Advice on skating and playing hockey

[bob_sauve28]

Studies show that skating tightens up muscles in and around the hips and lower back.    As a result, we would see more soft tissue injuries in the upper leg (groins, hamstrings, adductor) if they all took up skating.

I've had back, groin and hip problems from skating. I am hyper conscious of my back, never bend over to pick anything up unless my hand is on my knee for support. Or I bend at both knees to go down. I do exercises for back, just light weight bend overs for just a couple sets and never try and pick up stuff that his too heavy. Back feels great! I stretch groin, quads and hams before playing. Just got over a torn manisques (sic) in my knee and just enjoy playing so much I don't care as much if we win, just skating, playing and scoring is so much fun! Love hockey so much! Lots to do in the sport as you get older to keep from being injured though, but it's worth it

[PASabreFan]

The sun came out today and instead of spring fever I got hockey fever and finally bought equipment. I looked at some used stuff, but the smell and shoddy appearance turned me off. "Gently used" wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Plus Hockey Giant had 25% off everything, so the price difference between new and used had shrunk quite a bit.

 

At HG I explained that I'd be going to beginners clinics, skate and shoots, pickup hockey and the like and didn't want to break the bank to get started. I placed my trust in the young hockey playing dude and ended up with entry level, brand name stuff that'll work just fine. (The equipment won't be the problem, that's for sure.) It'll be interesting to see what the future PA will say about his first set of gear.

 

Bauer helmet with cage; Bauer gloves; Bauer pants; Bauer shin guards; Bauer shoulder pads; Gear Fusion composite stick; Louisville elbow pads; bag; jock (Magnum XXL cup is on special order); neckguard; and Sabres colored socks and Sabres practice jersey (no logo) to go with the navy pants and navy gloves. I'll look good at least. A little over 400 bucks. The elbow pads came from the used store and were on clearance for just $9 (new). I'll type up the specific model information if anyone is interested.

 

I'm a left shot. I figured as much. I did the broom test at home. I hold a broom with my strong hand (right) on top. Then when I tried sticks it was very obvious which one I preferred.

 

So... feeling a little overwhelmed right now and wondering what the I just did.

[pastajoe]

The sun came out today and instead of spring fever I got hockey fever and finally bought equipment. I looked at some used stuff, but the smell and shoddy appearance turned me off. "Gently used" wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Plus Hockey Giant had 25% off everything, so the price difference between new and used had shrunk quite a bit.

 

At HG I explained that I'd be going to beginners clinics, skate and shoots, pickup hockey and the like and didn't want to break the bank to get started. I placed my trust in the young hockey playing dude and ended up with entry level, brand name stuff that'll work just fine. (The equipment won't be the problem, that's for sure.) It'll be interesting to see what the future PA will say about his first set of gear.

 

Bauer helmet with cage; Bauer gloves; Bauer pants; Bauer shin guards; Bauer shoulder pads; Gear Fusion composite stick; Louisville elbow pads; bag; jock (Magnum XXL cup is on special order); neckguard; and Sabres colored socks and Sabres practice jersey (no logo) to go with the navy pants and navy gloves. I'll look good at least. A little over 400 bucks. The elbow pads came from the used store and were on clearance for just $9 (new). I'll type up the specific model information if anyone is interested.

 

I'm a left shot. I figured as much. I did the broom test at home. I hold a broom with my strong hand (right) on top. Then when I tried sticks it was very obvious which one I preferred.

 

So... feeling a little overwhelmed right now and wondering what the ###### I just did.

To carry your coffee?

 

In case you don't know, wear an underarmor type shirt under your gear to wick away the sweat. Take your gear out of the bag afterwards to air it out. I have a gear tree in the basement that I hang it on in front of the dehumidifier. Get a couple of those sneaker balls air fresheners, and stick one in each of your gloves and one in your bag to reduce smell. Occasionally spray Frabreeze on the inside of the shoulder and knee pads. You don't want to be the guy whose gear reeks because he leaves it in his trunk all week.

 

Good luck and bend your knees.

[Ogre]

I'm guessing that's where he's hiding his wallet.

[Ogre]

Also, I admire the fact that you're giving this a go. I haven't played in years. My heart cries out for skates on my feet. I'm too consumed with duty to say no to more work. I've thought about leveling a spot for a rink when I rent the excavator to finish the walkout project next spring. How nice would it be to have old man hockey camp?

