krisdrum

Ok, so if experienced, have you always pronated? Or is this a new thing? Do you have trouble with certain edge work? What made you investigate this issue now? My understanding of why you want to shim for pronation is because it helps you properly balance on the blade by shifting your natural balance point to be more neutral. By pronating, your natural balance point moves towards the center line of your body. That makes you fall onto your inside edge more easily, which can be an issue if you can't control. Besides shims, I've also seen people recommend re-aligning your holders to fix this problem. This is possible on hockey skates by elongating the rivet mounting holes in the holder and moving the holder on the boot in the direction needed. For pronation, you would move the holder towards your inside edge. I did not choose this method as I did not want to effect the integrity of my holder. But it is an option. Not sure what you mean by "more efficiency". If you mean your body has to work harder to balance flat/neutral on your blades when you pronate, then yes, I think adding a shim will make you more efficient. Just speaking from my own experience with adding shims - yes, it was trial and error. The shim I pictured ended up at that thickness and positioning after a few trips back and forth to the shop. I believe there are several common approaches to how to shim, but yes, from my research and experience, the shim goes under your heel only and is placed on the side opposite to the direction your foot is naturally falling. The shim in the picture is on the outside edge side of my holder because I fall towards my inside edge. For me, shims have made a big difference. I have them on all my skates. I just converted a boot to inline and added shims.

I would start external only. Again, internal shims will change the fit of your boot, which for most people isn't ideal, assuming your boots fit you well. Wedge would be internal. Footbeds to provide proper arch support would be internal and I agree, are a critical component as well to evaluate. I would think based on your location whoever the best independent hockey shops are in the area (I probably wouldn't go to the box stores) should be able to help evaluate the need and do the work. For the shims I posted a pic of, that final setting was after 2 or 3 times back and forth to the shop and the rink. Some adjustments based on just watching me walk in the shop, some based on how they felt while walking and some based on how the skates felt and performed on the ice. There isn't an exact science to it, so it takes a bit of trial and error. If you are lucky enough to have holders that attach to the boot with t-nuts (like most Grafs) instead of rivets, then you can try doing the shims yourself. I have another pair I recently shimmed myself. But not many brands use t-nuts, so you'll likely have to take them to a shop to get them shimmed, unless you have a rivet press available to you.

Shimming helps with balance. If you pronate, your foot collapses towards the inside edge. That makes it much harder to get on the flat of the blade or outside edge because your weight naturally falls towards the center line of your body. By putting a shim between the boot and holder you create a different angle between the boot and holder, which allows your foot to still pronate inward, but keep the blade neutral to the ice. Usually, you shim the opposite side of the problem. Since you pronate inwards, you'll shim the outside half of the boot. Usually just the heel post in my experience. Once the shim is in place, if you look at it from the back and put the blade perpendicular to a flat surface, you'll see the boot is now tilted towards the inside edge while the holder and blade are straight up and down. You can shim inside the boot as well, but that can effect the fit of your boot and you'll also need a wedge of material, already cut to a specific angle to do so properly. To shim the outside of the boot, it is much easier to fit proper materials, as it does not need to have an angle present. https://photos.app.goo.gl/JsxdiJGZyEfRUThT9

@colins Agree, this is a delicate situation. And a lot depends on the kid. I know it was a blow to my son when he was asked to play D. Granted much younger than this young man, at an age where if you aren't scoring goals, are you really a hockey player? I exaggerate, but at the younger ages, most kids aren't thinking "how do I contribute to the team?", they are thinking "I want to score all the goals". But at least in my personal experience, he has taken to it pretty well and he has come to realize how to use his skill set within the context of the position. It is definitely a mindset shift though. Much less about the goals (as they don't come as often), and much more about the "play making" with and without the puck, winning the 1:1 battles and moving the puck to your guys.

The more I have been thinking about this, the more I agree. There is a lot to unpack here. Having been that parent in the car after the game, I've seen first hand what that can do to their confidence level. Luckily we saw the error of our ways and have adjusted. Sounds like another year of development/confidence building would have been really beneficial. But that seems like water under the bridge at this point, so let's move on, but I would mention to parents to weigh their options next year. Does he re-join his birth-year team with some experience at the bantam level that can give him an edge to be more assertive? If D is something to seriously consider in the short-term, I'd point to the new breed of "skill" D men that have been blowing up the NHL the last season or two. Makar, Q. Hughes, and obviously Hedman. Those guys are point machines that are just as effective with the puck as they are without. That style and mindset could be what helps flip the switch for this young man.

