Learning hockey at 20 years past an advanced age

[crow93 12]

2 hours ago, marka said:

So yeah.  Woo?  I dunno.  I'm tempted to ask and see if you expert type people out there think the W88/P40/P88/MC curve is better for beginners vs. the E28/MC4 curve, but I have no confidence that I'll actually listen to the answers if I get some new weird bug up my ass about curves... Maybe a Sakic curve would be perfect!!!!!!  :-)

Mark

I wouldn't say that any curve is necessarily better than another, but you will most likely have to adapt your shooting style as you switch between curves. I have been playing for fifteen years and prefer shooting with mids and mid-heels. You should also be aware of stick lie, depth, and the face as you go between curves. I tried shooting with a True MC and hated it, but in theory it's the same as a Warrior W88 or a CCM P40, which are the two main curves I'm using. However, that may have been due to lie and kick point instead of the curve itself because I later modified the stick to a Bauer P88 curve and still don't like it. I never had any success with the Easton Sakic, but again, plenty of other people have and it's personal preference. My advice: if you find a curve that you enjoy, don't drop the extra money trying to switch curves to shoot with the same specs as your favorite player. If there's a Hockey Monkey around you, I also recommend asking to use their shooting lane and you can try all the demo sticks they have in there as well. Good luck to you :)

[marka 526]

Howdy,

 

So, haven't posted here in quite a while.  1.5 years in.  Still having fun.

I finally got a shooting tarp setup in the garage and realized my phone does slow mo video and figured I should play with that.  Below is 4 vids of my wrist shot from the side and the back.  I'd be interested in any advice re: form / whatever to get more power.  I'm also guessing I need to look up and aim more, though for these videos I was just trying to look at form.  Note that the slow speed vs. normal speed is different shots... I dunno how to slow mo the same video or whatever.  Technology is hard.  :-)

Side, normal speed:

 

Side, slow speed:

 

Back normal speed:

 

Back, slow speed:

 

Mark

[marka 526]

Howdy,

On 3/20/2017 at 2:19 PM, marka said:

So yeah.  Woo?  I dunno.  I'm tempted to ask and see if you expert type people out there think the W88/P40/P88/MC curve is better for beginners vs. the E28/MC4 curve, but I have no confidence that I'll actually listen to the answers if I get some new weird bug up my ass about curves... Maybe a Sakic curve would be perfect!!!!!!  :-)

 

Btw, I'm now using a True TC2-5... So Sakic it is. :-)

Mark

[Vet88 674]

19 hours ago, marka said:

Howdy,

 

So, haven't posted here in quite a while.  1.5 years in.  Still having fun.

I finally got a shooting tarp setup in the garage and realized my phone does slow mo video and figured I should play with that.  Below is 4 vids of my wrist shot from the side and the back.  I'd be interested in any advice re: form / whatever to get more power.  I'm also guessing I need to look up and aim more, though for these videos I was just trying to look at form.  Note that the slow speed vs. normal speed is different shots... I dunno how to slow mo the same video or whatever.  Technology is hard.  :-)
 

I'd work on a couple of things that would make a big difference. You are to side on, shooting off the wrong foot and getting no loading into the stick. Try to face more to the goal as you start and shoot off the inside foot (the outside leg comes off the ground). This helps you to get more load into the stick because you can lean more into it. Get your top hand further out in front of you, you can't load the stick up when it is close to your body. Once you set the shot up (pull the puck back slightly ready for the shot) look at the goal and pick your target. Make sure your stick follows thru and the blade ends up pointing at where you want the puck to go. There are a number of other things but I'd focus just on these first, practice is the key.

[marka 526]

Howdy,

So, continuing to play.  I suppose I'm getting better, but it still feels like reaching for that stupid brass ring that's _just_ out of reach.  :-)

My latest issue is that I'll play reasonably well (for me), and then once every few shifts my fucking head explodes or something and I'll do something like I did tonight... I go down into one of our corners to retrieve the puck, have plenty of time, turn and am looking around for options, and then decide (?) to just pass it right too the opposite team guy at the top of the slot.  He of course doesn't want to make me think my gift is not appreciated and promptly buries it in our net while I contemplate just exactly what the fuck my major malfunction is.

Sigh.

 

Still having fun.  Wish I sucked a little less!  :-)

Mark

 

[Playmakersedge 58]

On 1/7/2016 at 3:48 PM, marka said:

Howdy,

So, that all wrapped up at the end of last year. Now I've decided that I want to keep doing this for me, not just as something to do with my son. So... for xmas I buy myself more gear. Hockey pants, yet another pair of skates (CCM Ribcor 46k 8D, feet still hurt some), shoulders, a cage for my helmet, a couple sticks, tape, wax, laces, and whatever else. Its a bit of a pain in the ass, as there's literally no hockey stores near us in Youngstown. But we're also lucky at the same time because Pittsburgh is about 45 minutes away and hockey fever is going strong there. And now when we go anywhere, I always look to see if there's a hockey store or a play it again in town. :-)

At this point I can do forward crossovers in either direction and 'sorta hockey stop' with either foot forward ('sorta' because I'm still working on getting my rearmost foot in on the stopping action, particularly with my left foot forward). I can skate backwards some, and I've just started working on backwards crossovers which are firmly at the level of "hey watch that guy, he's likely to fall over / run into you". My puck handling skills are non-existent... I can mostly go down the ice, but crossovers with the puck result in leaving the puck behind about 95% of the time.

