Shorthanded67

Yeah this is a lot different than buying hockey skates....generally I know exactly what I'm looking for in skates. On my day off work today, I have to make the rounds to 3 or 4 stores (hard to find rubber tip VS metal!) and try some on. I'm definitely a fan of all-black though. Another dilemna is breaking them in. With skates it's no problem because I'm out on the rink 5 times a week. With softball, it's a bit tougher because I'm lucky to get a game a week (with rainouts). Other than wearing them around the house (my downstairs neighbors will kill me when I walk on the tile :P ), I guess I'll have to look like a fool and head up to an empty diamond and do some sprints.

Well my old baseball cleats from high school (I'm now 28) finally bit the dust 2 days ago. I have to go buy some new ones tomorrow for this weekend and obviously it's the first time I've had to buy them in over a decade. Any recommendations for someone who's playing once, maybe twice a week for just recreational slow-pitch softball? Nike branded athletic footwear has always fit me best and Adidas is usually a bit too tight-fitting. Thanks ahead of time for any and all suggestions! EDIT: They have to be rubber molded, not metal tip.

I had issues with the composite outsole of the 1152. Don't get me wrong, they probably make the skate as light as it is. But the outer part of it chipped badly (around the front edges), presumably from shots/stick whacks. Also the sole eventually hairline cracked across the front part of the chassis where they are riveted into the skate (I'll do my best to get a pic of this if you wish). Nothing that effects the skate performance drastically but I could foresee a future problem which is why I bought the 652s. Yes a "lower model" skate than the 1152s and a tad heavier, but I've been satisfied thus far. Also I became dissatisfied withe the Tour Redline chassis mounting system. The bolts kept coming loose even after LocTite and eventually replaicng the bolts. I absolutely worship the RedStar one-boly system....very minimal loosening problems. All in all I love the CCM Tacks lineup and I've owned 3 pairs (first pair was 752 w/Sure grip 405 chassis). I'd love to find some brand new pre-2000 models.

Top pair are my current setup: CCM 652 Tacks/RedStar E-Frame chassis Bottom pair are my older setup: CCM 1152 tacks/Tour Redline chassis

A lot of them are GI/GU so they're basically for show. Basically my way of decorating the bachelor pad. Not like I could actually shoot with a Hull rubberband/spoon anyway. And I have tried. Trust me they weren't that organized before....it was kind of like cleaning up the house when company comes over. :lol:

Yes. 3 Inno 1100 Shafts 1 Easton UL shaft 1 TPS Response Plus (OPS) 1 Bauer Triflex (OPS)

Took a while to get on board with this topic...had to find some pics. The massive stick collection was at it's worst in the below pic and has since been trimmed down since this picture. None for sale at this time (so don't ask! :P ) Gloves Skates (new on top, old on bottom) The Hullie collection Wall of Shame

Anybody remember Craig Ludwig, recently retired Dallas Star/Minesota Northstar? He had the same shinguards since he was a junior. He'd kept using glue, sewing them, etc....to keep them together. He also "bent them out" to make them wider for blocking shots. EDIT: Check out several of the pics in this gallery... http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/Legend...0&photo=2#photo

You're calling a Synergy "REALLY old"? God forbid anybody use an "ancient" UltraLite shaft or a "prehistoric" wooden stick.... :P

A Synergy?!? And I always thought that you bled Mission blue (...or red if you used an L-2). :lol:

"Stick-Um" is Bauer's version of "grip".

Helmet: CCM652 (formerly HT2)- Just a classic slightly updated. Visor: Oakley Modified Aviator- Clearest vision, no fogging. Elbow pads: Jofa 9066 - Used the xx66 lineup for a while. Good protection, 4 straps = no slippage even on my skinny arms. Gloves: TPS HGT Customs- no break-in needed, Easton SyNergy-finally grew on me Girdle: CCM Tacks- Nowhere near as good as the old Cooper MBP8000, but it'll do. Kind of bulky too. Pants: Mission D-1- Good ventilation, great durability with one small quarter-sized hole on the inner leg mesh after a year Shin pads: Jofa 9090 - Not bulky for me, lightweight, dries quickly, uber-protective Skates: CCM 1152 Tacks (modified for inline hockey). Will switch to the old school 652s next. The composite outsole started chipping away at the toe within a few games. Other than that problem, they'e held up great. Underwear: UnderArmour Loose Fit short and long sleeve. Sticks: Whatever allows me to put the puck in the net today. Most recent menu inlcudes Mission L-2 shaft/blade (Hull), Inno Novius shaft/Easton Z-Carb (Shanny), Easton Synthesis Grip/comp blade (Shanny)

Mission L-2 shaft Reviewer background: 5'10", 165 lbs. Roller hockey on SportCourt 5-7 games/week Usage before review: 30-40 games Test Blade: Mission L-2 Composite blade (Hull pattern) Shaft shape/flex: I used a 100 flex which felt somewhere between an Inno 260 and an Easton 100. One of the strange things about this shaft is that the finish feels very "slick" to me, moreso than the M-2 shaft. My bottom hand seemed to slide quite a bit on slapshots but I just had to adjust by gripping it a bit tighter (which unfortunately changed the mechanics of my shot). Other teammates who have used this have mentioned the same characteristic. Stickhandling/Passing: I can feel the puck extremely well through this shaft/blade combo and "felt" the puck better on toe drags although that may have been due to the curve. I didn't feel like the puck bounced any more or less off the blade compared to any other composite shaft/blade combo or OPS. Weight/Balance: Very lightweight combo! Hard to pinpoint the shaft itself, but I would say it's comparable to an Easton Z-Bubble or an Inno Novius. I'd like to try another blade in there just to get a comparison of how light the L-2 blade is. Shooting: The curve was a bit astray from my normal choice so it took some time getting used to. However when I did get ahold of shots, I felt like I could shoot more accurate with this shaft versus the Easton Synthesis. Part may be due to the less-boxy shape. I couldn't hit my slappers consistently but my wristshots seemed like they were being snapped off quicker. Again, this is more due to blade preference. I'd like to see what I could do with a TPS R2 Nash curve.... Durability: Tank so far. It has taken some nasty-ass slashes. Plenty of paint has chunked off on the lower half of the stick but other than exposing the greenish material under the red paint, it has held up. No actual deep cuts in it thus far. Conclusion: While my favorite tapered combo may be an Inno Novius/Inno blade, I'd definitely say this is very close to it. I never had the opportunity to try a Mission Flyweight, but if it was similar I regret not doing so. While I do generally like Easton shafts/blades, I'd recommend this over a Synthesis in the tapered department but it's preferential due to my small hands. I had been using Easton for 8-9 years and starting using Inno in 2003 never once considering Mission as a stick choice. I also positively reviewed the Mission M-2 shaft a while back. I say "Great Job" to Mission for their re-entry into the shaft market since the M-1 OPS was released. My only hope for 2005 is a grip version of the M-2/L-2 shafts. Final review score: 8 out of 10

Oops I apologize for the giant size of the pics due to my internet illiteracy. The Sandes are custom colors that myself and Markku (formerly #17 of CB) designed up. I basically gave him the color scheme and he came up with a few designs. I guess they could be similar to Buffalo or Ottawa colors.

I've had 2 pairs of custom gloves done during the course of CB/MSH. Markku helped me design these: ....and Markku, JR, and Mr. C hooked me up with these: Much thanks to all those involved.