Ballistik .52 Calibre one-piece composite goalie stick

[Law Goalie 147]

I just received this stick for for MSH LTR program, and I'll be posting my review background, initial impressions, and first on-ice report tomorrow. If anyone has questions about the review, please post them here and I'll do my best to reply.

It's a gorgeous piece of gear: can't wait to get it on the ice.

[Law Goalie 147]

First three posts are now up; I'll be adding my second skate and first game reports this weekend.

[cujo64 0]

Sorry, new here, but wanted to get your feedback on this stick....

thanks

Cujo64

[Law Goalie 147]

If you scroll down the main MSH page that lists all the various sub-forums, you'll find one called "MSH Long-Term Reviews" - mine re: the .52 Cal is currently at the top. The LTR format is basically there so reviewers can keep a journal of their thoughts about particular products without the thread getting sidetracked or bogged down.

My limited experience so far as been very positive, especially with respect to aesthetics and save performance. I am having some difficulty adjusting to some aspects of the stick in shooting: namely its relatively deep curve (by my standards), stiff flex and high kick-point.

My chief interest will, of course, be in impact resistance, which has seemed admirable so far - much better, in fact, than other one-piece goalie sticks I've used and observed. I took a couple of good shots off the paddle that left nothing but smudged puck-marks, but would have cracked a lesser stick.

[K9 Unit 1]

good posts law :) interested even though i'm not a goalie lol

[Law Goalie 147]

Cheers mate. :)

[Law Goalie 147]

Review updated: the stick is holding up beautifully. I just wish the paddle was about 1"-1.25" shorter, that the flex was about 20-30 lower (on the Easton scale), and that the curve was a little more moderate -- all of which are strictly PP, and have nothing at all to do with the quality of what is otherwise the best one-piece composite goalie stick I've ever used.

[K9 Unit 1]

do i hear custom? lol

[Law Goalie 147]

I'm not sure what custom options are available; they tend to be more limited on the goalie side, for obvious reasons of cost and scale, but it's definitely something I'd look into.

[Law Goalie 147]

Bump: review updated.

Impressions continue to be extremely favourable, even though the sizing presents real problems. I *want* to love this stick.

[vision 0]

What sizing issue are you having? This is one of my 2 favorite composite goalie sticks, at the moment.

::m

[Law Goalie 147]

The paddle's about an inch (and change) too tall in their smallest stock size, and the lie, which is almost true 14 because of the lack of rocker, compounds the issue.

Basically, the stick itself is fantastic, but the features (paddle height, lie, flex, curve) don't agree with me; I can't recommend the stick highly enough to those with whom they would agree, and I'm hell-bound to adapt to it if I can.

[vision 0]

That makes sense. Fortunately, for me, it works for me. I've heard that they are planning a shorter (25 inch) paddle if that isn't already out, or is that too tall for your tastes as well?

::m

[Law Goalie 147]

I have the stock 25" paddle - the problem is that it measures out to 26.5" (on the NHL/JWHerman method I posted in the LTR thread), which is about 1.25" taller than my Nabokov pro-stocks on the same measurement, which were themselves .75" taller than the Roloson pro-stocks I had previously. I was happier with Nabokov's than Roloson's after some adjustment, but the .52 Cal has put me up to a 2" increase in paddle height in less than 4 months; that's a pretty big adjustment.

Throw in the lie and flat-rocker adjustments, and it's a doozy.

I'm hoping to throw all the pics up tonight.

[Law Goalie 147]

Pics added!

[K9 Unit 1]

nice cat law, love seeing the ballistik name on the stick, still prefer it over combat but oh well

[Law Goalie 147]

Haha - thanks. She thought the .52 was the biggest, shiniest cat-toy she'd ever seen!

Wordmarks and brands are funny things.

I liked the Ballistik brand too - it was a well-composed name, much the way that Combat is a great selection for a baseball company. Still, from what others have told me, the company had some initial problems that are hard to overcome. When you've got a first-rate product at a great price-point, and stores in your own back yard are hesitating for vague reasons, something's got to give, and a rebrand is an easy way to make that happen.

There was a great article in the New Yorker this weekend about the people who create synthetic flavours - they're not really pure scientists, in the sense that their goal isn't, strictly speaking, the advancement of knowledge, but more like actually successful alchemists. One of the curious points was that they had to sign unbelievably strict confidentiality agreements. Turns out that where food is concerned, people are *extremely* sensitive to brand integrity: they hate knowing that the thing they're buying and eating, no matter how unnatural, is composed of parts that came from multiple industrial sources, rather than, I don't know, the magical mountain springs and wide vanilla plantations along Vanilla Coke Drive in the merry old Land of Coca-Cola, right next to the sweeping groves of Cherrycoke Lane.

