puckpilot

If you're used to the p88, the p92 is sort of the next step along the continuum. It'll make it easier to get under the puck and roof it from in close, and the pocket is placed similarly to the p88. I wouldn't recommend the p28. It's a vastly different animal and is way more unforgiving. If you don't execute the right technique for that curve it either launches the puck into the rafters or doesn't leave the ice. BUT, in my honest opinion, if you like the p88, you probably don't need to reinvent the wheel. Just spend some practise time lifting the puck in close with your current curve. Switching to a different curve, especially if you've used the p88 most of your life, is probably going to require more tweaks and growing pains than simply getting some more practise time in with your current curve. I'd bet you'd be able to make the required tweaks within a hour or two of practise. One other thing to consider, which may or may not apply to you. For me, I've always found regardless of curve--and I've used pretty flat curves like the p38 and the toe curves like the p28--the key to accuracy and lift is stick flex . As long as I have right flex for me, I can execute the proper technique, and I don't tend to have issues with placing the puck. If the stick is a little too stiff, it makes it harder to go through the proper motions when I'm rushed, and I'll have issues with accuracy and lifting the puck. Since you've played defense most of your life, you might be used to having a little more time to load up. Playing forward, you don't always have that time and maybe when you're rushed, you're not able to flex the stick quite enough to get the puck to do what you want. Maybe going to a slightly lower flex might help. Just a thought.

From my experience, I haven't been able to figure out a way to mimic the ice for shooting. I've tried all the regular stuff that gets recommended, but the simple fact is the extra friction is always going to make it easier to load the stick. Now that doesn't mean shooting off-ice is useless. IMHO, If you're doing the reps and executing technique properly then it should translate as long as you're getting reps on the ice too. For me personally, for a long while I struggled with my shot. And I've found while experimented that whenever something isn't working, it narrows down to two things flex and technique. After the covid pause, I was having a lot of issues with my shot, and after working on my technique, switching out kickpoints and curves, I realized it was because I'd recently lost a significant amount of weight and along with that weight a bit of muscle. So I went down in flex and suddenly all the issues went away.

It could be a lot of things. It could be a little from column A and a little from column B. If you're able, I'd recommend using your phone to take some video of yourself shooting on and off ice. Sometimes what you think you're doing isn't what you're doing if you know what I mean. Also.regardless of how it feels it could be that the flex is too stiff for you. Feel can trick you sometimes, because you get used to a certain feel and think it's working for you even when it isn't. It doesn't matter what your height or weight is. It's simply about if you have the strength and technique to flex the stick properly and the hands to make it do what you want it to do. The proof is in the pudding. For reference, Matthews is 6'3 223lbs and uses an 80 flex. Ovi is 6'3 235lb and uses an 85 flex. I've read Ovi has used even lower flexes in the past. I'd wager you're not as strong as either of them and you're using a flex in the range of what they're using.

Different kick point is always going to mean different feel and release. You'll have to get used to the change.

No skate on the market has the right combination of length, width, volume for me. Struggled with this for years, and here are the solutions I found that work best for me. First, is Option-B skate straps to replace some or all the laces. Because the straps go over the top of the skate, it gives you more volume. Second, eyelet extenders, same concept as the straps, except you keep your laces. Here's a thread that shows you how to make them. There's also a place that sells them, but I can never find the website. Third, loosen your laces. Over the years, I've found that you don't really need to tie skates all that tight. In fact, a lot of people I've noticed tie them too tight, leading to issues like lace bite. If the skate fit is perfect with length and with, I found I just have to have the laces taught for games. I don't need the laces to pull the boot in. During stick and puck, I tend to leave the laces saggy without issue. Like I said, these are my solutions. Maybe one of them with work for you.

As far as I know, nope. I've actually written Warrior, telling them it's something I want. In terms of junior sticks, there are actually roughly 3 blade sizes, with Bauer 50 flex sticks having the largest blade. CCM comes in at second, and Warrior and True have the smallest blades. The shaft dimensions follow the same pattern. In terms of brand, as long as it's one of the major companies, quality is going to be about the same. Not to say there won't be issues. It's just that one year a stick line may have issues, then the next year that same line will be fine. That's what the 30 day warranty is for. I've used sticks from all the major companies over the last few years, and that's been my experience. If you're looking for a stick, just find one that fits you, and don't worry too much about the other stuff.

