puckpilot

It's not about like or dislike. It's more about pros and cons. Superfeet tend to get promoted as this universally great thing, but there is no free lunch. The are pros and cons that have to be weighed against each other for each individual. Superfeet get sold to people like myself who really don't need them, so without needing the pros, I'm left with only receiving the cons. Superfeet are great for those who's feet need them, but for those that don't, for the most part, they're better of not using them at all. It's like wearing a knee brace when there's nothing wrong with your knee.

The front is a 13’ radius and the back is 26’ 😛

I got new skates about 3 years ago. Here's the story of my trials and tribulations with insoles and profiling. Maybe it'll help you out. When I got my new skates, I got talked into buying superfeet carbon. They worked well enough and the soles of my feet were comfortable, so I kept them. As I got used to my new skates, I noticed, I was on the tips of my toes too much and my general stability was off. These are issues I've had in the past because I'm a 175lb dude with small feet, and figured, because I moved down half a size from a 5 to 4.5 skate, and thus was using an even smaller runner, I'd just need to do some work to get things re-calibrated. So, I worked and worked and worked on get it all sorted out by working my skating more. Well, after about 6 months with little to no progress, I decided to look at other options. I did my research and decided to get a flatter profile. Went to a 12' profile with a +1 pitch. Instant positive results. As time went on, I moved to a 13' profile and then to a neutral pitch. Things got progressively better with each change, but there were times where I'd get on my toes still. So I did some more research and re-familiarized myself on what pitching actually does. Pitching your skate with a forward lean involves moving the balance point of the skate along with the profile edge back towards the heel. This makes it easier to get onto your toes. Good for some, not good for me, so I went and got a negative pitch to my skate, which moved the balance point and profile edge forward towards my toes more, which put me on my heels more. Some things you read will say this is not recommended, but for me, it was another positive step. Unfortunately, moving the profile edge forward lessened the stability in my heels, which wasn't terrible, but I wanted to get things perfect. On that same day that I took the negative pitched profile runners out for their first test, I was taking my insoles out after and realized the superfeet carbon had a raised heel, which would put me up on my toes more. The next time I was on the ice for stick and puck, I went to the stock insoles, which I'd never used in these skates and noticed an immediate change for the better. Not only did the superfeet pitch me forward, which wasn't right for me, it also deadened the feel for my edges. Using superfeet for me was like putting mittens on and trying to type. The stock insoles weren't as comfortable, but they didn't hurt my feet either, so I stuck with them. During that stick and puck session, I swapped between a 13' neutral pitched steel and my 13' negative pitched steel to get a feel for what i liked. I thought I'd be going back to a neutral pitch, but as it turns out, I still liked the negative pitch more. But there was still the issue with stability in the heel area. So I went to the shop and asked if they could maybe give me a 14' or 15' profile. Well, they couldn't because they didn't have the profiling template. Nobody asks for something so out of the box. As fortune would have it I'd seen a video on Elias Petterson talking about tweaking his profile at that time. He was using a Detroit II profile, which is a 13'/26' dual profile that some goalies use. So, with nothing left to try and nothing to lose, I gave it a go, a Detroit II profile with a -1 pitch, and after one stick and puck session and one game with it, I can definitely say it was another right step for me. Probably some room to tweak some more, but definitely not going back. In addition, going to the flatter profiles made it so I felt comfortable enough to practice with completely loose laces during stick and puck and skate with looser laces during games, preventing me from getting lacebite, which is another long story in itself, so Ill leave that be. Maybe there's something useful in here for you in this very loooong post. Maybe not.

Check out Hockey Supremacy website. They’re always having a 10-20% off sale going on at any one time. As long as it’s not elite CCM or Bauer, you’ll get the discount, even if the stick just came out like the Warrior DX. They also have a clearance section you can check out a loyalty points program.

