Ballistik 45 Caliber

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

2009 Ballistik 45 Caliber OPS

Flex: 80 - Curve: TC (sakic clone)

Reviewer stats

6'3" - 240(ish) lbs

Skill level - C league

Play on 2 teams, on the ice 3-4 times per week

I will be doing the long term review on the 2009 Ballistik 45 Caliber OPS.

First, the manufacturer details....

http://www.ballistikhockey.com/hockey/pg_G...t_ProductId=108

Target user: Ideal for the competitive to elite player, the 45 Caliber provides the “best value” dollar for dollar on the market today.

Description: The 45 Caliber is an elite level product for the player seeking the ultimate in shooting performance with unsurpassed durability. The 45 Cal shaft has a unique rounded profile giving a superior feel which when coupled with the 45 Cal blade provide a balance that mirrors the highest end sticks on the market at a mid range price point.

Weight: 465 g

Length: 60 inches

First impressions

I got the stick on Thursday, and my first impression is that it was light, and very nice aesthetically. I like the muted black/gray coloring and then the chrome gives it a nice "pop". Nothing too flashy, just nice, the way I like it.

Comparison to current stick

At the minute I had 2 sticks in roatation,

Easton SL 110 flex, Sakic curve that a friend had given me and

Eagle X100, 100 flex, claw (sakic clone) that I bought on MSH

Here is a photo comparing the Ballistik to the Easton curve

As you can see, they are pretty close, to the point where I couldn't tell the difference.

Weight

The website says it's 465 grams, but in the interest of full disclosure, I took my own reading using the scale I use to weigh brewing ingredients.

As you can see, it's reading 1.060 lbs, which converted to grams comes out to 480 grams, which is pretty damn close.

The Easton I'm using has a 3 inch butt end (wood) which brings it's total weight to 583 grams.

I put a 3 inch composite end into the Ballistik so the total weight is 532 grams.

Weight isn't a big deal to me, especially not 50 grams, I couldn't tell the difference, but thought I would include it to those who are particular about the weight.

Flex

This is something I had rarely paid attention to, but really noticed here. I got this stick with the 80 flex, and that coupled with the extension probably means it's closer to a 77/75 flex.

Coming from fairly stiff flexes, this was a dream. I actually felt like I was able to get a little more on my passes (bad and all as they are, they go to the wrong place faster now!!!)

I hadn't paid too much attention to flexes before, instead trying to get the right curve and lie, and while I understand that the lie and curve are important, I won't overlook the flex again, particularly as my shooting improves.

I think this is a much better flex for me.

Here are the details as given on the stick.

Curve

We were given the following curve options from Ballistik

We could choose from a comparable curve to:

Sakic, Drury, Lidstrom, Modano, Iginla, Spezza, Coffee

Seeing that I have had 2 goals total up to this season, when my friend gave me his Sakic, and since then, I have had 5, I figured I'm sticking with Sakic. I've posted the side by side comparison already, but here is the individual curves, so you can make your own mind up about it...

Ballistic TC Curve

Easton Sakic Curve

Other/Misc info

First, I scored on my first shift with the new stick. I'm trying not to let that cloud my judgment too much, but seriously, I SCORED ON MY FIRST SHIFT WITH THE NEW STICK!!!.

Apart from that, I found that it fit very nicely into my hand, and the rounded profile on the shaft really does make a difference. This is in comparison to my last stick, a CCM Vibe, as the SL and Eagle both had rounded profiles also. I like it, it's a very nice touch, and not something I would ever have thought about until I had both in my hand to compare (as I did when I got home with the new stick).

I had mentioned before about the graphics, here is a look a the gray/black/chrome job, which I think is very nice, but not too flashy, which is good.

And Finally....

Balance

Ballistik tout their Opti-Balance for their sticks, and if you look at the point of balance highlighted on their website, the balance point there is almost identical to the balance point here (please ignore the little used treadmill and the often used kegerator!!!)

The balance point is about 2/3's the way down the shaft, and I'll leave it to someone much better and more knowledgeable than me to explain why, and why it's good, but it is (did I mention I scored?)

