Easton Synthesis Shaft

[Chadd 916]

Posted to allow user reviews.

[Buzz_LightBeer 969]

Easton Synthesis Shaft

Background: 5’ 9†190lbs.

Shaft: Easton Synthesis Grip 100 Flex

Compatible Blades: any tapered, Synthesis, R2, L2, Inno tapered, T-flex

Options: 50 flex junior, 75 flex intermediate, 85 and 100 flex senior, 100 and 110 Grip

Initial Impression: My first thoughts on the shaft were the graphics, lovely, ugly banana yellow. The paint scheme is neat, the shaft is a nice squared shape, the grip was initially nice, and the shaft was very light in comparison to others. I used an Iginla composite Synthesis blade, and the weight was still light in comparison to other sticks.

Stickhandling/Passing/Shooting: All are effortless, the shaft sits naturally in your hands, and the short hosel blade balances the shaft and blade weight. It does not feel too blade heavy, and it is very comparable to the Synergy in most aspects. The low kick point seems to lower the flex a little, making a 100 feel like a 95, it gives wrist shots a little extra kick, but doesn’t take anything away from slappers. Getting to slap shots, the synthesis fires rockets. I have no trouble putting shots in any corner at will, and the synthesis fires the puck harder than any stick I’ve ever used, rivaled only by the original Tri-Flex and XN10. (5/5)

Weight/Balance: As stated above, this stick is flawless in terms of weight and balance. It is heavier than an XN10, but noticeably lighter than most other OPS. Even despite its light weight, the stick feels solid all the way through. Some sticks tend to feel “brittle†when used but this certainly is not one. (5/5)

Durability: Another shining point. This stick is the highlight of the Easton line up. The one complaint I have is the grip coating unravels itself once its scratched, and pretty soon no grip is left. The paint also tends to chip and leaves black leopard marks all over. But I cannot complain too much, I tend to break shafts on a regular basis, but this has lasted me well over a year, much longer than most shafts I’ve owned. (4/5)

Conclusion: This shaft is one of my favorites, the chipping paint and tear away grip can be overlooked by the high performance this shaft delivers. Anyone looking for a high end stick should give this stick a second and even third look, it comes highly recommended.

[bulletproof_funk 0]

Product Reviewed: '03 Easton Synthesis Shaft, Senior 85 Flex (retail)

Reviewer Details: 5'8" @ 145 lbs., non-contact rec. player

Test blade(s): Easton Synthesis Composite (primary), Easton Synthesis Hybrid, Innovative Composite

Usage Period: 6 months, 2-3 times/week

Other notes: shaft was cut down to 49"

Shaft/Flex: The shaft grip is a standard rectangular shape. The size of the grip is not large or small, and for me gives the right balance of comfort and control.

Having never tried the Synthesis prior to purchase, I was pleasantly surprised to find it had more apparent whip on the ice than its Synergy OPS counterpart for the same flex rating (of 85). Perhaps the high-load flex is the same for both, but the Synthesis seems to have more give under light to medium flexing than the Synergy while still maintaining a good deal of springiness. I suspect this feel is attributed to the connection point being lower on the Synthesis than on the Synergy. Anyone making the switch from Synergy to Synthesis might or might not like this difference depending on your tastes and preferences. (9/10, Personal Pref.)

Weight and balance: First, I consider a well-balanced shaft/stick to be blade-light. By itself, the Synthesis shaft feels light and evenly balanced: not too bottom-end heavy at all. Pairing with the Composite Synthesis blade yielded the blade-lightest combination of the test blades listed above. The full Composite Synthesis combo is slightly more blade heavy than the Synergy OPS (fused) though it was never apparent to me during practice or game play. Also, this combo feels better balanced than a few fused OPS on the current market. (8.5/10)

Feel: Dampened and uncrisp is the feel of the puck on the blade thanks to the Synthesis shaft (i.e. test blades had more overall feel in other tapered shafts, therefore it's the shaft). Feel is not completely absent though as the weight of the shifting puck can be sensed during stickhandling. I have some sense of whether the puck is on the heel of my blade or near the toe though. The lessened feedback can take some time to adjust to, or a very quick time to reject. (6/10)

Stickhandling/receiving passes: When paired with the Comp. Synthesis blade, the 85 flex is thankfully stiff enough to allow for quick stickhandling without having the shaft flex too much from the weight of a moving puck. It would be nice to have more puck feel even though it doesn't hinder my stickhandling abilities or confidence. The heavier Inno blade was noticably more difficult to stickhandle with due to the higher blade weight and/or balance.

