Easton EQ50 Stick

[Chadd 916]

Sweet. Is the chara and calamari not included in those three?

Does that come with marinara or white vinegar?

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

Does that come with marinara or white vinegar?

jesus was I not paying attention when my mac gave me choices for spelling corrections

[LkptTiger 1]

I used one for a bit, but put it down relatively quickly as I just felt more comfortable moving the puck with the TotalONE.

Off the rack (or wall), the EQ50's weighting system was definitely (and pleasantly) noticeable. It's not a remarkably light stick, but it is so well-balanced that the extra grams aren't obnoxious. Or even vaguely unappealing. Even after I chopped it down a few inches, the stick still felt great in my hands.

Once I got on the ice, the first thing I noticed was a great feel for the puck - something I've felt has been lacking in a lot of Easton's sticks over the years. The weighting in the heel of the stick kills a lot of the vibration through the shaft and does a great job of keeping the puck stuck to the blade; which is stiff enough to stay square and have some pop to it. I made it a point to take some passes on all areas of both sides of the blade and experienced no problems with any sort of torquing or "pinginess". Every single part of the blade is extremely playable and easily controlled (even with rolling/bouncing pucks). It's funny - before the skate, the rep and I were casually discussing advances in the golf industry vs. the hockey industry...but while I was fooling around with the EQ50, I decided that I wanted to borrow a "golf word" and apply it to this stick: "Forgiving."

As awkward as I felt at first shooting with the Zetterberg curve (Drury/clones is my retail weapon of choice), I want to say that I felt like the weighting system had a fairly noticeable affect on the shooting mechanics of the shaft. I don't know if the re-distribution of weight at both ends of the stick forced Easton to change some of the properties of the shaft, but, unfortunately, I just didn't get the "jump" out of the stick that Easton sticks have always provided in spades. I just felt like the EQ50 took a considerable amount of effort to load compared to Easton's other offerings. Again, some of this may have been in my head as I just couldn't fully adjust to the Modano/Forsberg/Zetterberg curve (which I thought was kind of strange, since - until I discovered The Wedge - it was the only curve I used from the ages of about 7 until 16 or so). I'm sure if I had more than a 10-minute window to fool around with the stick and give myself some time to go through a few dozen shots, I could figure-out how to make the stick work for me (or make myself work for the stick, rather). But in the short amount of time I gave it, I have to say that I was a tad disappointed with the stick - from a shooting-standpoint, anyways. For what it's worth, I believe I was probably in the minority, there.

I can't say that I'm tapping my feet impatiently for another crack at the stick - but I'm certainly intrigued.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

10 min window? We gave you 2.5 hrs!

I liked the puck feel and the weight - S19 probably shoots harder as it is a livelier stick.

[LkptTiger 1]

10 min window? We gave you 2.5 hrs!

Yeah - but to say that was what I would consider to be a "proper environment" to get comfortable with a new stick (conceptually different than anything I've ever really used before, to boot) would be a stretch. It might work for some people - but I'm generally pretty slow to warm to new stuff, and I get the feeling that this stick would take even longer than normal for me to really get used to. Not to mention that I have always preferred to "break-in" new sticks at the end of practices when there are only a handful of guys left of the ice and several dozen pucks...when I can make/take about 100 passes (of every variety) and put about 100 pucks on net (again...any kind you can imagine) all in 5 minutes.

Obviously, I'm not trying to suggest that the skate was an unsuitable testing environment - I'm just saying that, more often than not, it takes me quite awhile to get comfortable with new gear. That's why my elbow pads are being held together by rolls of tape, my shin guards look like they've been through a war, my shoulder pads are practically non-existent and why I'm probably going to cry when it comes time for me to retire my last two pairs of XXXs.

[MattKingDelToro 2]

Jimmy, did you happen to get a look at the new Easton glove?

LkptTiger, did you find the EQ50's kickpoint to be higher than the SE16's?

[LkptTiger 1]

Not necessarily higher, just "less active". I just didn't feel as though the shaft was very lively - especially by Easton's standards.

[jimmy 194]

Jimmy, did you happen to get a look at the new Easton glove?

LkptTiger, did you find the EQ50's kickpoint to be higher than the SE16's?

Yes, the glove was very nice. Will retail at a decent price as well.

[Chadd 916]

Not necessarily higher, just "less active". I just didn't feel as though the shaft was very lively - especially by Easton's standards.

I'd have to agree, the S19 was far more lively. I was really impressed with that.

[hyprlte 0]

pic of the end plug

[lukejameslarson 5]

pic of the end plug

Are you allowed to post detailed pictures of the rest of the stick ?

[hyprlte 0]

here are the rest

[MattKingDelToro 2]

Thanks, those are the best pictures yet. Wow, that's not at all how I pictured the endplug. What exactly is going on at the heel of the blade? Is that just a graphic?

jimmy, what kind of glove is it? I was hoping for a revamped E-Pro.

[skyscrape 5]

HAHA! They must be made by the same company that makes Taylor Made Drivers!

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

For those not aware, he won a customized EQ50 at the Summer Jam last weekend.

Thanks, those are the best pictures yet. Wow, that's not at all how I pictured the endplug. What exactly is going on at the heel of the blade? Is that just a graphic?

jimmy, what kind of glove is it? I was hoping for a revamped E-Pro.

No, those are the weights in the blade. This year, they are visible.

[sickwilly 37]

pic of the end plug

Somebody step on it.

[nphockey21 0]

so what are we supposed to do when we normally add a wooden extension to the stick? cut a composite plug and put this in, or just stay with the woodies?

[tamtamg 12]

so what are we supposed to do when we normally add a wooden extension to the stick? cut a composite plug and put this in, or just stay with the woodies?

i would drill a hole the diameter of the metal weights into the wood, and hammer them in. i've done something similar with rebar.

[tml67 0]

Chadd, LkptTiger: How does the TotalONE & ONE100 sticks compare to the current ONE95 stick? Thanks

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

Let's keep this to EQ50. There's already a TotalONE thread.

[uclahockey707 1]

Bauer 2010-2011 Stick Line-up Thread: http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php?/topic/53795-bauers-2010-2011-stick-line/

Towards the end of the thread, a member by the name of NYK93 details some comparisons between the one95 and the TO.

[MattKingDelToro 2]

See, I always thought that Focus Weight Technology was just the concept of concentrating more material in certain parts of the shaft and blade. I didn't know that there were literal weights balancing out the stick. Gimmick?

[stevo8791 1]

i dont understand how it can just have a window in thru the blade to the weights without compromising durability?? So theres just cut outs in the carbon sock wrap on the blade under the resin?? construction seems ridiculous and confusing in that area...

[jimmy 194]

Weights are on the backside of the lower hosel near the blade, and somewhat countersunk in the carbon. I don't think this will effect durability one bit, which was my concern. Blade has same amount of carbon, just weights are set in a different way. From a technology standpoint, very unique, not a gimmick.

[Scotty 8]

See, I always thought that Focus Weight Technology was just the concept of concentrating more material in certain parts of the shaft and blade. I didn't know that there were literal weights balancing out the stick. Gimmick?

From my understanding, it was indeed just material despite the fact that some of the advertisements with cutaway shots of the SE16 showed little metal pellet-looking things inside the blade.