[qwksndmonster]

Yes! Success! Excellent. Not a purchase you will regret. I've been playing for 6 years and I'm still on the same everything except for new gloves and helmet.

[#freejame]

Congrats, PA! Like others have said, you won't regret the purchase. 

To carry your coffee?

In case you don't know, wear an underarmor type shirt under your gear to wick away the sweat. Take your gear out of the bag afterwards to air it out. I have a gear tree in the basement that I hang it on in front of the dehumidifier. Get a couple of those sneaker balls air fresheners, and stick one in each of your gloves and one in your bag to reduce smell. Occasionally spray Frabreeze on the inside of the shoulder and knee pads. You don't want to be the guy whose gear reeks because he leaves it in his trunk all week.

Good luck and bend your knees.

I'm more of a sleeveless cotton shirt kind of guy, but I can't echo the rest of this enough. You're bag is going to reek if you forget your stuff in it overnight and the smell is pretty tough to get out. Though being the stinky guy is definitely a strategy I've seen used in pickup and it works well. 

And if you think you're bending your knees enough, you're probably half way there!
 

[PASabreFan]

Also, I admire the fact that you're giving this a go. I haven't played in years. My heart cries out for skates on my feet. I'm too consumed with duty to say no to more work. I've thought about leveling a spot for a rink when I rent the excavator to finish the walkout project next spring. How nice would it be to have old man hockey camp?

I smell a reality series! "Old Man Smell."

[PASabreFan]

OK, so number one, screw that neck protector. I think I'd rather bleed out on the ice than wear that. I'll try it though, because I'm not crazy. Maybe it'll loosen up, but I can see how it would be a hindrance to looking down for a puck.

 

The gloves. The tips of the fingers seem to be right about where they're supposed to be, with a little space at the end, but I almost have to pull the glove tight to get that fit. Then when I drop my hands so my fingers are pointed at the floor, the glove slips a bit. I can just about shake off the glove by rotating my wrist.

 

I also can't get the calf protector of the shin pad to pull tight across the back of my leg. The two calf protector pieces don't meet up. The top of the upper knee flap is about three inches above the top of my knee cap.

 

The Lousville elbow pads seem a little crummy. The padding seems OK, but when I flex my arm there's some pinching. I may go with Bauers just to match everything up.

Edited February 21, 2016 by PASabreFan

[SwampD]

OK, so number one, screw that neck protector. I think I'd rather bleed out on the ice than wear that. I'll try it though, because I'm not crazy. Maybe it'll loosen up, but I can see how it would be a hindrance to looking down for a puck.

 

The gloves. The tips of the fingers seem to be right about where they're supposed to be, with a little space at the end, but I almost have to pull the glove tight to get that fit. Then when I drop my hands so my fingers are pointed at the floor, the glove slips a bit. I can just about shake off the glove by rotating my wrist.

 

I also can't get the calf protector of the shin pad to pull tight across the back of my leg. The two calf protector pieces don't meet up. The top of the upper knee flap is about three inches above the top of my knee cap.

 

The Lousville elbow pads seem a little crummy. The padding seems OK, but when I flex my arm there's some pinching. I may go with Bauers just to match everything up.

I can flip off my gloves pretty easily. Also, my calves are almost completely exposed. If you're just playing pickup or even beer league, just stand and face the shot and you'll be fine. There is no reason to be a hero and block shots at that level.

[pastajoe]

Sounds like some some size issues, did you try them on in the store? Take them back and exchange them. To keep your shin pads in place many use plastic tape over the socks. Most rec skaters don't wear neck guards.

[PASabreFan]

I can flip off my gloves pretty easily. Also, my calves are almost completely exposed. If you're just playing pickup or even beer league, just stand and face the shot and you'll be fine. There is no reason to be a hero and block shots at that level.

Thanks. I think my mistake was in thinking that the two flaps of the calf protector would meet. (Actually I can do that by tucking the strap under the shell a little.)

Sounds like some some size issues, did you try them on in the store? Take them back and exchange them. To keep your shin pads in place many use plastic tape over the socks. Most rec skaters don't wear neck guards.

I think it's a good idea to have the neck protection when it's total beginners out there.

[LTS]

The sun came out today and instead of spring fever I got hockey fever and finally bought equipment. I looked at some used stuff, but the smell and shoddy appearance turned me off. "Gently used" wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Plus Hockey Giant had 25% off everything, so the price difference between new and used had shrunk quite a bit.