Frankly, Ballistik could call these things Pixxy-Styxx <3 <3 <3, and they'd still kick ass. I just wish to Mammon the pattern and flex suited me a little better.

[Justin Liedloff 13]

Law,

If you simply can't use the stick, I'll be glad to take it off your hands ;) ;) ;)

BTW, I have an older test stick made by True Temper, in specs similar to Ballistik/SWD. All I can say is that it is simply the best composite goal stick I have ever used. Period. For comparison, I have used 3 versions of the Xhale (and Xhale II), a Genesis, and a Response Plus.

My TT has the perfect paddle height for me, and a nice rockered heal. I would say the curve is comparable to a Brodeur/Turco Pro, which happens to be the exact pattern I use.

Needless to say, I am following your review quite closely, and I look forward to seeing how your adaption progresses.

[Law Goalie 147]

The words, "from my cold dead hands" spring to mind! (Although for a prototype of a perfect goalie backpack, what wouldn't I do? hehe)

Interestingly, the .52 Cal still has the "Powered by True Temper" branding on the top of the shaft. That's probably why you and I are in agreement on the quality of the stick.

Let me put it this way: in spite of the fact that my long-dead Response+ was a much better fit for me (flex, curve, paddle, everything), I would rather adapt to the .52 Cal than use one of them again. Using them was like living in a terrorist state: you never knew when something was about to blow up right in front of you. I'm actually more confident in the Ballistik than I was in the old solid-ash Roloson's, which had a horrible habit of splitting through the toe. The Nabokov's are tanks, but that' mainly because the blade is so much thicker, which means less ability to slice under passes and low shots to ramp them away, and the loss of the ability to reliably flip the puck out of harm's way.

Glad to hear you're enjoying the review, and if there's any particular point on which you're interested, let me know and I'll do my best to address it.

[K9 Unit 1]

Haha - thanks. She thought the .52 was the biggest, shiniest cat-toy she'd ever seen!

Wordmarks and brands are funny things.

I liked the Ballistik brand too - it was a well-composed name, much the way that Combat is a great selection for a baseball company. Still, from what others have told me, the company had some initial problems that are hard to overcome. When you've got a first-rate product at a great price-point, and stores in your own back yard are hesitating for vague reasons, something's got to give, and a rebrand is an easy way to make that happen.

There was a great article in the New Yorker this weekend about the people who create synthetic flavours - they're not really pure scientists, in the sense that their goal isn't, strictly speaking, the advancement of knowledge, but more like actually successful alchemists. One of the curious points was that they had to sign unbelievably strict confidentiality agreements. Turns out that where food is concerned, people are *extremely* sensitive to brand integrity: they hate knowing that the thing they're buying and eating, no matter how unnatural, is composed of parts that came from multiple industrial sources, rather than, I don't know, the magical mountain springs and wide vanilla plantations along Vanilla Coke Drive in the merry old Land of Coca-Cola, right next to the sweeping groves of Cherrycoke Lane.

Frankly, Ballistik could call these things Pixxy-Styxx <3 <3 <3, and they'd still kick ass. I just wish to Mammon the pattern and flex suited me a little better.

thats prolly why i like it so much, lol i get you on the flavour thing, one of my moms friends owns this company that does ummm spices and stuff and she helps KFC make their bread crumbs (?) for the crust/skin of the chicken if you get me, been trying for a year to get her to tell me the recipe :lol:

[Law Goalie 147]

Definiely, OT, but here's the article - great read about the funny negotiation between the brand and the market, with these very odd, very bright people somewhere in the middle actually constructing what we taste.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/11..._khatchadourian

(Needs a subscription to view online, but it's not like the New Yorker's hard to find on news-stands. :) )

[Law Goalie 147]

Haha!

That's just about a perfect image of how a good business should take precedence over a good idea - if only more businessmen were so sensible, there'd be a lot less insolvency in the universe. :)

[Law Goalie 147]

See, now you're just Toewsing me.

[Neal 41]

Law, given that this is a sample and therefore your $ investment is low, would you consider modifying the stick to meet your needs and then continuing the review?

[Law Goalie 147]

Right on, Marz.

As I said in the review, I won't be making any modifications to the stick. I won't be patching it, but letting it wear naturally. I didn't even cut it (length was fine). I want the review to reflect the long-term performance of the stick, which is why I've been clear to separate my personal reactions from my objective evaluations throughout.

In any case, I don't see how I could change the things I would want to. I can't just cut the paddle down, and composites don't re-curve well.

I may not have invested anything in the stick apart from time and tape, but Ballistik/Combat did invest both tangibly and intangibly by giving me both a high-end stick and their trust, and putting their reputation on the line.