If there's a curve further away from a heel curve, it's probably the p28. 😛 To my understanding, the reason there's a migration towards the toe curve is because it's geared towards the snapshot, which is the most widely used shot in the show days. I had similar issues when switching over to the p28 from the p29. The reason is, if you're use to having the puck on the heel when you start your shot, you're basically using a flat blade. Then if you're trying to use the curve part of blade, which is nearer the toe, it's basically a slingshot. It grabs the puck and if you're not use to it, it's up into the rafters. Unfortunately, over the years, the selection of curves has dwindle. Other curves are available if you're willing to look, but there are really only three curves that you can count on a store having, the p88, the p29, and the p28. BUT, if you're willing to go through the process, custom sticks are now available from companies like Bauer for about the same price as a retail stick. Last time I checked, there was a 2 stick minimum. Unfortunately, with supply chains and stuff like that, there might be a long wait period.

For me, scanner results are just starting points. There's always a margin for error. Whether that's the machine's fault or the operator's, who knows. For me when I was scanned, the result was a half size too large and in a fit style that was too wide. IMHO, right now, really be finicky and take mental notes. Don't proceed blindly. If you really pay attention to things and feel out what works for you and what doesn't in a new skate, you'll be able to apply this experience down the road to the next pair of skates.

It never hurts--no pun intended--to try something on just to get a feel. You never know for sure until you get them on your feet. For years, I was in CCMs. Though that's what I should be sticking with when I needed new skates. Wasn't even considering Bauer. Tried on some Bauers. Left with the Bauers, and they're probably the best feeling skate's I've ever had.

How long did you have the skates on, and did you walk around in them, take a skating stance, and/or do skating like movements? IMHO, you have to get a feel for what they're like once the foams are warmed up and you're moving around. Because foams compress when warmed up, and they shape to your foot more, so a cold, snug skate can turn floppy after a few minutes of skating. And moving around will reveal possible pressure points and/or possible slippage. IMHO, the thicker padding shouldn't matter in the long run, because as the skate ages, the foams will compress, making the skate around 1/4 size larger. When feeling out a skate, take into consideration what happens to the skate as it ages, not just how it feels right now.

I have a Pacific Rink bag. I love it. Lots of storage/pockets. I'm a pack rat. And I can carry it like a backpack or regular bag. Cheap $50 bags usually last me 1-2 years, and they're falling apart after the first year. The Pacific Rink bag has lasted me 5, and it's still in great shape. It's probably going to last another 5 years. Is it pricey? Yes. But I got it on sale, and IMHO, that was the sweet spot. Worth every cent. For me, the other bags just don't have enough storage.

IMHO, going up in size in an attempt to address a depth issue is not a good idea. It's trading one issue for possibly another issue that's an even worse issue to deal with, skates that are too big for you. Often, skates that are too big will cause the wearer to crank down on the laces in an attempt to stabilize the foot in the boot, which will cause similar issues (lace bite) as one could get from skates without enough depth. From my experience, here's something to consider. I have extremely small feet for my size. 5'5 adult with size 4.5 skates. No retail skate on the market has the right depth for me. For me, the best thing other than customs was to get the skate that had the right dimensions for everything else except depth, and then figure out what to do about the depth. And over the years, I figured out how to prevent lace bite for myself. First up is I use Option B skate straps/eyelet extenders. This adds depth to the skate and distributes the presser more evenly across the foot. Second, I learned to skate with loose/looser laces. The latter, for me personally, is the universal solution that will carry across all skates I buy from now on. Also, it has had the added benefit of making me a better skater overall. It just took a little time, a little patience, and a little work. Don't know if this is the right thing for you, but it's just something to consider.

If you have access to video of him playing, maybe watch some of that to see if you can figure out what exactly he's doing to the steel to accumulate the nicks. I know you're dismissing this as a possibility, but it could very well be he's just accidentally scrapping them against the bench support posts etc. I'm careful and I still do it from time to time. Also, you described him as the princess and the pea. Could it also be some of this sensitivity is in his head? I know this could be construed as mean, but have you tried swapping one set of roughed up steel for another set of roughed up steel and see if he really does notice? And finally, one other option you could do is to move him to a shallower hollow. It can slow the accumulation of nicks, but even then, if he's stomping steel on steel, nothing is going to stop the nick from happening.

