Who's getting a Bauer 1N stick? Really "better" than a 1000/8000?

[Lightning_Hockey 1]

For those that have had the pleasure to use the 1n and 1s, which do you prefer?

[psulion22 402]

On 3/15/2016 at 1:18 AM, Lightning_Hockey said:

For those that have had the pleasure to use the 1n and 1s, which do you prefer?

 

I'm wondering this also.  Bauer has apparently changed the flex point and way the stick flexes on the 1S.  That has possibly made a stick that is easier to load than the MX3 was.  I liked my 1N, but I broke it last night.  It was by far the best stick I've used since my Nexus 1000, from a list that includes Nexus 8000, Dynasty AX1LT, Ultra tacks, and True 5.2.  But I still felt it lacked the pop that the 1000 had.  I can't say that shots and passes just fly off with very little effort like the 1000 did.  If the 1S does actually load and release faster and easier as I was just told, that may be a good option.  

 

I don't take a lot of what Bauer calls "full motion shots", mostly quick snappers and passes.  So the Supreme line shouldn't be exactly for me.  But that was the literature before they changed the 1S.  And according to their descriptions, I should be in Vapor because I take a lot of shots and passes off the wrong foot.  But I can't get the Vapor line to flex as well as the Nexus, even at the same flex rating.

[psulion22 402]

So I went to the Bauer demo at my rink on Saturday and talked with the rep for a while.  He gave me some good info about the different lines and how to choose one.  I shot a 1N (87) and 1S (77),  Just as I had thought, I could barely get anything out of the 1S even though it was a lower flex stick.  But I could still easily load the 87 1N, even though I have ony been able to use 77 flex for a while.  In fact, pucks were just rocketing off the blade with not too much effort.

 

The reason for this, explained by the rep, is that Bauer has learned how to wrap the carbon fibers differently, allowing the stick to load easier while maintaining the same recoil as the flex rating.  Instead of aligning all the fibers running down the length of the stick, they now also wrap them around the stick in a circle in the flex area.  That's what makes the stick easier to load.  He said because of this, I should be able to use an 87 flex stick and still be able to flex and load it.  But because the flex is higher, I'll get that pop I felt I was missing.  From the few shots I took using a 87 flex 1N, that did seem to be true.  He said the new wrapping method is in the 1N and 1S, and will be in the new Vapor stick being released in July, but isn't in the current 1X.  

 

When choosing which line, he also gave me a great rule of thumb.  He told me the best way of determining which line is best for you is to use where you generally shoot the puck from in relation to your feet.  If you carry and release the puck from behind your back foot, you should use Supreme.  If it's right around your back foot, Nexus.  And from in front of your back foot forward, Vapor.  Shooting off the same foot, you probably shouldn't be using Supreme because that flex works best if it has to catch up to your hands to shoot.  You'd have to have the puck pretty far back and your hands pretty close to your body, or your hands wayyyy out in front, to get the best performance out of Supreme when shooting with your feet facing the net (but that's not to say it can't be done).  Shooting that way is also a more forward motion on the stick, rather than down which is what the Supreme line really needs.  Off the same foot, if you keep the puck slightly behind or equal to your heel, then Nexus.  If you keep it from the middle of the skate forward, then use Vapor.  He said that almost definitely, the new Vapor coming in July that will be easier to load will be the best stick for me given my style.

 

So down to the core question of this thread - is the 1N really better than 8000/1000?  According to the Bauer rep, yes.