Tips for a complete beginner?

[blackout 4]

Well, here's my story....

I'm 23, and recently got bitten by the hockey bug. I've never really been interested in any team sport until I started to actually watch hockey. My parents aren't hockey fans, and never really encouraged contact sports growing up. The most experience I have in team sports is tee ball when I was like 6 years old... haha. I am an avid bowler with pretty decent skills in regards to hooking the ball, so perhaps wrist strength is at least partially in my favor when it comes time to pick up a stick. I didn't play any sports in high school either. I'm still learning the finer details like all the smaller rules and such... as I really don't know much beyond the fact that I already love the sport!

My skating experience is negligible at best. When I was around 6-8 years old, I'd skate a few times a year when on winter vacation in the local mountains where they had a rink. I remember trying to skate once in my early teens on an outing with friends, and it was like I had never skated in my life before. It was actually a very shocking experience, as many things in life you don't really forget how to do. Apparently skating doesn't fit into that category, at least for me.

I'm trying to work up the courage to hit the ice at the local rinks. I'm in Southern California, and I'm around a few rinks, so at least they are available. The classes, however, seem catered only to kids. I'm going to go in person to see if that's actually the case.

My plan is to learn to skate, and play it by ear. If it takes a few years to get it down, so be it. I realize how important skating is for hockey, and I really want to be able to shred the ice, hopefully someday at least.

Some questions for you folks...

I've read I should rent skates for the first few sessions according to some people, and others say don't even bother with rentals at all and instead buy some skates right away. I'm willing to drop $150 at most on skates if I shouldn't bother with rentals, as I truly don't know how I'll do. I'm fairly confident I'll stick with it, but I'd hate to spend $250+ on skates and not continue skating. Thoughts? Any recommendations on skates for a noob like me if I should buy some right away? I definitely like the idea of having my own skates and not renting though.....

The biggest challenge at the moment is actually stepping onto the ice. I know I'll fall many times, but I still have to learn to accept it.

Thanks!

[Hockeydog 8]

Welcome to hockey!

If you are totally commited to learning to skate and play, I'd go ahead and get some skates. If you are not sure, then rent a few times. In either case the first thing you'll want to do is search this site for threads on skate fit. A skate that fits correctly is crucial to learning and being a good skater. Nothing makes learning to skate worse than poor fitting skates. Some people quit because their skates fit soo poorly they can't begin to skate. That is job one for you, and you can do it right here, no ice time required. For $150 you can get an entry level skate that will be fine to learn on. Once you have learned on this site how skates should fit, go to a shop/store and try on before you buy.Don't buy online- you REALLY need to try skates on, and spend some time in the skate at the store to know it's the right fit. Every model of skate will fit differently. In SoCal you should have plenty of options, both big box hockey stores and smaller shops. Knowing how a skate should fit will arm you with knowledge because sometimes the person selling you the skate has no clue. It's up to you. Hockey Monkey and Hockey Giant have stores in your area, so you'll have a great selection and competitive pricing. But don't ignore the smaller shops either, you can get good deals and people who do know their stuff. You notice I have spent a lot of time on skate fit. It's important!

I never learned to skate that well before I jumped into a beer leauge, and wished I had. I don't think it will take you a few years, but there is a saying in hockey, " if you can't skate, you can't play" This doesn't mean you should be an expert skater before jumping into hockey, but everything else in the game is easier if you can skate. Ice time is your friend. Check your rinks for learn to skate classes. Some are geared towards kids, but there should be some for adults around as well. A qualified figure skating intsructor ( they typically teach learn to skate classses) can get you started just as well as a hockey power skating instructor. If your budget allows, see if you can get a private lesson or two. There are many levels of instructors, and some that are not high level can be affordable, and still have plenty to offer someone just starting. You wnat to skate as much as you can, but having an idea of how to correctly practice will speed up the learning curve and make sure you don't pick up bad habbits ( like I did). Some areas do offer beginner learn to play hockey, where skating and hockey skills are taught, but you'd have to buy more than just skates, and if I could do it over again, I'd just concentrate on learning to skate while on the ice, at least for a while. Now I said while on the ice, because you could also get a cheap street hockey stick and a ball or street puck and work on the stickhandling and shooting when not on the ice. Again this site is great for researching tips on shooting and stickhandling, and the web is full of info. This way, you learn to shoot and stickhandle a bit on dryland, so you can focus on that, and when you are on the ice you focus on skating! Sure there will be a little adjustment once you are on the ice with your hockey stick and a puck, but you'll be miles ahead if you can work on some basic stick handling and shooting off ice.

If you get a little correct skating instruction ( group or private) and get on the ice a day or two per week, and can practice some stick skills off the ice, I don't see why you wouldn't be ready for some entry level hockey in 6-8 months, if not sooner!

