Easton Synergy Grip: Sticking with the industry standard
Written: Jun 10 '04
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Pros: Light, fairly durable, good range of curves and flexes
Cons: Spotty availability, grip coating comes off, different feel
The Bottom Line: Easton cornered the one-piece market and will likely continue to do so until something amazing innovation comes along
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| puckmugger's Full Review: Easton Synergy Grip 110 Hockey Stick '02 |
Easton set the industry standard with the Synergy when they introduced it in 2000. They took the biggest bite of the market share in this competitive category and have held on to it ever since inventing the one-piece stick. The last statistic that I heard claimed Easton still sold more one-piece sticks than all of their competitors combined do. That’s a stunning statistic considering the quality sticks being made by CCM, Nike, Bauer, Mission and just about every other stick manufacturer these days. The big question is what makes the Synergy so popular?
▪ Good Stuff
The Synergy certainly has a bit of an edge on its competitors simply by being the first stick of its kind on the market. Often times it is hard to come in as the second company to do something and usurp the leader’s position even if you are doing a better job. I think that Burger King was proof of this back in the late 70’s when they were obviously better than McDonalds . . . of course they both are horrible and I’m not sure why I’m drawing a fast food analogy in a hockey stick review . . . ignore that part.
Patterns
Easton has a lot of other good things going for them in the Synergy. They have a great selection of player curves available. There aren’t too many hockey players who are so picky about their curve that one of Easton’s patterns won’t suit them. From the heel curves of Lidstrom and Drury to the balanced, mid-curve of Sakic, every curve that Easton puts on the Synergy is a little different and pretty darn good as well.
Flex Ratings
Easton pretty much invented the flex ratings in hockey sticks. Essentially this is a subjective number value that is placed upon the shaft of the stick. The higher the number the stiffer the stick is. The stiffer the stick the harder it is to flex and the harder shot it is capable of delivering when flexed.
Easton offers their Synergy in three different senior flex ratings: 85, 100 and 110. They also make the Synergy in an intermediate 75 flex and a junior 50 flex. Few other one piece sticks come in that wide of an array of flex options. Further, those that do have opted to use their own ratings such as Whip flex, or Senior Stiff. Other brands use numbering systems that vary greatly from Easton’s numbers. This invariably results in buyers asking, “How does this compare to an Easton 100 flex?”
Reinvention
Easton is constantly refining their Synergy. Each year since the inception of the one-piece stick, Easton has added some new twist to the Synergy. By reinventing their stick annually, they have managed to keep ahead of their competitors.
The Si-core was added to the lineup with a silicon injected . . . quit thinking about Pam Anderson and focus, man . . . a silicon injected blade to add to the puck feel last year. This year they added the Si-Core grip and more flex options than the 100 it had premiered with.
Later in 2004, the Easton Stealth will make its debut as the lightest stick on the market. It will also set new price records for hockey sticks as it will cost well over $200. Only time will tell where it will all stop.
▪ The Grip
The Grip was one of the first ways that Easton reinvented their Synergy. While I never heard any complaints about the slick, epoxy surface of the original Synergy sticks, the grip was wildly popular for its tacky, rubberized surface. It is a great feeling shaft that sticks to the gloves quite well.
One problem with the grip was a tendency for the rubberized surface to actually wear off the stick. Players were constantly griping that they had paid $10 for nothing after a couple months of play. Rumor was that hairspray applied to a regular Synergy before each use had pretty much the same feel. (I haven’t tried it myself). Still I wonder if you wouldn’t use $10 worth of hairspray in a couple months of styling your stick anyway? The guys who were complaining probably got their $10 worth and were just mad because they had to carry hairspray around.
In the newer Synergy Grips the problem was resolved when the rubberized surface was changed. However, the bright yellow of the 2003 Synergy Grip wasn’t as aesthetically pleasing as the metallic gold had been.
▪ Durability
There have been complaints about the durability of the Synergy and one-piece sticks in general as well. I think the biggest issue here is not actually how long the sticks last. Yes, there have been cases where someone breaks a Synergy in less than a week, that’s why they have a 30-day warranty. The real issue however, is the suddenness with which composite sticks break.
Wooden sticks tend to wear out a little more predictably. Players have a good idea of when a wooden stick is going to break. With a Synergy, or any other one-piece, the break is almost always sudden and complete.
