Silverback Chrome O Hockey Stick Review

This stick was the beginning of something new for me. I was putting up decent stats in terms of goals and assists in my inline league with previous sticks I’ve reviewed. I was still in the process of what worked best for me in terms of blade pattern, length, and shaft flex. When I got the opportunity to review the Chrome O stick from Silverback, I seized the opportunity to use stick specifications I nor anyone else on my team use. I had never used a stick with a square toe or one with a Nicklas Lidstrom-type curve until now. Read further for my thoughts and experiences while using the Chrome O stick.

Specs: Silverback Chrome O, 90 flex, Lincoln curve

Modifications: Cut 1.5 inches off the butt end.

Design and Construction: The Chrome O has a very sleek, dark design to it. While most companies today are going to sticks that are painted silver, white, or even yellow, Silverback went with a black design with orange trim. One thing I like about the cosmetic appearance is the SILVERBACK word mark in a lighter grey color against the black background. To the untrained eye, it looks similar to the Easton Stealth line but with orange instead of the yellow accent.

The Silverback Chrome O stick after several months of use. With the exception of a couple uses on ice, this stick was mostly used for inline hockey.
The Silverback Chrome O stick after several months of use. With the exception of a couple uses on ice, this stick was mostly used for inline hockey.

Feel: The Chrome O has superb feel. It feels light in my hands as well as on the rink. Checking in at 433 grams, it’s pretty light. However there are a couple drawbacks. It is slightly bottom heavy with more weight shifted towards the heel of the stick. In addition, I’ve struggled receiving passes that end up towards the toe of the stick. I’m not sure if it’s because of the curve of the blade or other factors.

With the shaft, the Gorilla Technology is much improved over the original. I love that the shaft is slightly concave which allows for better and a more natural grip of the shaft. There are also ridges on each of the four corners that go down the length of the shaft. While the shaft is not tacky or sticky like most other sticks, the matte finish plus the corner ridges gives me flexibility to move my hand quickly and efficiently when stick handling.

Shooting and Accuracy: Shooting is where the Chrome O excelled. I’ve played approximately 17 inline games with the stick since January and it’s been responsible for 12 goals and 16 more assists. I even led our team during the winter season in goals as primarily a defenseman! And scoring many goals from the point was something I hadn’t done much of in the years I’ve been playing inline hockey.

I’ve taken hundreds of slappers with the stick and it comes off like a rocket every time. Shots some off very hard and has been known to scare off opposing players from standing in the way of a shot from me if I wind up for a shot.

In terms of accuracy, it’s one of the areas where it doesn’t achieve perfect scores. I was much more accurate with wrist shots and snap shots than slap shots. Wrist shots were harder to control because of the curve. My wrist shots were typically waist-high and some even sailed over the boards. I had to adjust my shot in order to keep them, below the crossbar.

One segment where I was very accurate with the stick was when it came to passing. Not too often I attempted a pass and completely missed my teammates stick.

The Lincoln curve is definitely bigger than I’m used to and opens a little at the toe. It’s similar to a Lidstrom curve under most other manufacturers and it did take some time getting used to a bigger curve. It does cause the puck to rise very quickly, so for someone who naturally shoots the puck high you might need to adjust your puck position to keep the puck low. I know I had to, even on wrist shots. But as a defenseman this worked in my favor if I needed to quickly release the puck high off the glass or when I shoot the puck down the rink on a penalty kill.

Durability: After using it for several months, I am very impressed at how it has held up. Outside of a few dings along the shaft and some normal slash marks the stick has been very durable. The way I tape my stick leaves the half of the blade exposed, and there has been fewer signs of wear and tear compared to previous sticks I have reviewed in the past. This is the second stick I’ve reviewed for Silverback and this area was a great improvement from the original Chrome stick I reviewed.

Overall Impressions: The Silverback Chrome O is one of the best sticks I’ve ever used. I previously never used a curve like this and I’m glad I had. This stick has allowed me to discover the flex I should have been using the entire time (a 90 versus 100 or higher previously) to achieve maximum power when shooting. The only negative thing I have to say is that most of my shots went high over the net. I attribute this to the curve more so than the stick itself. I’m sure if I used a stick with less curve, shots would be on-target more often.

The stick currently retails for $170, so if you are looking for a high quality stick without breaking your piggy bank, I recommend using the Chrome O stick.

One comment

  1. Ed you mention your slap shot clears opponents from the net with fear. You didn’t mention that you own team feared it too!

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