Innovative True 1

[hehatemefrisbee 0]

Reviewer background info:

6'2" 220 LBS

Plays 2-3 times a week

Plays in Silver grade leagues

Roller hockey

Product: 260 flex Kovalev True 1

Blade:

The blade has a nice pattern to it. The Drury/Kovy pattern is what i like, so this stick was gonna work for me. The blade has a great feel, and catching passes is no problem at all. Its very stiff and fires rockets on slap shots. In the 5 games I have played so far, I havent seen any signs of crcking, or any wear at all really. 10/10

Flex:

The 260 flex fits me perfectly. I have tried 85 and 100 flex sticks, and they just dont do it for me. The middle ground of the 260 is nice. The stick has a good amount of whip to it, while staying stiff enough to use. I couldnt ask for anything better than this. 10/10

Stick handling/receiving passes:

Again the feel of this blade lives up to Inno's reputation. It really is quite remarkable. The feel of the blade is just like wood, yet with the stiffness of graphite. My friend and I warm up passing the puck pretty hard to each other before the game, and I have yet to not catch a pass with this stick. Stickhandling with this stick is also very nice. The puck has a crisp feeling to it when i have it. 10/10

Shooting:

For me when i first get a new stick it takes me a little while to get used to shooting with it. With the True 1 i was shotting rockets with both wristers and slappers in a matter of minutes. Im quite impressed with the kick this stick has too. Maybe it has something to do with the true one peice construction. I dont know, but this is by far the best shooting stick i have ever had. The XN10 was nice, but this is better in my opinion. 10/10

Weight/balance:

The True 1 is one of the lightest, if not the lightest, stick out on the market. No complaints here, as the balance is perfect for me. 10/10

Durability:

This was the one issue i thought i might have with this stick, but knock on wood, through 5 games I have been hacked and whacked, and thus far nothing has happened. There are a few marks, but nothing that I would say as abnormal. However, I would like to update after i break it, to give you an idea of how long it lasted me. Inc...

Intangibles:

Being an impulse buy i can expect some bias towards this stick. But I truly beleive that this is the prefect stick for me. I am enjoying using it very much, and as you can tell by my ratings that I think its the best stick out on the market right now.

Overall 10/10.

UPDATE: I broke the stick last night, which sucked. The slash that broke it was pretty bad, not much else could be expected. Still, i rate it a 10/10. For sure one of the better performing sticks out on the market.

[LkptTiger 1]

User Background Information

Age: 16

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 150 lbs.

Style: Think John Madden with a little more offensive pop

Shot Preference: Wrister/Snapper

On the ice between four and six times a week

Stick Innovative True-1, 300 flex, Fedorov pattern

I bought four of these when Peranis first put them on sale back in the Spring.

Blade: Stiff yet forgiving. Great feel for the puck and very receptive, but still stiff enough to fire hard, quick, accurate shots. The blades of my three remaining sticks show almost no wear; a few scuffs, but no chips or cracks to be seen (I put a strip of tape along the bottoms of the blades and toes and spread epoxy over them, which may contribute to the longevity of the blades). 10/10

Flex: Coming from the TPS Whip flex, which I loved, I found the 300 flex to be adequate, but not as well suited for me. It took me a few minutes to adapt to the small difference in flex (300 flex seems to be a bit stiffer), and after a few shots I was fine. But, I would still like to see something more along the lines of a 75. 9/10 (Personal)

Feel: Incredible. I would say the feel for the puck you get with this stick ranks among the better wood sticks. I can really get a great feel for the puck, from my fingers to my palms. Absolutely amazing. 10/10

Passing: Again, the blade is really great here. I decided to go ahead and try using these sticks without the extra padding of a few strips of Duct Tape which many of you know I like to use. Never found the need for it once I got these sticks. Passes hit and stick. That simple. I can't say I have had any problems playing anything that comes my way. 10/10

Shooting: How did Inno do it? How did they manage to make a stick with such great feel for the puck, yet also give it the ability to be a cannon when need be? Whatever they did, they should never, ever change it. All of my shots with this stick come off the blade with consistancy. I found that my shots seem harder and heavier then they did with any of my other sticks. Accuracy has never been an issue for me, and isn't with this stick, either. It's like the stick does the shooting for me...All I have to do is pick a spot and watch the puck hit it. 10/10

Durability: Not only are these things high-performance pieces of equipment, but they are also tanks. Out of the four that I got in the Spring, three remain. One broken stick over the entire summer is something I would have never thought possible (broke just below my bottom hand taking a wicked slash under which any other stick would have broke). All of the shafts have remained consistantly the same. They aren't getting any softer or weaker. If you would have told me in the Spring that I would be well over a month into the new season with three of these sticks left over, I would have probably laughed at you. But they are very much alive and kicking. 10/10

Weight/Balance: Hold the True-1 by the butt-end with one hand and it feels every bit of the 450 grams indicated on the shaft. But then put two hands on the stick and start fooling around with a puck, and you will realize just how well this stick is balanced. If you are holding it in both hands, you may in fact think you are holding and XN10 or even a Stealth. But it's a True-1...An unbelievably well-balanced Innovative True-1. 10/10

Conclusion: Incredible stick. Best money I have ever spent. My only regret is that I didn't buy them sooner (yes, even when they were $180).

