Checking out CCM’s new RBZ stick

By Ben Fleck – 

CCM is hoping their new RBZ  stick – powered by TaylorMade – will take the next step in hockey stick technology.

“We are calling it a new revolution in hockey,” said Jordan Boman, sales rep for CCM.

The golf company, a worldwide leader in composite products, teamed up with CCM to design the RBZ stick – a product they say will be unlike any other.

“These guys are experts in wind resistance, durability of composite products, and impact,” said Boman of the TaylorMade engineers working on the RBZ project. “It took about 3-4 years to design this stick, which is a long time to design a stick.”

And after months of hype and product exposure, the RBZ will become available to the public today.

Perhaps most notable for the redesigned blade construction, CCM expects that the RBZ will offer a bit more ‘pop’ for a player’s shot, and keep that ‘pop’ for a longer period of time. Most hockey blades are injected with foams with a bridge in the middle, which helps to absorb and release energy. However, the CCM and TaylorMade engineers found that the foam doesn’t always release all of the energy absorbed.

Boman said CCM took out all the foam, so it is a completely hollow blade, and added four bridges to make it a stronger and lighter blade. Eliminating the foam and adding the four bridges makes for a harder blade and rids the problem of the blade absorbing the energy during a shot or pass.

“Using the same principles that power the TaylorMade Rocketballz (golf clubs), the RBZ features a revolutionary new design that completely eliminates foam from inside the blade,” Boman said.

The new blade system is designed to improve the ‘coefficient of restitution’ – measuring the trampoline-effect that a stick has in contact of the puck, and ensuing launching of a shot.

“This is a new concept to hockey, but one that has been used in golf for several years now in order to assess how to maximize the performance of a driver to increase ball speed,” Boman said. “The speed channels inside the RBZ blade are designed to enhance C.O.R. to minimize energy loss for a rocket of a shot.”

The RBZ will be a one-of-a-kind product; CCM does not have plans of offering price-pointed versions or anything along those lines.

Below is a review of the RBZ from TotalHockey.com.