I will do a weekly update including pictures of any cracks/chips etc, although I will say this. I tested the 45 caliber last year also, and it chipped up quite a bit, but it was purely cosmetic, structurally, it is as good as new still.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Quick update.

I've used it 3 times since last week, once at a clinic, twice in games (no goals!!). I had our lead scorer on our team take a couple of shots to see what he thought of it (He is using a mission rafalski so the curve was right) and he thought it felt pretty light, and flexed well with his slap shot (I don't have a slapshot worth talking about, hence asking him).

For me, the stick feels light, obviously I've weighed it against my other sticks and it is lighter, but it's noticable, which is not something I would have said before. I don't know if it's because the balance is better as I'm using a composite butt end, whereas my other sticks all have wood butt ends in them, or what, but I'm just liking the feel better.

The one difference from last years model, and this is purely cosmetic, is that it hasn't chipped as much. The first couple of times I used the stick last year, there was noticible chipping of the paint job. After about the same amount of use from when I noticed it last time. If you look at my old review HERE you will see the paint chipping after one use.

Anyway, that is purely cosmetic, but sometimes these things matter to people.

Going forward, I will not be letting anyone else use it, but because my slapshot is poor, I thought I would have someone who can rip them, at least give some feedback.

On Friday night I am going to play the first period with the Ballistik, the second with the Easton SL and the third with the Ballistik again, as they are the same curve (different flex however). I want to be able to do a side by side comparision in terms of feel, both in my hands and with the puck on the blade, catching/making passes etc.

Any questions on the stick itself, feel free to ask.

Cheers

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

OK, time for another update. I've played with this stick twice a week now for the past couple of weeks and it's holding up great. I'm not tough on sticks so I don't know how reliable that is, or what kind of barometer I would be in terms of durability.

There is one small chip along the bottom of the blade, it's about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch, and it' seems to be completely cosmetic. I was going to post an update about it last week, but as I only noticed when I was at home taping my stick, I figured I would play a couple of times to see if there were issues. It did not affect the play at all.

I will get some photos up later.

As for the feel for the stick. As I mentioned in my first post, I'd only used the stiffer flexes before, so I wasn't sure if I would notice a difference here. This stick is pretty flexy (if that's a word). Whippy I guess is a better word. I'm really liking the speed I'm getting on my passes with it.

As for the cosmetics of it all....

The previous years Ballistik chipped up pretty quick (I've a link to the old one in my prior post here). But I've used this stick much much more than I used the Ballistik from last year through a similar time period, and I'm also spending a lot more time in front of the net, where you would expect it to take the beating and chip a lot, but it hasn't happened. It still looks like it's new. I thought with the chrome graphics they would peel pretty soon, but not yet.

I had planned on playing a 2 periods with this sandwiched round a period with my easton for comparative purposes, however one of the guys broke his stick and didn't have a backup. He also uses the Sakic curve so I gave him my easton to use. I will do the side by side this week.

Pics will follow when I get home (will be later tonight)

Really love the feel of the stick, I have mentioned it before, but great feel in the hand, much prefer it to the CCM stick I have, and it and the easton (I've got the older model easton, so I think it's a similar design, the rounded corners etc)

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

OK, I've had the stick for just about a month now and have been using it consistently 2-3 times per week, twice in games, once in a clinic/stick and puck.

There is some chipping on the toe and the bottom of the heel. The toe chips I noticed after about 2 weeks, got a couple more since, but structurally it does not affect the performance (although I can't do toe drags, so it may be an issue there).

The chip on the bottom of the heel is purely cosmetic and the structure has not been compromised in any way.

Here are the pictures of the toe chips over the past few weeks, and I haven't noticed anything since Friday of last week (August 15th)

Week 2

Week 3 - 4

http://img190.imageshack.us/i/ballistik008.jpg/

Chip on heel

As for the side by side comparison I was going to do, I used the Ballistik for 2 periods friday, and the Easton for the third. I thought the feel for both was very similar and the curves were close enough that it made no difference to someone at my level. I prefer the flex option I got on the Ballistik but for the most part, I found them to be very interchangable. Not knowing what the price is for the 45 Caliber, this is either a good or a bad thing. I was comparing to my Easton Stealth SL which is (or was when available) a pretty good stick.