First, don't use shoe size to determine skate size. Use a brannock made specifically for sizing skates. Your local hockey shop should have those. People wear different sized shoes for different reasons. For walk around shoes, I wear a half size or so up, because they're generally more comfortable. If I'm looking for shoes for sports, I want more form fitting. My shoe size is 2.5 to 3 sizes larger than my skate size. Second, once you have your foot measured out by a brannock made for skates, you have a start point. After that, it's about trying on skate after skate, comparing, contrasting, until you find one that's comfortable and formfitting. This is where you spend most of your time. Don't just put on the skate for a few seconds, you need to leave them on for a bit and get a feel for what the skate feels like after the liner has warmed up. Generally, you want to err on the side of a bit smaller vs a bit larger. You can always punch and stretch skates to finetune fit. You can't do the reverse and shrink skates. For big skates, things will only get worse as the liner wears and compresses, making the skates even more roomie

With new skates, after a bake, I've heard the recommendation not to skate on them for 24hrs. Don't know how true that is. I've never had the situation come up where I needed to make the choice. In terms of weight. I can tell you the formula is simple. Burn more calories than you take in. Please don't take this as me trying to be a smart-ass. I've struggled with my weight for years. I'd yo-yo between 5-10lbs, but no matter how much hockey I played, I could never keep the weight off. And what finally clicked for me over Covid was not necessarily to eat less, but to take in less calories, I actually ended up losing 20lbs over Covid, because I simply substituted low calorie options for my snacks. For example, Instead of chips I ate popcorn. I can eat a whole bag of light popcorn, filling myself, and not even come close to the calories in a couple handfuls of chips. Any ways, good luck. Hope everything turns out for the best.

I'd say this is the culprit. As someone else mentioned, more weight overall means you're feet could be spreading out like how a rubber tire bulges when you load up a truck/car. Another thing to add to that is the fact you're probably not use to carrying around that weight when you're skating. Add that to the time off because of the apocalypse, and you may feel a bit more unstable on the ice. This may lead you to over tighten your skates to compensate, which will squeeze the sides of the skate in more. It doesn't take much. A few millimetres can make all the difference.between a comfortable skate and one that's crushing your foot.

From this description, it does sound like his weight has been shifted forward. To get more of that three step speed, you have to be able to get on to your toes faster, which is what the profile is helping with. The trade off is it's maybe too easy to get onto his toes. Think about it. If his weight is centered over the toes more and he pushes off, the stride will be starting more towards the toe, meaning he's using less of the blade. This is one of the issues I've had to deal with over the years for different reasons, but it was extremely detrimental to my skating. After experimenting with lots of profiles, I had to go in the complete opposite direction of what people tend to recommend. I went to a extremely flat profile 13/26 and a negative pitch, to help me get more centered over my blade and get a full, proper stride.

As others have said, if it's not working, go back to what you had before. When you change your profile, it's usually with a specific goal in mind, more stability, more agility, etc. BUT.... and I always say this. There's no free lunch. You're always trading a little of this for more of that. The hope is what's being gained out weighs what's being giving up relative to the player. It's not a one size fits all situation. It's about getting things dialed in to compliment, enhance, and aid. With that said, here's my guess on what may be happening. It's worth what you paid for it. A quad .5 goes 8-10-12-14. The smaller radius at the toe maybe encouraging your son to shift their weight forward a bit more when they're doing things. It doesn't have to be much. With skating millimetres matter. You get the most bite on the blade when you have your weight over the balance point of the blade, which is in the middle of the blade, roughly around the arch. If your son is starting their stride, or doing anything for that matter, slightly ahead of that balance point, when before they were right over it, he's going to loose bite. So, it's possible that your son can re-calibrate and be fine, but IMHO, if it wasn't broken before, what are you trying to fix? my2cents

