Bauer Vapor XXV

[Jarick 5]

BAUER VAPOR XXV STICK

Flex: 67, 75

Curve: P88, P92

Time Used: 6 months

Reviewer: 5'8" 175 lb D/C level rec leaguer

Shaft Shape & Flex - The senior model had a standard sized shaft with rounded corners, not quite oval but rounder than the Supreme line or most Eastons. The intermediate was slimmer and quite a bit rounder, almost oval feeling. I preferred the senior stick as the intermediate felt like it was too small for my hands, which are on the smaller end of 13" gloves. The 77 flex was quite stiff, closer to 85 before cutting down. It requires more effort to flex this stick than most other 75 flexes I have used. The 67 felt true to flex and remained whippy after cutting down. 8/10

Blade - Both sticks appeared to have identical blades, which appear to be similar to the Vapor XXXX tapered blade I have. They are very stiff and thin, a lot like a Dolomite blade with the wider weave. I'm not sure what the technology is supposed to be, but they are fairly lively feeling, not ceramic in that they transmit every bit of information, but they certainly don't cushion passes either. 8/10

Weight & Balance - The senior stick feels noticeably heavier than the Vapor XXXX and most other top end sticks, but feels lighter than cheaper price point models. I'm assuming this is due to the traditional fused shaft and blade construction as well as potentially more or heavier material in the shaft itself. The senior stick felt relatively balanced as the heavier shaft evened out the weight of the blade tenon. The intermediate was obviously lighter but blade heavy with a senior blade in an intermediate shaft. 8/10

Stick Handling & Passing - The XXV is a good stick in terms of puck feedback. It is not overly ceramic, nor is it overly dampened. It does its job just fine. Catching passes can be a bit tough due to the liveliness of the blade, certainly not as good as wood or say the One95 in that respect. Playing defense on a low level team, I don't get a lot of hard passes though, so it's fine for me. 8/10

Shooting - This is the most important aspect of any stick to me. This stick definitely feels like a low kickpoint stick. All shots react just as you would expect them to for the flex and the curve. With the stiff feeling 77 flex, it was a bit difficult to load, but the stiffer flex seemed to give a bit quicker release and better accuracy. The P92 is more open than I prefer, which made slappers a bit unpredictable, but the velocity was high for my ability. The 67 flex wasn't a great shooting stick because of the excessive whippiness. 8/10

Durability - After using the 67 flex for a couple months, there was a big chunk out of the top of the blade which unravels every time I have used it. Both sticks make a little bit of crackling when flexing the blade, but both blades have remained stiff. Both shafts have no wear and tear aside from markings. 8/10

Intangibles - The look of the stick is nice and subtle, non distracting white with a candy coated blue on the blade. Stick'um grip is wonderful for my tastes as I like a grippy stick.

Conclusions - All in all, this is a very good basic stick. As originally priced, it might have been a bit heavy for the money, but on clearance it's a no brainer. It feels very similar to the Warrior Dolomite, maybe not quite as much pop and not quite as light, but a bit better puck feel. I do wish Bauer would make their low kick sticks a bit whippier though.

OVERALL - 8/10