TRUE X CORE 9

[cougarscaptain87 12]

I haven't reviewed anything here but I'd like to contribute more and I tend to review a lot of things in general so I figured this is the next logical step, today I'm going to go over my experience with the first generation TRUE X CORE 9 stick, I had/have 2 of these in right handed, 85 flex MC (P88) as far as I know they all come with a light grip and I used it at full retail length. I'm 28 years old, 6'2" and about 190lbs right now. I played mid to high level open/travel inline until I was 20-21, also played ice through high school and a couple years of beer league and drop in from 18-20 but I haven't been on a team in nearly a decade. I play center in some chippy D league in Troy, MI Friday nights and I'm on the ice 3-4 days a week coaching my kids programs. When I play I tend to take face offs, chase the puck and set up other people to attempt to score, if i shoot it is a wrist or snap shot 95% of the time, nearly always within 20 feet unless I'm trying to get it on net and get in a better spot. I will take the occasional slap shot just to make sure I still have it but I don't think I've scored on a slap shot since high school.  I have 2 of the sticks as mentioned before, but I do not rotate them the stick being reviewed has been used day in and day out for roughly six months, it just broke last week and the other stick was brand new until the first one broke.

 

Blade ---9/10---

The blade is what drew me to this stick, my favorite stick of all time is the Bauer Vapor XX and the feel on the blade with the minimal graphics had similar properties of the XCORE 9. The feel of the XCORE blade is awesome, catching passes is effortless forehand or backhand. TRUE claims it spins the puck a bit more and I can't tell for sure but I'd say my XCORE 9 shoots harder and more consistently than my Warrior HD1 and CCM Ribcore Reckoner. I will say that I have a Warrior QRL that releases the puck a bit faster, but it has a p91 so the open nature may contribute to the quicker release and elevation of the puck, overall I prefer the XCORE 9 out of my collection of sticks, it's the only modern stick that I have/had a pair of. I will say if it's possible for TRUE to fully enclose the insert with composite in the blade I'd think durability would be better, but the blade did not break or fail at any point. There was chipping near the exposed edges of the insert, and the insert seemed loose at times but it never came out of the stick and did not effect performance at all.

Shaft/Flex ---9/10---

The size and shape of shaft is somewhat standard in my opinion on a senior stick, but this stick feels good in my hand I feel as it could be a hair bigger but I have long hands so this size would probably fit the majority better than something larger. It has a slight concave on the side walls and light grip coating to keep your hand in place. Flex is subjective but I think TRUE 85 flex plays a touch softer than Warrior, CCM, and Bauer at comparable lengths. It is a mid kick stick for sure, not the fastest release but I prefer the feel of something mid kick, low kick tends to feel a lot stiffer to me and less forgiving. Mid kick seems to react to your hands and how you apply pressure without making every shot lightning quick, fast is good but being able to deceive is also good. I prefer clear or tactile grip versus sticky grip coating but the grip on here is mild, it wears off over time so by time this one broke the grip effect was minimal but I did find myself liking it more the less the grip was felt.

 

Stick handling/receiving passes ---10/10---

Anyone at this past winter-fest 2017 knows that my stick handling is atrocious. I have zero deception and my ability to decide on a move to make in a short amount of time handcuffs me and usually results in a low percentage shot, a quick dump or pass off to someone else, or my favorite getting stripped of the puck. I can catch a pass and move into the zone, maybe even get past a flat footed defender or someone looking down as I go by but beyond that my ability to rate the stick handling properties of this stick and or pattern are nearly non existent. Playing D league and coaching younger kids results in a lot of passes not where they are supposed to be and the softness of the XCORE blade allows me to reel in nearly anything I get my stick on, the puck sticks to this blade and it makes me look like a much better player than I am, thanks TRUE!
 

Shooting ---10/10---

As mentioned before, I feel this blade or combo of shaft and blade do seem to keep my shots flatter, more consistent, and harder. The release is not as fast as my Warrior QRL or CCM Ribcore Reckoner, but my shots are more accurate and where I want them to be with the TRUE resulting in more goals than I typically score! I do take the kids to sticks and pucks which allows me to bomb away some slap shots, the mid kick with a full load of almost 200 lbs feels awesome. You feel the shaft recoil and the blade whip into the puck, causing a catapult effect sending flat seeds in or near the net, again I feel as if my abilities are amplified by the construction of the stick and how it compliments my style of play. Snap and wrist shots off the heel not only feel great with the insert, but again stay flat and typically go right where I'd like them to be. The mild MC allows me to keep all styles of shots low if needed, but I can still get the puck up if necessary. I do miss the p91 near the crease if i really need to get something up quick but the older I get the less I'm digging in front of the net and the increased backhand shooting and passing ability with the p88 pattern keeps me satisfied.

Weight and balance ---8/10---

According to what I've read, this stick weighs in around 425 grams, some sticks weigh less for sure but anything sub 450 and I think that is light weight and the best feeling sticks on the market. The insert in the blade seems to make the balance on this stick a touch blade heavy, but that goes along with a wood like feel so I didn't mind the distribution of weight at all. I think a clear version could potentially save 10-15 grams and allow it to compete with the lightest sticks on the market but I do not think they should sacrifice any durability to save any more weight than they already have, the weight and balance is great to me but a few teammates noted the blade heavy feel upon first inspection.

 

Durability ---9/10---

Six months of consistent use and I am happy! Two months in after a chippy game and I noticed I was missing a good chunk of multiple layers of carbon on the underside of the shaft near the blade. On first inspection I thought the stick was doomed, but I'm on a kick of using everything until I can't use it anymore so I vowed to use it until it broke. When the stick finally broke it broke exactly in the middle of the shaft, I'd imagine at the engineered kick point but I can't say for sure. The blade and neck/hosel of the blade and shaft has some serious denting, which produced some chipping and splitting but the blade still feels stiff and doesn't twist or compress under pressure even after six months of use. The graphics stayed on considerably well, most of the blue on the underside of the shaft is intact as well. The grip coating is visible peeling from the corners of the shafts but taking face offs and getting hacked and whacked I expect some wear and tear and I'd consider this totally normal, not a defect.

Intangibles

Nothing that effects performance or value but I do really like the design of the stick, minimal paint with toned down color pallet and exposed carbon is a preferred look for myself personally. I also like that not everyone has a TRUE, for some reason I like to try something you don't see every day. I know on here it's a popular brand but seeing if something is better than CCM, Warrior, Bauer, etc. is exciting to me, I own a small business and while I know TRUE is far from a small business I'd say they're an underdog among the household brands and I like to think we stick together when we can.
 

Conclusion ---55/60--- 92% A- back in school! I really like this stick, I am happy that I have another on back up and I strongly suggest if you can find one (they're on sale!) you should grab 1 or 3 in true modsquad fashion. I can't find a reason for you to not like it, I know some people prefer a stiff blade and a low kick, you may not enjoy this stick the way I did, but that is exactly why TRUE also has the A series for those who prefer a low kick fly off the blade type stick, it seems to me that TRUE is trying to cater to everyone without trying to force a one size fits all mentality. If buttery soft feel, slick graphics, and flat accurate shots are your thing this may be the stick for you!

 

Edited January 10, 2018 by cougarscaptain87