Easton Hockey Sticks

Posted on July 20, 2010

Easton hockey sticks have a well deserved reputation as being some of the best and most popular around. The company has continued to lead the hockey world in innovation across a variety of areas, and makes products that all players can benefit from, regardless of skill or experience level. Most importantly, Easton hockey sticks were the first to deliver composite hockey sticks, the one piece beasts that now dominate in all levels of the sport.

Take a look at some information to help you get started understanding the history of these products as well as what’s available today. You’ll see that there are plenty of great reasons why Easton hockey sticks continue to be leaders in the industry, and the go-to choice for many individuals all across the globe.

Composite Hockey Sticks

It’s hard to imagine, but it’s only been a decade since the composite hockey sticks were first introduced. In the year 2000, Easton hockey sticks added the Synergy to their lineup, and it immediately started to make a huge impact. It was the lightest production stick in the world and had a variety of patents based upon the exact construction and style of the stick.

Then rookie Devils player Scott Gomez became the first NHL hockey player to use it, he was immediately won over.In an interview he said:

“It gives a better release, a harder shot, better everything, what else can you ask for?”

Other players also began to quickly adapt, and within a short few years, composite hockey sticks went from a new upstart trend to the vast majority of what was used by the best players in the world.

Fast forward to 2010, and composite hockey sticks are essentially the only option that the best players turn to, even including old holdouts that were sticking with their wooden sticks. All of the major brands for hockey gear make their own versions of composite hockey sticks, including of course Easton, as well as CCM, Bauer, Reebok, Warrior and so on down the line.

So what makes composite hockey sticks so popular and so highly rated? The bottom line is that they improve on the basic quality of a stick to improve all of the results. The sticks are lighter and stronger thanks to the materials used, ranging from Carbon Fiber to Kevlar and Composites of various other materials. You can shoot harder shots, shoot with more accuracy from longer distances and you can get off your shots quicker while handling the puck and making passes with more precision.

It all started 10 years ago with the Synergy, and Easton hockey sticks have continued to build upon that great foundation of success. Over the years, materials have been changed and improved, specific adjustments to style and construction have been made and so forth, but the Synergy legacy and brand name stays alive. All of the composite hockey sticks from Easton available today are either in the Synergy or Stealth family.

One of the most popular and most advanced of them all is the S19, which is in the Stealth lineup. It features a Kevlar wrapped compression molded shaft, special shape and design of the blade, newly engineered materials and more. It’s even available in special Olympic limited editions, for Canada, the USA and Finland. Other current composite hockey sticks in the Stealth lineup include the S13, S7 and S3.

In the Synergy lineup of Easton hockey sticks you’ll find lots of different options across many different price ranges. The Synergy SE1 has 100% composite blade construction, a Pro Radius shaft design and 4×4 Carbon reinforcement glass laminate shaft construction, all at an accessible price. Meanwhile the SE16 takes things up a few more notches with Focus Weight Technology, Kevlar wrapped shaft, the Micro-Bladder process and Micro-Rib structure of the blade for improved flex, accuracy, control and feel and much more.

The Synergy ST stands for “Super Tough”, and it’s about “pure power”. It uses the Synergy shaft with a resin transfer molded blade and Shox technology to help provide the hardest shots and the most power that you can find anywhere. It features a low kick point for reflexive load and release, the 3-Rib blade design for improved performance and durability and much more.

From there you’ll find many other options as well, each of which serves a unique purpose. For example the SE6 Junior and Senior stick features the low kick point Synergy construction and a forgiving blade that makes for pristine puck handling and passing. You’ll also find in the Synergy lineup the SE2, as well as the SE6 Canada Olympic LE. The SE16 mentioned above is available both in Youth, Junior and Senior

Of course, the Easton hockey sticks lineup does include other options besides the composite hockey sticks. They make a handful of different wooden sticks, all of which feature precision designs as well. For example, the Synergy ABS wood stick is made from Baltic birch plywood, and has an ABS/Fiber paddle. Other options include the SY50, SY70 and SY90. The SY90 for instance includes a Pro radius shaft design, carbon laminate shaft construction and Carbon/Kevlar reinforced sock wave, making it durable and offering great control for a wood stick.

Easton hockey sticks are some of the most respected out there right now, and they have led the pack in terms of innovation and quality over the years. It’s been just a decade since the introduction of the first composite hockey sticks, but now they are the golden standard, used by nearly everyone and continued to be improved upon. With great control and precision, light weights and high speeds, composite hockey sticks will continue to get better, and you can bank on Easton being one of the premier companies to help that process along in the future.

Ken Abbott has been in the specialist retail sports equipment business for 18 years, running three retail shops and for the last ten years, a thriving online mail order business. More recently he is now focusing his energies on advising and helping less experienced marketeers and also combining with like minded people to develop internet marketing strategies and ideas. You can visit his website at: http://www.easton-hockey-sticks.com

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Will Inline Hockey Hurt Your Ice Hockey Game?

Posted on July 20, 2010

Should Snowboarders Stop Skateboarding?

Some players worry that playing roller hockey will worsen their game on ice. Their concern stems from the difference in technique between the sports. While I can understand the reasoning behind this logic, I think players who deny themselves the opportunity to play inline hockey are doing themselves a disservice. Look at it this way: would it be wise for a snowboarder to avoid skateboarding, fearing his carving might suffer? Would you cease writing with a pencil because you wanted to keep your penmanship pure by only writing with a ballpoint pen?

Can You Prevent Bad Habits?

Sure, skating on the ice isn’t the same as rollerblading on the street. The ice gives where the street remains firm. Inline skates generally have heavier boots, and stopping sometimes involves dragging. I am not ignorant to the fact that you can develop bad ice skating habits on inlines. However, these lazy habits can be avoided if you are cognizant of what you are doing. Many roller hockey players are less efficient on ice because they are used to lifting their leg higher when finishing a stride. To help with this:

Try to avoid picking your feet on your follow through and you should be fine
One thing that can make your wheels feel more like blades setting them up to be rockered, so the middle wheels are closer to the ground than the outside ones. Using 80mm wheels in the center and 76mm and the outside can better simulate the feeling of an ice skate
Some roller hockey skates even have a rockered chassis so you can still use the same size wheels on all four slots.

What Can You Learn?

There are numerous benefits to playing roller hockey to train for ice. Number one, you will improve your conditioning. Inline skating uses virtually the same muscles as ice skating, and carrying a stick isn’t much different. How many games have you seen when one line seems to be out of gas? Victories have been achieved simply because one team endures while the other lacks the physical fitness to keep up. It’s one thing to suffer defeat because you were outplayed, but personally I never EVER want to lose because my opponent was in better shape. Roller hockey will unquestionably improve your stamina.

Other reasons to play include:

Learn how to work as a team, specifically making and receiving passes
Examine where to best position your body against a defender
See if you can get better at carrying the puck (or ball) with your head up
Determine what kind of dekes seem to work against opponents
Discover what things irk you and how to discipline yourself to keep a cool head

Will Going to the Movies Make You a Better Player?

Also consider this: If you aren’t playing inline hockey, what will you be doing instead? Watching TV? Playing Xbox? Hitting the gym? If it’s the gym, you might have a case against playing inline hockey:-) But seriously think about it that way. Instead of asking, “Will inline hockey worsen my ice hockey game?” you might contemplate, “Will going to the movies make me a better ice hockey player?” My point (and probably the conclusion of my argument) is this: there are many things you could do for your game that are worse than playing roller hockey.

Keegan manages SchoolyardPuck.com, a weblog offering street hockey tips, roller hockey training videos, equipment advice, and ice hockey skills instruction.

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