Vaughn Velocity II: Did the best leg pads on the market really need an update?
Written: Apr 29 '04 (Updated Dec 13 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A great design that for the most part got better
Cons: The price is painful, leather straps
The Bottom Line: You can get cheaper goal pads, but you won't find better ones.
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| puckmugger's Full Review: Vauhgn Velocity 2 Goal Pads VPG 7000 |
The Velocity was the first truly remarkable innovation in goalie leg pads when introduced four years ago. Part of what made the Velocity different was the knee rise. Rather than an inch of padding to keep goalies from dropping right to the hard ice in the butterfly position, the Vaughn had essentially five separate pads giving a solid five inches of knee lift.
The other notable change on the Velocity was the very square and flat face of the leg pads. Traditionally, leg pads were rounded on the edges, tapered at the knees and boots, and had straps poking through the face. The Velocity looks much bigger than it is due to the full 12 inch width from top to bottom. They are clean in design with no straps on this face.
Vaughn’s Velocity sparked a revolution in goalie pad technology with a number of brands vying to introduce the next big thing. So far no one has improved upon this design. So what about Vaughn themselves? The Velocity underwent some changes for 2004. Were they for the better or worse?
The Velocity Basics
In order to review the changes and their affect on the Velocity, we need to understand the original leg pads. To understand what made the velocity so great, we need to look at the basis of how they work and what made them better.
As I already mentioned the knee lift was probably the most important innovation that the Velocity brought to goalie gear. One inch of padding can be plenty to keep goalies from taking huge jolts to the knees. The five inches in the Velocity wasn’t important from a mere padding perspective. Instead the knee lift accomplished a couple things better than the smaller kneepads in other brands.
Most importantly the knee lifts raised the goalie’s knees high enough that he could increase his extension. For butterfly goalies the wider they can get their feet, the more lower net coverage they will be able to create. For me, the extra four inches translated into nearly a foot of extra extension making my butterfly more effective.
The knee lift also makes recovery from the butterfly position quicker. Since the goaltender doesn’t actually drop as close to the ice, they can pop back to their feet a little more quickly. Lastly, the knee lifts put the goalie’s legs at an angle that allows four quicker lateral moves in the half butterfly as well.
The second aspect that the knee lifts created was to stand the pads up in a more upright position. Traditionally goal pads were worn tight to the knee and loose on the feet. This resulted in pads that tilted forward when goalies dropped to the butterfly. While the result might have been a loss of an inch or two of coverage at the most, with an estimated 80% of all shots being in the lowest 12 inches of the net, that might translate into a lot of goals.
The Velocity is best worn tight on the skates and looser up around the knees. This enables the pad to stand up increasing coverage and if I might say so, looking much sharper on the ice. Factor in the squared off shape of the Velocity and lower net coverage had never been as complete until this pad came along.
Simply put, the Velocity is to date the best goalie leg pad that I have ever used. Perfect? Maybe not, but as close to it as I have seen thus far. Certainly it is good enough that any major remake would be a questionable idea.
The Sincerest Form of Flattery
Brian’s, came out with the Beast about a year after the Velocity as their answer to the box style pad and essentially the same design. Bauer’s Supreme Pads became disturbingly similar to the Velocity with flat box construction and adjustable knee lifts. Itech’s 9.8 line, Koho 590’s, McKenney’s 852 Instinct, Mission Motions, Tour Bio Customs . . . all borrow heavily or outright copy the Velocity.
The point being that these pads were so good that practically every major brand name has their own version. Some aren’t even trying to disguise the fact that they are rip offs, blatantly copying the Velocity design verbatim.
CCM managed to take a little heat off Vaughn by introducing the Blockade, an intriguing design that didn’t quite live up to expectations. In the last twelve months the Blockade usurped the Velocity as the most copied style of leg pad. Irrelevant? I think not, read on.
Changes for 2004
Vaughn has been smart enough to not tamper much with the Velocity too much. Obviously the competition is breathing down their necks and they need to keep a little ahead of the game. Despite the obvious flaws in the Blockade it has garnered outstanding interest.
Vaughn turned the tables ever so slightly by borrowing a little bit of CCM’s Blockade technology. Now if you’ve already checked out my review of the Blockade, you might be worried that Vaughn was making a huge mistake here. In fact the next thing that I am going to write might have Velocity fans trembling in fear.
Vaughn borrowed the calf cradle. Ack! The calf cradle - the very thing that I most hated about the Blockade - is now a part of the Velocity. This begs the question, Did Vaughn ruin the Velocity?
In fact Vaughn took the best part of the calf cradle and left CCM’s mistakes by the wayside. The major problem with the calf cradle in the Blockade was that it lifted the goalie’s feet too high, rendering the knee rise worthless. Vaughn’s calf cradle is tapered, still offering support and protection from pucks, but not changing the geometry of the knee rise. The calf cradle not only adds to the comfort of the pad when dropping, but makes them more stable and predictable as well.
Vaughn also upgraded the material on the knee and thigh five-hole flaps. Formerly the flaps were wrapped in Codrura, a heavy nylon. On the Velocity II the flaps are top quality synthetic leather. This seems a minor change but the flaps are the part of the pad that takes the most abuse, almost constantly on the ice and often sliding. The change will make for a longer lasting pad.
Other minor changes include more securely attaching the thigh guards. On older Velocity pads, the thigh guards twisted just enough to allow sneaky pucks room to squeeze through. I can tell you from personal experience that pucks can and will find every niche in a goalie’s protection. The biggest bruise I ever had was from one that hit me where the thigh guard was supposed to be.
Vaughn added an elastic strap with Velcro to the new Velocity II to keep player’s knees in the proper place. This is a nice improvement especially for players converting from a traditionally pad. The feel of Velocity pads was a little different and it took some getting used to the loose feel of the knees.
The nylon, convertible straps from last year’s models have been replaced with traditional leather. While not a major issue in the performance department, nylon straps are far more durable. The leather straps cannot be reconfigured for alternate fit either. This is the only negative change in the Velocity II.
Lastly the graphics of the Velocity II are updated with new materials and graphics. The new design is reminiscent of the old Koho 570 Pro which gave an illusion of a much larger than actual five-hole. With the perfect butterfly style pad, inviting the player to shoot at the five-hole is a nice bonus. As a goalie I love a pad that screams, Look at this big five-hole! I dare you to shoot low!
Bottom Line
With its new metallic weave material, the Velocity II is a better-looking pad than its predecessor was. The upgrades are enough to keep the Velocity atop their competition but not so drastic to incur any negative reaction.
The only thing that I don’t like about the Velocity II is the leather straps. Having used nylon straps for three years, I have found them to be more durable and versatile. Many goalies probably still prefer leather. If you don’t mind waiting 12 weeks, Vaughn does offer custom pads and certainly would offer nylon straps as an option . . . for a price.
The Velocity isn’t a cheap set of pads by any stretch of the imagination. A new pair of Velocity II pads will lighten your wallet by at least $1100. As excellent as the Velocity II is, they are among of the most expensive pads on the market. This is enough to make some of those rip off brands seem pretty appealing.
The bottom line on the Velocity II is that Vaughn has made improvements to one of the best goalie pads on the market. Except for the price, the Velocity II is still simply the best pure butterfly style goal pad you can get off the shelf. The price is the only reason for my above average rating as opposed to excellent.
Some of my other reviews that you might find helpful:
Fitting Goalie Gear
Louisville XLite GLL Goal Pads
CCM Blockade Goal Pads
Brian’s Demon Goal Pads
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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puckmugger
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