SolarWind

Makes two of us. So far True has been the best skate I’ve ever had so I’m not looking back even though it’s a nice looking skate.

Actually the original Russian text doesn’t say that at all. They ask a question “Is the retail model going to look like this or it’s a bluff? Personally I have hard time believing that there won’t be the traditional yellow colour added.”

Like up until 10 years ago I used to profile LS blades because there was no such thing as “stock profile” - everything was so inconsistent. But then STEP came along with their standard 10’ neutral profile and after adjusting to it I felt no need to fiddle with it. Coming from a forward 9’ profile the stock profile from STEP def promoted a more upright lazy skating style… now it’s been over a week of skating on Flare that PBH was kind to supply me with and I’m still adjusting to something as minor as moving the balance point back by 2mm lol I think it’s more agile but I have to work for it by staying low or I start losing the track edge over the toes. i’m really happy though I didn’t put shift on my trues and went with Edge instead since Shift is 3mm forward pitched comparing to Edge - a big adjustment to me personally.

Interestingly enough this is something that quite a few in the online community are wondering about: is Bauer focusing on flashy objects and forgetting true innovation?! Arguably One95 was the last breakthrough, and even that wasn’t all Bauer since Curv composite was supposedly developed by Samsonite.

PBH has a wealth of info, so it's always good to get the first hand insight. However one thing should not to forgotten: to each his own. I tried 2 different versions of 100K pro, and found it to be the worst skate I've ever had. There just wasn't any way to make that particular model fit my feet even via customs, so they felt uncomfortable and the performance was way worse than 10 year old custom NXGs. I also wonder re pro versions of Hyperlite: doesn't look like any pros actually use the stock outsole with that plastic piece under the heel? It's one of the selling features of the skate but it is actually a marketing gimmick? Also I seriously wonder re protection level of Hyperlite: the area where the boot connects to the toe cap the side walls seem extra thin, and can easily bend when pressed on with fingers? I can only imagine how nasty it'd feel if one caught a puck off that area? and personally I'm still puzzled about how this whole forward flex works since I feel like I have way more forward flex in custom Trues, which are pretty stiff, than in retail 100K.

Skated in my custom Trues for the first time, such a different experience wearing them vs all my other skates! I kept on thinking the skates are loose because there was zero pressure anywhere on my foot. But it wasn’t the case, the foot was locked up, but without any pressure points it must have been spread so evenly it felt like it wasn’t there. Best skate I’ve ever had, comparing with custom Bauer and CCM skates. One thing is weird though: I thought the skates were very solidly built, but just after 1 skate I see the toe separating from the boot cover? Is that normal? https://ibb.co/1mB9dPc

thanks for the insight! does this 'sandwich' make it too squishy? I also tried different insoles and always came back to stock Bauer ones with carbon fiber insert under the toes and the most responsive ones hence the question.

I totally see how speedplates would be an overkill, but what is the purpose of having 2 insoles vs 1?

quick one: what insoles do folks use in True custom skates? the stock setup with 2 different insoles sandwiched in is odd, and it doesn't look like something like superfeet is warranted since the skate is so anatomical already (including instep) so would just a basic flat insole from Bauer skates work better?

Not necessarily, when hockey is played like tennis it can be very frustrating for anyone! Somehow almost every kid feels compelled to whack the pack as soon as they get in contact with it sending in a random direction. Work in progress…

For these who are forced to wear a face mask on ice (most minor associations force coaches to wear them at all times, and even some leagues mandate masks for players) have you come across a more tolerable option? Cold environments combined with hot breath leave pretty nasty wet mask no matter what type I tried. And speaking with a mask on sucks also! Both these things combined make coaching a lot less enjoyable, as commented by even top NHL coaches. I’m not even referring to other drawbacks such as obstructed peripheral vision since it is what it is. But the damn wetness is annoying!

Red Dog Hockey Boost - Ice Hockey Equipment - ModSquadHockey mysterious shit 🙂

I'm hearing this issue is also common on one-piece CCM skates due to the outsole just being too thin to the rivets to latch to correctly? I'm also hearing that having boots sent not pre-drilled (if swapping holders) and being extra careful on the diameter of the holes drilled (go as small as possible) helps?

