Hockey sticks are made from Carbon, Kevlar and Fibreglass, and frequently tiny strands of the weave inside the stick will break off and come loose. While this is very common and nothing to worry about, it causes a rattle which can be quite irritating and is best to get fixed.

The solution is very simple. Just follow this guide to remove the end cap of the hockey stick and shake out the loose particles.

1.    Peel off the PVC tape at the top of the handle.

2.    The grip needs to be unwound a bit. It is usually secured in place with a small tack or a staple or nothing at all. Remove this and simply unwind to about 5cm below the base of the end cap.

3.    Hard Type End Cap. The end cap will be held in place usually by glue but on some models from some brands there can be nails or pop rivets etc. (Nails should be removed using pliers, pop rivets need to be drilled out). If the existing end cap has split then it is usually easy to remove by hand. If it is well in place then if it is a hard plastic take some grips, hold the head of the stick in place between your feet and give a sharp twist to remove it.

If it does not come off and is a hard type cap, then apply gentle heat all around (a good hair dryer is OK) and then try again with the grips. That will do it.

4.    Soft Type End Cap. If it is a soft type cap then the best way is to take a long, thin flat head screw driver, insert under the cap, push as far as it can go and rotate this over itself all the way around the cap to dislodge it, then twist of by hand.

5.    Tap the open end of the handle down onto a solid floor a few times and any loose bits will come out. Check the rattle is cured before re-applying the end cap.

6.    If a new cap is to be applied then it can be glued in place using a contact adhesive - we find carpet spray to be the best. Avoid super glue and epoxy resins. Then apply the cap and wrap the lower part around (part on the shaft and part on the cap) with cloth tape.

7.    Rewind the grip and then apply new PVC tape over the top to finish.