Bauer Mach Set - Initial Impressions & Long Term Review

[coopaloop1234]

16 minutes ago, ZeroGravitas said:

Good catch re: professor strap.

Didn't know regular Custom pads come with the retail plate. From what Bauer told me, they said "NHL/IIHF plate is used for all custom orders". I haven't seen any regular custom pads to confirm that though....

I was under that impression as well, but after talking with Cam at the Hockey Shop, he's confirmed that you only get the NHL plate/pillow for Pro Custom orders.

Standard custom still comes with the off the shelf plate. 

[TWI]

Well there you go, questions answered as I went regular custom. Neither feature being a big deal to me, just thought it was interesting. 

[xmikex32]

Need some suggestions from you guys. This is kind of jumping the gun but i tried my new to me Mach glove last night in warm ups and it felt like it was going to fall off my hand. The glove was used one other time from the seller before i bought it so still in the break in process. I am able to close the glove fine without any issues but it feels like it is barely on my hand and it felt like if i took a hard shot to the pocket it would pull the glove off my hand. I messed with the strapping slightly and it felt like the glove would be too tight if i tightened it down anymore and wouldn't allow my hand to move fully. I'm thinking of loosening the finger strap and tightening the wrist/backhand strap  to allow hand movement while keeping it on my hand. To give a better picture it felt like every time i closed my glove on shots the glove was inching off my hand, every open and close it would push the glove up.

Any suggestions, just break it in more? I know this is the first time using it but unforntuely the only ice time i get to mess with it is during games so getting it dialed in quickly would be nice.

Side note do the finger loops inside the glove, pinky and thumb help with fitment? i messed with them a little and don't know if i did them too tight or not. I love looking and new gear and trying stuff but i honestly usually just get something and rock it and make it "work". My warrior has been the first glove that felt like i could open and close without issues.

Edited May 19 by xmikex32

[seagoal]

3 hours ago, xmikex32 said:

Need some suggestions from you guys. This is kind of jumping the gun but i tried my new to me Mach glove last night in warm ups and it felt like it was going to fall off my hand. The glove was used one other time from the seller before i bought it so still in the break in process. I am able to close the glove fine without any issues but it feels like it is barely on my hand and it felt like if i took a hard shot to the pocket it would pull the glove off my hand. I messed with the strapping slightly and it felt like the glove would be too tight if i tightened it down anymore and wouldn't allow my hand to move fully. I'm thinking of loosening the finger strap and tightening the wrist/backhand strap  to allow hand movement while keeping it on my hand. To give a better picture it felt like every time i closed my glove on shots the glove was inching off my hand, every open and close it would push the glove up.

Any suggestions, just break it in more? I know this is the first time using it but unforntuely the only ice time i get to mess with it is during games so getting it dialed in quickly would be nice.

Side note do the finger loops inside the glove, pinky and thumb help with fitment? i messed with them a little and don't know if i did them too tight or not. I love looking and new gear and trying stuff but i honestly usually just get something and rock it and make it "work". My warrior has been the first glove that felt like i could open and close without issues.

Are you coming to this glove from a glove with a traditional wrist strap?  Are you looping the "wrist strap" in the ring straight across or diagonally?

I'm a week out from using this glove for the first time; I've skated with it 5 times and I too was really bothered by the feeling that it was too loose and that it would fly off of my hand.  I have used gloves with leather/buckle wrist straps cranked very tightly for many years and I was trying this Mach glove out with the "wrist strap" looped straight across.  After the first 2 skates, I decided to loop it instead diagonally and it made it much, much better. I now crank that strap down as tight as it can go, crank the finger strap tight as well, and I'm very often tightening the thumb and pinky loops to make it all fit more snug.

Do I wish I could overall make it feel tighter? Yes, but a the same time, I started to realize that the glove is not fitting as loose or precariously as I had originally thought, it was just feeling different compared to years of experience with a tight traditional wrist strap. With the Mach glove , the wrist is obviously free to move around, bend, flex, etc.  With no downward pressure there, the glove feels loose, especially in the relaxed open hand position.  But I do notice when I close my hand tightly and bring my fingers to my thumb, the glove feels really snug and secure.