The simple fact is that composite sticks are more durable than any wood stick. Even though a wood stick might seem to last longer, the flex of a wood stick deteriorates rapidly. Players who are aware of this and still use wood sticks only play 3 to 5 hours before replacing their lumber. A wood stick simply loses its pop in a matter of hours. Composite sticks will go months, even years without a noticeable loss of return on flexion.
The Synergy ranks near the top for durability. Only CCM’s Vector has a better rating for outlasting the Synergy. The blade and shaft on the Synergy are both strong as well. The Vector has a hollow blade that is slightly more prone to damage than the Synergy.
▪ Weight
Easton has managed to shave the weight of the Synergy slightly over the years. Only Bauer’s Vapor XX is in the same range as the Synergy these days. Both the new Synergy and the Vapor XX weigh in at 445 grams. However Easton has a decided edge on durability over the flashier, lighter-feeling Vapor stick.
Neither of these sticks has any real competition for the crown in the lightest category. The Louisville Response II is only about 10 grams heavier, but there are definite question marks about durability that Louisville will have to answer before we know if their stick is a contender.
▪ Feel
Stick handling feel has often been a complaint with one-piece sticks. This was something that Easton invented as well, the lack of stick feel. While there is validity to this issue, it is like anything else that is different. I found that switching to a carbon fiber blade definitely made puck handling a little more difficult . . . at first. I got used to the different feel after a few hours and don’t even think about it anymore.
I have the same problem when I switch skates. It doesn’t mean that I’m going to wait for them to develop a wooden pair so that I can feel the ice better. Just get out there and practice and all will be well. Otherwise, spend another $20 getting a Si-Core stick for feel.
▪ Availability
Easton has had a terrible time keeping up with demand on their Synergys in general. The Grip especially was a near impossibility to come by last season. Demand is obviously well above their production capability and has caused major headaches for consumers and retailers alike.
About a year ago, the shop that I worked in had two Synergys left. I had a couple calls from people out of state looking for a particular curve and flex (of course not the one that we had in stock). One guy told me he had been going through the internet for a week and no one in the United States apparently had the stick he was looking for left.
Something that I should explain here is that ordering in the hockey industry is a little weird. You place two or three big orders annually, called bookings. There are incentives to order as much as you can during these booking periods. The perfect scenario for a hockey retailer is to order a perfect booking that will give them enough inventory to get to the next one without going bankrupt or running out of stuff.
Anyway, it never quite works that way. With most brands you can order stuff along the way. So you’d call up Easton with an order for fifty Synergy. They take your order - it will never come. Here is the problem. Bookings always get first priority over fill orders. There aren’t enough Synergys to go around, so all of them go towards bookings, none to fills.
Fine, knowing this we doubled our order on the booking for the next season thinking that running out again would be bad. Well, our order came three months late and included half of what we wanted. They were rationing sticks because they couldn’t keep up. The most annoying part was that Easton sent orders to other local stores on time and our 100 person waiting list for the new Si-Core resulted in two sales when our shipment finally came in.
This has created issues with long waits between sticks sometimes. I know a few guys that bought between 4 and 8 Synergys whenever they came in. We actually kept an eye out for a 110 flex Sakic for one customer and called him whenever we had one. We’d set it aside and he would come buy them every time. Hopefully Easton will be able to ramp up their production to keep everyone happy.
▪ Conclusion
The Synergy Grip is still one of the top sticks on the market. Easton will continue to dominate this sector until the next innovation comes along whatever that might be. The Stealth will almost certainly send the competition scrambling to come up with something better when it hits the market later this year. By the way, it weighs less than 400 grams, more than 10% lighter than the best on the market now.
Some players will prefer the feel of other sticks. Some will like wood better than composite. Just as with any other stick the Easton Grip has its high and low points. Like any other stick it has its fans and detractors.
I don’t normally use one, but I have, and I can vouch for the control and power of shots being better than even my two-piece stick. It is also light and deadly quick in changing positions. I can certainly understand why people like them even if it doesn’t make sense for me financially as a goalie who skates out sometimes to buy one. At the $170 price, I can also understand why people would get upset that they break. But players need to remember, sticks break. That’s part of the game and no matter how high the price tag, they will always break.
The 2003 Grip gets 3 stars due to the durability of the grip coating. 2004 and newer models I would rate at 4 stars even though they are yellow.
A few of my other reviews that you might find helpful:
Hockey Stick Buying Guide
Mission M-1 Stick
CCM Vector Stick
Bauer Vapor XX Stick
Graf Goldline One-piece Stick
Recommended:
Yes
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