Advice on skating and playing hockey

[shrader]

If they felt right before the sharpening and now don't, it almost definitely was a bad sharpening.

 

That you state the edges don't seem to be there lends more credence to that belief. If they were too sharp, you'd feel it on a stop but not in normal skating.

 

Most places that sharpen skates realize that it's an imperfect art and will resharpen them gratis.

 

I started skating probably around 28 years ago. Still to this day, the first time I go out after a sharpening, I immediately take a couple quick turns in both directions to make sure those edges are good. I've got a place that I'm damn near religious about, but it isn't the most convenient location and occasionally I have to go somewhere else. Those rare moments where I do get a lousy sharpening, the last thing I ever want to do is go back to that place, even if they'll "fix" it for free.

[Stoner]

I started skating probably around 28 years ago. Still to this day, the first time I go out after a sharpening, I immediately take a couple quick turns in both directions to make sure those edges are good. I've got a place that I'm damn near religious about, but it isn't the most convenient location and occasionally I have to go somewhere else. Those rare moments where I do get a lousy sharpening, the last thing I ever want to do is go back to that place, even if they'll "fix" it for free.

 

Yeah, once you get that hair in your soup, it's hard to unsee it and go back to the same restaurant.

 

My sister's boyfriend has been skating the pond with us. He was a first time skater when he started, and he did so with a hockey stick in his hands. It's unreal how fast people progress when they're playing hockey, because the skating has to become second nature almost instantaneously.

 

Also, tonight was my last adult league game with my old sh*tty skates, sticks, and helmet. My dad is getting me all new stuff for Christmas.

 

I thought learning to skate with a stick in hand would make sense. But they won't let you carry one unless you're in a skate and shoot. Also, it would look a little strange. :)

[shrader]

I thought learning to skate with a stick in hand would make sense. But they won't let you carry one unless you're in a skate and shoot. Also, it would look a little strange. :)

 

You're much better learning without a stick. It quickly becomes a crutch if you do that.

[spndnchz]

Yeah, once you get that hair in your soup, it's hard to unsee it and go back to the same restaurant.

 

 

 

I thought learning to skate with a stick in hand would make sense. But they won't let you carry one unless you're in a skate and shoot. Also, it would look a little strange. :)

 

You know, at your age, one of those walkers you can skate with would work well.

[Stoner]

You know, at your age, one of those walkers you can skate with would work well.

 

Why didn't I think of that? Just bring one from the home. My God, if I was 60 years younger… I would still not have the nerve to ask you out.

[Sabre Dance]

I have a related question. Whenever I skate (or ski for that matter), my feet always cramp up. It's been like that since I was in high school (eons ago), and it happens even if I wear ultra thin socks. I've never had the money to buy custom made boots or skates, but actually I am willing to do that now because my growing days are long over and because thankfully I have some money to spend.

 

Any suggestions here? Other than buying custom, are there other things to do to make skating (or skiing) more enjoyable without cramping up the feet?

 

I've never been on skis, so I can't offer a suggestion there, but on skates, I find that if I tighten the laces in the mid-portion of my foot (the arch) too much, my feet cramp up as soon as I stand. As suggested up-thread, tighten the laces in the bottom three eyelets really well, then just snug up the next few and finally tighten the ones at the top (the ankle portion of the boot) tight enough so your ankles don't wobble. That should help. If not, a wider skate perhaps...

[qwksndmonster]

I thought learning to skate with a stick in hand would make sense. But they won't let you carry one unless you're in a skate and shoot. Also, it would look a little strange. :)

I didn't mean just with a stick in his hand. He was passing the puck around the pond with us.

[Stoner]

I didn't mean just with a stick in his hand. He was passing the puck around the pond with us.

 

Can't I play an imaginary puck, like the Sabres do?

[qwksndmonster]

Can't I play an imaginary puck, like the Sabres do?

If you're trying to be like the Sabres then you have to pretend the puck bounces off your stick every 3rd pass.

[Stoner]

If you're trying to be like the Sabres then you have to pretend the puck bounces off your stick every 3rd pass.

 

I'm pretty good at the waist-high pass on the odd man rush.

[Stoner]

Maybe they only sharpened the outside blade of each skate.

tee hee.

 

So I got my panties in a wad today and drove the skates all the way back to Great Skate in Amherst. The inside edges were indeed not sharpened. I think the dude said I got an uneven sharpening or something. This is what I thought I felt when I ran my finger over the edges; now that both edges are sharp, I know what to feel for next time.

 

The mystery for me — and I didn't ask for a more thorough explanation — is how the inside edges got basically obliterated.

[darksabre]

 

 

So I got my panties in a wad today and drove the skates all the way back to Great Skate in Amherst. The inside edges were indeed not sharpened. I think the dude said I got an uneven sharpening or something. This is what I thought I felt when I ran my finger over the edges; now that both edges are sharp, I know what to feel for next time.

 

The mystery for me — and I didn't ask for a more thorough explanation — is how the inside edges got basically obliterated.

 

A grinding wheel in the hands of an amateur can accomplish amazing things when it comes to skate blades :lol:

[Stoner]

Hockey stop… I'm skating at a modest speed and want to hockey stop (or even do a one foot snow plow). What's my first move? I'm at the point of paralysis by analysis right now and am getting pretty discouraged.