Not exactly what you're looking for, but closest I've ever found. 3cm Lacrosse tape that's pre-cut so it tears of in 1 and 2 cm strips. https://m.dickssportinggoods.com/p/stringking-lacrosse-tape-2-pack-16sgkusklcrsstp2plxa/16sgkusklcrsstp2plxa https://www.lacrossemonkey.com/catalog/product/view/id/292133?gclid=CjwKCAjw4ZTqBRBZEiwAHHxpfrxLiErWUeLUkLvr0CC-FG0cny7My7RfhND3mfjqQm7c8vBTycAxNBoCe_sQAvD_BwE

Thanks to you both. Much appreciated.

Where did you get the eyelets/grommet for these, and what type are they? Finding the equipment to punch the holes and set the eyelets seems to be simple enough, but finding eyelets that don't look like they'll rip apart after one stride seems to be more of a challenge for my googling skills.

You can use one of these. They're replacements for the old CCM lace lock system, but I put them on the third eyelet down, and it raises the laces just like those eyelet extenders do. https://www.ebay.ca/itm/CCM-Helmet-Hockey-Skate-Lock-Replacement-Eyelet-Repair-Fix-Hardware-Inline-Ice/262744209403?hash=item3d2cc677fb:g:FREAAOSwxp9W8ya6 https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Reebok-Hockey-Skate-Lock-Replacement-Eyelet-Repair-Fix-Hardware-Inline-Ice/262975040573?hash=item3d3a88ac3d:g:Fp8AAOSwONBZESg1

They feel similar to rollerblade straps. I've actually ordered some rollerblade ratchet straps to see how they work. The velcro straps, though effective, are starting to stretch after about 8 months. They look like they'll hold for a good while longer, but they'll need to be replaced eventually. As for chirping. I've never had anyone on another team say one thing to me. I've had teammates ask about them with curiosity. I've only had one ever make a snide remark, but he's the type that has that "Real Men Don't" attitude. I simply told him it helps my lace bite and acted like I didn't give a shit, because I didn't, and he STFU, because with his stride, he's the last person who should comment on another person's skates and/or skating. For me, I'm at that age now, that if it saves me discomfort and pain and as a consequence, lets me skate better, I'll wear high heels, a too-too, and carry around a fairy wand if I have to. 😛

I had/have similar issues, but for me it only shows up when I'm spending a prolonged period doing drills that put pressure on that area. Durning games, it rarely pops up unless I'm playing 2-3 games in a night. I found changing to Option B skate straps helped. Another option I've used in the past was to add the old CCM/Reebok lace locks on the eyelets around that area. It elevated the laces in that area and releaved the pressure. They're a little tricky to find now that skates don't use them any more, but you can pick them up on eBay.

Doesn't seem like they have that much more than what you'd find in retail right now for Intermediates and juniors. Was hoping they'd have the option of a p28 in a lie 6. Nope. Hopefully more options to come once things have been running for a bit.

Just popping in to agree with the p30 as the curve closest to what the OP described.

For me, getting new gear isn't all that exiting. I'm more exited about finding stuff that matches what I like. Once I find it, I'm exited about having it. I try to keep up with what's coming out because I realized that doing that is much simpler than doing rushed and sometimes panicked research when I need to replace something. It also allows me to spot good deals when I see them.

Glad things worked out for your kid. Sad that that "coach" doesn't get hoisted up on his petard. That's a silly way to run a team at that level.

I could be totally off base, but to me it sounds like you feel like you're giving everything you got to get the win, sacrificing the body, showing up to every game even when you may not feel up to it, but it doesn't sound like the rest of the team is as committed. It sounds like you're the guy, or one of the few guys, pulling the cart, while the rest are taking a free ride and waving to the pretty girls on the sidelines and getting the smiles. Do any of your teammates come up to you during or after the game and say thanks for bailing them out or thanks for keeping us in it? Cause it sucks to be underappreciated. I've been on teams where I work my ass off forechecking, backchecking, lift sticks to save goals, spring guys left and right by threading passes through multiple defenders, but nobody says a damn thing unless I'm on the score sheet. (I'll leave the gripes about missed assists for another time) While the guys who are seagulling all night, taking 2.5 minute shifts, and are like minus 4, get the nice game because they scored a couple. Stuff like that makes me not want to play, or at the very least it makes me not want to care. On the other hand, I've been on teams were everyone works their butts off, win or lose, and we may lose a lot, but there's a we'll-get-them-next-time type of attitude. It never feels like you're the only one that gives a crap and that makes it still fun to go to the rink. My 2 cents