At first blush, to me, it sounds like a fit issue, with maybe your foot slipping forward, but if you say the skates fit properly, then maybe try these silicon toe protectors. i use one on a pinky toe because it rubs a little. https://www.amazon.ca/DOITOOL-Silicone-Protectors-Protection-Protector/dp/B096NKYBWD/ref=sr_1_10?dchild=1&keywords=silicone+toe+protector&qid=1635803426&sprefix=silicone+toe%2Caps%2C189&sr=8-10 https://www.amazon.ca/Protector-（1Pair）-Breathable-Cushion-Metatarsal/dp/B08BFT7PNV/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&keywords=silicone+toe+protector&qid=1635803426&sprefix=silicone+toe%2Caps%2C189&sr=8-12

Not sure how much this will apply to you, but last time I bough new skates, I dropped down half a size from 5 to 4.5. And yes, I'm an adult. For me, I found that the shorter runner exasperated some of flaws in my skating. From my understanding, as the blade transitions from your profile up to the toe of the skate, with the shorter runner, that transition is more aggressive. An exaggerated way to illustrate this is think of a a hill that takes you up vertically 10ft over a distance of 1 block vs. a hill that does the same over the distance of 1/2 a block. The incline is steeper, so with a skate blade, as I rocked forward, the drop off was quicker, making it easier, for me at least, to get up onto my toes too much, shortening my stride, in addition to also exasperated stability issues. To a certain degree, some of the issues could be address by simply working on my technique more, which I did. But overall, I ended up having to go to a very flat profile to help address my needs, which was fine. Overall, it helped me become a way better skater. For a long while--I've been skating for around 40 years--I'd plateaued with my skating and didn't think I'd be getting much better. But the tighter skate fit allowed me to loosen my laces a lot more, without loss of control, which gave me more ankle mobility, forward and back and side to size, which let me get a more aggressive angle on my inside and outside edge push offs. This also gave me a better feel for my edges. Though, all this didn't just come overnight. I had to work for it, but it was some short term pain for some long term gain. Don't know how much this applies to you, but that's my experience.

If what you're talking about is what I'm thinking of, that'll only help if you're getting lace bite, but not so sure it'll do anything if the eyelets are rubbing against your foot. Because the old eyelets are still there. Here's something I've used to solve similar issues in the past. I went to the dollar store and got a pair of felt insoles. I cut them up into felt patches a little larger than the size of my ankle. I then used sock tape to attach them to my foot.before slipping on my skates. I found I needed to use a taping pattern similar to the yellow straps in the picture below to secure the felt patches in place else they tended to move when I skated. Also when the patches aged, I found I needed to double up on them. I found they work better than the gel pads because they're thicker and are more firm, and when taped in place right, they wouldn't move.

Can't be sure from this angle, but from the looks of it and from you stating the tongue isn't wide enough, it kind of looks like your skates don't have enough volume. Do you pass the pencil test? If not, there's your problem.

IMHO, the first thing to think about is what do you want out of the change in profile? That's why it's important to do a little homework and understand what certain changes will do. I always say this, but there's no free lunch here. You're always going to be trading off a bit of this for more of that. But depending on what your game/skill/preferences are, certain trade-offs will be worth it to you. For me, I use a very flat profile, because I find I have agility to spare, and I'm exchanging some of that for more stability and glide.But because this trade off allowed me to make significant strides in improving my skating, the overall impact on my agility as time has gone on has become less, but it's still there. IMHO, If you're just throwing a Hail-Mary just to see what it'll do, one starting point is as good as the next, because either it's a touchdown or you'll need to tweak and try again. And though Hail-Marys do work on occasion, it's not exactly a high percentage play.

Everything is about figuring out what works for you. So you don't necessarily have to change your hollow right away. Remember, you're changing variables in your set up right now. IMHO, the more variables you change at the same time, the trickier it'll be to figure out what's working for you, what isn't, and what you need to do to take yourself in the right direction. Maybe, you'll like even more bite. Maybe you won't. But if you make these changes all at the same time, how do you know what you're liking? Are you liking the shallower hollow or are you liking the new profile more? Maybe it's a combination of both. The flip side is true too, what don't you like, the new hollow, the new profile, or a combination of both. When I was experimenting my way to what worked for me, I did lots of incremental changes, slowly working my way through various profiles and hollows. IMHO, there isn't a correlation between weight and what hollow one should use. I've been 180lbs and use hollows between 3/8 and 1". I'm 162 right now, and I'm looking to maybe get something even flatter. What works is what works.

You're going to have to get the steel re-profiled with the change in pitch.You can't just change the pitch alone.