2011 Warrior Dolomite Int

[JR Boucicaut 3799]

Open

[tamtamg 12]

Product:Warrior Dolomite DD (intermediate, 55 flex, Kovalev, LH)

Ht: 5'7"

Wt: 210 lbs (I'm a fatty)

Previous Sticks: (in order of most recently used) U+CL(pro stock), XN10, Dolomite DD ('10), One95(retail&pro stock), SE16(pro stock & retail), S19, s17, one90, 9K0, and RM7

Skill Level: C/B beer leaguer

About Me: I've been playing organized hockey for a little over two years now, though I did grow up playing some pond hockey as a kid. I mostly play defense, but do venture up to wing on occasion. I tend to play a more stay at home game, but have recently taken to a more offensive minded game. Most of my sticks are between 65-85 flex and are cut 56" from heel to butt.

First off, I want to thank MSH and Warrior for giving me a chance to test/check out the new Dolomite DD before it is even available in stores. I just got the stick yesterday so I haven't had the chance to take it on the ice. But some quick initial thoughts. The stick feels just like the '10 Dolomite DD in terms of weight, balance, and shaft geometry, which isn't a bad thing. I really liked the '10 Dolomite DD, it actually became my go to stick towards the end of the summer beer league season over the one95 and se16 I was using. Hopefully it plays like the '10 Dolomite as well. My only gripe so far is that I'm not a huge fan of the new graphics. The gray/black/green/white color scheme is not doing it for me. But if the sticks performs well, it won't be an issue for me.

[tamtamg 12]

Woke up early this morning to hit the 5am ice time for some stick and puck. Took the stick along to give it a whirl. A couple of things stood out pretty dramatically. After a summer of not playing LH, and exclusively shooting RH(it should be known, that I am ambidextrous when it comes to playing hockey) , I've lost almost all the fine motor muscles that are required to shoot a puck well and stick handle for long periods. My hands and arms are already feeling sore. The second thing is that 55 flex is insanely whippy. I usually play with sticks in the range of 65-75 flex, but 55 flex may be a tad too whippy. The delay in release is quite noticeable, and is throwing my shot off a little bit. But I'm sure I will get used to it eventually.

In terms of performance, the '11 Dolomite DD maintains the same pop as the '10 model has when it comes to shots. The low kick point is really easy to load up and releases very quickly. Puck feel may have improved a bit from the '10 model, but this may be purely psychosomatic on my part given I'm getting to play with a new toy. For those who are unfamiliar with the puck feel of the Dolomite DD blade, think of a slightly more pingy version of the one95 blade.

[tamtamg 12]

I've had the stick for about 3 weeks so far. Over all I'm loving the stick. The 55 flex is so easy the load and releases pretty quick. I'm honestly just letting the stick do all the work for me. I've notice my shot mechanics have changed slightly because of this. I find my left arm is pushing down on the stick a lot more and my top hand is pulling a lot harder.

One my favorite things about the stick is the shaft geometry. For guys like me, with smaller hands, the shaft is a perfect combination of rounded corners with concave side walls. My hands just fit perfectly around the shaft. Unlike boxy shafts like say a S19, my hands aren't tired from gripping the shaft.

One of the improvements I've noticed from the '10 DD to the '11 DD is the change in the finish on the blade. The finish on the '10 DD peeled easy after one or two tapings of the blade, the clear coat on the '11 has stayed on strong. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but it just shows that Warrior is paying attention to every detail when trying to improve there sticks.

Overall the stick has held up really well. A couple of small scrapes here and there on the graphics. Only issue is that the is a small piece of carbon missing from the blade. Nothing to really worry about, performance is still good, but I'll probably put some epoxy on it to prevent it from getting worse. Not sure how it happened, but I noticed it re-taping the blade the other day.

[tamtamg 12]

So I've had the stick for about a month and a half now. I haven't had any major issues with the stick so far. Only issue is that the carbon on the heel of the blade is chipping off. Racheal7, who is doing the review on the senior version of the stick, is having the same issue, so it could be something to watch out for on Dolomites. But over all the '11 Dolomite DD is an amazing stick, it loads easily and kicks hard. In my opinion, their isn't another retail stick that offers a better bang for the buck. And at $160 price point, I can't think of another stick that performs at the level of the Dolomite, you'd have to buy a $199 stick to get something that performs simmularly (Bauer X60).

I'm handing the stick over to B19Kress to review and get another opinion on it. I'm sure he will offer another perspective on this stick that MSH community will find useful.

[B19Kress 0]

Product:Warrior Dolomite DD (intermediate, 55 flex, Kovalev, LH)

Ht: 5'10"

Wt: 180 lbs

Previous Sticks: (in order of most recently used) X:60, Dolomite DD, ProStock AK27's (Dolomites), U+CL, Vapor XXXX, ProStock Malkin Dolomite

Skill Level: beer leaguer

About Me: I've been playing organized hockey for a little over two years. I play forward pretty much the whole time, a decent mix betwen all three positions. I used the Lindros curve for the first year, spent a little time with Thornton on the U+CL and Have been using Sakic/P92's since April. I normally use 85 flex, but I was looking for something a little whippier, I originally asked tamtamg if he had anything in the 75 range he was looking to sell, so when he asked me to take over the review for him I was happy to give this a go.

I think the graphics looks great, I love green so that may be my bias. I received it last night before my game, and I prepped it to my liking an put it to use. The stick has incredible feel, I felt like I had the puck on a string. I would assume this is because the 55 flexes so easily compaired to an 85. To give a side by side comparison with an x:60 I would want to have similar flexes in both.

The curve was also a bit of a change for me, last night was basically a get to know you sorta night and hopefully after two more ice times (Tuesday and Wednesday) I can provide a bit more specific details.

[B19Kress 0]

Uses 2 and 3

I still think the feel is great, however is is tough to receive a nice crisp pas with the 55 flex. I had the puck slide right under the blade a few times on me when it was on the ice. I think 55 may be too whippy for me, its a fun stick and I'll continue to use it in my lower lever league but I am going to stick with 85's otherwise.