Reebok was gracious enough to send Hockey World Blog their brand new 20K SicKick 4 hockey sticks, their top of the line offering in the latest installment of the popular SicKick line of sticks. Reebok continues to produce quality hockey produ
cts, but does the 20K live up to those high standards? After getting the stick out on the rink a few times, check out our initial impressions of the Reebok 20K.
Specs: Reebok 20K SicKick 4, Datsyuk curve, 85 flex.
Modifications: Cut down approximately two inches.
Appearance and Design: Despite the fact that just about every other major hockey stick manufacturer has gone white with their top-end sticks, Reebok has opted to stay dark with a predominantly black shaft and blade. The 20K has some silver accenting, with the company name running down the lower part of each side of the shaft in large silver letters. The stick specs are also in a silver box about a quarter of the way down the shaft as well.
Overall, the design is very basic. I’ve seen designs that are more minimalist, but there’s not much that is overly striking about this stick that would make me cry out, “Wow! That is a beautiful stick!” However, looking at their past offerings, Reebok seems to be a company that pushes performance over gimmicks and appearance.
The 20K comes in two different styles – grip and dual grip. Unless you like your sticks super grippy, I highly recommend the dual grip. Looking up close at the stick, you can clearly see that the bottom side of the stick has a flat matte finish while the top half has the glossy grip finish. The dual grip really does work well to allow your bottom hand the ability to move freely but still stay in place when you’re passing or shooting. The dual grip is definitely a cool feature to have.
Balance & Feel: I first used the Reebok 20K in warm-ups recently. At that time, I had the opportunity to take a few shots with another top-end stick from a different manufacturer. I can tell you without a doubt that there was a serious difference in the balance between these two sticks. The 20K was definitely better balanced from top to bottom. If anything, the stick may be ever-so-slightly blade heavy, but nothing concerning. In fact, it’s likely a product of cutting two inches from the butt end. And this certainly doesn’t inhibit the stick’s performance or feel for the puck.
Being a true one-piece stick, the Reebok 20K provides a very good feel for the puck when you are skating, passing and shooting. Reebok also implemented a lighter blade for this model to help with control and feel. Again, I had the opportunity to test the 20K against another high-end stick and the 20K definitely outperformed it.
Shooting & Accuracy: To be perfectly honest, I’m not super impressed with the accuracy of this stick – yet. The curve is definitely bigger than I am used to, so it’s taking some time for me to adjust. I generally don’t have an issue placing the puck where I want top to bottom, but I’m continually pushing my wrist shots left of the target (as a right-handed shot). I’m hoping that this is something that will rectify itself over time as I continue to use the stick and adjust to the curve. I will address this again in my full review in a few weeks after I’ve had time to use the stick.
Shooting is very good all-around for this stick. Oftentimes, I find that a stick either performs well on slapshots or wrist shots, but hardly am I pleased with how a stick performs for both. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the 20K as an all-around good stick for shooting. Wrist shots come off clean with good velocity, and I’m able to load up slapshots with a good deal of power for hard shots from the point.
I think my favorite part of the stick, though, is how it performs with passing. Going back to the feel for the puck, the Reebok 20K is really primed for sending and receiving passes. Sent passes just seem to transition so smoothly from the blade. Increased feel for the puck allows you to better control the puck when you are sending and receiving passes.
Overall Impressions: So far so good after using the Reebok 20K SicKick 4 a handful of times. It’s performed how I would expect a top-of-the-line stick to perform. While I need some additional time to adjust to the bigger curve, shooting and accuracy have been good so far with passing emerging as an early bonus for the 20K. The design certainly isn’t anything to write home about, but the performance on the rink sure is. I’ve been impressed with the feel for the puck that the 20K provides and look forward to seeing how it performs in the coming weeks as I continue to get some heavy usage out of it.
If you’re thinking about purchasing the Reebok 20K, head over to Pure Hockey to grab one. You can get the Reebok 20K today for only $249.99. Be sure to include the coupon code HOCKEYWORLD when you check out to save an additional 10% on select items from your order!
What stick were you comparing the 20k to in the test? Are you doing a review on the bauer apx stick? Because I’m stuck between the rbz, dt1 and 20k.
Thanks for the comment Sam. I actually just recently received the Bauer APX stick to review and will be getting something up on it probably early in the new year. I can tell you that, so far, I am really impressed with the APX and it seems like a solid stick all around. Unfortunately, having only used it twice so far, I can’t attest much to it’s durability yet, which is why my review is still about two weeks away so I can get more use out of it.
