(rock music)
(hockey buzzer)
- Hey guys, Jeremy here
from How To Hockey.
In this video I'm talking about
alternatives to hockey tape.
Instead of trying to
do a really long video
where you talk about
every single product here
what I'm gonna do is
break it up into a series
so in this first video,
I'm gonna talk about
every single product that
we have, just briefly
and also gonna talk about
sort of what's wrong with hockey tape
or why you might wanna try a grip instead
of the same old hockey tape that people
have been using for years.
So first, I'm gonna talk about
the products we have here.
You may not have known
this, but there is a variety
of different products that you
can use instead of hockey tape.
One of the most popular ones is
probably the Buttendz right here.
I'm gonna take this out of the packaging.
(bottle cap pops)
This is the Buttendz. It's
flexible. It's rubbery.
It's got that nice kind
of grip feel to it.
And it comes in a variety
of different styles.
So this one has the twirl
going all the way down it
and it's got kind of like a
half-knob right there on top
and they're always developing
different varieties and styles
and colors as well, so
there's a lot of variation
that you can get in this.
What I notice with the Buttendz
is they do really intricate
designs and really put a
lot of thought and design
into the product design of it.
It has a nice feel to it,
and I'll talk more about that
in the video when I do the full review.
(bottle clanks)
These are the Russian grips.
I believe they ship out of Russia.
I'd say they're closest
competitor to the Buttends.
They have more simple designs, so this one
just sort of looks like the tape.
Nice thing is you can
customize it so you can see
I got my name and number right there.
Pretty basic, just like printed on there.
They have that silicone feel to them
so it's a bit grippy, but
also like a little bit
smooth and slippery, I guess you could say
and they seem a little bit
thinner than the Buttendz
so, durability I'm not too sure about
but we'll test that in the review.
This one is the Torch.
Out of all the grips this
one interests me the most
because it has the most unique design.
The Buttendz and the Russian grips,
they go over the shaft.
This one goes inside, so
that could have a bit of an
effect on how you flex the
stick and get that leverage.
What I think is really interesting
is the shape of the knob.
So your hand is gonna come over the top
and then this part is
gonna stick out the back
and because it has that lip right there
it kind of gives you something to pull on
so I'm interested in testing it out to see
if it has an effect on
shot power and handling.
I was thinking with poke
checks for the defense
it would really help you get
a good grip on that stick
so that one should be interesting.
Last ones that I have
here are the Sniper Skins.
These can be customized as
well as far as color goes
and you can also get text
or logo put on there.
I have the How To Hockey logo.
So, kind of cool to customize.
The interesting thing
about these is the material
so they're not rubber, it's
more like a plastic material
and a bit thinner, probably
harder to rip or tear
especially if it's on the grip
and how they go on is
you slide it over the top
and then you pour hot water on it
and it shrinks and perfectly wraps
so it gets a really nice
tight wrap on there.
How you customize it is with
these little bits and pieces
so you can put these rings along the top
and create a feel, so
like something that goes
in between your fingers
as you grip the stick
so I think that was kind of
a neat idea on how to do it.
So, these ones will be
interesting to test, as well.
Here's a brief look at the
products I'm gonna be reviewing
over the next week, so
tune in for more details
throughout the week on
all of these products.
Now I'm gonna talk about
what's wrong with hockey tape?
Why don't we just use hockey tape?
Well, let's talk about that.
So, what's wrong with using hockey tape?
Honestly, nothing really.
Do you have to buy a grip? No.
You can get away with using hockey tape.
People have used hockey tape for years
since it was invented as hockey tape.
I used it for 20 years, I
didn't really have any problems
with it, but, there weren't really
other options available to me.
It was just hockey tape and that's it.
So now that these new
products have come out
and I've tried them and I
kind of like some of them.
So, I wouldn't really call
them problems with tape,
but maybe issues, and the
first one, probably the biggest
is this right here,
this is my hockey glove
and we got that little hole right there
and we got this big hole right there
and we got this hole right there.
So it only happens on the top
hand where the hockey tape is
because that this friction of the tape
it rubs and rubs and rubs on the leather
and it eats right through it
so that will happen to your hockey gloves.
I got some more gloves here.
This is a Verberos and it's
got a little bit of wear
right there, I only use these for shooting
in the garage and some coaching.
And then these are the Winnwells
I use to use in my old videos
and they got the grip right there
and I only use these for coaching
and shooting videos as well
so no matter what you're
gonna get that extra wear.
So, apparently, products like the Buttendz
and the Torch, and the
Sniper Skin, the Russian grip
these guys don't eat at your
gloves as much as the tape does
or apparently at all,
according to some of them.
So if you want your mitts
to last a little bit longer
maybe look into the grips.
If you don't mind the extra air holes
well then maybe hockey tape is for you.
What other advantage do you
have using a grip over tape?
Well, you've got feel and functionality.
For a rubbery grip like this,
it has a nice texture to it
a nice feel, you don't
get that stickiness.
Sometimes when you do a
fresh tape-job with tape
the glue kind of leaks through it
and you get your hand kind
of sticking to that knob.
With this you're not gonna get that.
I find it's a better overall grip
and you're not gonna
drop your stick as well.
My brother really noticed that.
He tends to drop his
stick, I don't know why
but he said with the Buttendz he had
a really good grip on his stick.
So, extra feel, extra grip,
maybe more maneuverability
and then you have the
functionality with something
like this Torch, it gives you a new way
to sort of leverage your
stick, and possibly more power?
So those are a few options we're gonna
look at when we do the reviews.
And the last issue which, I
mean isn't really one for me
but could be for some people
is just the aesthetics of your stick.
Some people want a grip that's
gonna match your team colors
and maybe you can't get
a tape in this color
or maybe the tape just really stinks
when it's in this color.
I find white tape is nice,
but then you get all this
black kind of gunky junk on there.
Some people don't like
that; I really don't mind.
Other people will re-tape their stick
over and over and over.
I leave my grip as it is.
If the stick lasts me three years,
the grip lasts me three years
but I see some guys throwing that extra
grip tape stuff on there.
So just a few other reasons that
you may want to try out a grip.
Alright guys, that's it for this video.
Thanks a lot for tuning in.
Over the week I'm gonna
be dropping reviews
on each of these products.
I'm gonna talk about weight, the price,
the insulation, and, of course, the feel.
So tune in if you're interested
in any of these grips
and learn more about
hockey tape alternatives.
Thanks a lot for watching.
See you next video.
(rock music)
