Warrior Alpha QX3

[boo10 323]

About me:

Age: 47

Height: 5'11”

Weight: 190lbs

Years playing: 43

Highest level of play: Jr.A (a very long time ago)

Current level of play: Beer League

 

Notes to Reader:

I usually cut about one or two inches off my sticks, so they tend to play about 5-10 points higher than the rated flex. Due to the fact that I grew up with wood, and later aluminum sticks, my perception of stiffness is influenced by that history. I always tape the the full length of the blade, including the toe, with an extra strip along the bottom, so I have never had a blade with chipping issues. I have used sticks at every price point from entry level right to top of the line.

Stick Reviewed: Warrior Alpha QX3, 85 Flex, P88

Blade: The blade on the QX3 is nice and stiff, but I would not describe it as either pingy or dampened. Puck feel is generally quite good, with it being easy to tell where the puck is on the blade. Receiving passes is smooth, and pucks do not bounce off the blade. My one complaint with the blade is that puck feel at the toe is not very good.

Score: 8/10

Shaft/Flex: Rounded corners give this stick a nice feel in the hands. Warrior says the QX line has a low kick point, but I'd say it feels more like a mid/low. The stick plays true to the flex rating for shooting, but feels surprisingly stiff during puck battles, which is excellent.

Score: 10/10

Weight/Balance: This stick is relatively light for the price point, coming in at around 430g. In comparison, my Nexus 1000 was about 415g, so the QX3 is certainly not heavy. In my hands, the QX3 feels quite blade heavy. I am not a fan of blade heavy sticks, as I find it makes the stick just feel heavy overall. To me, the QX3 feels just as heavy as a Supreme One.7, which weighs over 500g.

Score: 6/10

Shooting: Shooting with this stick is excellent. The stick is very easy to load, and you can feel the kick when you release the puck. The Saber Taper is supposed to keep the blade from torquing open on shots, but i find shots taken too close to the toe will cause the blade to open.

Score: 9/10

Passing/Stickhandling: Aside from the balance issues mentioned previously, the QX3 performs quite well in this area. The shaft has just the right stiffness for stickhandling, and blade feel is good. If not for the blade heavy feel, I'd say the QX3 is the perfect Dangler's stick.

Score: 9/10

Intangibles: I am generally not a fan of Warrior's graphics, as I find them a little loud for me, but the QX3 has to be one of the best looking sticks currently on the market. The blue, white, yellow and black graphics look fantastic.

Summary: The QX3 is a great mid-pricepoint stick. If you're looking for the lightest stick out there with great balance, then the QX3 is probably not for you. On the other hand, if you want a stick that will perform very well without breaking the bank, then the QX3 could be just what you're looking for.

Overall Score: 8.4/10