CCM Super Tacks AS1 Hockey Stick Review

MAXimum Loading Mid Kick Point

The mid-kick point stick is all about unleashing raw power into the stick and launching the puck. The challenge when building a flex profile mid kick is finding a balance between slap shots and wrist shots. Max stiffness is great when you lean into a slapshot, but it’s hard to put the same amount of force into a wrist shot. There needs to be a softer area in the stick to get velocity on your wrist shots. Where is this spot?

CCM uses a testing facility called the CCM Performance Lab to find this sweet spot. Bringing in both professional and amateur players allowed CCM to identify the most common hand placements for both slap shot and wrist shots. Wrist shots typically have a bottom hand placement that is slightly above the mid-point of the shaft. Slap shots typically have a hand placement that is at or slightly below the mid-point.

The AS1 features an optimized flex profile with a soft segment above the mid-point of the shaft for quick release wrist shots and increased stiffness from the mid-point to blade for maximum energy loading for snapshots. Overall, the AS1 is a mid kick point stick at heart and is built for booming slapshots and heavy weight wrist shots. Those that prefer a low kick stick would still require an adjustment period to refine their technique if they switched over to the AS1. But this optimized flex profile will be a perfect fit for the true mid kick point player.

ACU3 Blade

As mentioned above, the AS1 blade is constructed using the X-Flow technology for an improved strength-to-weight ratio. What makes the ACU3 blade unique is a firm stiffness throughout. The blade is very stiff from heel to toe with minimal dampening. There is a tactile surface on the blade face, but that is specifically designed for shot control.

CCM uses their top carbon material, Sigmatex, in the ACU3 blade. The carbon is built to have a stiff outer frame with two support bridges for maximum stiffness.

Why a stiff blade? The stick is built for high energy shots with max loading and launch. A soft blade would torque and twist in ways that make it difficult to control shots. When you’re launching bombs from the point, accuracy is key. Not only so you can hit the net, but also so you don’t injure teammates. The stiff blade allows you to place the puck where you want.

Finally, CCM has added reinforcement to the heel and toe of the ACU3 blade to reduce the impact of wear and tear on the blade. You’ll see this same feature across all 2018 Elite level sticks.

Final Thoughts

One final note, we will see a new pattern from CCM this year. The P88 Ovechkin. This will be a classic mid-curve which is great in many game situations.

For the mid-kick shooter, you’ll love the slapshot accuracy, and wrist shot release of the AS1. If you do pick one of these up, I’m confident you’ll pick more corners and hopefully avoid the evil eye of your teammates standing in front of the net. If the mid-kick isn’t for you, say your go-to shot is a snapshot, it’s probably best if you look toward the Ribcor or Jetspeed line.

For those using the intermediate sticks, what a treat. I think everyone has had the same thought for years. Maybe the intermediate shaft geometry needs to change? We’re finally able to see what that looks like and give it some real-world testing.

There is plenty to like about the new AS1 stick. It looks great, it’s being used by a bunch of NHL players, and it’s packed with tangible upgrades. The best part is that these upgrades and new technologies are being driven by legitimate analysis at the Performance Lab. After testing it out at some demo sessions, I’m excited to try this stick in a game.