Diamond ix3 mask

[7in60]

I just bought one of these in the offseason. I haven't used it yet. If anyone else gives it a poor review here I might return it.

[BretMan]

The "better view" is achieved by flattening the mask profile to bring the bars closer to your face. Yes, you do get a better view, but some have speculated that the flatter profile means a straight on shot will transfer more of the blow to face. The masks with the standard profile have more of a pronounced curve to the bars, which tends to deflect some of the blow, probably causing the mask to "spin" off to the side.

Do you wear your mask with the straps loose or all the way tight? The tighter you have it, the more force will be transfered to the head. If it's looser, the mask will tend to "spin" on impact. A rule of thumb I've always heard is that if you lean forward the mask should come a couple of inches off your chin. When standing upright, the mask is essentially hanging off the bill of your hat.

I've looked at a couple of the newer lightweight masks, but held off from buying one. While the super light weight seems nice, the flat profile kind of scares me off. They also seem to have padding that's nowhere near as beefy as my slightly heavier (but still pretty light) Wilson mask.

Then again, sometimes you're going to get a straight on shot you're going to feel no matter what mask you're wearing!