I wear 7.5-8 shoes and size 4.5 skates. When I got my current skates, I came down from a size 5. Took me a little while to notice that I was more unstable and my foot was sliding out from under me with my underpush in my cross overs. Blamed it on user error. So spent 6 months working to correct the issue with little improvement. Then last April, I tried changing my profile to a 12' +1, and it made the world of difference. I'm in a 13' +1 profile now, and after 6 months, barely notice any loss of agility. Only notice the positives now.

Shooting a golfball is not the same as shooting a puck. If you try to develop your mechanics this way, there's a good chance you are going to develop some bad habits. It's a lot easier to get under a golfball and lift it than it is a puck. If you want to take your shooting pad somewhere, just take it to a park with a flat surface and a chain link fence and fire pucks at that. Tennis courts are nice. And if you're ambitious, you can even bring a net.

I encourage you to stick to your guns. The good news is you know it isn't just you or your kid. And at least your kid knows you got his back, and you know he still loves hockey. Don't know what's going to happen as you move up the food chain, but the nuclear option is probably being really frank about the coach with the higher ups, and if that falls on deaf ears, tell them either you kid gets moved or your kid sits out. Because sending a kid into a crappy situation like that is not a healthy option. Also, I know this is going to sound sneaky, but I'd start recording phone conversations if possible, just so you don't get into a he-said-she-said situation.

Ummmm wtf is with that coach? To give a different view of things, my nephew is a couple years ahead of your kid, and he's on the rep A team, with paid coaches, which I believe is about as high as you can go. All last year I took him to practice at least once a week--he has three a week on top of games--and I saw kids mess up drills all the time, and I've never seen or heard of the coach yell at a kid for doing so. If a kid keeps messing up the drill, the coach stops and explains it to the kid. If they still don't get it, the coach has them sit out and watch those who do understand run through a few times. That usually fixes things. Usually at the end of practice, the coach has a mini game drill as a treat for the kids to keep things fun. Though, I've heard my nephew talk about bag skates after games in which they didn't listen to the coach and didn't do well. But my nephew hasn't ever complained about having to going to the rink, so I'm sure bag skate doesn't mean what it typically means. After games, the coach has a private talk with the team before parents are allowed in. Regardless of win or lose, I've never gone into the dressing room and felt that the kids were beat down. They're always laughing, even if they blew a 4 goal lead in the third. I don't know what your options are, but if you can shift your kid to another team, that might be a good thing. When my nephew was your son's age, the focus was more on skills development so everyone got to play different positions. There weren't any systems. Now this isn't to say, I didn't see other teams play systems, but I didn't see the point. Any way, my 2 cents. It's worth what you paid. And best of luck to you and your kid.

FYI, there are 55 flex intermediates. Also, how tall are you? I'm 5'5 and I use 52" junior sticks. Some of them I add plugs to. Some are just perfect uncut. Just recently with True and with Bauer's 2N pro, the 50 flex junior sticks are made long. True's sticks are 54" and the new 2N pro is 53". Generally intermediate sticks are around 57" uncut. In addition with the 2N, the blade size and shaft dimensions are the same as an intermediate stick. As far as I know, this is the only junior stick that's like this. The rest have smaller shaft dimensions. Some significantly smaller, others, like CCM only slightly.

It's all personal preference. But there's always give and takes. A lower lie may help you keep your blade flatter, but it may make it more difficult to get your weight over the stick to take a shot. Etc. With that said, there's a simple solution to getting all of your blade on the ice without changing your lie or the length of your stick. Simply rotate your wrist and close the blade face. When you catch a pass, you really don't want your blade to be completely vertical. You want to close the blade and cup it. My 2 cents.