There is a tremendous level of knowledgable posters here at Mod Squad, you picked the right place to land. I hope I could help at least get you going.

[sss1987 55]

Everything Hockeydog has said is spot on.

Please read up on how a "skate should fit". this is the most important aspect when choosing skates. You want to feel comfortable in your skates, as it will give you confidence when you begin. It maybe worth looking into skates which are inbetween entry level to midlevel skates, and not going for absolute entry level skates. The reason i say this is, they may offer a bit more support over time. Ie, from when you first start to when you are a competent skater. Maybe worth it, especially if you are a bigger guy.

Maybe get some inline skates for some off ice skating!

Have some lessons, and keep practicing. There are also a lot of videos online which give helpful tips.

[SirJW 207]

Both the Kings, Ducks and most of the So Cal Rinks have learn to play programs for adults. Just ask when you are at your local rink. What rinks do you go to?

Check out these threads

http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/topic/64982-15want-to-start-playing-with-0-hockey-or-skating-experience/

http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/topic/62132-starting-hockey-as-an-adult/

[MThockeydad 469]

Lots of good deals on intermediate-level skates on close-out right now for $100-200. Definitely ask when you go to HockeyMonkey.

$100-150 gets you beginner skates, new.

I agree on the suggestion to get on inline skates. It's not exactly the same as ice, but it's a lot more similar than jogging!!

..and I agree on the suggestion to get some instruction early.

I just started last fall. I'm 39 and had skated at most 3-4 times a winter my whole life, but never learned to stop. I was fortunate to have some weekly adult skills clinics available to me last fall, and it was awesome to get some good constructive criticism and feedback so I was learning correctly. I started going to drop-in hockey around Thanksgiving and started in a C-level beer league in February. I've probably had 45-50 days on the ice this season and the learning curve has been a blast. Don't worry about getting really good really fast...enjoy the progression. Keep pushing yourself and don't compare yourself to other people--compare yourself to where you were last week.

[Jason Harris 31]

I'd research some skating schools. Skating is unintuitive compared to walking or running, with proper form being crucial to generating more power in your strides, so you'll shortcut your learning curve by months.

One caveat I'd say to prevent crossing anyone's pet peeves is hockey is a sprinter's sport. You go all out, burn out about a minute later, then come back to the bench to recover, before starting again. When you're new, however, you generally can't skate fast enough to really burn out, so many newbies are out much too long. I've seen some take five minute shifts, which can irritate people waiting on the bench, so try to keep the internal clock.

[Harkonnen87 10]

Tons of good advice here already so I'll just chip in my 2 cents since I was in your boat not to long ago. I'm 26 just learned how to skate and play hockey back in November after switching over from years of playing soccer.

As far as skates go I'd use a rental the first time or two to see if you enjoy skating after that look into getting your own pair. When buying them research and research some more about proper fit as the posters ahead of me suggested and then when you go try on many different brands/ models of skates which ever one feels the best to you is the one you should go for. It's all about personal preference and comfort when it comes to skates so keep that in mind.

I'll definitely echo what has been said already, get into a class or some lessons to start out with, as it will make a ton of difference because it will help you learn correct form and technique when skating. I know most rinks in LA offer learn skate or learn to play hockey for adults programs. I go to the rinks in Pasadena and Burbank (pickwick) rinks and they both have some good programs. I've gone to some of the classes and the coaches were always very helpful so I'd definitely recommend it if you are able to do it.

Just get out there and skate biggest thing is to accept that you will fall everyone does wearing some knee and elbow pads can take some of the sting out of falling. I still put shin pads under a pair of warm up pants I have so I don't damage my knees when I do fall. Biggest bit of advice about getting on the ice is don't let the nerves or fear get to you. Practicing whenever you can also help build up your confidence I skate about 3 times a week both pick up games and free-skate to work on skating technique and it definitely helps.

[blackout 4]

Wow, thanks for all the fantastic information! I really appreciate it.

I have been watching a lot of the youtube videos by How To Hockey, along with some others.

My local rinks are the Lake Forest Ice Palace and Aliso Viejo Ice Palace. I used to drive by the Hockey Giant store in Anaheim everyday for my old job, so I'll check them out.

Also, what sort of prices should I expect to pay for public skate? I've seen about $12-$14 per session for the local rinks, excluding a rental fee for skates. Is that high, low, or normal?

I've seen the learn to play adult sessions by the Ducks, but last time I checked, they had a pretty long waitlist. I'm also not sure I'd want to give it a shot with zero skating skills. I know they don't require skating experience, but I think I'd get more out of it if I did have at least some basic skating down.

[NOVECHKIN 3]

Find some shinny and go play,....then play again, after that,......play some more!!!!!! If you haven't lost interest, go again!!! Like many sports, the more beginners play, the better they get!!!!