He is playing up? @SkateWorksPNW can you confirm? Nevermind, see it now! So he is 12 playing AAA Tier 1 with a bunch of 13 year olds? Based on what that would look like here, the kid must be incredible. Granted, it looks like AZ has 3 AAA Tier 1 '07 teams. Jersey has 10, so I have to assume we are talking about a much smaller pool of players in AZ. Still, to be a year younger and playing up, especially at a key transition age like Bantam, is a big deal. I have heard often that bantam can be a real make or break due to the introduction of checking. Some kids, despite an advanced skill level, just don't want to get hit. But I would think his size (sounds like he is as big or bigger than most of the other kids) would be a non-issue or even an advantage. Maybe he could have been better served by playing with his birthyear 1 more year. That is a tough call.

I know in NJ, Gov. Murphy keeps saying that they've seen 20 "outbreaks" related to youth hockey, resulting in over 100 people becoming infected. That was part of the rationale for shutting down indoor sports until Jan. 2 for us. It seems a rink is a perfect place for transmitting the virus: Enclosed space Cold Recycled air Lots of heavy breathing Close contact between players (hockey) I'm no doctor, but that seems pretty compelling.

Any idea what the family/home life is like? How involved are his parents? We have a similar player and playing D has helped boost his confidence that he is contributing to his team winning games. We are also very involved as parents in his development, regularly discussing his performance and encouraging both good plays and instances where he pushed himself to try something different. Those plays outside his comfort zone aren't always successful, but we use them as learning opportunities to consider what to do differently next time he is faced with a similar situation. If you think the parents would be open to it, you might discuss their involvement. I feel like a player like that needs a lot of encouragement and that usually needs to be happening beyond the rink to have an impact. Another thing to suggest is maybe a club or spring team at a lower level in addition to the AAA team. Less pressure and easier competition can boost confidence significantly. He may not see himself as talented compared to his AAA peers. Put him up against A or AA players and he may realize he can be the alpha/dominant force you see him being in practice.

I would bump the UnderArmor or similar (I think Mission also makes a "sports mask") to the top of your list. They are pricey... but have given us the best results. I just bought my son 2 more UA masks so he always has a fresh, clean, dry one.

Our saga continues with my son. But I think we are narrowing in on what works best for him. We've tried the Bauer Concept 3 splash guard, CCM Game On mask, and an UnderArmor sports mask. All with a Bauer Concept 3 bubble. For him, the best results are the UA mask. The splash guard fogged on him and made the visor fog more. The CCM mask felt too restrictive (maybe we needed to experiment a bit with adjustments, but didn't) The UA doesn't cause extra fogging and felt less restrictive. He is also used to it, as he's been wearing them for dryland, warm ups, and with his trainer. So he knows what to expect when he is putting effort in with the mask on. Given some states are now requiring a mask while on ice (we've been proactive in reducing his risk of exposure), I am going to pick up a few more UA masks for him so he can always have a fresh dry one, as he does soak them while playing or working out.

Thanks both. I need to change the blade out (I shoot left, the blade is righty), so I'll open it up and take a look once I get a blade for it.

I was just gifted a vintage Easton Pro Gold 95 AL stick from a buddy who is cleaning out his garage and no longer plays. Stick is in nice shape. Noticed I can feel and hear something (sounds metal?) inside the shaft that is able to move from blade to butt. The object must be a pretty tight fit. It certainly isn't rattling around in there or moving easily. If I point the blade to the sky, takes a second or two for the object to make its way to the butt end. Same when I flip the stick back the other way. I'm not familiar with AL sticks at all, wondering if this is a weight that was intentionally added, a plug that loosened up and can now shift freely, or something else? Any ideas from those familiar with this era of stick?

Not sure it is fair to say it is "NOT the locker room", considering what we know about how this spreads, locker rooms present a risky environment compared to most other parts of the rink. It does seem to be fair to say it is NOT ONLY the locker room, based on this case study. Now, any scientist worth more than the paper their diploma is on will tell you 1 event hardly makes for "proof". There are too many variables to understand and/or control. But I agree, taking extra precautions have few (if any) downsides and a whole lot of upside.