OVERALL GRADE: (drumroll please) I resounding 10/10 for all four sticks (Hell, I can't hold the fact that they aren't noodly enough for me against the sticks. They are WAY too good to dock them for personal preference).

Edited October 16, 2004 by LkptTiger

[echi24 1]

Background Info

5'7.5"

135lbs

14 years old, Bantam AA hockey (4-5 times a week)

Ice Hockey

260 Flex Kovalev

Blade - this blade preforms like no other composite, and the puck feels like butter on it. Every time the puck hits the blade the impact is absorbed extremely well, and it does not take away from the sitffness of the blade or the shooting preformance. 9/10

Flex - i know i use sticks a bit to stiff for me, but i could not find a 300 flex, and this stick proved to be just a tad too stiff, yet i could stiff feel the whip of the stick kick in in slappers 8.5/10

Stick Handling/Passing - Stick handling was amazing with this stick, it was quick and responsive, and made puck control easier. Making a recieving passes took me a practice to get used too, as i was unfamiliar with the stiffness of inno blades, but once i got used to it, it was a perfect match. 9/10

Shooting - i can feel alot of low kick on the staft when i take slappers, and the balance in incredible. but the stick or probably moreso the curve makes wrist shots involve much for forearm power, and quick snapshots fluttered alot at first. After adjusting my shooting style though, things worked out, but i DID loose alot of power on my wrist/snapshot. 8/10 (PP on the curve)

Durability - i shot the hell out of this stick in practices, and playe dhard in games, and it only shows some sakte scratches, and glaze chipping on the blade. It has held up extrememly well so far. 10/10

Intangibles - It was cut about 3/4" after the extension was taken out. I feel that i would have done ALOT better with the mogilny curve in 300 flex, but at $120 a pop, there wasnt much selection. Great overall stick, very impressed, and this influenced me to purchase a inno novius tapered shaft. Review for that later.

Overall 9/10

[themightytimmah 0]

Reviewer background info:

5'11 210 LBS

5-6 ice times/ week

NEIPSA Division 2 prep

Right Wing

Product: True1 260 flex Fedorov

Blade:

The Fedorov was a bit of a change from the curve that I had on my synergy (Ulmer Pro). The low lie forced me to change my shooting technique, but overall the curve is pretty good. The blade is much softer then a synergy blade, making it easier to catch passes but harder to shoot quickly and one-time shots. The minimal rocker also made one-timers difficult. This might be influenced somewhat by the fact that my blade was slightly cracked when I got the stick. 8/10

Flex:

The 260 is perfect for wrist shots, although on slap shots I have to slow my stick slightly and focus more on technique than with a 220 (Easton 105-110) flex stick. It is unfortunate that the True1 does not come in a 220 flex. 9/10

Stick handling/receiving passes:

This is where the True1 really shines. I actually prefer the True1 to a wood stick for passing and stickhandling, and it completely blows away the synergy/stealth lineup in this respect. The True1 is far and away the best stick I have ever used in this aspect. I used to have difficulty keeping my passes on the ice, and complete hands of cement. With the True1 both coaches and fellow players have made remarks as to my improved passing. 10/10

Shooting:

For wristshots, the True1 is easily the best stick I have used, allowing me to hit all 4 corners with ease, and booth shoot on the ice and clear the puck easily. For slap shots, the True1 is slightly worse than my old synergy, although much of this can be blamed on an unusually low lie, relatively soft flex, and the crack in the blade. My slap shots are also lower than with the synergy, and it is almost impossible to go top-shelf from closer than the blue line. The True1 also feels uncomfortable during a slap shot, almost as if it is going to break. Sadly, the True1 is truly terrible at snap shots. Whereas I could snipe the top shelf with my synergy, the True1 tends to give me a fluttering mess of a shot about half an inch off the ice. This is likely due to the lie of the federov blade. 8/10

Weight/balance:

The True1 is perfectly balanced, and it is heavy enough to feel substantial while stickhandling and in the corners, while light enough to feel virtually nonexistant while skating up-ice. 10/10

Durability:

The True1 is pretty good, considering that a little epoxy fixed the crack in the blade, and it has remained stiff and retained its feel throughout a number of ice times. As the stick came with the crack, I am not sure what kind of abuse caused it, but I assume it must have been severe, as the stick seems nearly unbreakable. 10/10.

Intangibles:

Although it is supposedly "the Indian, and not the arrow" that puts the puck in the net, the True1 has really improved my game, turning me from a klutzy stickhandler with a cannon into a much more complete and effective player. Although it won't win any hardest shot contests, I'd reccomend the True1 to anyone who bases their game on finesse or is looking to improve that edge of their game.