I guess to rephrase this, I think there is somewhat of a psychological trick going on with feeling like it's loose and going to fly off just because it feels so different compared to traditional gloves.

Also though, it seems like you're saying you want the straps and loops loose and you're afraid of over-tightening, but at the same time concerned about it being too loose and flying off your hand.  You can't have your cake and eat it too, right? If you want it to feel tighter, tighten the straps and loops.

I'm thinking about modifying the loops on mine to keep them tighter for longer.  I notice that I can get my hand deeper into the glove with the loops tight and overall it feels much more snug and secure that way.  I just want them to stay tighter.

One more quick point: this glove is like half the weight of my previous gloves and that too  makes it feel loose and precariously secure on my hand.  These Bauer mitts (blocker too) are just dainty and agile compared to my previous Vaughns and it took a while into my 5 skates to get over the change in dexterity and overall feel. 

Keep experimenting, you'll more than likely adapt and feel comfortable.

[coopaloop1234]

8 minutes ago, seagoal said:

.  After the first 2 skates, I decided to loop it instead diagonally and it made it much, much better. 

That lower strap position was awful for me. It's like you get the worst parts of a wrist strap and no wrist strap at the same time. 

Quote

One more quick point: this glove is like half the weight of my previous gloves and that too  makes it feel loose and precariously secure on my hand.  These Bauer mitts (blocker too) are just dainty and agile compared to my previous Vaughns and it took a while into my 5 skates to get over the change in dexterity and overall feel. 

I guess experiences are all relative. My Machs are heavier than my previous Warrior sets. 

[seagoal]

4 minutes ago, coopaloop1234 said:

That lower strap position was awful for me. It's like you get the worst parts of a wrist strap and no wrist strap at the same time. 

 

I don't notice any difference really in the mobility of the wrist flex with the strap in either position, it's just on the lower position straight across the glove feels like it will randomly just fly off my hand. Not a fan.  When looped diagonally it was like "ah, yes, a wrist strap."  Feels so much better.

I guess I give a thumbs down to the basic idea by Bauer, who it seems to me, is the best goalie gear company at inventing new problems and offering solutions to them with any need whatsoever.  Just my hot take.

Edited May 19 by seagoal

[xmikex32]

I'm coming from a warrior glove so not a traditional wrist strap and my previous gloves that did have them i never really tightened them down. I'm guessing i just have to get used to the feeling of the glove. It just felt like the glove was inching too much when i was opening and closing it like each pinch of my fingers  it moved the glove forward. Ill do some more messing with the straps and see if i can get the right fit. 

I have the "wrist" strap going straight across so it more over the back of my hand. Ill check for other connection points and see how that goes. Thank you for the suggestion 

@seagoal do you keep the thumb and pinky loop tight too? i think that is what I'm getting from your post. 

Edited May 19 by xmikex32

[coopaloop1234]

1 minute ago, seagoal said:

I don't notice any difference really in the mobility of the wrist flex with the strap in either position, it's just on the lower position straight across the glove feels like it will randomly just fly off my hand. Not a fan.  When looped diagonally it was like "ah, yes, a wrist strap."  Feels so much better.

I guess I give a thumbs down to the basic idea by Bauer, who it seems to me, is the best goalie gear company at inventing new problems and offering solutions to them with any need whatsoever.  Just my hot take.

I feel like they should have put three available loops to use, with an additional one between the two existing ones. 

Mucking around with it, that middle area is closer to how Warrior gloves strap up and is a better anchor point. It anchors down closer to the wrist and the smaller part of the hand. Really allows you to lock your hand in. 

Warrior really did nail down the no wrist strap design out of the gate. 

[xmikex32]

1 minute ago, coopaloop1234 said:

I feel like they should have put three available loops to use, with an additional one between the two existing ones. 

Mucking around with it, that middle area is closer to how Warrior gloves strap up and is a better anchor point. It anchors down closer to the wrist and the smaller part of the hand. Really allows you to lock your hand in. 