 

At HG I explained that I'd be going to beginners clinics, skate and shoots, pickup hockey and the like and didn't want to break the bank to get started. I placed my trust in the young hockey playing dude and ended up with entry level, brand name stuff that'll work just fine. (The equipment won't be the problem, that's for sure.) It'll be interesting to see what the future PA will say about his first set of gear.

 

Bauer helmet with cage; Bauer gloves; Bauer pants; Bauer shin guards; Bauer shoulder pads; Gear Fusion composite stick; Louisville elbow pads; bag; jock (Magnum XXL cup is on special order); neckguard; and Sabres colored socks and Sabres practice jersey (no logo) to go with the navy pants and navy gloves. I'll look good at least. A little over 400 bucks. The elbow pads came from the used store and were on clearance for just $9 (new). I'll type up the specific model information if anyone is interested.

 

I'm a left shot. I figured as much. I did the broom test at home. I hold a broom with my strong hand (right) on top. Then when I tried sticks it was very obvious which one I preferred.

 

So... feeling a little overwhelmed right now and wondering what the ###### I just did.

 

Good stuff!  There is no downside to what you've done.  Regardless of the level of play being on a fresh sheet of ice or out on a pond is the definition of heaven (for me).  Games and practices and the noise of actual hockey is nice but to only hear the sound of skates cutting the ice.... oh man.

[Taro T]

OK, so number one, screw that neck protector. I think I'd rather bleed out on the ice than wear that. I'll try it though, because I'm not crazy. Maybe it'll loosen up, but I can see how it would be a hindrance to looking down for a puck.

 

The gloves. The tips of the fingers seem to be right about where they're supposed to be, with a little space at the end, but I almost have to pull the glove tight to get that fit. Then when I drop my hands so my fingers are pointed at the floor, the glove slips a bit. I can just about shake off the glove by rotating my wrist.

 

I also can't get the calf protector of the shin pad to pull tight across the back of my leg. The two calf protector pieces don't meet up. The top of the upper knee flap is about three inches above the top of my knee cap.

 

The Lousville elbow pads seem a little crummy. The padding seems OK, but when I flex my arm there's some pinching. I may go with Bauers just to match everything up.

The gloves could be a little too large, but the shin pads are probably properly sized. The calf protectors are more for protection from sticks catching you in the side of the leg than for pucks or other catching you square in the back of the leg.

 

Very few beer leaguers wear neck guards, so go w/ what you're more comfortable w/ (piece of mind or comfort). If you really want piece of mind you could go w/ a goalie neckguard.

 

Good for you on getting started. As somebody mentioned upthread, there is no sound or feeling like being the only player on a clean sheet of ice (outdoors especially, but indoors is pretty sweet as well). Hope you stick w/ it; it's a blast!

[PASabreFan]

I swapped out the gloves for a smaller size and am happier, especially those gloves with the Bauer elbow pads — the cuff of the glove ends right where the pad begins. With the bigger gloves and the Louisville pads, they were overlapping a fair amount.

[josie]

Went to the leg doc for the final time today- my run in with an errant rut in the ice resulted in this: 

 

But hey, I'm back at most things- another month or so I hope to post in here that I'm skating... and by fall I'm hoping to post that I'm back in the game  :wub:

[PASabreFan]

ROOOOOOOR!

[PASabreFan]

Lost four pounds my first time out with equipment! Aired everything out overnight.

[PASabreFan]

Should the chin cup be snug against the chin? Is it supposed to keep your mouth from opening all the way? I mean, I guess that's the point of it. It's just tough to really yell with it that snug, ya know?

[pastajoe]

Yes it should be snug so that if you hit your head the helmet doesn't move and absorbs the impact properly, and having your jaw tight reduces the chance you slam it up. You should be able to move your mouth a little. My old helmet was looser and I got a concussion from it moving when I hit my head. There's no guarantee, but in case you ever fall backwards, try to pull your head up so your back takes the impact. Watch how wrestlers do it.

[darksabre]

Should the chin cup be snug against the chin? Is it supposed to keep your mouth from opening all the way? I mean, I guess that's the point of it. It's just tough to really yell with it that snug, ya know?

It should be snug to work correctly if you want it to be part of the total concussion protection package.

 

That said, I don't wear mine correctly because I really only have the cage on to protect my face from sticks and pucks. I can flip my helmet off without undoing any straps but the chin strap keeps it on during play. This is how a lot of people wear their helmets.

