather and this works until the ball gets any kind of tear. This is where synthetic materials have taken over. They are still soft but their materials are non-permeable.
(Leather sliotars with small tears like in the picture will take on water)
Rims
The height of sliotar rims has been debated for a good number of years. When buying sliotars the main thing to know is that sliotar rims are decreasing. This has the effect that the hurley is striking the main contours of the ball (leather) more as the rims are no longer acting as a buffer. Shorter rims means easier for catching and better contact for striking but it also means a shorter life for low-rimmed sliotars.
Stitching
Quality stitching and quality waxed thread will allow for a tighter ball for longer. Inevitably over time the stitching will loosen on the sliotar but good stitching will prolong the life of the ball.
Glue
Lastly a forgotten element of the ball is the glue used sticking the leather to the core of the sliotar. Good quality will be visible straight away. Is the leather stuck tight to the ball? The next test is weather. Did the ball hold up after a few sessions in the rain? And finally the durability of the ball over time. Is the core moving inside the leather outer-shell? If so it may be attributed to poor quality glue.
So the next time you’re tasked with buying sliotars we hope that this in some way helps you. To see our 1884 Sport range of sliotars see: https://1884.ie/product-category/sliotars/
See also our sliotar net bags for easy drying and disinfecting of your sliotars: https://1884.ie/product/sliotar-net-bag/