Warrior really did nail down the no wrist strap design out of the gate. 

Anchoring down closer to the wrist seems like it would feel more secure since your wrist is skinnier than your hand so if its tight at the wrist it cant slide over the wider hand. i honestly didn't even know there was another anchor point on the glove, guess i have to be more observant. 

Do you tighten down the finger strap too? 

[seagoal]

9 minutes ago, xmikex32 said:

I'm coming from a warrior glove so not a traditional wrist strap and my previous gloves that did have them i never really tightened them down. I'm guessing i just have to get used to the feeling of the glove. It just felt like the glove was inching too much when i was opening and closing it like each pinch of my fingers  it moved the glove forward. Ill do some more messing with the straps and see if i can get the right fit. 

I have the "wrist" strap going straight across so it more over the back of my hand. Ill check for other connection points and see how that goes. Thank you for the suggestion 

@seagoal do you keep the thumb and pinky loop tight too? i think that is what I'm getting from your post. 

Yep.  The pinky one is way better at staying tight for longer.  I can get the loop pretty deep towards the base of my pinky and lock it down. The thumb one not so good for me because I can't get my thumb through it as deep towards the and I find it locks in and stays tight less than the pink.  If I really deliberately take time to maneuver my hand into the glove and inch (millimeter?) my thumb in bit by bit it can feel good but it takes some work.

I definitely plan to find some sort of life hack for these loops so I can keep them both tighter for longer.

Run the wrist strap diagonally next time.  It helps a lot and put my mind at ease.

6 minutes ago, coopaloop1234 said:

I feel like they should have put three available loops to use, with an additional one between the two existing ones. 

Mucking around with it, that middle area is closer to how Warrior gloves strap up and is a better anchor point. It anchors down closer to the wrist and the smaller part of the hand. Really allows you to lock your hand in. 

Warrior really did nail down the no wrist strap design out of the gate. 

I'll have to try one to see how it feels next time I go to Pure Hockey here in town. 

Edited May 19 by seagoal

[coopaloop1234]

1 minute ago, xmikex32 said:

Anchoring down closer to the wrist seems like it would feel more secure since your wrist is skinnier than your hand so if its tight at the wrist it cant slide over the wider hand. i honestly didn't even know there was another anchor point on the glove, guess i have to be more observant. 

Do you tighten down the finger strap too? 

I leave the finger straps and pinky/thumb loops loose. 

And I tighten the across the hand strap (not down to the wrist like a heathen @seagoal) as tight as it goes. 

[xmikex32]

7 minutes ago, coopaloop1234 said:

I leave the finger straps and pinky/thumb loops loose. 

And I tighten the across the hand strap (not down to the wrist like a heathen @seagoal) as tight as it goes. 

might give this a try i like the more open hand freedom that the warrior glove has. might loosen the pinky thumb loop and run the finger strap really loose.

[Hockey34]

7 hours ago, xmikex32 said:

Need some suggestions from you guys. This is kind of jumping the gun but i tried my new to me Mach glove last night in warm ups and it felt like it was going to fall off my hand. The glove was used one other time from the seller before i bought it so still in the break in process. I am able to close the glove fine without any issues but it feels like it is barely on my hand and it felt like if i took a hard shot to the pocket it would pull the glove off my hand. I messed with the strapping slightly and it felt like the glove would be too tight if i tightened it down anymore and wouldn't allow my hand to move fully. I'm thinking of loosening the finger strap and tightening the wrist/backhand strap  to allow hand movement while keeping it on my hand. To give a better picture it felt like every time i closed my glove on shots the glove was inching off my hand, every open and close it would push the glove up.

Any suggestions, just break it in more? I know this is the first time using it but unforntuely the only ice time i get to mess with it is during games so getting it dialed in quickly would be nice.

Side note do the finger loops inside the glove, pinky and thumb help with fitment? i messed with them a little and don't know if i did them too tight or not. I love looking and new gear and trying stuff but i honestly usually just get something and rock it and make it "work". My warrior has been the first glove that felt like i could open and close without issues.

