Thoughts on "V" in Butterfly

[srv2miker 0]

I've been vexed by this problem for a while, and I was curious to see it effect a number of pro goalies as well. So I've been spending sometime thinking about the dreaded "v" butterfly problem, and I've reached a couple of conclusions.

#1 The real key to avoiding the v is being flexible. If you have problems with your hip flexibility, chances are you're getting the v.

#2 The first cause of the"V" is the pressure of the toe of your skate pressing down towards the ice; this tips the top down and the tilt affects the pad all the way up. If you're flexible enough to keep your toes off the ice, or at least greatly minimize that pressure, you'll help yourself lose the "V"

#3 The width of your butterfly plays a big role in the formation of the v. Simply put, the narrower your bfly, the more of a V you will have.

Why is this important? Because I think people tend to blame either improper strapping, or poor pad design for the V, and my theory is it has more to do with your flexibility than anything else.

What are other people's thoughts? Am I off the mark here?

The reason I ask is that I've tried everything with my strapping to no avail, and I see NHLers struggle with this all the time. It would be nice to know if I can improve things with stretching instead of killing myself trying every strapping method under the sun.

[goaliecrease 0]

After many discussions about this problem, a lot of the time it depends on how big the player is, and how big their pants are.

For me the only reason I get a "V" is because my pants push out the top of my pads. This does have to do with my flexibility as I can't push out wide enough with my knees together, and not have my pants interfere.

[samson35 0]

I've been told that sometimes, the V can be an indicator that the pads are too big and your knees aren't hitting the landing gear properly.