RBK 9k O-Tech Stick (pics added by JR)

[Chadd 916]

For those who didn't catch HNIC, the NHL was not happy that the stick was never sent to them for approval prior to Datsyuk using it in a game.

Honestly, who says "hey let's put some holes in hockey sticks..."

I wonder if it was laughed out of the room the first time it was brought up.

Nah, one of them had a tennis racket with holes and said "why don't we try this?"

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

not necessarily, drag is mass dependent. but, at any rate, drag is negligible in hockey sticks. Even if it wasnt negligible, it would help you, as it would pull the blade back farther, giving more of the catapulting effect.

Drag caused by air resistance would be dependent on surface area, not mass. That said, I do agree that drag is a negligible factor in shooting.

i dumbed my post down to equate "drag" to be "the force caused by drag", didnt expect any one to know the difference :P

[Guest OSTOR]

haha this stick is a joke

Like "drag" on a hockey stick just wow who ever says "drag" is slowing down their shot is a complete idiot.

Like a stick weighs what? 450 grams? 450 is dink all i'am actually laughing right now at people who think that 450 grams is so heavy and its gonna drag there shot and slow it down

[cammerz12 0]

honestly, i think drag isn't a major factor in anyones shot. id trust the scienstist or engineers who designed this its seems to be a breaktrough for them. like that one guy said about the team in canada testing them, they'll find the flaws and fix them

[msander 0]

not necessarily, drag is mass dependent. but, at any rate, drag is negligible in hockey sticks. Even if it wasnt negligible, it would help you, as it would pull the blade back farther, giving more of the catapulting effect.

Drag caused by air resistance would be dependent on surface area, not mass. That said, I do agree that drag is a negligible factor in shooting.

i dumbed my post down to equate "drag" to be "the force caused by drag", didnt expect any one to know the difference :P

That still wouldn't be correct. Drag force and drag are synonymous, both are SA dependent , and mass independent. The effect of the drag force on the object in question is the only thing that is dependent on mass.

[cabreezy 0]

lol, back to the homer simpson speed holes analogy, maybe it has an effect like that of a spoiler on a car. so your stick can go like ZOOM on your slapshots.

honestly though, i'd personally let other people with the money do the testing and then hear from them how good it is before making any consideration.

i'd be scared if someone was taking a one-timer and the thing broke at the holes, resulting in the blade section flying towards me.

[Hidious 0]

What about the inconsistent flex in the taper, because i cant see how the portions with the holes will flex like a normal part of a tapered shaft. Seems like it would only flex on the portions between the holes.

What you said makes sense but rbk is a very very big company and i believe they have tons of experts that calculated every aspect of this stick. It probably flexes just like any other stick and if does differently, it's most likely because it's better. (or they think it's better)

[furlanitalia 1]

Or they say its better

[Neal 41]

What you said makes sense but rbk is a very very big company and i believe they have tons of experts that calculated every aspect of this stick. It probably flexes just like any other stick and if does differently, it's most likely because it's better. (or they think it's better)

Or, in a much more likely scenario, it is either the same in terms of performance or marginally better and they could make it for a similar cost but could sell it for more and the marketing guys said "Holy crap, this thing will sell!"

But I'd love to be proved wrong.

[Fletch 219]

Any word on price for the 9k?

[bigdaddykane 0]

its a nice stick, good balance

[merle720 0]

Well in regards to the drag issue.

Take a hockey stick and swing it like a baseball bat. Feel the wind resistance. There is a lot of surface area.

I wish someone would do a study on hockey shots, wrist and slaps shops like they do with a golf swing. Many of the same movements and technology is shared between the two sports. Innovative makes golf shafts.

I bet the holes help a bit, and only an elite player would feel the difference, but we all can befefit from it.

Even the smallest changes in equipment make a difference, a few grams off the blade end of a stick will incress your swing speed more then losing a feel grams off the top of a stick.

[KYHockey3 0]

the stick has bad durability problems, like i said before many of them broke per game at the holey area (my friends team got them) and the blade doesn't seem to be durable as well. My friend's broke at the blade, when he gets a new one hes gonna lend it to me to use and ill write what i tihnk of it.

can u or your freind post some more pics of the stick please?

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

Well in regards to the drag issue.

Take a hockey stick and swing it like a baseball bat. Feel the wind resistance. There is a lot of surface area.

most of that resistance comes from its moment of inertia.

