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hockeyaussie

Easton flex rating observation

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I made some observations about the flex on my Easton "85 flex" S3, S7 and S15 sticks. (they were all brand new at the time I did the test)

They are all of 2010 manufacture, and tested at the same cut-off length.

I found the S3 to be the flexiest, S7 to be slightly more rigid than the S3, and the S15 to be more rigid than both the S3 and the S7 EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE ALL RATED AS 85 FLEX.

(I did the rule of thumb test, halfway down the stick and found I could flex the S3 about an inch, the S7 about 3/4" and the S15 about 1/2". Comparing the S3 directly to the S15, the difference is very noticeable)

Thought this would be important info for anyone purchasing a new Easton stick. One possible explanation is a different kick-point affecting the feel of different models, but I guess the only way to know for sure you're getting the right flex for you is to physically test it in the shop, unless you really know the particular model and variant.

If you're wondering why I have three different new sticks, its because I upgraded to S15, then found it was too rigid. So I bought an S7 as a compromise.

Hope someone finds this interesting.

H.

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Worth noting: The rated flex on a stick is not 100% accurate due to variances in material stick to stick.

So you could have two 85 flex s15's that flex differently (one being 'flexier' than the other).

It could also have to do with your testing method, and, the different materials used in each stick (lower quality vs. high quality).

Zach

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Worth noting: The rated flex on a stick is not 100% accurate due to variances in material stick to stick.

So you could have two 85 flex s15's that flex differently (one being 'flexier' than the other).

It could also have to do with your testing method, and, the different materials used in each stick (lower quality vs. high quality).

Zach

I agree on those three points. (have worked in production engineering and know about variance between production runs)

I did however do blind tests and came up with the same results every time. Though of course you can never eliminate the 'human' element to the test.

I have also compared an S3 85 flex of manufacture date October '09 and another S3 manufacture date August '10 and they were very close, almost impossible to tell them apart. Though the old one had been through hundreds of slapshots, so not a really reliable comparison. Though possibly still a relative/subjective one.

Just posted this thread so people can be informed of a potential difference, so you don't get burned like I did and end up with a stick that was more rigid than expected. (Thats why I went to my LHS and bought the S7 after that... it was not quite what I wanted, but closer to my ideal flex than the S15.)

Cheers.

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How much does dry flexing your stick in your living room compare to the way the stick flexes when you actually shoot on the rink? It seems like you're comparing two different situations.

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One would guess that Easton assumes those buying lower-end sticks are not as strong and would benefit from some additional flexibility. And those buying top of the line sticks are probably more serious, stronger, and would benefit more from a stiffer profile.

Not 100% obviously, but that holds true in probably a good majority of the purchases.

Golf shafts are very similar. A stiff flex on a stock driver is not even close to a stiff flex aftermarket shaft. The manuf assume that the weekend hacker will always go with a stiff flex due to ego but would really benefit more from a regular flex.

I would also guess that the S15 has much more kick (ie: faster rebound) and less torque than an S3.

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One would guess that Easton assumes those buying lower-end sticks are not as strong and would benefit from some additional flexibility. And those buying top of the line sticks are probably more serious, stronger, and would benefit more from a stiffer profile.

Possibly. Or quality control simply isn't NEAR as tight on the much lower models.

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One would guess that Easton assumes those buying lower-end sticks are not as strong and would benefit from some additional flexibility. And those buying top of the line sticks are probably more serious, stronger, and would benefit more from a stiffer profile.

Not 100% obviously, but that holds true in probably a good majority of the purchases.

Golf shafts are very similar. A stiff flex on a stock driver is not even close to a stiff flex aftermarket shaft. The manuf assume that the weekend hacker will always go with a stiff flex due to ego but would really benefit more from a regular flex.

I would also guess that the S15 has much more kick (ie: faster rebound) and less torque than an S3.

I would think this to be true as well. The extra 'flex' could simply be the torquing of the blade/lower shaft of the S3/lower end sticks

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I would think this to be true as well. The extra 'flex' could simply be the torquing of the blade/lower shaft of the S3/lower end sticks

I read in this thread that someone around here has a flex measuring machine... Would be interesting to hear his thoughts... if only for curiosities' sake!

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I read in this thread that someone around here has a flex measuring machine... Would be interesting to hear his thoughts... if only for curiosities' sake!

Joe has said in the past that Easton was the most consistent manufacturer in terms of stick flex.

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Shooting off the hip here: Potentially the higher end materials have a better "memory" than the lower end materials, thus, they attempt to return to natural position, making it appear that the shaft is stiffer than another rated with the same flex?

Zach

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