The team over at Fischer hockey has only been making hockey sticks for a couple years now, and it’s impressive what they’ve been able to come up with in such a short time span. With a wide range of offerings for every price point, Fischer sent us their latest top-of-the-line composite stick – the Fischer SX9 – to demo out on the rink.
Aesthetically, Fischer mostly employs a minimalist style to their designs. The SX9 features a black on black look that utilizes different textures to create its design. There’s a small amount of white accenting, but I wish there was more to help the brand name pop out. Up close, where you can examine the stick, you can see the intricate details, but from far away it’s tough to tell what the stick is or who makes it because of the black-on-black design.
We received the grip version to demo at a 90 flex. I took roughly an inch and a half off the butt end to get the length where I need it to be. The grip isn’t very tacky to the bare hand, but with gloves on the grip coating provides a great balance that’s grippy, yet allows you the freedom to move your hands easily while playing.
The stick is pretty well balanced, if slightly blade heavy, and doesn’t feel much heavier than, say, my Easton Synergy HTX. The blade and the shaft are made from aircraft carbon and PrimeTex, likely helping to keep the stick strong without adding additional weight.
One of the first things I noticed about the SX9 was its “snap.” A lot of brands talk about quicker releases, but with the SX9 there was a noticeably quicker release from the stick – both with wrist shots and slap shots.
With wrist shots, I found this gave me a bit of an edge. My accuracy was good with the stick, I felt like I was able to let shots go quickly when I needed to, and I had no problem putting the puck top shelf quickly and effortlessly. From further out, I didn’t notice much of an increase in power or velocity on my slapshots, but I still found the stick gave me a quick release when I needed to let a shot go under pressure.
Overall, feel for the puck was strong. The SX9 compares admirably in this category to most other sticks I’ve used over the past year or so – which is really saying something for a relative newbie to the stick market. I found myself able to skate well with the puck and make good plays without having to keep my head down to track the puck all the time. My comfort level with the stick was high because of this, and I was pleased in general with the way it performed during games.
Having used Fischer hockey sticks in the past, I know they produce a quality, durable product. At a time when top-of-the-line hockey sticks have jumped in price to $250-plus, many players are finding themselves sacrificing high-end features that will improve their play in order to find a stick in their price range. Fortunately, the Fischer SX9 offers players high-end features at a lower price point – giving them the best of both worlds.
These sticks are awesome all around and I would quit my day job to push these magical sticks