Combat .52 Caliber

[Chadd 916]

UPS guy just dropped it off and I got it out of the wrapper, more info in a little bit.

I'm not a big believer in judging a stick based on its looks, it really has nothing to do with the way a stick performs and that's all I really care about with a stick. That said, it's a pretty average looking stick with a black base and silver, white and red graphics. The outline of the graphics sticker is pretty noticeable and you can feel the edges near the top of the shaft. With gloves on, the feel isn't as noticeable.

Length is almost perfect for me. Out of the box it is within 1/8" of my XN10s, though the lie appears to be slightly higher than my existing blades, though it is marked as a 5. I will have to see if I have a retail blade to compare with it.

More to follow after the first on ice session

[Chadd 916]

First ice session:

Played a pick up game with it last night. The shaft feels smaller and more dense than the XN10 that I still use. It's only 1/16" thinner on the top and bottom but it is noticeable. The weight is similar, but it feels very different. Much more solid or dense compared to what I normally use.

Puck feel is pretty good. Catching passes feels similar to my existing sticks, not the same but not completely different. It has some of that "ceramic" feeling that was often used to describe the XN10s when they first came out. I could easily adapt to it without any learning curve. Passes stuck to the blade and stickhandling was normal and I didn't have to look down more than usual.

It appears to have a high kickpoint like my XN10s, very close to the same spot. The blade is slightly more open and has a higher lie, so I had to focus on shooting a little more than normal. Wrist and slap shots were adequate though I didn't feel the shaft kick through like I am used to feeling. I will see if continued use will help develop the same level of feel and comfort that I have with my other sticks.

For some reason the stick felt shorter on the ice, despite the higher lie. I will be back on the ice again on Thursday and will give it another shot at this length before making any changes.

[Chadd 916]

Second ice session:

The lie definitely feels higher than 5 to me and the shaft feels very thin in my hands. I took a few wristers and snappers in warmups and noticed a difference in velocity when I went back to my old sticks. I'm still not comfortable playing with the stick in a league game and will continue to try and get comfortable with it before doing so. My goalie was planning on skating out at open hockey tomorrow. He's an excellent player that prefers a 90 flex Drury, so I will get his feedback and include that in this review.