Looks like they’ve been making them for 23 years: https://vels76.ru/catalog/24 the reviews are mixed, it’s def not CCM or Bauer but they claim thermo-formable carbon shell and can put tuuks or their own runners so probably a solid mid-level skate at half price?

these are Russian made skates from V76 brand, model Encelad, that they've copied from other major brands.

How does this whole 'boot pitch' even work when the holder is what underpins the boot, and along with the runner these two define the overall pitch? Unless there is some pitch to the insole itself (thinner/thicker @ the toe/heel), but it appears to be pretty uniform thickness on all abovementioned boots?

Great idea, but I failed before I got going: "All coaches must be registered members of USA Hockey".

"With great power comes great responsibility" 😉 Kidding aside personally I think it's a Great position to be in, since you get to plan & execute the season according to your vision of how the team should progress. There is an unlimited number of things to work on in hockey from technical skills through individual tactics to team strategies, and it requires a methodical approach which takes time to see results from. What I find more difficult is the situation when parents, that never played the game and can barely skate, volunteer to coach not necessarily because they want to help, but to live vicariously through their kids. The game surely looks different from the stance than when you're eating the glass in the corner, so this oversimplified view doesn't translate well to coaching. Some things are just hard because they are, and players need time to break skills down and learn to apply them in a game under pressure. But to an un-initiated it would certainly look very frustrating since it's so "simple" - at least from where they sit...

Apologies for the double post (Mods - feel free to merge), but looks like the coaches forum isn't very active so I figured I might as well post the link here since it's more active. Coaching 5-6 years old: teaching the game - Coaches' Room - ModSquadHockey

I've gone through 12 years of hockey with my eldest, and now starting the journey again with my youngest so I realized that I never figured out what is the appropriate level of guidance for 5-6 years old when it comes to teaching the game itself? When we run scrimmages they are extremely unstructured since it's the first year of organized hockey for more players, and majority are still just getting basics of skating/stickhandling so there is definitely zero awareness of any positioning or team play. As a result there is quite a discrepancy in the skill level between players since some of them had a head start while others just learning to skate. During a scrimmage with the exception of few timid outliers who are just doing their own thing, the rest of the 'pack' is usually chasing the puck. Once they all converge on it usually it results in a pile up, and most of the time one of the players just whacks the pack and it flies away in some random direction followed by the puck. This makes it really tough to 'read the game' for anyone due to pretty high degree of randomness to it. Players tend to fight for the puck even on the same team and passing is non-existent. Apparently this makes it quite frustrating for stronger players since unless they get to the puck ahead of the 'pack' and manage to skate in the open, or the puck just happens to pop to them, they really struggle to create any plays because puck movements are not very predictable and threats are abundant while the support is scarce. Anyone who coached younger players must have observed it so the description of the chaos above is probably redundant. LOL So my question is - what Individual guidance/instructions/strategy can we provide to stronger players to help them with their frustration?

good point! I missed the fact that the runners might have already been profiled to forward pitch, so if they are already at +1 then 1mm heel lift would work. all future runners will also need to be forward pitched.

took ~ 4.5 weeks to build plus a week to ship for mine

Ironic since I’m going in the opposite direction from CCM to True lol Re the pitch - check this thread: CCM is neutral, shift is +2 so I don’t think 1mm lift would do it, it’s at least 2mm if not 3

Excellent info, thanks gents! My foot flattens also when pronated, so I’ll make sure to watch for alignment. Time of day is dictated by the rep availability for me so not a lot of wiggle room there. In that lunge position for scanning what’s the proper weight distribution between the front and the back leg? The more I load my foot the more my arch collapses… Also what’s the most foolproof way to determine the length/width of the skates? In the past for Bauer and CCM customs I’d try a ton of retail models to find the closest match since scans for both brands are completely not reliable. But what about True?

When going for a custom fitment with True are there any things to be aware of to make sure it goes as smooth as possible ie leads to the best fit possible? If someone has gone through the process before, and cares to share some lessons learned that would be appreciated.