Editor’s Note: Thanks to John Murphy from Beloit College in Wisconsin to lend his opinions on today’s product. John was already using Grizzly Mesh when LAS’s own Tanner Job asked him for his thoughts on the popular new mesh.
When Grizzly Mesh from StringKing started popping its head up on social media, curiosity immediately began to grow. Goalies wanted to know if StringKing could produce a high quality product for them like they do for the short stick.
You don’t hear about goalie gear creating a buzz but Grizzly Mesh has been a hot topic recently. With the help of John Murphy, starting freshman goalie at Beloit College, we will explore this new “rebound-less” mesh because it’s always nice to have the product tested in a live game as well as practices and John was able to give up feedback on both.
Company: StringKing / Product: Grizzly Mesh / Price: $39.99
Stringing: 9/10
StringKing’s Grizzly Mesh strings up very well. It stretches with ease and remains stretched out, making the stringing process that much easier.
Also, Grizzly Mesh forms a nice channel when stringing in the head but if a player prefers a deep, low bag; the Grizzly Mesh allows for the bag to be as deep as they wish with minimal work.
Since the mesh is ridiculously light and stretchable, getting the top string tight is fairly easy and does not chew up your hands like other mesh.
Ball Control: 7/10
The most noticeable attribute of Grizzly Mesh is its lightweight and slim profile. The weight is noticeably less when on a stick, this isn’t just a gimmick to buy the mesh.
Grizzly Mesh has bit more whip than normal mesh because it stretches far more than other mesh. Once adjusted to the whip, it throws outlets on a dime and when hitting deep balls or frozen ropes, Grizzly mesh will help you get the job done.
Durability: 2/10
Grizzly Mesh started out awesome. It had been on my stick for about a week and a half, performing consistently, breaking in nicely and really absorbing shots and reduces the number of rebounds. The mesh airs on the side of dura-mesh, it throws smooth like harder mesh but eats up shots like softer mesh.
Unfortunately, after about 2 weeks of play, my mesh ripped along the sidewall. It played in one game, which was the disappointing thing and ripped while I was facing extra shots before practice.
Obviously this isn’t the only time we’ve seen this happen, so it looks like it’s becoming an unfortunate trend. Fortunately StringKing has a 90 day replacement policy in place to take care of any issues.
Consistency: 8/10
StringKing made Grizzly Mesh to be as consistent as possible. The fibers and diamond size work together form a nice pocket with a clean channel. An adjustment period is needed because of the added depth by the fully stretched mesh, which it’s always fun to break in and get to know your pocket.
The adjustment period should really be no more than 5 minutes on the wall but it’s worth it. The result is consistent outlets and time after time the ball will just sink into your pocket when making saves.
Value: 4/10
Listed at $39.99, Grizzly Mesh is a bit pricey for mesh, especially for goalies that go through it every season. For the money, one can get many pieces of something more reliable. It was a solid start for StringKing, but after experiencing a rip, one could quickly go back to their old ways.
Overall: 6/10
If you have the money to spend on Grizzly Mesh, go ahead and buy it. Shorties are spending the same price on Otter Mesh, making Grizzly Mesh well worth the money and on its way to becoming the best goalie mesh on the market.
StringKing nailed it with this mesh and is why it took them roughly 2 years to release it; it’s almost perfect. I’m sure you were wondering, if it still ripped in two weeks of use, why’s it worth it? StringKing responded promptly to my complaint and had me send back my ripped piece for an analysis while they sent me out a replacement piece of Grizzly Mesh right away.
If your Grizzly Mesh™ or Type 2 Plus™ breaks within 90 days of purchase, we will replace your mesh for free. Proof of purchase is required for all returns. – StringKing
As long as the backup stick is ready to go while they still perfect this product, I’d say it’s worth a shot. The lack of rebounds and consistency of the pocket speak loudly enough!