In the review above, I’m comparing the 20K to the RBZ. The 20K is definitely lighter and the weight is distributed much more evenly throughout the stick. It does feel a little “flimsy,” but it’s held up well so far.
I will have a full review of the RBZ up later this week if you can hold out. But I will tell you that this stick really will give your shots a major boost in velocity. On the other hand, the weight distribution is odd and I struggle to get a good feel for the puck when I’m playing.
If you have any additional questions I’d be more than happy to help. Thanks!
Thanks for the reply Chris. I just broke my widow which I loved in every way, except in the duribility department. That’s why I’m definitely considering the covert, the 20k looks very nice and the accublade is supposed to help with blade durability and shot accuracy. As for the rbz I like the idea behind the speed blade because it seems like it would be more durable. My question is which stick has the best release because I loved the dagger taper on my widow which is very low kick. How’s it compare to the rbz and 20k? Also does the speed blade on the rbz really add power to your shot, and which stick has the best feel? Thanks.
Well, not having used the Covert before, I can’t really attest to its features. Honestly, I think you would be happy with either the RBK or the RBZ.
I’ve used both sticks in a variety of situations and tried to get a lot of use out of them for our reviews. The RBK blade shows more wear on the heel of the stick and toward the bottom of the blade with a few small dings in the blade. No cracking yet though. The RBZ has fared better so far with a small ding in the middle of the back of the blade, but otherwise it looks real good.
In terms of feel for the puck, the RBK wins hands down. It’s lighter and better balanced and really gives you a better feel for better control. That’s not to say the RBZ is bad, but the difference between the two is distinct.
However, for shooting, I prefer the RBZ. I really notice an increase in power and velocity using the RBZ over other sticks. I feel like the energy transfer is better with the RBZ on both wrist shots and slapshots, providing a little bit better release and a definite boost in power.
Hope that helps you! I’d be more than happy to answer any additional questions you have!
The Covert will be very similar to the Widow. It has an excellent release as it bows well. So in the shot department, it is great.
As for durability, it has held up so far with a few months of play. Yet with the easy bowing of the stick, I could see it snapping near the bottom after time if it takes too much pressure. For example, when you are fighting for the puck and someone is holding your stick down with yours, the stick is not stiff enough to really fight them off. You lift, but the stick bends. So I could see that taking its toll.
Still, it has held up and for offensive aspects, the stick is very nice.
Ok, so it’s between the covert, 20k and the RBZ. I’m thinking the RBZ because I like lots of pop for the quick snap and one timers. I also think the blade would be the most durable because it has no foam to break down. Also I’ve only tried the RBZ and not the 20k or covert and I quite liked it.
I ended up picking up 2 reebok ai9’s 75 flex, grip, datsyuk curve, I think it’s a really good stick and I got two because they were 50% off. Thanks for all the help Chris and EB
Glad to hear it Sam! I think you will like that stick. Matt reviewed it for the blog last year and really liked it. Glad we could help!
Hey guys- just wanting your take on this- I recently got an 11K from Reebok, because I heard good things about their product. Literally after the first game I played with it, the toe was all chipped to Hades! So needless to say even MORE recently, I shipped it back to Reebok. When I bought the stick, the guys at the retailer said as an FYI if it broke within the warranty, because the technology was closest, that Reebok would probably send me a 20K as a replacement because they don’t make the 11K anymore. (Is there even a question in here?!?)
My question IS: Is the blade chipping issue something that you’ve heard about with the 11K? 1b) Are the 20K’s blades more durable? 1c) How did I JUST find this site? I am a HUGE gear head so I love this kind of stuff.
Thanks for the time-
Seth
Hey Seth, thanks for the kind words.
Sorry for your troubles with the 11k. I haven’t heard of many issues with the 11k blade. That’s not to say they do or do not exist, I just haven’t heard of anything.
Reebok did modify the blade on the 20k, adding new technology to eliminate blade torque. The stiffer construction should improve durability as well, and I think you’ll be happy with it.
Thanks again for the kind words, hope you continue to visit the site. Be sure to follow us on facebook and twitter too!
So I had the 20k and last night i went out for practice and not one but both of my 20ks broke in the same exact spot have you ever heard or seen that happen with the 20k
Wow, I’ve never heard of anything like that – especially with the 20k. Sounds like you might have gotten a couple bad twigs from a faulty batch. I definitely recommend you reach out to your dealer to get replacements.
The 20k is one of my favorite sticks. I used it A LOT and didn’t have any durability issues. The blade eventually started to crack some, so I retired it, but I’d purchase one in a heartbeat.
Thanks for reading!