[Nosferatu 8]

Welcome to hockey blackout ! Everyone seems to have covered the skating part of things and are spot on so I'll bypass that and offer my 2p on the other aspects . For the actual equipment side of things don't worry too much about splashing out on the latest stick or latest gear , some might disagree but there's nothing wrong with starting out with a nice cheap old fashioned wood stick or 2nd hand gear , no point blowing £££ on an all singing and dancing OPS only to find that you don't like the feel of it or the curve is wrong or a brand new ultrashiny unicorn skin glove by xxx that looks great and felt ok in the shop but is really uncomfortable when playing , all of a sudden you're £x00 down and not sure if you've spent wisely .

If you've got a nice big driveway or a sports court / skate park or something similar nearby take a stick and ball or street puck and just get used to the feel of controlling the thing , if there's a wall or fence to shoot at spend a bit of time pinging a few shots off that , if you've got a pair of inlines then great it's a bit more practice towards your ice skating but if not then it's still good as you can concentrate more on the stick handling and feel . Don't worry about trying to blast Charaesque slappers just start nice and easy and practice the basic mechanics of shooting , if it's a wall you're shooting at and you're using a ball it can be quite good trying to control the rebound as it comes back at you . The how to videos are great , I'd taken a fairly long break from the game and upon starting up again I'd found a couple of flaws in my technique watched a few vids and realised what I was doing wrong so certainly in my eyes they seem to offer pretty sound advice . Likewise there seems to be some wise heads in this place so another useful source of knowledge . Most importantly though just enjoy yourself and don't be afraid of making a few mistakes along the way .

[MThockeydad 469]

$12-14 is a bit much for open skate, but a good price for stick and puck, shinny or drop-in. Of course I live in a small town with a cold climate.

[SillyMe 22]

"Unicorn skin gloves"

Lmao...."Only $699 now!"

[SirJW 207]

I agree don't go crazy on gear your first go around. Once you know what you like and don't like you will end up replacing most of your gear anyway. Take your time and try on as many skates as possible go w/ the pair that feels best.

Here are the lists for the local rinks, just call and get in on a learn to play program. Many don't know how to skate and they concentrate on teaching skating first.

http://ducks.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=44242

[moreoutdoor 6]

new skater?

wear some headgear when you go on ice - falling (if you're really working on skating...) is inevitable. Worst fall is the skates out from under-backwards fall. Slammin the back of your head is a high probability on those. If a helmet seems 'too much', even a simple heavy knit 'watch' cap will help absorb some of that contact and may help prevent a concussion, or worse... baseball caps are useless...

simple gloves (hockey gloves not needed) will make the occasional spill more comfortable, couple of layers of tops allows you to stay comfy as you heat up or cool down.

one pair of normal, clean, dry socks, nothing Paul Bunyan-esque... bring socks, don't use the ones you're wearing when you get there...

balance & Edge control - outside and inside edge control, crossovers, learn to hockey stop both ways asap - all before speed.

beginning anything new is a thrill - enjoy! the illness can last a lifetime

[SillyMe 22]

If you can wear a hockey jersey, it would be good to wear a pair of Elbow pads(low profile) under them while practicing hard.

Hard falls on the elbows are the worst, the pain seems to last the most on those and tailbone dumps.

I usually use public skate during the daytime on weekdays, so it isn't busy( usually just a few people), and around here in Ma. it's $5 for typical public skate.

Have Fun!

[blackout 4]

Wow, $5 for public skate? I had a feeling $14 was high when I saw it. Anaheim ice is the next closest rink to me, about a 20 minute drive. Only $9 for public skate there.

I'm probably going to head to Hockey Giant in Anaheim tomorrow to check out skates, and then maybe go to Anaheim Ice. Does anyone have experience with the rentals at Anaheim Ice? What about their lessons? The two local rinks weren't too welcoming when I went to ask about adult lessons. Sort of turned me off. Hopefully Anaheim Ice is a more welcoming atmosphere.

I've got a snowboarding helmet (like a bmx helmet but with more warmth). I just need to get over myself when I get embarrassed thinking about wearing protective gear when it's not the norm (ex. public skate). I can be extremely self conscious. I tried to sucker some friends into going with me, but no luck. It's always easier to fail and learn with a friend.

I'm also dealing with my mother (whom I still live with), who doesn't really approve of 'dangerous' sports. Growing up, I remember her saying I couldn't play hockey. She wanted me to figure skate (for a guy.... well you get why that was a turn off) . For someone like me who never played team sports beyond teeball, hockey is a pretty shocking new found interest for someone like me, and I still got the disapproval when I told her recently of my interest again. I was sort of "conditioned" to not like team contact sports until finally catching on to hockey recently. "I don't want you playing football", or "I don't want you playing hockey", etc. It's time to change that. (This is basically my quarter life crisis...haha)

Hockey always interested me because you could play in a cold climate. I don't mind getting hot and sweaty in a cold environment, but in the sun on a hot California day.... no thanks. Plus, skating is a blast when you're good, right?