[Hershey]

Lots of good advice, some I'm not sure about. Hockey is an excellent sport through adulthood. Jump in with both skates! At 54, I've played 47 years and not sure I see quitting anytime soon. I recently bought a new pair of skates at Pure Hockey. I've worn Bauer Supreme all my life and was certain I would be in them again. They were beyond uncomfortable. I decided to go to Pure Hockey in Amherst and wasn't excited when a young lady was sent over to help me. Turns out, she was excellent and very knowledgeable. Each manufacturer has a different size run, so it's hard to have a general rule of thumb for the right fit. Pick a price point and try on several different manufactures and models. While skates often aren't comfortable for a few skates getting close to comfortable is a great start. We all have different foot builds and each skate is set up different, so if your buddy raves about his brand and model, it's very likely that you two don't have the same feet characteristics. It goes way beyond wide feet and narrow feet. It can include the preference of the toe box and heel width. I wound up buying the exact manufacturer and model I knew I didn't want. They were baked properly, sized properly, and sharpened properly. I do like the advice someone gave you about checking out Leisure Rinks in West Seneca. They were comfortable from day one and I never had lace bite with any skate.

 

As far as playing, there is a novice league at Leisure and Holiday that is suited for the beginner. Lastly, I enjoying skating 2-3 a week and play a few over 50 tournaments each year and a few over 30 tournaments. What I find inspiring is that each tournament in these senior series, is the over 60 and over 70 divisions. Seeing 75 year old guys still playing tournament hockey makes me smile.

 

Have fun, good luck.

[PASabreFan]

Thanks Hershey! I hope this thread has helped and inspired many people. It sure has me.

[darksabre]

Goaltending is such an adventure sometimes. I had a funny exchange with a guy in the locker room last night because he was laughing at my pre-game routine. Essentially once I get my skates on I kinda jump around the locker room to make sure I have them tied the way I like. I'm VERY particular about how my skates are tied and they need to be just right. 

That said, I was also trying out a new lacing pattern last night. One of the things about playing goalie is that if you change anything about your "style", you have to tweak your gear to match it. I think goalie are always tweaking their gear. 

When I first started playing I was using an old pair of Bauer Supremes and they were broken in perfectly. I adored those skates. When I sold my gear off after hurting my knee too many times, I sold those skates and have always regretted it. 

I bought a new pair of Supremes a few years ago and have been relatively happy with them, but have also noticed some ankle pain that I never had in the past. I think a lot of it is attributed to how stiff the boots are now, but also that my style has changed since my first bout with goaltending. 

You see, in the late 2000s the style for goalies employed what was called the Post Load/Vertical Horizontal method for holding the posts. Whenever play was to the left or right, you'd have the pad closest to the post vertical while the other pad was horizontal in order to facilitate a lateral push. This was the style I used and it worked fine for me.



This has evolved since 2010 to what is called the Post Lean/Reverse VH, where now you keep the post pad on the ice and lean back toward the post. 

When I started playing goalie again last fall I picked up with the latter style and have struggled with ankle pain because of it. I like how easy the reverse VH is for covering the net, but my skates don't flex enough and it's not a lot of fun. Basically instead of my skate being straight up when I'm holding the post, it's horizontal and I'm kinda leaning back on my own foot. 

I spent all day Saturday experimenting with lacing and finally decided I needed to lace them outside-in to use the stiffness of the outside of the boot to my advantage. This took pressure off the tongue, and most importantly, off the top off the front of my ankles, while still allowing me to get the boot tight (but not over-tight). Tying off the outside-in technique is problematic though, because you still end up with the final knot using the tongue instead of the eyelets to apply pressure. So I skipped from the second to the first eyelet along the inside of the boot and this let me tie off on the outside of the eyelet runners. 

Let me tell you. A world of difference last night with my ability to use the Reverse VH. Although I would prefer my skates to be a little tighter around the ankle, I think I can learn to live with them being a little looser using this lacing technique since it allowed me to get the skates tight along the lower part and a little more flexible on the top without putting too much slack in the lace. 
 

[Eleven]

What is the advantage of the Post Lean vis-a-vis the Post Load?  Looks like the same amount of area is covered, to me, and it seems that I see more pucks squirt through on Post Lean position because the goalie doesn't get his entire body tight quickly enough.  Saw a goal in yesterday's Washington game like that, actually.