My unbiased opinion is that really is a great stick. I hated the Dynasty stick line. Alpha has much better feel and puck control which was lacking in the HD1. It reminds me a lot of the Nexus. I take more slap shots and heavy shots so the kick point has worked out in my favor. My shot has definitely improved coming from a QRL but again I believe that's due to the kick point. It's stiffer than previous models and the shaft shape is taking me a little while to get used to. I also wish the corner tactile extended a little further down. I tend to feel my hand slipping off the grooves.
2017 Warrior VIP- Alpha QX
Started by weskuz, Apr 25 2017 03:07 PM
91 replies to this topic
#61
Posted 25 July 2017 - 12:33 PM
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#62
Posted 25 July 2017 - 12:40 PM
My unbiased opinion is that really is a great stick. I hated the Dynasty stick line. Alpha has much better feel and puck control which was lacking in the HD1. It reminds me a lot of the Nexus. I take more slap shots and heavy shots so the kick point has worked out in my favor. My shot has definitely improved coming from a QRL but again I believe that's due to the kick point. It's stiffer than previous models and the shaft shape is taking me a little while to get used to. I also wish the corner tactile extended a little further down. I tend to feel my hand slipping off the grooves.
Interesting that you say your shot improved from the QRL. How long did you use the QRL for and what do you like more about the Alpha? I'm still a bit confused as to the kick point and the whole "mid-low" kick thing.
#63
Posted 25 July 2017 - 01:03 PM
Interesting that you say your shot improved from the QRL. How long did you use the QRL for and what do you like more about the Alpha? I'm still a bit confused as to the kick point and the whole "mid-low" kick thing.
I used QRL's for a year. Went through a retail stick and rack of customs. I loved the feel of the QRL and they finally brought over the carbon weave to the other line. The Alpha has great puck feel now which IMO was lacking in the previous Dynasty line. I load up more with my lower hand which is why my shot improved with the Alpha. The flex point starts where you place your lower hand and then moves to lower part of the shaft. The QRL kickpoint was too low for the way I shoot. Having the puck feel of a QRL and a mid to low flex arc is what I like most about the Alpha.
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#64
Posted 25 July 2017 - 01:24 PM
I used QRL's for a year. Went through a retail stick and rack of customs. I loved the feel of the QRL and they finally brought over the carbon weave to the other line. The Alpha has great puck feel now which IMO was lacking in the previous Dynasty line. I load up more with my lower hand which is why my shot improved with the Alpha. The flex point starts where you place your lower hand and then moves to lower part of the shaft. The QRL kickpoint was too low for the way I shoot. Having the puck feel of a QRL and a mid to low flex arc is what I like most about the Alpha.
So 7 QRLs in a year? I tend to shoot with my hands where I'm stick handling unless I'm moving my hand for a one timer or slapshot. I noticed shooting with the QRL power was effortless. Interesting kick point for sure.
#65
Posted 25 July 2017 - 02:20 PM
Yeah I've really enjoyed the nexus sticks and tried a qrl and absolutely fell in love with it. I wanna try the alpha just because warrior has won me over but idk if it's even worth it because I love the qrl so much
#66
Posted 25 July 2017 - 02:24 PM
Yeah I've really enjoyed the nexus sticks and tried a qrl and absolutely fell in love with it. I wanna try the alpha just because warrior has won me over but idk if it's even worth it because I love the qrl so much
If it isn't broken don't try and fix it. If the QRL is clicking for you I'd say stick with it. I shot a couple of Yakupov pro stock QRLs which were real QRLs and shots came off hot and easily, same with the retail QRLs. You'd probably like the QX too though. It's all about being comfortable with what you're using.
#67
Posted 25 July 2017 - 02:53 PM
What shaft shape does the retail QX have? Didn't like the round HD1...
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#68
Posted 25 July 2017 - 03:18 PM
What shaft shape does the retail QX have? Didn't like the round HD1...
Squared and concaved. I'd say similar to an Easton HTX sized shaft.
#69
Posted 25 July 2017 - 03:21 PM
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#71
Posted 26 July 2017 - 07:54 AM
Sometimes I feel like I'm taking crazy pills...
I'll give my honest feedback on this stick because I don't really care about Warrior's opinion of me as a 4th line grinder on an entry level contract in beer league.
Please keep in mind that this is not a reflection of any kind of lack of gratitude for being chosen as a VIP. I am grateful for that. But I can still give an honest opinion of the product.
The flex rating on mine seemed to be inaccurate compared to another retail model I have with the same specs. The one Warrior sent me was markedly stiffer than the other one. Both were labeled as 75 flex, but one felt like an 85. It's possible it was simply labeled incorrectly.
