TPS Response R8

[JR Boucicaut 3801]

Open

[srv2miker 0]

Background: 6'2", 225

Type of Play: all ice

Frequency: 2x per week

Blades Used (in order):

- Mission L-2

- RBK 6K

Purchase Details

I bought this shaft from totalhockey.net in Nov. 2007. I knew I wanted a tapered shaft, and I used the boards here to discover as much info as I could before deciding on either the R8 or a Sickick. In the end I chose the R8 because of the positive comments in general about the TPS shafts. I purchased this in Regular flex, which is a little under 100 on the Easton scale.

Initial Impression:

When I first picked up the stick I was impressed with the weight, as it was very light. Double concave didn't feel as good as I had hoped, I think I prefer a more traditional shape. Graphics looked fine and blade went in no problem. Grip was only in one area of the stick (the grip zone), whereas I would've preferred the whole thing to be covered. I did like that it was a mix of tactile and sticky grip.

8/10

Flex:

I had hoped the regular flex would be stiff enough to drive my slap shots, but it was little light for my tastes. I probably should've opted for Stiff, but it's a hard call to make. Kick point seemed nice and low, and the shaft had a really aggressive taper. I can't fault the flex of this stick for my not liking it - the Regular flex came as advertised, I just made the wrong decision.

8/10

Weight:

Nice and light shaft, with good balance. Did they sacrifice too much to achieve this weight? Read on.

9/10

Shooting:

I was underwhelmed by the shooting of this stick. Slappers weren't great (which could be explained by the Flex being too light for me), but wristers and snappers were a little disappointing as well. You'd think with the lighter flex I'd really be able to snap those wristers off, but the shaft just never seemed to deliver a good kick or pop - it always felt a little bland. Shots were accurate, went where I wanted them.

6/10

Passing:

No complaints about passing. This always seems more dependent on your blade than the shaft anyway.

9/10

Durability:

Really not impressed with the durability of the R8. After 10 ice times I discovered a crack near the hosel that was reasonably deep. I had hoped that I would be able to limp along with it, but another few ice times and the crack busted ll the way through and the shaft lost integrity there (never completely broke, but just "crunched" when flexed, if that makes sense). I was out of the warranty period, but only really got a dozen games out of it before it was worthless.

Was it a freak accident? Could be, mightv've just been from a slash or puck deflection. But, the fact the crack spread so quickly tells me there were probably durability issues. As I mentioned above, this was a very light shaft, and I wonder if they had to sacrifice too much strength to achieve that weight.

4/10

Overall:

Really wasn't very impressed with the R8. Besides the poor durability, it didn't really shoot that well to being with. A light shaft is great, but if it can't shoot and doesn't last then it doesn't do me much good. Definitely wouldn't recommend this stick to others. The final score doesn't tell the whole story since it's an average - the shaft got the worst marks in what are probably the most crucial places for this piece of equipment.

Final Score: 7.3/10 (avg.)

[BYT 0]

Reviewer Background:

5' 7”, 190lbs

Shaft: R8 Tapered Pro-Radius – Whip (70) Flex

Blade Used: Warrior Dolomite

Weight/Balance: It’s one of the lighter shafts out there. I was more concerned about balance. I cut about 8” off the shaft so I needed to put in a wood plug to balance it out. After doing so, it felt much better.

8.5/10

Shaft Shape/Flex: The pro-radius is the closest thing to a meta Flyweight I’ve found which my smallish hands love. Advertised as a 70 flex, but felt closer to a 75 flex at the start. The shaft has grip on it (called the grip zone) which is only on the middle 1/3 of the shaft for your bottom hand. It took some getting used to as it’s quite a bit stickier than the grip on my Dolomite. The grip zone is standard on all shafts.

9.5/10

Stickhandling/Passing: Stickhandling was a dream due to the pro-radius. It gave me a great feel for the puck. Passing was on par with what I’m used to. The shaft did transmit a bit more vibration when receiving passes but not enough that I couldn’t get used to it.

9/10

Shooting: I mainly take wrist/snap shots and this shaft was amazing. My shots loaded quicker than usual and picked up some velocity as well. Slapshots didn’t suffer either, but didn’t have the improvement of my wrist and snap shots.

9.5/10

Durability: This is the only issue with the shaft. After 3 months of use (2x/week), it lost a lot of its pop. It feels lie it’s down to about a 70 flex (before cutting). There’s a bit more lag to my wrist/snapshots that once felt so good. As far as the shaft itself, it’s taken quite a few slashes and is still going strong otherwise.

6/10

Conclusion: It was the best shaft I had ever used for the first 3 months. Unfortunately, the loss of flex now makes this a backup stick. However, I’m impressed enough to try the standard-radius shaft. Maybe the flex issues are due to the pro-radius as opposed to the shaft itself.

8/10 (not an average)

[rangers1234 0]

TPS R8 WHIP "Pro Feel" (70 Flex) Tappered

Background: 5'8" 170 lbs

Type of Play: Beer League

Frequency: 2+ per week

Blades Used (in order):

- TPS R8 - Nash

Previous Sticks;

- TPS R8 OPS

- RBK 10K

- NB One95 OPS & Two Piece

Flex / Shaft:

The WHIP Flex is right on target. I have to cut my sticks so it's probably around 80 and it is whipy.

The shaft shape is what I really love about this stick. It's basically an Intermediate shaft with Senior dimensions. So if you want a little more flex in your stick, but love the way your intermediate shaft feels in your hands, then this is the stick for you. 10/10

Weight:

This is a light shaft - with the R8 blade, the balance is good as well. I will be adding a wood end plug eventually to help with the balance, but it's not a necessity. I feel it has better balance then my 10K OPS and equal to my ONE 95 OPS. 9/10

Shooting / Passing:

This shaft is great for wristers and slap shots. It's a great all around stick. With some sticks I've had problems with one of my shots, but not with the R8 OPS or Two Piece. I'm not sure how much a shaft helps you pass, but my passes have been great with this shaft. 9/10

Durability:

It's been about 4 months and the shaft looks brand new. So does the blade. I don't use it every time I skate, but so far, so good. 9/10

Overall:

I have become a huge TPS fan after using both their OPS and Two Piece. They are great all around sticks that can be used for any position on the ice. I just ordered an R6 to test out the tri-flex thing and if I like it will eventually get an R10. I had a R8 Standard Shaft, but sold it to buy a One95 Shaft and that was a huge mistake. I will eventually get a standard shaft as well to go with my blades. 9.5/10