I actually ended up putting a zip tie in between the two straps to give it more of a neutral feel. 
 

Putting it in the front loop does feel loose on your hand no matter how tight you put the strap. 

Putting it in the back loop feels tight and secure but it kind of pinches your wrist. 

Putting it in the middle on the zip tie gives you the tight wrist strap feel but it doesn’t pinch your wrists like the back loop does. 

 

[xmikex32]

So I didn’t even know the glove had a second anchor point for that strap. Mine was tucked under some material  and at the lower anchor the glove feels way more secure and on my hand. Think I might of found the solution. 

[ThatCarGuy]

16 hours ago, Hockey34 said:

I actually ended up putting a zip tie in between the two straps to give it more of a neutral feel. 
 

Putting it in the front loop does feel loose on your hand no matter how tight you put the strap. 

Putting it in the back loop feels tight and secure but it kind of pinches your wrist. 

Putting it in the middle on the zip tie gives you the tight wrist strap feel but it doesn’t pinch your wrists like the back loop does. 

Wonder who came up with that brilliant idea

[Hockey34]

1 hour ago, ThatCarGuy said:

Wonder who came up with that brilliant idea

I don’t know 

I did the zip tie though which works better than your lace did. 

[coopaloop1234]

21 hours ago, Hockey34 said:

I actually ended up putting a zip tie in between the two straps to give it more of a neutral feel. 
 

Putting it in the front loop does feel loose on your hand no matter how tight you put the strap. 

Putting it in the back loop feels tight and secure but it kind of pinches your wrist. 

Putting it in the middle on the zip tie gives you the tight wrist strap feel but it doesn’t pinch your wrists like the back loop does. 

 

That's probably worth a try. 

 

[Hockey34]

31 minutes ago, coopaloop1234 said:

That's probably worth a try. 

 

All you need is two zip ties one to run through the two loops and then the other one just for the end to hold it in place. 

[ArdeFIN]

On 5/19/2023 at 7:59 PM, seagoal said:

I definitely plan to find some sort of life hack for these loops so I can keep them both tighter for longer.

Do they loosen up or you can't get em tight enough? Are those still the normal style of string through a hole and knot to hold the position?

This is how I tie them and they do hold forever. It's just the most basic knot you can make. And don't even try to tie them together.

[Hockey34]

7 hours ago, ArdeFIN said:

Do they loosen up or you can't get em tight enough? Are those still the normal style of string through a hole and knot to hold the position?

This is how I tie them and they do hold forever. It's just the most basic knot you can make. And don't even try to tie them together.

What’s the the loop that you are holding?

[seagoal]

8 hours ago, ArdeFIN said:

Do they loosen up or you can't get em tight enough? Are those still the normal style of string through a hole and knot to hold the position?

This is how I tie them and they do hold forever. It's just the most basic knot you can make. And don't even try to tie them together.

They get plenty tight enough but it doesn't last, especially if I move with some force or make some sort of impact on the glove.  

I like your idea but I wonder how difficult it is to get your thumb/pinky through when putting the glove on?

Took me a while to find out what you meant, haha.......what are you holding?

[seagoal]

@ArdeFIN

I was thinking of getting one of these for each of the loops.  Allows for adjustments but locks tight when set.

[coopaloop1234]

On 5/20/2023 at 11:45 AM, Hockey34 said:

All you need is two zip ties one to run through the two loops and then the other one just for the end to hold it in place. 

Tried it, abandoned half way through my game last night. It wasn't bad, I'm just used to the upper strapping set up. 

 

[Hockey34]

9 hours ago, coopaloop1234 said:

Tried it, abandoned half way through my game last night. It wasn't bad, I'm just used to the upper strapping set up. 

 

Not everything works everyone just stick with what works and feels best for you. 

[coopaloop1234]

1 hour ago, Hockey34 said:

Not everything works everyone just stick with what works and feels best for you. 

Didn't help that it was partially in a fit of rage from having a bad night glove side lol