I'm not going to pontificate about things like "quick strike" because I don't even know what Warrior meant by that.
What I like:
The shaft. The shape is precisely the kind that I like. Corners aren't too rounded, and the sidewalls are concave. The grip is just enough and feels pretty good. Overall, I'm very comfortable with my grip on the QX. It just feels good in my hands. The flex and response were very comfortable on the one that actually felt like a 75 flex. I felt a lot of control with this stick.
Passing. I'm a pass first, shoot second kind of guy. The blade of the QX has a dampened feel to it, and after logging some time with it I discovered that passing feels pretty darn good with it. The puck doesn't explode off the blade like some of the other sticks I've used, so I feel like I have excellent control over making saucer passes, as well as catching passes.
...but this brings me to what I don't like:
Shooting. Nope. Not a fan. You know that feeling you get when you really rip one off? The puck just snaps off the blade and you can feel it? I don't get that at all. There's very little feedback. The puck may come off great, but you don't really know it (feel it). The blade just feels to dampened for my liking. I've taken all kinds of shots in games with it. Slapshots, snapshots, wristers. None made me feel like I was taking my best shot. I had decent control over shot placement, but the whole time I really wanted the puck to release quicker.
Durability. Was really disappointed to see little pieces of carbon fiber flaking off the heel after one game. I have a retail Bauer 1N that just broke after 6 months of fairly regular use. I'm not hard on my sticks The Bauer had zero issues like this. Warrior's durability in the blade reminds me of Easton's. I know another VIP that had his break near the hozel after a mild slash. Maybe the initial run for VIP's are not as durable as the one's shipping to stores right now.
Bottom line: I don't hate this stick, but I don't love it either. I'm sure there are some guys that will love the dampened shooting feel. And it really does perform well for someone who is more of a playmaker/setup guy versus a pure shooter. If I'm buying a Warrior, I'd probably go with the QRL first just because I feel like I can get better shooting feel while still having good control and passing.
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#72
Posted 26 July 2017 - 09:12 AM
I've always wondered if VIP's were given sticks with manufacturing defects. Like cosmetics or flex rating being a little off.
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#73
Posted 26 July 2017 - 09:50 AM
I've always wondered if VIP's were given sticks with manufacturing defects. Like cosmetics or flex rating being a little off.
That wouldn't make sense to do that, they'll never get good reviews that way, unless people are so enthralled with getting a free stick, that they'd never say anything negative about in fear of not getting one again. Either way, no stock is going to be "the stick" for everybody.
#74
Posted 26 July 2017 - 11:52 AM
Agreed with Kevin on the shot feedback and durability.
I've been able to get good shots off with the stick but never really got the sense that I "got all of it". And as far as durability goes, much like the HD1 I got a few years ago from the VIP program, the toe started to chip after 2 ice times.
#75
Posted 26 July 2017 - 12:06 PM
Agreed with Kevin on the shot feedback and durability.
I've been able to get good shots off with the stick but never really got the sense that I "got all of it". And as far as durability goes, much like the HD1 I got a few years ago from the VIP program, the toe started to chip after 2 ice times.
You're getting me those obnoxiously large chunks taken out of your toe on the Alpha like the HD ?!
#76
Posted 26 July 2017 - 02:23 PM
That wouldn't make sense to do that, they'll never get good reviews that way, unless people are so enthralled with getting a free stick, that they'd never say anything negative about in fear of not getting one again. Either way, no stock is going to be "the stick" for everybody.
You would be surprised how bias some reviews online sound simply because it's a free product.
I enjoy the feel of mine so far, as well as the grip and the shaft and the ribs. While I agree with KC about the "wow" factor when shooting, I do find that my shots are more consistently harder than with sticks I've used in the past. So while I don't think wow I got all of that on shots, there have been times I've taken bad angle shots or shot/passes for tips and i thought wow it doesn't take much to get a lot on them.
I find the sticks feels extremely light and "fragile" for lack of a better term however I've had no durability issues.
#77
Posted 26 July 2017 - 05:51 PM
You're getting me those obnoxiously large chunks taken out of your toe on the Alpha like the HD ?!
No giant chunks just yet but the toe is already starting to deteriorate after two uses.
#78
Posted 26 July 2017 - 06:35 PM
To the guys who are having toe issues, do you tape the toe?
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#79
Posted 26 July 2017 - 09:49 PM
To the guys who are having toe issues, do you tape the toe?
You should cross-reference the "How do you tape your stick thread."
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