Sorry about my lack of photos and updates, but both myself and my wife were involved in separate car accidents in the past month or so (mine only minor, but still had stuff to take care of).

I should have much more regular updates now, with photos to boot

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Winter season finally started. Played with the Ballistik for the 2nd and third periods on Friday night (easton with the first). Here is the thing that is confusing me. I weighed both easton and ballistik and they were virtually identical. The Easton has a wooden butt end in it, the Ballistik has a composite, but after repeated playing, and switching between the 2, I'm feeling that the Easton is lighter. Don't know if it's mental or I use really heavy tape :), but that's how it feels.

I'm also starting to notice a couple of little things. The blade I'm using is a clone of the sakic, and if you look at the photos in my first post, you will see they are very very close. However, I'm definitely getting more height on the puck with my backhand (out of all my below average/sucky shooting skills, my backhand is definately my best).

What I'm also noticing is that the flex (which is an 80) feels stiffer. Perhaps I was expecting too much, but I am using a 100 flex in the easton and it feels like it's got more flex than the Ballistik. This hasn't been a big deal until now, and it's only something I noticed in this past game, so I am going to see if it's something that becomes more noticible in the next few games. It may just have been because I hadn't played in a couple of weeks so was over analyzing stuff.

Overall the stick is still holding up very well. It's getting used still 2-3 times a week and the chips that I mentioned before (and pics of are above) have not expanded, got bigger, caused any sort of performance related issue, and is of course to be expected with normal wear and tear on a stick.

Graphics still look like new, I was waiting on them to get messed up as last years model seemed to chip and lose the graphics pretty quick, but still looks really nice.

I will have another update on Wednesday, I've got 2 more games between now and then, and I'm going to use the stick for the full game in both, and see what I think in terms of flex and response.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

OK, I'm back to using this stick full time now over the Easton. I had done some side by sides in games and what I could see as differences and similarities.

I have taken some photos to show the condition of the stick, both blade and shaft, but I can't find the wire to hook the camera up to my computer. I will hopefully find it in the next day or two and get some uploaded. As far as durability, apart from the minor chipping that I had described (and photographed above) earlier, the stick has been remarkably durable. The chipping has not expanded with repeated use. The graphics are holding up much better than last years model.

The stick itself I'm finding the flex point better now than I had been and it's a stick you can really load up on. Unfortunately I don't have a great shot, if I'm standing still and shooting against the wall or something, I can really get behind it, but I'm still trying to get that part of my game sorted. However, I really like the kickpoint on the stick.

I also think I'm getting a better feel for the puck on my blade at the minute. This may be because I have had (in my opinion) a couple of really good games, where I was making much better passes than I had been, and collecting the puck on the move was also not an issue for me. I just felt in control more than I normally do.

I will get some photos up however, I have a game on Friday and Sunday night, so I may just take some after the sunday game and upload them with an update next week.

Honestly, I would really like to see this stick on the market more, I would not hesitate to pick up a couple of spares. It's just been great.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

OK better late than never, but these pics are of the stick and the wear and tear from 2-3 times a week use. It is holding up exceptionally well. I'll have a fuller 3 month retrospective next week as it's been about 3 months.

Anyway, the stick condition as of last week is the photo's and as I said, it's still in exceptional condition

Click for full size

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Ok, having played with this stick for about 3 months now, I am going to do a retrospective review to date.

Ballistik 45 Caliber OPS

Flex: 80

Curve: TC (Sakic Clone)

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 250 ish

Postition: RW/LW

Skill Level: Lower C league adult

Time-frame of use: Since August 2009

Aesthetics:

Straight out of the wrapping this stick looks really nice. It's a smoky gray and black shaft with some chrome highlights. Not enough chrome accents to make someone think "Who is the twat with the mirror on the ice", but enough to make it stand out in a positive manner.