Pass receiving was more challenging because of the harsh vibrations felt while receiving hard passes. Slow to medium speed passes felt fine. I did experience some puck bounce with the Comp. Synthesis blade from time to time. The softer 85 flex might have helped limit some of the puck bounces. The heavier Inno blade wanted to bounce more and felt more unstable than the Comp. Synthesis. (7/10)

Shooting: The Synthesis loads up well for my slap shots and snap shots, as well as decent shot speed and a fairly quick release. Wrist shots felt easier to pull off as well because the shaft doesn't require alot of force to load up. All this after I cut the shaft down several inches to suit my height and playing style. I didn't find the shaft to open up probably because I don't weigh alot for the 85 flex, so no issues with accuracy in that respect. (9.5/10)

Durability: After about half a year of regular use in light pickup games and hockey clinics, the Synthesis shaft has shown the appropriate wear and tear. Structurally the shaft is perfectly intact with some superficial nicks and scrapes that come with incidental contact. Even after many slap shots the shaft has not softened on me. While non-contact pickup is not the best indicator of a shaft's breakage threshhold, most rec. players want their shaft to last at least 6 months if not longer. Note: my score for this area reflects the type of hockey that I play. (9/10)

Construction/Quality: I found it a bit odd and disappointing that Easton's own Synthesis blades do not perfectly fit their own (Synthesis) shafts, or at least not in the particular shaft and blade that I have. I had to pad the tenon with hockey tape after my blade came loose after a few months of use. The shaft itself seemed well made otherwise with consistent wall thicknesses and a blemish-free finish. (7/10)

Intangibles: The Synthesis has the right combination of handle shape, flex, and blade-light balance for me. It's surprising how sometimes the slightest subtleties can affect one's comfort with using a product repeatedly. Crisper feel would have been nice. (9/10)

Conclusion: The Synthesis 85 flex shaft is a light weight, well balanced shaft that's good for smaller players who like to stickhandle and also shoot the puck. A handful of bigger players might also like the 85 flex if they want extra whip to their shot. The Synthesis does not have a crisp feel but still transmits harsh vibrations on receiving hard passes. Also, the shaft tenon seems slightly too wide to properly accept blades without some minor tweaking. Regarding blades, I recommend nothing heavier than the hybrid Synthesis blade for this shaft & flex to keep the bouncy feel to a minimum. Personally, I have found the positive attributes of the Synthesis to outweigh the negatives in a way that does not limit my playing ability, but rather improves it.

Reviewer Overall Rating (not an average): 8/10

Edit: correct typo in Shooting: should be 9.5 instead of 8.5

Edited March 23, 2004 by bulletproof_funk

[Eazy_b97 1]

I'm 5'10 185lbs. Used either composite or Hybrid blades in the Easton Synthesis shaft. Mine was a grip 100, but is available in other flexes and in non-grip. Used primarily for roller hockey, but did played a few games on the ice as well.

Initial Impression: I liked the paint job, the grip is very nice, would’ve preferred a little stiffer shaft. I knew I had a credit at my LHS and figure this would make a nice roller hockey shaft because after all it is a “2-piece synergy” and I could change blades frequently playing on concrete.

Stickhandling/Passing/Shooting: I find the shaft shape is great; the grip helps reduce the slipping I tend to feel without it. The stick handling was average, I don’t have difficulties stick handling with OPS and this had very similar feel to me. Passing and shooter were both good but not exceptional. (3.5/5)

Weight/Balance: This is a solid stick, It’s not overly light, but is very balanced for a shaft and blade combo. I think it may be due to the short hosel composite blade, but it doesn’t matter because the weight and balance are both very good. (4.5/5)

Durability: This is a great shaft durability wise. I had issues with the ’03 Synergy’s and was a little concerned this shaft may fade. It’s still holding up exceptionally. I haven’t put it through an excessive workload, but it’s handled everything I’ve thrown at it and has surpassed my expectations. The grip did start to peel which I was not impressed with, but I could still feel the grip, just not as much. (4/5)

Conclusion: This is definitely a good shaft. It was the first tapered shaft I had the opportunity to try and I’ve very pleased with the performance. After trying a few others, I felt that this was a solid shaft, but was nothing exceptional. It’s definitely a good buy if you like the Synergy line and tend to switch blades frequently or need something where the blades can be easily changed. All In All I give it an 8/10

[Royals92 0]

Easton Junior Synthesis 4' 6" 90lbs 50 flex

Stickhandling/receiving passes

great part of the stick i loved it. always felt the puck, and i rarely ever felt a ringing in my hand. 9/10

Shooting

THsi is the best stick for me i could place the puck where ver i wanted to. 10/10

weight and balance

great weight loved it. one of the lightest sticks ive used. 10/10

durabiltiy.

this is the worst part of it. i have had two sticks and both lasted a little more than a month. 4/10

conclusion.

I probably won't buy thsi stick again because it keeps breaking on me just outta the warranty. But if your rich this is the stick for you. overall 8/10