Yeah, this is sobering. There goes the "it is the locker rooms that are the problem" theory.

Ok. So @SkateWorksPNW you like your girdles really tight and form fitting? Maybe I just need to go try stuff on to see how it compares and figure out if what I have is ok. They are nice high end pants, I'd hate to not use them, but if they don't fit well, being expensive isn't going to help me.

Dragging this thread up... as I have similar questions about the CCM girdles and girdles in general. OP - what did you end up keeping? The small or medium? I have a pair of medium Bauer girdles (MX3) that were handed down to me. My typical pant waist size is in the range given but on the lower end (I usually wear a 33 or 34), but I am way shorter than the recommended height (I'm 5-5/5-6). I sometimes feel like the hip pads restrict me a bit when I try to get low/squat and even though my waist falls in the range given, I have to really pull the velcro over to get them to fit snug on my waist/hips or they can slip down on me a bit. Wondering if searching out a size small Bauer girdle might be a better fit or maybe a CCM girdle would work. How snug do you want a girdle to fit compared to ice pants? Should they fit close to the body all over? I took the shells off and can see spots that could be tighter/more form fitting. But maybe my perception of tight is off as I used to do a lot of road cycling, so spandex was an everyday fabric.

Maybe try giving WSS a call, they moved to LIC I believe, so not as convenient as their previous mid-town location, but shouldn't be too much effort to get there if they still offer the Sidas.

Great stuff fellas. My squirt tried the Bauer splash guard and was not a fan. Same issues others have mentioned: fogging/condensation, can't drink unless you have a straw top bottle, etc. Sounds like the CCM Game On is a better solution. Granted doesn't allow you to drink without opening the bubble/cage, but doesn't seem to fog or inhibit breathing either. Might have to see if I can get my hands on one for him.

The UnderArmor mask is great, but can't drink with it. My son uses it off-ice to workout. I've used it to watch games. Very comfortable. The only one I am seeing that would maybe work for drinking would be the ShockDoctor. I'm curious how secure it would be with that design though. Might need to adjust it a lot. My son tried the splashguard again Friday night and Saturday morning. We switched to a bottle with a straw top to let him drink. He still wasn't a fan. Said it fogged and impaired his lower peripheral vision when fogged. And didn't like he couldn't get a finger in the bubble to fix his flow. The top row of holes it blocks gave him access to get in. His hair falls in his face even after we wet it and slick it back. I'm sure he could get used to it and deal with it if he had to, but not mandated for us, so not sure we will force him to use it. It does provide a bit more protection, but not sure it is a huge upgrade from the bubble stock, which I would think is definitely better than a cage.

Oh, for sure you could. We tried ours this weekend. Son HATED it. Wouldn't even play with it on, made me take it off almost immediately after I installed it. Can't drink with it on without opening the bubble completely. The piece itself is about the thickness of a Poland Spring/Avion water bottle, but of a softer/more pliable plastic. Comes with 3 little dual-sided velcro tabs, so you can quickly/easily swap them out. I'm sure some engineering brainpower went into it, but the cost of the materials and innovation don't really match the pricetag. But if you want your kid to play and keep them as safe as you can while on ice... there aren't a lot of options.

Just received a shipping confirmation for my pre-order. Those who didn't pre-order may not be so lucky.

Anyone hearing about delays on the Bauer splashguard - at least the Junior size? I pre-ordered and the original release date was supposed to be yesterday (9/24). Now no longer listed as a product on the site I ordered from (in either size). I saw another retailer advertise it being in stock and available. Saw it listed on their site and a few hours later it was gone and now says "product not found". Have any insider info you can share? My son is finally going to start playing games and was really hoping to have this ASAP.

Believe the Bauer splashguards (for Concept 3 bubble) are set to ship this week and should be in the hands of pre-order customers by Oct. 1. CCM "hockey mask" is also scheduled to be available Oct. 1. Got word yesterday that some tournaments at the youth level are mandating face covering on ice (splashguard, CCM mask or regular mask under helmet) in order to play.

Cool, had no idea. I've watched some of his stuff and have found it good quality. He just gained me as a subscriber.

In case y'all haven't seen. Seems like a solid comparison of the products from YouTuber "Hockey Reviews": https://youtu.be/pSvs62cyyPw