9/10

Weight and Balance:

For me weight isn't a huge factor. I don't buy top of the line sticks often, unless I get them from someone on MSH, as my level of play doesn't warrant top end equipment. That being said, I do have an Synergy SL OPS that I used as a side by side comparison for a lot of this, and the Ballistik came in at 480 grams (company site says 465, so it's close). It's as light as the Easton (actually lighter since I have a composite butt end in the Ballistik and a wood end in the Easton).

Balance is something that I am noticing more as my shooting improves. I love the balance of this stick. It doesn't feel top heavy, and the level balance point is about 2/3 the way down the shaft to the blade side (if you look at the photos in my initial impressions you will see the balance point). It feels great to me.

9/10

Blade:

The blade is stiff, solid and receptive with the puck. I have no problems catching passes, skating with the puck and getting shots off. It does not feel "dead" (a term I have saw others describe blades as here). I feel like there is life in the blade. I particularly love the feel of making passes on the backhand, as well as shooting backhand. It could be argued that this is all the curve, but again, if you look at my initial impressions here and see the photo of this along side the Easton, you will see the curve is almost identical to the Sakic, and my backhand is much better with this, noticably so. The only thing I can really criticize the blade on is it chipped up a little at the toe. It in no way affects my performance, but I couldn't do a toe drag if you had a gun to my head, so I'm not sure if it would play a part there. If you look at the previous pics, you will see the chipping. It's all pretty normal wear and tear, nothing you wouldn't expect, and nothing that has been an issue in any way.

9.5/10

Shaft/Flex:

This is where initial impressions can be misleading. This flex felt much stiffer than I thought an 80 flex should be. It even felt stiffer than my 100 flex Easton. At this stage I am going to put that down to perhaps apprehension in flexing it out fully. This is a springy reflexive shaft and by far the best for me. Again, the other flexes I was using were 100 flexes, and with the extension in this, it's probably a 77ish. But it's great. I have been able to get more zip on my slapshots (a relative term, since my slapshot still sucks, but is better with this). I have been getting a little more zip on my passes. I can feel it flex right about 1/3 up the shaft (from the blade) and it just feels great. The shaft itself has the rounded corners, which fits great in my hand. I love it, simple as that

10/10

Stickhandling and Passing:

I'm not much of a stickhandler, but I feel reasonably confident with this stick. I know my passing is better, which I believe is a combination of the right flex, good blade and perhaps some improvement by myself in general. I don't have a lot to add here that I haven't covered with the other topics. Stick feels good, passing, both making and receiving are good, puck doesn't die on contact, backhand passing has improved tenfold because of this.

9/10

Shooting:

Most of my shots come from very close in, and are rebounds and garbage goals. When I'm not doing that and actually shooting, I feel the puck comes off the stick very quickly. To use a guitar term, it's got great action. Again, and not to beat a dead horse, this thing makes my backhand look absolutely great. To the point that I put a puck into the roof at Fairfax when I was clearing the zone (it's a low roof, but still). So, no complaints with that either.

9/10

Durability:

I was fortunate enough to be able to test the exact same stick from last year also. In terms of cosmetic durability, the 2009 model held up much better than the 2008 version (which if you go look at the review, I noted chipped up the paint pretty quick). Apart from a few very minor paint scapes, this thing still looks like new.

As far as the physical durability, this is the same as last year, and absolute tank. I have taken slashes, fallen on it, whacked around in a scrum trying to find the puck with it, used it as a cane to get up when it's late in the third, and it's still straight as an arrow and as responsive as it was day one. I feel no apprehension now by going hard with this thing, corners, front of the net, busting it off the ice when I whiff on an easy goal, it takes it all and keeps on trucking. Fantastic.

10/10

Conclusion:

All in all, I think that this is a great mid level stick. It compares (for me at least) very favorably with the Easton Synergy SL that I have been using, in terms of performance, weight and feel. I don't know the actual price but if it was coming in around the same as the Easton S11/Bauer XXV or something in that range, I would not hesitate to put another one or two into my bag. It really is an all round great stick, and if you are like me, and want something that will perform well, without having to drop for the top end gear, you should be very happy with this.

Overall to date... 9.5/10