In the Muromachi period, a stick (although it was called 'Gi-Cho,' the term 'stick' is used here in order to avoid confusion with Gi-Cho as a Shinto ritual) was transformed into Hagoita, and a ball was transformed into a fletched soapberry nut.
室町時代には、杖（「毬杖」というが、毬杖の神事と紛らわしいので「杖」とする）は羽子板に変化し、毬は無患子（むくろじ）の木の実に羽をつけた物に変化した。