Price Point Sticks

[lancerplayer 0]

I was wondering if price point sticks really lack the performance of a high end stick? Has anyone used a price point stick and noticed a bid difference in their shooting, passing, stick handling, durability, ect?

Sticks like the NB Vapor V2, NB Vapor VIII, Bauer Vapor VI Stick'um, Synergy 350, Mission Axis, ect...

Please post what your thoughts about them are!

[EBondo 242]

There's the obvious weight difference, which you can tell. Most price point sticks really lack performance.

[hockeypunk3 0]

Really lack in the "kick" you feel and the weight.

I've jumped from the vapor V to the XX and the differences are quite severe in the kick weight and feel.

[jbyun04 7]

doesn't the vapor vi stickum ops have the same blade as the vapor xx?

[EBondo 242]

I think. I would also go to say that the VI is the best price-point stick on the market.

[marc_9 0]

some people say the synergy 300 is pretty good too

[LetsGoWings13 0]

The synergy 350 I tried today was hands down the worst stick ive ever used. I rather play with a concrete filled sherwood gold shaft with a plastic mylec blade.

[DamnLocust 0]

I had a bauer Vapor VII. I not only broke the blade after 4 or 5 games, after cutting it and turning it into a shaft, I snapped that in about 4 games. I Didn't mind so much as it only cost me $40 on clearance, but it was still a total heap. I'm just now starting to use the better OPS and wow, what a difference.

[whbd18 0]

I had a bauer Vapor VII. I not only broke the blade after 4 or 5 games, after cutting it and turning it into a shaft, I snapped that in about 4 games. I Didn't mind so much as it only cost me $40 on clearance, but it was still a total heap. I'm just now starting to use the better OPS and wow, what a difference.

The orange one?

[DamnLocust 0]

yessir.

[NJ2000DEVILS 0]

I had the same problem with the orange Vapor VII also. It lasted me more games than yours but it definitely was low quality. The blade on it was also very thin compared to most other composites. I think many people bought them when hockeygiant had them on clearance.

The blue Bauer Vapor VI stickum one piece is definitely a better stick though. My friend and I bought them when hockeygiant had the $50 special and they still have not broken.

[DamnLocust 0]

the problem with the VII's blade wasn't that it was thin, it was that it wasn't a composite blade. It was ABS wrapped in fiberglass. My TPS Response and adrenaline both have the same thickness or thinner blades than that VII did, but both are 1000x more durable.

[whbd18 0]

The VII blade was horrible, I tried out my friends and there was absolutely no feel.

AS for the Vapor VI, I liked mine more then the Vapor XX.

[DamnLocust 0]

I've seen Vapor Vs split in half by one slash, but I agree, they were pretty sweet, especiall for the price. The VI is the same stick, except with grip. Funny how the V and VI were so much better than the VII.

[SMP 0]

I've got the new Bauer V2 and it just feels heavy and dead. I use my Sherwood woodie instead. It does look real purdy though!

[BK 0]

I have played around with some of them..

Bauer V: Not bad.. not great.. but not bad. I really liked how the shaft felt in my hands. the puck felt a little numb, but it was a good stick. If I had to choose between a highend woodie or the V, I would still go with the V.

Cyclone Shaft: I know this is just a shaft, but I was actually impressed with it. It is a nice shaft, dispite the weight. A lot of my team mates liked it with a wood blade. I wouldn't bother with a carbon blade, because the shaft is so heavy that no matter what blade you put in there, it will be shaft heavy.

GEAR hornet: This is the only pricepoint stick that I have used that I didn't like. Ever hear of torquing? This thing has a serious problem with it. No joke, if you put the shaft in a vice, you can flex the blade back and forth with one arm fairly easily. I felt it in my shots. My slapshot was weak and it felt like i could't really aim the puck anymore. The shaft was stiff, but the blade was crap. The entire thing weighed more than I liked too.

Instead of getting a pricepoint, I found that if you save up a little, the performance to price ratio is a big improvement. I got my harrow v3 cheap, and I wont stop using it using it till that tank of a stick breaks.

[DamnLocust 0]

Cyclone Shaft: I know this is just a shaft, but I was actually impressed with it. It is a nice shaft, dispite the weight. A lot of my team mates liked it with a wood blade. I wouldn't bother with a carbon blade, because the shaft is so heavy that no matter what blade you put in there, it will be shaft heavy.

I think you have the cyclone confused for another stick. the cyclone is the "thinner feel" shaft that easton makes and it's also their lightest shaft at 270 grams. And it's compression molded. and awesome.

Maybe you meant the octane?

[jbyun04 7]

i didn't mind the CCM Vector 100 shaft too much, I actually liked it but I use it for street now

[Thockey17 1]

GEAR hornet: This is the only pricepoint stick that I have used that I didn't like. Ever hear of torquing? This thing has a serious problem with it. No joke, if you put the shaft in a vice, you can flex the blade back and forth with one arm fairly easily. I felt it in my shots. My slapshot was weak and it felt like i could't really aim the puck anymore. The shaft was stiff, but the blade was crap. The entire thing weighed more than I liked too.

That was the most god awful stick, ever. Took one shot with it, and broke it over the crossbar.

[ash_96 0]

GEAR hornet: This is the only pricepoint stick that I have used that I didn't like. Ever hear of torquing? This thing has a serious problem with it. No joke, if you put the shaft in a vice, you can flex the blade back and forth with one arm fairly easily. I felt it in my shots. My slapshot was weak and it felt like i could't really aim the puck anymore. The shaft was stiff, but the blade was crap. The entire thing weighed more than I liked too.

That was the most god awful stick, ever. Took one shot with it, and broke it over the crossbar.

Ha ha, i know how you feel.

I used mine twice, then traded it for a typhoon and an ultralight blade..... which quickly went on ebay! :P

[hockeytim18 0]

I have a synergy 350 now. I came from a Z-bubble and Z-carbon combo. Wow this 350 sucks. If I chose again I'd go with my Z-bubble combo.

[lesterhenson 0]

That was a foolish move. What else could you expect if you came from a top-of-the line shaft combo and went to a bottom line OPS?

[hockeytim18 0]

Yea bad move on my part. But just after I posted that I got my free Mission Pulse Grip from buying the mission skates. Already without using it I like it more. Hopefully tonight I'll get to use it at my tryouts but i need to find some white tape first. Ill update soon.