Last October, Reebok Hockey sent us their brand new Reebok Ai9 one-piece hockey stick to review. In my initial review, I liked the feel of the stick and experienced some of the hardest shots I had ever taken. With continued use, the Reebok Ai9 has impressed me more and more. Now, it seems as though Reebok’s latest stick is one of the best available. Read on for my full review:
Player Specs: I’m approximately six-feet tall and weigh around 190 pounds. My preferred stick is a 100 flex with a slight mid-heel curve, 5 lie, and round toe.
Stick Specs: Reebok Ai9, Griptonite Grip, Crosby curve, 85 Flex
Modifications: None
Appearance and Design:
The Reebok Ai9 has maintained a fresh design and can compete with offerings from any other brand in terms of eye appeal as it continues to draw looks and compliments from players. The matte finish on the lower third of the stick compliments the design nicely, but it still maintains some shine on the top two thirds. Despite the stick having a stock length of 60 inches, it feels longer. Transitioning to a different brand for a game proved to be difficult as the other stick felt much shorter. Not to blame the Ai9, however, as the stock length pleases me with ice skates on and provides the perfect length and lie for someone who likes to stickhandle a bit away from their body.
Feel:
The traditional shape of the shaft on the Ai9 gives it a very natural feel in my hands and took no getting used to. The Griptonite grip of the shaft is subtle enough that I can still slide my hands easily up and down the length of the shaft, but provides enough grip to keep my hands locked in place when I want them to be. The presence of the grip on the shaft really had no adverse effects, and fans of a grip stick should be pleased with the Griptonite technology.
Feel for the puck with the Reebok Ai9 was tremendous. While I did go through a bit of an adjustment period after I first began using it, the Ai9 has proven to not only provide reliable puck feel when stickhandling, but accurate feel as well. Beyond just feeling that the puck is on my blade, I find I have a better feel for where the puck is on my blade – whether its on the heel, mid-blade, or toe. While the point may seem small, it’s a feel I was unable to achieve with an Easton EQ50 that led to a recurring problem of fanned shots.
After a few months of continuous usage, the Reebok Ai9 still flexes as though it were new. While I typically use 100 flex sticks, the 85 flex Reebok has proven to be very strong. The only other experience I have had with an 85 flex was on a Warrior Kronik, and it was unbelievably whippy. If you’re expecting a whippy 85 flex with the Ai9, you may want to reconsider which flex you choose. This 85 flex stick provides me with enough resistance on shots to really load up the shaft and expect a hard, fast shot.
As I noted in my initial impressions review, I had a bit of trouble catching passes when I first switched to the Ai9. When attempting to receive hard passes, the puck would sometimes jump off the blade or bounce when making contact. This problem has resolved itself, however, and I can attribute it to nothing more than an adjustment period as I got used to using a new stick. My best advice would be to make sure you use this stick in practice a couple times and are comfortable with the dynamics of the new stick before you take it into a game.
Shooting and Accuracy:
Where I truly expected to experience an adjustment period was in my shooting and accuracy. Using the Crosby curve, which I had been unfamiliar with, and a change in flex, I thought it would be a skate or two before I could place shots like I’m used to. To my surprise, however, my shot was hard and accurate from the first time I stepped onto the rink with the Ai9.
Wrist and snapshots, which I use frequently, pop off quite well from the mid-flex point shaft. As I stated above, the 85 flex loads up a bit heavier to me, more like the 100 flex Eastons that I’m accustomed to. The big selling point from the Easton Stealth RS that everyone talks about, besides its great design, is the way the puck pops off your blade on each shot. From my experience, the Reebok Ai9 produces just as much pop as an Easton Stealth RS, and costs a bit less too.
The great pop isn’t just noticeable on wrist shots, however, it’s also a big part of the reason why slapshots feel so good with this stick. My accuracy has always been less than terrific with slapshots though, and the Ai9 provided no exception. When it comes to picking a general area – high, low, left and right – I have no issues in hitting the right spot. However, when aiming for a top left corner above the goalies shoulder, my chances of hitting the corner will be about one in four. Of course, this can only be attributed to the player and not the stick, but it’s worth noting that the Ai9 does not improve my slapshot accuracy.
Despite minor paint chips on the Reebok Ai9, it has been an incredibly durable stick
Durability:
My favorite part about using the Reebok Ai9 has been feeling comfortable with how strong the stick is. This stick has blocked shots, been hacked, slashed, stepped on, used for stick lifts and board play, but shows no awful signs of wear. Like any stick that has been used for period of a couple months, our Ai9 has its fair share of dings and paint chips. At the end of the day though, I never second guess leaning into a hard slapshot because I am so confident in it’s ability to load up and perform the way it did on day one.
In terms of stiffness, at this point the shaft feels just as potent as it did when we received it. Typically you can expect a shaft to be able to incur a maximum number of actions, in this case a flex and release, before it begins to lose stiffness. After using the Ai9 for a few months now, I’m very pleased with its slow rate of wear. The response has been similar with the blade, as it has suffered no loss of stiffness and remains strong in durability, along with puck feel.
Overall Impressions:
The Reebok Ai9 has been one of the better hockey sticks that I have used. I’m generally pleased with all aspects of the sticks performance, but especially pleased with the durability. If you’re paying an obnoxious amount for a hockey stick, as most of us do, the least we can expect is for it to not only perform, but last a long time as well.
When comparing this stick to other high end products on the market, you will definitely be pleased with what it has to offer. Overall performance is going to be similar to what you would see with an Easton Stealth RS, but it looks like Easton still has some durability issues to work out. While the Reebok Ai9 has gone up in price ($239.99 at Pure Hockey) compared to the Sickick III, it still comes in priced less than the Stealth RS and Bauer APX sticks (both $249.99). However small it may seem, this is still a win for the consumer.
At the end of the day, Reebok has produced a terrific high end hockey stick for a great value. I’ve never been a fan of Reebok sticks in the past, always using Easton or Bauer, but the Ai9 has definitely turned me into a believer. If you’re a fan of the other brands too, don’t shy away from this offering just because it’s a brand you haven’t used in the past. The Reebok Ai9 has changed my perception, and could definitely do the same for you.
Thinking of buying a new stick? Be sure to check out our reviews of other sticks including the Easton Stealth RS, the Warrior AK and the Miken Razor Z9. And be sure to visit Pure Hockey before you buy and use the coupon code HOCKEYWORLD at checkout to receive 10% off your purchase.
