Reebok 20K OPS

[Crossen463 8]

Stick: Reebok 20K

Flex: 85 cut down to about 100

Curve: Similar to Crosby 87A

Player: 5'11" 165lbs pickup games 1-3 times a week

Shaft/Flex: The shaft has rounded corners and traditional side-walls, so no concave or anything. The shaft I bought came with a 3 inch extension, so when I cut it down to my preferred length, the stick had gone from an 85 flex to about 100. Having said that, the stick does not feel to have any less pop. The stick feels great in my hands. I've always felt that traditional geometry on shafts feels more natural than concave, and this stick is no different for me. The low kickpoint feels good, but took some time to get used to.

8/10

Blade/Puck Feel: This blade was one of the stiffest on the market when it was released. That was due to Reebok getting a handful of complaints about blades cracking or getting soft too quickly. I love the blade's rigidity, and they definitely stepped up from the last Reebok I owned. The puck feel with this stick is top notch. When I lose the puck, it is due to my lack of skill and never because I can't feel where the puck is on my blade. The only drawback I've had with puck feel is a little trouble catching passes. You have to do all the work as far as cradling the puck, because the blade will maintain it's rigidity in every situation.

9/10

Weight/Balance: This stick is super light. It's one of the lightest sticks Reebok has ever made. The blade is very lightweight as well, keeping the stick well balanced. The time in which I notice the weight of a stick the most is during poke checks or other situations in which I have one hand on the stick, and I've never had better one-handed control than with the 20K.

9/10

Shooting: You'll be firing snappers all day. I'm mainly a wrsiter/snapper guy, so the low kick worked great for me. The stick does require a bit of work to load, but that's just because it flexes so closely to the blade. I don't take many slappers, but my slapshot did improve with this stick. I would mainly recommend this to someone like me who does not tee them up very often and instead opts to take wrist and snap shots. That's really where this stick shines.

9/10

Durability: Abuse it. The paint chips very easily, but does that really matter? he durability has been outstanding and the only issue i'm beginning to have is that the tip of the blade chipped on my last skate with it. Keep in mind that it has been in use for 9 months now, so It's had a very good run without any issues whatsoever.

10/10

Overall: This is the best stick I've ever owned, but I have not owned any top of the line sticks besides this one. I usually go for the price point sticks that are just below top-end performance. My game improved a lot after switching to this stick, and I would recommend it to everyone. Just a really good all-around stick that i'm very happy to have been able to use for so long.

9/10