[FolignosJock]

Hockey stop… I'm skating at a modest speed and want to hockey stop (or even do a one foot snow plow). What's my first move? I'm at the point of paralysis by analysis right now and am getting pretty discouraged.

 

Its literally all courage. Just go for it! I would practice going slowly towards the end boards and then just put both skates against your momentum. then increase speed gradually, the boards are there to stop you and for you to grab onto if you lose your balance. ALTERNATE FEET every time or every few attempts, you want to be able to do it in each direction.

 

http://howtohockey.com/how-to-hockey-stop

 

 

There is a good site with great pictures. I couldnt view the vids but the pictures are what you need. It is 98% mental and 2% balance in my opinion. If you can just ignore your brain and do it it wont take long at all to learn.

Edited January 8, 2014 by FolignosJock

[darksabre]

I'm just going to say it: I would never have learned to hockey stop without actually throwing pads on and playing.

[drnkirishone]

Only way to learn to hockey stop is to try it repeatedly until you can do it. Having said that think of it like playing tug a war where the opponent is your forward momentum. lean to far forward and you go head first into the sand pit, lean to far back and your sliding into the sand pit

[ubkev]

I'll preface this by saying I've been a skier since I could walk, so the hockey stop came a little easier to me. But I learned the hockey stop by facing the boards, holding on and making snow by shaving the ice one foot at a time. Once you get the feeling of how little preasure it actually takes then try it while skating.

 

Does that make sense to anyone? I think that might be difficult to comprehend from just reading it. Pretty sure I didn't help anything lol

[FolignosJock]

It isnt that hard, it is mostly just a leap of faith. YOU ARE GOING TO FALL. You might even hurt your butt however it shouldnt take that long to learn. A good 30 minutes of attempting to do it as I said and you should have it down. Then it is just building confidence so that you can do it when you are going full speed.

[SwampD]

I'll preface this by saying I've been a skier since I could walk, so the hockey stop came a little easier to me. But I learned the hockey stop by facing the boards, holding on and making snow by shaving the ice one foot at a time. Once you get the feeling of how little preasure it actually takes then try it while skating.

 

Does that make sense to anyone? I think that might be difficult to comprehend from just reading it. Pretty sure I didn't help anything lol

That's a great idea. I think that would have really helped. I learned by FJ's "Just Go For It" method, though. One day I couldn't do it, then the next game I could.

[FolignosJock]

That's a great idea. I think that would have really helped. I learned by FJ's "Just Go For It" method, though. One day I couldn't do it, then the next game I could.

 

It is the easiest way! My father taught me when I was four, and it was my first time in pads but i had been skating multiple times just using a toe stop. I also refused to fall down, I thought of it as a source of pride that I could skate without falling down.

 

Then we got on the ice in pads and he knocked me down! He ruined my streak of not falling down to prove to me that the pads would make falling not hurt and to not be afraid of falling down.

 

After that stopping got easy.

[Stoner]

I'll preface this by saying I've been a skier since I could walk, so the hockey stop came a little easier to me. But I learned the hockey stop by facing the boards, holding on and making snow by shaving the ice one foot at a time. Once you get the feeling of how little preasure it actually takes then try it while skating.

 

Does that make sense to anyone? I think that might be difficult to comprehend from just reading it. Pretty sure I didn't help anything lol

 

No, you're right. :) I do that drill. I have no problem shaving the snow.

 

It's all pretty good advice. For me, though, skating hellbent for the boards, hoping to stop, or using the boards as a backstop if I don't, isn't a good option. I have no fear of falling. Hurtling uncontrollably, hitting my head on the ice, yes. (I don't skate with any equipment on.)

 

I'd like to just start with a slow one foot snow plow, but even that is eluding me.

[drnkirishone]

Get yourself a helmet with cage, elbow pads, shinguards (kneepads at least) and either some thick winter gloves or hockey gloves. Then go nuts trying. imo it is harder to learn a hockey stop at slow speeds compared to higher speeds

[FolignosJock]

No, you're right. :) I do that drill. I have no problem shaving the snow.

 

It's all pretty good advice. For me, though, skating hellbent for the boards, hoping to stop, or using the boards as a backstop if I don't, isn't a good option. I have no fear of falling. Hurtling uncontrollably, hitting my head on the ice, yes. (I don't skate with any equipment on.)

 

I'd like to just start with a slow one foot snow plow, but even that is eluding me.

 

 

You dont do that....... you start off like three feet from the boards. Take a short stride and try...... How could you read what I put and think of it as skating full speed at the boards?

[LTS]

Put a case of beer on the ice and skate at it really fast. I bet you learn to stop. :)

 

Truthfully the boards idea will work. Once you have that down try it away from the boards just kind of hopping in one direction and stopping then back in the other.

[apuszczalowski]

Put a case of beer on the ice and skate at it really fast. I bet you learn to stop. :)

 

Truthfully the boards idea will work. Once you have that down try it away from the boards just kind of hopping in one direction and stopping then back in the other.

That would never work

 

By the time he turned around to skate realy fast back to the case, the guys who just finished their pickup game will have the case emptied