I have heard that a lot of the St Croix rods are tip heavy... especially the split grips. I was just about to pick up an avid, but am now doubting it because I hate tip heavy rods... but since the avid is a full grip, will it balance nicely or still be tip heavy?

In my experience, the Avids are not as tip heavy as the new LTB's. You should definitely try to handle one though, as tip-heaviness is sort of subjective.

Tip heavy?

I thought the same with my st croix ltb

but once I put my new daiwa tatsu type r on it, it felt good fella .

Can you put your intended reel on it before you buy?

The LTB's and the avid can be tip heavy but they do not bother me one bit. I can fish all day with any of those rods without noticing a difference. I don't see what the big deal is really. 

I'm sure with a heavier reel they would balance perfect. They're definitely not horrible, but there are better balanced rods out there

I have a 7' avid and 7' ltb and neither is too tip heavy. They are so light in my opinion that it doesnt take any effort to raise the tip.

The new ltb are fairly tip heavy. Not all the models are that bad but more are than others. Avids arent bad.

The LTB's and the avid can be tip heavy but they do not bother me one bit. I can fish all day with any of those rods without noticing a difference. I don't see what the big deal is really.

Yeah, I'm always trying to make mine tip heavy by about six pounds anyhow.

Hootie

Yep, the avid is tip heavy.  I added more counter balance at the butt end to make it feel comfortable for me.

I had both 7' Avid MH/F and M/F. The MH was a little tip heavy. The M/F is fine.

The LTBs are a little more tip heavy and a tad nicer rod than the Avids. Both series are about the same in sensitivity.

I would based my choice on whether I wanted full cork grip or split grip.

I suspected the same about my LTB until i put a lews tourny pro on it...she balances quite nicely!

The one I was looking at was the ml drop shot spinning rod so it will be lighter than all of those. So should I expect this one to not be tip heavy since its a lighter power?

I have the 6'8" mxf ltb in both spinning and casting. I have a stradic 2500fj on the spinning and a scorpion 1000xt on the casting. Both setups are very light and I think both are balanced well. I've never thought they were tip heavy

I have the 6'9" Avid ML/XF spinning and do not find it to be tip heavy.  I have 5 different Avid spinning rods and don't notice any heavy tips on them.  The only tip heavy St. Croix that I have is a Premier casting 6'6" H/F.

For rods under 7'6, I barely notice it, same with the LT's.

I've never noticed it with my LTB's, new or older, but maybe I'm just not as sensitive to that kind of thing. I like the feel and sensitivity of them and that's all that matters to me

I've seen plenty of longer (7'+) rods with crazy long handles in an attempt to "balance" the rod. The "Effective rod length" isn't much more than a 6'6"er. I don't think St Croixs fall into this category. Maybe that's where the "tip heavy" comments come from. It pains me to pay for space age materials and components for their light weight and then add a hunk of lead to it. I never add any unnecessary weight to my own rods and only on request/insistence to a customer's. 

The Avid's I owned in the MH version was tip heavy, but was still comfortable to fish with.  The lighter powered rods seemed less tip heavy, the Avid 6'6" M/F is the only Avid I have left.

22 Avids, Legend Tornament's-Extreme's-and Elite's, I would only say the longer lighter Extreme in 6'10" MXF was noticeably tip heavy, with only half a handle and a lighter blank than most any rod close to 7' you should expect it, I cured that with a real handle instead of the half a handle split grip craze, now she's pretty and pretty well balanced!!!! It's a S. Croix premium USA made rod, buy it you'll love it, most do!! you can always add the rest of the handle if your like me!!! These were both split grip Extremes my rod builder charged me $50.00 a rod to make them one piece and balanced to the bone!!