[Review] Proton Power
So I got the Proton Power about 2 months ago. I originally wanted one after I used one of my teammates before practice. I really liked the feel of it, so I sold some things to raise money and got one.
Pinch: The one thing I really liked about this head was the pinch. STX strayed away from the keyhole pinch (which I do NOT like), and used a very gradual pinch in the P2. It starts out pretty tight at the throat and gradually widens to 6.75 inches at the scoop, near the legal limit (6.5 in). I am very impressed with this pinch. It gets a 10/10. This is by far my favorite pinch I've used.
Scoop: The scoop is where some people may not like the Proton Power. It has a slight curve to it, but nothing big, like the Torque's 'V' Scoop. If you play on Turf, the P2 scoops very nicely, just gliding on the turf, but if you play on grass, you will need to get low. For Turf: 9/10, For Grass: 7/10 As long as you get low on grass (which you should be anyway!)the scoop is fine
Offset: This head, like all STX heads (other than Crankshaft Heads), has the STX Cant, which forces the ball a little higher in your pocket. The offset really lets you feel the ball in your pocket. For me, this is good, because I hate when I can't feel the ball in my stick. I give the offset an 8/10
Durability: So far, this head has held up very well. I have probably have faced off maybe 30 times with my P2 and it hasn't warped at all yet. It just seems to pop back into it's original shape. I have also thrown my fair share of checks with this, and it hasn't broken yet, as people claim it does. STX clearly fixed the breaking problem in the top corners of the head. Also, as long as you don't dye or pinch it, if it breaks in less than 6 months of your original purchase, you can send it back to STX and get a new one for free. I give the Proton Power's durability an 8/10. I have yet to see anything wrong with it's durability.
Stiffness: STX created an independent ball stop to reduce weight, while retaining stiffness and durability, and it did just that. The P2 should be fine for any mid-fielders and attackmen, but this head just isn't stiff enough for defense. It will probably snap and warp in the hands of an aggressive defender. I give this head a 6/10. It is decent, but not stiff enough for a defender.
Stringing: Most people that I know have said this head was very difficult to string, but I had no trouble with it. The stringing holes just seemed to line up with my SLLDC mesh. The only letdown of the stringing aspect is the ballstop. STX only put 2 holes at the throat of the head, so you custom users may have some trouble stringing this. I've seen a way to make traditional possible in the P2, so just search for that. For mesh, 7/10. For traditional, 5/10.
Weight: Now this head is light. So light that when I got the box in the mail with this head, I thought Sportstop had forgotten to put the head in the box. I think the head comes in at 4.75 Oz unstrung. I doubt this head would be topheavy unless you put it on a db803. I give the weight a 9/10. It could have been lighter, but do you really notice a .25 oz difference?
Overall: This head is light, durable, and well pinched. It isn't great for trad, though, so watch out for that.
For Attack: 9/10, perfect for attack. Only the stringing lets it down.
For Defense: 5/10, the P2 just isn't beefy enough for defense
For Midfield: 8/10, This would be fine for midfield. Maybe a little more stiff, and its perfect.
I would get pictures, but my stick is at my school...
Last edited by Dan : 04-29-2008 at 11:57 AM.
|
[Review] Proton Power
Linear Mode
