m3thods

I added "goaltending" to my hockey "abilities" about a year ago. If it helps you, I can outline what I went through. I've always played out (except for a few fill-in games in pee-wee), but I've always wanted to play in goal. Unfortunately, the costs associated with playing in net was prohibitive. Fast forward more than 10 years, and after working for a while full-time, I was given the opportunity to do what I always wanted to try. My team's goalie was trying to get rid of old Vaughn V2 pads that he was sitting on for a year after upgrading. We were similar in stature, so I figured all of the equipment would fit (he gave me pads, pants, c/a, and gloves). It was a little while after that where I learned that fit is everything with goaltending gear. I bought the rest of my stuff (helmet, skates, jock, misc. accessories, stick) shortly after receiving the main items. I bought skates used and they didn't work out, so I flipped them right away. Everything else, now including skates, I bought brand new. I made sure that the skates and helmet fit. This is very important because if your feet hurt when playing, nothing makes you want to quit playing faster. And it goes without saying what the importance of a proper-fitting helmet is to your general health. My first few skates were pretty miserable- almost to the point of thinking of selling everything at a small loss. But wanting to really make sure I wanted to do this, I kept at it and really worked on things like positioning and slides. I was (and still do from time to time) getting torched due to bad angles. But the constant learner in me wanted to keep working at it to get better. In the months to follow, I played with the equipment and learned what I wanted in a set. Being a fairly good skater, the transition from player to goalie skates was very minimal (I can easily switch between the two nowadays). My biggest issue were pads that were an inch too big. I eventually replaced my c/a (it was an older pro model that was a tad small), gloves (the old ones were beyond stinky). and now pads (I have a custom pair of CCMs coming my way in the coming weeks). I love playing in goal, hence my increased commitment dollar-wise to the rest of my equipment. I'm actually trying to ramp down my player-time and trying to latch onto teams still looking for a consistent goalie. TL;DR version: If you really want to try out the position, there's no better place to start than to look for some equipment. If you can score some used equipment, it's a great cheap gateway into the position. But make sure everything fits before committing your hard-earned cash. in some cases, buying brand new is a better way to go (think skates, jock and helmet). Like stated above, the things I'd invest the most money on (to make sure they fit properly) are: HelmetSkatesJockKnee protection/pads/guardsC/A (look specifically for good heart protection but most modern units are very beefy in that area. Another thing to note is the neckline and how low it sits. If it sits low, you'll likely need a throat guard to add to the protection in the area).The rest of the stuff like leg pads, gloves, pants, accessories are all personal preference. I went through a few iterations of gear setups to figure out exactly what I wanted in a set. It's a really tough position to play. Play for at least a dozen or so times to see if you want to stick with it. If you do, then you can start looking to fine-tune your gear to cater to your strengths. If you can't swing lessons (which I think are a great idea as it gives you a solid foundation to build upon), then there are a million youtube videos (for a good starter/primer, search up "Wogtech") to help you out. But remember that you need to practice these movements before you can be proficient with them, so you'll also need to find adequate ice time to do so. Good luck with the journey. Feel free to post back with any questions and, as you can already tell, a lot of us would be happy to help.

If I read correctly somewhere on this forum, the Vapor XXIX (29) is a re-dressed Vapor XXX. So I suppose that the fit is different in the 29 compared to the Shift, which is a SMU based on the newer Vapors for Source for Sports. I can't really say much regarding other differences, as I'm not very familiar with the 29s/XXXs. The new Vapors do feel quite stiffer than the older set, so maybe Shifts are almost as stiff as the XXXs. I think the outsoles are the same (Texallium- correct me if I'm wrong), and both have clarino liners and LS2 holders.

Nike-Bauer Pro 4-Roll Review Fit- It definitely is a new fit for me, but all I can say is WOW. I have smallish hands so the shorter fingers fit excellent, and the wrist mobility is a great addition too. I had to go down a size, as I usually wore 14's previous to these gloves, but I don't think I'm a fan of the tighter CCM and Vapor line so going to a 13" in the 4-Rolls was a choice I'll never regret. 10/10 Weight- As these are my first "expensive" pair, I've been using pretty low-end gloves to begin with. With them on I don't really notice them on, much like my previous set of gloves. I have compared with the Vapors and there definitely is a difference in store, but can't say so on the ice as I haven't used them (the Vapors) myself. 9.5/10 Mobility- As a fan of lots of room in the wrist, I can't really complain. I use slash guards so the protection around the wrist (or lack thereof) is not a problem for me. 10/10 Break-in- Almost non-existent. Compared to the crap palms on low-end gloves, the Dura-Soft palm is great- feels like butter and very soft to start with. 10/10 Protection- Poly inserts really help in a beer-league with a lot of stick-work. You definitely can't feel 90% of slashes to the hands, which is one of the biggest reasons why I got this set. 10/10 Durability- I'm not a heavy user on gloves. I usually replace my gloves after a year or two when they get really grungy, and develop a hole in my top hand. I've had a few threads come undone, but no crazy damage. I placed a small patch of duct tape where I usually get holes, and it's working like a charm. 8.5/10 Intangibles- You really cannot argue how good of a deal these gloves are. I paid 120 tax in for these at my LHS, and that is about 50-70 dollars less than other top end line gloves. I was debating between these gloves, the R8 Lite Pro Stocks, and the Eagle x72 PPFs. I really really couldn't spend 200+ on the Eagles. The R8 Pros were just a tad longer in the fingers, otherwise I think I would've gotten those. But then again they were 20 more. So I suppose the best deal for a glove was to be had with the 4-Rolls. The protection is second to none. I love the traditional 4-roll designs of the Eastons (mmmm) RBK/CCM Pro stocks, and the Eagles. I also prefer the NBH logo to the old Bauer cuff ( :P ) To be honest I don't really notice the vents keeping my hands dry, so that is really a non-factor. The big things for me are the protection, and only 120? Too good to pass up for a top-end glove. 9.5/10 Conclusion- The best deal (did I already say that?) for a top-end glove. Protection is unbelievable, and if you're a fan of the fit you can't go wrong. 9.5/10 (not an average)