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To start with I always suggest this to my students, start by dropping 1 eyelet. If that feels like it doesn't make much difference drop another eyelet. Keep dropping eyelets until you find it has become much harder and different to skate (normally this starts around 3 down). Now go and skate as you normally would but taking it easy at first until your muscle memory begins to change to support you. As soon as you start to feel comfortable / getting the hang of this then drop another eyelet and start the process all over again. Doing it this way allows you to progressively build towards a totally unlaced skate whilst still skating at a level that is near to where you currently are. The big change really starts when you get to the 4th and 5th eyelet down, at this point all the support the boot gives the ankle basically disappears and things begin to get really interesting. Or you can just not tie your laces and jump into the deep end. I have had players do this as they have wanted to step up to the challenge from day 1. This is rather brutal and a big eye opener of how you skate. It hides nothing and suddenly you realise how bad your technique is if you have any flaws. Your feet will seem to collapse on everything you do and be prepared to fall / stumble a lot until you start to improve. If you do go this way ffs take it slow and easy until you get used to it. Just as Benbreg said, start slowly with simple straight line skating and also do one foot balance drills in a straight line. then add turns then cross overs etc etc as you begin to rebuild your skating skill set and muscle memory. If the only chance you get to skate like this is before a game then you could try using 2 laces in your boot. 1 to lace up to whatever eyelet you are at and another lace that is thru the rest of the eyelets but undone when you jump on the ice (if you are only 1 or 2 eyelets down its most probably just as easy to use 1 lace and then lace fully up when the game starts). After a while you can then try with just laces loose,

Picked up some Pro Stock Trues over the weekend that seemed to fit ok. $100. Baked them at home. Hope to have some fresh runners in them and go for a test skate tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Kind of strange that my doctor didn't suggest that I get physical therapy. He just said I could begin weight resistance training, but start light and listen to your body. I've had physical therapy in the past. So, I started with walking only. When it got to mid-January, I was able to do start fast walking and adding machine-based weight resistance training. Mid-March, I started mixing fast walking and jogging, continuing machine-based weight resistance exercises and I added body weight lifting: push ups, pull ups, lunges and box step-ups. It's mid-April and I've been doing the same things since mid-Match. End of March, I went ice skating to a public skate. That went well, and my balance, stopping, and turning was better than before I had surgery. Didn't go crazy and haven't played any hockey yet. I'm looking to play in October. I have another appt with my doctor and I'll ask him about it.

It's progressive. Imagine a set of steel done up at 20', then following it with a 13' but just grinding in what is zone 2, then doing a 6' just in zone 1, but having the ability to have all of those transitions blended in. Once again; all suggestions/recommendations. You can put a Q0 on a 230mm. I'm hoping to get the smaller Zups/Quads to round out the testing but haven't heard back from Prosharp about it.