Was at stick and puck today and saw some guys wearing VH skates. One of them had their laces wrapped around the ankles, strangling the outside of the boot. I wanted to cry. :(

In terms of arches, from my experience, the Nexus and Supremes are quite similar. I really don't have much of an arch, and when I was last shopping for skates, these were the two skates I narrowed it down to. The differences is that the Nexus has more volume, so more space in the toe box, the fore foot, and the heel. If the Supremes work for you, you're not missing anything with the Nexus. Also, if I were to guess, CCM Tacks won't work for you. When I tried them on, it was like my arches were sitting on top of pyramids. I didn't even have to tie them up to know they weren't for me.

I'm in the same sized steel as you, and for the first time in 30 plus years of my hockey life, I got my skates profiled. I'm on size 4.5 N9000s, and I was running stock LS3 on stock profile, with a 3/8ths hollow. I followed Nicholas G's recommendation of a 12' single radius to start with. He also recommended a neutral pitch, but I went with a +1 and 5/8ths hollow. I specifically bought new LS3 steel to experiment on, because I'm in the middle of playoffs right now and wanted to be able to turn back if I had to. One of my biggest issues was my underpush slipping out on me when I tried to drive into it. Always thought it was user error, but after a few minutes on my profiled steel, I knew I made the right decision. It felt like every aspect of my skating had levelled up. For 4.5 hours I was trying everything from stop-starts to tight turns to one-foot slaloms, but most of all, I was working the crossovers. It all seemed to be clicking. I was able to push things so hard on turns and stop-starts, one of my laces broke. After 4.5hrs, I still didn't want to leave the rink because I was so excited about trying stuff just to see if I could do it. I'm usually a center but from time-to-time I fill in at defense. One of the things that I'd dread was the forward stop transitioning into the backward's crossover. It was always 50/50 whether the inside leg would slip out from under me. With the new profile, my leg wasn't slipping, and the only time I blew a tire was when I was trying to see how far I could push before it blew. For me, I didn't notice any detriment to my agility or turns. I think it might be in part to me feeling steadier on crossovers and hard turns. Or maybe it's because of the small runners. I'm liking it so much, I'm considering going up to a 13' radius, and maybe in time, I'll consider something more complex. Now, this isn't to say that I'm suddenly Connor McDavid. Not even close. I'm just saying that before, parts of my skating seemed to be stagnant. I wasn't making any progress no matter how much I practised or how much I studied technique. But making this adjustment feels like it pushed me free of that stagnation, and now, doors to being better are open. Any way my 2 cents. It's worth what you paid for it.

I've been mulling over changing the profile in my skates. This is an area that I've paid zero attention to, so I was wondering if someone could give me some recommendations. Right now I'm in LS3 with stock profiling with a 3/8 hollow. I'm in Nexus N9000s so I'm assuming they're 9' or 10' radius. One of the issues I'm running into now is the under-push on my crossovers. It's slipping out on me a bit when I try to drive into it and extend out, and I'm losing power and stability. Now, over the last while, I've been assuming it's user error. I'm older, less flexable, and a few years ago I got sick and lost a good chunk of muscle. But I've been really focused working on that for the last few months, youtube videos studying technique, hip stretches, one leg squats, and hours and hours and hours of ice time just working my edges and crossovers with the top three eyelets undone, but I can't seem to make any progress. So now, I'm wondering if it could be my skates. I'm 175lbs, and I'm in size 4.5 skates, so I'm wondering if it could be an issue involving not enough blade on the ice or rather not enough of a flat. I'm not sure if a smaller runner has less of a flat than a larger runner with the same radius. While googling, I found a rule of thumb calculation that said if you take your weight in kg and divided by 6.28 which is 2Pi, it will give you the ball park of what your profile radius should be. My calculation comes up with a 13' radius, which seems a bit crazy. Any way, any recommendations/suggestions are welcome.