Well, there's my sob story for now. Thanks for dealing with it... I needed to vent.

[MThockeydad 469]

My parents weren't keen on me playing contact sports as a kid. Football was not an option. Hockey was expensive ($600/yr in the '80s...I pay only $400/yr for my kids now!

Everyone expected me to play basketball because I'm 6'-6", but I hated basketball, so I got into skiing and volleyball.

I'm a grown ass man and I can afford the gear (but can't afford to get hurt), so I took up hockey as an adult and play a non-check league. There are still collisions, but it's not like you have to watch for frequent checks.

People are cruel. They're probably going to make more fun of you eating out of a tube than skating with a helmet. It's your skull and your brain. I was in my hometown over Christmas and my daughter and I were the only ones at the rink wearing helmets. Not much has changed in 30 years. People are vain but stupid. That's their problem, not yours.

Save up and move out. Chances are she's going to hate the stink of hockey gear more than the worry about you getting hurt. haha.

[SillyMe 22]

6'6"?

Holy cow bruh, you could be a basketball player......hehehehe....

[Harkonnen87 10]

$9 is the amount they charge here in northern LA county for free skate but that doesn't include rentals.

as far as wearing protective gear during free skate don't worry about it. You'll see a mix of everything on the ice, I've seen some fully dressed for hockey just minus the stick. I wear whatever makes you feel comfortable or at least confident enough to skate.

[bmess6 2]

Im 16 and i just started playing as well. Take a look at my setup. Affordable, but all of it preforms well.

[swineanddine 2]

I won't offer much advice other that what's already here however, having only started playing (started from scratch) 6 months ago, I wanted to just give you a bit of encouragement to get into it. Just get some skates, spend some time learning to skate and then jump straight in. If you think you're going to enjoy it, by some semi-decent gear that will last you and then just play at every opportunity. If you end up hating it, just sell the gear and move on. It's just money.

I started from scratch and in 6 months I have improved so much and it's all thanks to ice time and to a lesser extent, good planning. Plan what you need to learn and then just learn it. Learn to skate forward, cross over and tight turn. Learn to stop, skate backwards and transition between forward and backward. Then learn the trickier things. Every session try to become comfortable with a new technique and then consolidate the ones you already know with repetition. It might sound lame but go to your session with one goal. Learn it and go away happy that you achieved your goal. Repeat a few times a week and you'll be killing it.

[blackout 4]

Thank you all for the words of encouragement! It's soooo helpful.

I just got back from Hockey Giant. I bought some Bauer Supreme One.6 skates. I'll be hitting up Anaheim Ice tonight if I can find time to step on the ice for the first time in about 15 years....

[SillyMe 22]

Don't hesitate, just do it!

Have fun!

[bwhockey17 12]

I really recommend just doing the skating before anything. Really get comfortable on your edges, because a good skating sense will bail you out of some mistakes when you start picking up the game. At home, stickhandling can be worked on with a tennis/golf ball, and really work on keeping your head up when doing that. Most importantly though, have fun!

[blackout 4]

Wow, I forgot how much fun skating really was.

I skated two sessions at Anaheim Ice tonight. Little did I know that the first session was some sort of Disco night thing. There were just over 300 people on the ice according to one employee. That made falling have a whole different light; you don't want to get run over by the equally poor skaters behind you. The first 20 minutes was pretty rough balance wise, though I didn't fall (a ton of close calls though...probably funny as hell to watch). I definitely started to catch on after about an hour though.

My forward strides are pretty decent for my first night. I just get low and hit the gas so to speak. I'm fairly decent at transferring my weight side to side with each stride.

Balancing on one skate is definitely not something I'm ready for just yet.

I gave stopping a go in the last 15 minutes of the night along a wall to get a feel for it. I'm not ready to lose the wall just yet, but I'm getting there. I'm decent on downhill skiing, so at least the motions are similar.

I did fall probably 10 times throughout the night. Nearly every time I landed on my knees. At first it wasn't so bad, but the knees are not happy now. Any recommendations on pads that I could put under some loose jeans for my knees?

My arches of my feet also started to burn partway through the first session. It became less noticeable as the night went on, but I assume it's because of my lack of experience, and not skate fit. Am I correct in that assumption?

Dealing with the rocker of the blade was also challenging. I'm definitely getting it down, but I only skated on figure skates in my younger years. Sometimes I find that when I start to incorrectly transfer wait to the toe or heel, this horrible back and forth thing occurs between putting pressure on the toe, then the heel, then back again, and that repeats until I lower my center of gravity or fall, haha.

Well, that makes 4 hours down.....I'm going to be so sore tomorrow, haha.