Mission Motion 300 Blocker: From Roller to Goalie, Mission Impossible?
Written: Jun 02 '04 (Updated Dec 13 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Excellent value, great protection, quality material and workmanship
Cons: No real angle on the heel
The Bottom Line: The value in this blocker is unquestionable. Mission did a great job again.
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| puckmugger's Full Review: Mission Motion 300 Goalie Blocker |
Is it Mission Impossible for a relative newcomer to the hockey market to make a good on their first attempt at goalie products? I would have guessed yes. However, Mission is proving that they are astute students of what works and what doesn’t work with their first line of goalie gear. My recent review of the Mission Motion 300 Goal Pads shows they picked up a few tricks along the way. How’d they do on their blocker? Read on.
▪ How is a blocker like a hammer?
Making a blocker is somewhat like making a hammer. They all work pretty much the same. There are different materials that make some look better than the others. A few even have nicer features. Still, of all the items a goalie wears, there is less science in the average blocker than there is in anything else.
The hammer reference is more relevant because hammers and blockers today have begun to address the issue of repetitive use injuries. If you only use your hammer once in a while they are all about the same. But use it every day and your arm starts to go numb with a bad one. A good hammer incorporates vibration absorbing construction to minimize long term nerve damage. A good blocker works the same way.
Vibration dampening is something that is often overlooked in cheaper blockers. This isn’t all bad though. It saves money and entry level goalies will not require as much of this dampening effect for three reasons: 1) They won’t be facing as many shots, 2) the shots they face aren’t as high impact to begin with, 3) they haven’t yet developed the skills to make huge numbers of blocker saves.
All that said, vibration dampening is going to become more of a factor as goalies move up in level and progress. Why waste money on a blocker that will last a year or less?
▪ The Motion 300 Blocker
Mission put together a pretty nice blocker here. Like the leg pads, the blocker is a combination of top quality materials. The padding between the glove and blocker is what absorbs the impact of shots. Without having played in this model, I cannot give the definitive answer, but it appears to be sufficient to deter long-term nerve damage. (I put it on in the store and smacked it with my hand, but having friends smack them with goalie sticks tends to make shop owners nervous so I stopped at that).
There is also a pad at the heel of the blocker. This is lacking in most blockers in this price range and is a second part of the important vibration dampening. The heel pad acts as a buffer between the back of the goalie’s wrist and the relatively hard surface of the blocker itself. It also lessens the amount of wrist pronation when a puck hits the heel of the blocker.
The techno weave fabric that is generally only found on blockers costing at least twice as much as this one makes for a sharp appearance. Like the leg pads it comes in four color schemes including black, white and silver; black and blue; black and red; and red, white and blue. Again a great number of options for a lower priced blocker.
The weight is astoundingly light. Despite being rather traditional in appearance, the 300 is close to the weight of the new low profile blockers that are starting to appear on the market (a reinvented hammer if you will).
The glove on the Motion 300 is full Clarino palm and back. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Clarino is the best material that you can get in a glove. It is comfortable, durable and dries quickly. Mesh gussets (the panels between the palm and glove back) are a nice feature as well. These not only give the goalie’s hand a little ventilation during play, they will allow the glove to dry more quickly.
The lower hand guard and finger end protectors on the Motion 300 are sufficient for any level of play. This is one of the items that the cheapest blockers skimp on once in a while. I cannot stress how important these features are. Shots don’t always hit the front of the blocker as goalies would hope. Without these basic features, bruised, bleeding or even broken hands are a real possibility.
▪ What makes the 300 different?
With the exception of the new low profile blockers, there isn’t a huge difference from one design to the next. Essentially it often comes down to comfort and aesthetics once you find one with the minimum requirements of finger and hand protection.
Mission’s Motion 300 blocker has one thing that differentiates itself from the crowd somewhat. It isn’t obvious to the casual observer, but the shape of their blocker is pretty unique. Rather than a flat surface with a curved heel, the blocker has more of a gentle curve along the entire length. Most blockers have a good 45 ˚ turn at the heel to make sure pucks get deflected out of the net.
I’m not sure why Mission went with a more subtle bend but it will result in a few changes in the way their blocker works. The slight curve of the blocker’s toe will assist with paddle down saves. Mission still has a tapered toe, but the curve puts the toe further away from the stick and will allow the goalie to get better contact without the blocker getting in the way. This obviously is a plus.
On the negative side, the angle in the blocker has always been there for a reason. Shots that strike the blocker and might ride it en route to the net are turned away by the heel, usually going over the net or wide. Mission’s Motion 300 has its only flaw in the lack of a noticeably angled heel.
▪ Final Thoughts
The Motion 300 is an outstanding piece of gear for the price. The materials, workmanship and design all appear to be sound. I would expect high durability and many years of use from this blocker.
The flaw of the blocker’s angle is the only question. A good goalie might give up one extra goal every 10 to 20 games due to this design. Really, it comes down to the goalie’s blocker technique and a bit of luck. I doubt that it would be enough of a factor to sway my opinion on buying the 300.
My recommendation on the Motion 300 blocker is similar to that of the pads. They are an outstanding deal. The Blocker is one of the best buys that a starting goalie can get. It is not a piece of gear that will be replaced in a year because it isn’t good enough. I would recommend this item to goalies from novice to high recreational players looking to get good gear without dropping a fortune. Once again, Mission has proved they can hang with the big dogs of goalie manufacturing.
A few of my other reviews that you might find helpful:
Fitting Goalie Gear
Mission Motion 300 Goal Pads
Koho 14 Pro Blocker
CCM Blockade Blocker
Battram Custom Goalie Equipment
© 2005 Scott Noble – All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited.
Thanks to openroad for adding this item so I could review it.
Recommended:
Yes
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