Epoch C40 Goalie Handle -
Goalie handles are becoming less common and are often just thinner weaker versions of popular short sticks. Epoch has spent a good amount of time addressing this and coming out with the Dragonfly Gen V C40. This is another handle in the C series, but 40 inches longer for the keeper and with its own flare. This handle may be a favorite for more traditional goalies who love the longer handle.
SHAPE 10 out of 10
The C40 has the traditional octagonal grip that has dominated the market for years with a concave flare to it. The shape of this handle is well defined and a little thinner than your traditional C series handle. This allows you to really get a solid grip and not let the handle spin on hard shots. We had multiple goalies pick up this handle and every one couldn’t get over how well the shape of this handle was done 10 out of 10.
WEIGHT 10 out of 10
Our goalie went from using a cut down midgrade dpole as his goalie stick to the C40 and even though the C40 is much longer than his old stick it is noticeably lighter. This handle is almost hard to notice that you are holding it with how light it is. Getting off ball hip shots is just easy as the difference in weight between the head and the shaft is so great the stick will just naturally rotate under for you. These handles will definitely not make you feel heavy in the 4th quarter. 10 out of 10.
GRIP 10 out of 10
So we said that Epoch spent a lot of time developing this shaft and a lot of it was spent on the grip. There is literally no need for tape for goalies here, as a combination of SlipGrip and what Epoch calls a 3 Zone Grip provides super tacky feel in the zones where you need it to make saves. Goalies aren’t normally throwing poke checks so this grip doesn’t cause any issues and even on heavy bomb shots the stick stays even more solid than a handle with tape on it. Clearing the ball while running still feels good as the SlipGrip is layered between the 3 Zone giving you a great feeling when cradling the ball. Getting a solid grip is no problem here. 10 out of 10.
DURABILITY 10 OUT OF 10
Check the pipes, make saves, take checks, or throw them without any worry with the Gen V C40. Our goalie has since taken slashes when clearing, saved a few shots with the handle, given some hammers back to attackman camping on crease and routinely checks his spacing on the pipes and his shaft has no damage to it whatsoever. Rafael is no small guy and even under some frustration when he smacked the pipe with the handle it held up strong with no frustration breaks here. 10 out of 10.
FLEX 10 OUT OF 10
At an IQ3 the C40 is one of the stiffest handles in the Epoch Gen V lineup. This makes sense as they are going to be attached to much heavier heads and make long 40 yard passes routinely. At an IQ3 with a goalie head on this handle though the combination of stiffness and “Reload Technology” make clearing passes just a simple flick of the wrist. Reload Technology is a system of tighter weaves and added product while rethinking the multidirectional layering in all the Gen V handles by Epoch. It really is a noticeable addition during certain actions. In the case of the C40 the Reload tech gives the longer handle an added snap without having to try and throw harder, allowing you to really control your outlets while keeping them on a string over a longer distance where often goalies have to really force their pass which leads to overthrows or just bad passes all around. The flex of the C40 will give goalies an unbelievable advantage when looking to be the first line of offense after a great save. 10 out of 10.
LOOKS 10 out of 10
Looks don’t count in your final grade here, they don’t make you a better player or make a piece of equipment better but they still matter to a degree to every player. Nobody wants to look like a tyedye explosion on the field and Epoch keeps it clean with all of the Gen V handles sticking to simple color schemes of Carbon Grey. The Pantone 382c logos just stand out in the right way, keeping it looking clean. 10 out of 10.
OVERALL 10 out of 10
No brainer here, it’s not often that goalies are really supported by product development in a meaningful way but the guys at Epoch have you covered as a keeper. Push the pace and be a brick wall with the Epoch Gen V C40. 10 out of 10 fellas.