[jimmy 194]

I doubt holes in the shaft have any effect on wind resistance. The shaft has virtually little wind resistance and that IF there were any resistance at all (at the speeds the stick is moving) that it would come from the blade. Put your hand out the window of your car while traveling 80mph and hold it like a wing (we all did this when we were kids) There is every little wind resistance unless you hold your hand face out, then you can feel it. Same as holding a broom stick in a windstorm, no effect because the surface area is minimal.

If anything the holes in the stick would be to make it lighter and stronger, reducing wind resistance is a stretch, just like the claim on the tight fitting jerseys.

[cbettner66 0]

i don't think the holes are for cutting down on the wind resistance - i would guess it is more to keep the shaft from twisting when you shoot - and considering how most one peice sticks are hollow, having the holes actually reinforces the inside of the shaft and probably makes it a little stronger in the lower part of the shaft

or at least i'd like to think so - not entirely sure

and i wanted to make some corny joke about "are you agitating my dots? don't agitate my dots" but i couldn't think of a good one

[sabre09923 0]

Any word on price for the 9k?

In the first post, EBondo said it would retail for 250-300 USD... I know I'm not going to buy it.

[jimmy 194]

Any word on price for the 9k?

In the first post, EBondo said it would retail for 250-300 USD... I know I'm not going to buy it.

Don't jump on any "suggestion" of retail price. These things are just prototypes and not even available to dealers yet. When dealers get their wholesale price list, and order the things, then we'll know retail prices, until then speculation is all we can do. I speculate I'll sell them for $150, how's that. :)

[nazzy19 0]

I remember reading that adding holes on knives makes them stronger...I think its called skeletization? So its possible that this could be transferred over to hockey sticks? I guess we will see.

[merle720 0]

Well in regards to the drag issue.

Take a hockey stick and swing it like a baseball bat. Feel the wind resistance. There is a lot of surface area.

most of that resistance comes from its moment of inertia.

The MOI is measured when the blade makes contact with the puck, has nothing to do with air resistance.

I doubt holes in the shaft have any effect on wind resistance. The shaft has virtually little wind resistance and that IF there were any resistance at all (at the speeds the stick is moving) that it would come from the blade. Put your hand out the window of your car while traveling 80mph and hold it like a wing (we all did this when we were kids) There is every little wind resistance unless you hold your hand face out, then you can feel it. Same as holding a broom stick in a windstorm, no effect because the surface area is minimal.

If anything the holes in the stick would be to make it lighter and stronger, reducing wind resistance is a stretch, just like the claim on the tight fitting jerseys.

It's a stretch untill proven other wise. I'm not trying to say I'm right, I never did testing on the stick or have even seen the stick in person.

Small changes to equipment can make a big difference.

A runner in a marathon, increase the stride legnth by 1/8 of an inch can save minutes of the total time. But whats 1/8 of an inch.

Open your mind to the fact it could make a difference.

[TBLfan 25]

I remember reading that adding holes on knives makes them stronger...I think its called skeletization? So its possible that this could be transferred over to hockey sticks? I guess we will see.

I don't know about making knives stronger, many cooking knives have holes so that whatever you're cutting doesn't stick to the knife.

But the way these holes are the sticks should be stronger in that area. Drag on a shaft is minimal, you wouldn't notice a difference. Take a shaft without a blade and swing it around, you barely feel any resistance than the actual weight of the shaft... but that's gravity and centrifugal force.

I think that this idea might work, but it's certainly not worth an extra $100 unless they somehow make it unbreakable.

[ambro 0]

The MOI is measured when the blade makes contact with the puck, has nothing to do with air resistance.

MOI is not measured during the swing. You're right that it doesn't have anything to do with air resistance though. It deals with the mass of the object and the distribution of the mass among the object.

[TCsnipes9 0]

Any word on price for the 9k?

our rep said "$245... and up." so pretty general..

[bigdaddykane 0]

before i said that they wer not durable but it was my mistake, the guy that broke his 3 times at the game was actually using the synergy st, its green too and i mixed them up. it looks to be as strong if not stronger than any other stick ive seen

can u or your freind post some more pics of the stick please?

ill try

[cobrAA 0]

i heard that the holes are made to differ the flexpoint, a la mission with their 10-7)

It is suppose to be whipper at the top and stiffer at the lower portion so your shot is more accurate.