I'm doing the new session of the local rink's learn to play program again with my son... First one of those was last night. I've also started doing an adult hockey skills class in Pittsburgh at the RMU Island Sports Complex. I'm also dragging along a new buddy... Guy I met through our church and knew casually for a few years and who's daughter is a year younger than my son. She had some switch turned inside and she _wants to play hockey_. In the past year has gone from "can't stand up" to "is one of the better players on her Mite team". Anyway, I browbeat her dad into doing both the local learn to play and the adult skills class with me and with one class in for both... Huge fun.

So.... That's it for now. There's a local group of older guys (it blows me away that "senior" in hockey means like 18+... :-) that plays every week... I'm going to try and get in with them when they start their spring session. And I'm going to try to put together an adult hockey skills class locally. My goal is that this spring I want to be playing real hockey with a team once a week. We'll see how that goes. In addition to not being able to skate or handle the puck well, I have only a very tenuous understanding of the rules. :-) Still, I can learn.

As a mid-life crisis, so far this has been pretty fun.

Mark

Mark  I teach power skating and train players   . If your self and your son wanted to come to the Albany N.Y. area for a week  we can get a lot accomplished in a week or two  . While no on the ice you can enjoy the surrounding areas beautiful lakes . A week or two of fun hard work will change your skating like you wouldn't believe..  

[Playmakersedge 58]

On 6/8/2017 at 10:54 AM, marka said:

Howdy,

 

So, haven't posted here in quite a while.  1.5 years in.  Still having fun.

I finally got a shooting tarp setup in the garage and realized my phone does slow mo video and figured I should play with that.  Below is 4 vids of my wrist shot from the side and the back.  I'd be interested in any advice re: form / whatever to get more power.  I'm also guessing I need to look up and aim more, though for these videos I was just trying to look at form.  Note that the slow speed vs. normal speed is different shots... I dunno how to slow mo the same video or whatever.  Technology is hard.  :-)

Side, normal speed:

 

Side, slow speed:

 

Back normal speed:

 

Back, slow speed:

 

Mark

Follow threw point the toe of the stick at your target.. 

[Vet88 674]

On 6/9/2017 at 2:54 AM, marka said:

Howdy,

 

So, haven't posted here in quite a while.  1.5 years in.  Still having fun.

I finally got a shooting tarp setup in the garage and realized my phone does slow mo video and figured I should play with that.  Below is 4 vids of my wrist shot from the side and the back.  I'd be interested in any advice re: form / whatever to get more power.

Back, slow speed:

 

Mark

I'll mention just one point as it makes one of the biggest differences in accuracy and generating power for people who are mastering the technique of shooting. This is also one of the hardest things to learn about shooting. Have a look at your bottom arm and the way your elbow works thru the shot. As you start the shot your elbow bends in on itself, this is a technique issue and the pressure of the stick loading into the arm. The back slow speed shows this the best. Hence you are not generating flex into the stick until you are nearly 3/4's of the way thru the shot, which is where your elbow starts to lock and you generate some bottom hand power into the stick. The side slow speed shows this the best, look at where the stick actually starts to flex. You have to generate the flex at the start of the shot. Watch here at the 25 sec and 35 sec mark (lol Kessel bends that baby like a soft noodle, he straightens his arm into the shot to generate more power), note how the elbow is locked at the start of the shot and thru the shot and not folding in on itself. This is not just a strength issue, you also have to transfer your weight slightly over the stick to help generate the power into the stick. Getting all of this to work in synch takes a lot of practice.

 

Edited November 25, 2017 by Vet88
ps I can watch that Kessel clip forever, it's just poetry in motion

[BeerLeague1962 8]

Hi Mark,

Great thread. . . . .  I wondered if you're still turning out to play after your great start with your son ?  If its any comfort, I'm aged 55 and can still rock and roll with the kids ! !  I play Monday night drop in and skate a second practice session every week. 

You're never too old for our great game 😀 

 

[marka 526]

Howdy,

Yep, still here.  Playing or practicing four or five times a week.  My wife has started too.  :-)

Mark

[LFOD78 12]

After play or practicing one to two times a week for the past few months i scored my first goal last night in twenty years. Thank you to you guys and gals for this thread and and words of encouragement, 

 

[KelpFries 21]

Glad to see i'm not the only one! I'm 46, been learning now for about 6 months, doing the learn to skate programs and getting to the rink to practice as much as I can. Had a really rough start dealing with pronation but i'm past that and I am going gangbusters at learning and practicing! I'm chomping at the bit to drop in on an open hockey session, so i'm learning and learning and practicing and practicing. I have all my equipment ready, sticks, pads, you name it. I swear I feel like a little kid. It's become an obsession of sorts. I lucked out by my office being right next to a 3 rink arena and it is the only arena around that has open skate 7 days a week, from 10:30 to 2:30. So that's how I spend my lunch hour. Every day i'll run over to the rink at lunch, throw on my skates and practice for 45 minutes. Come back to the office covered in sweat and i'll eat my lunch while I work! I've sat down and watched a couple of the open hockey sessions to get a feel for how good these guys are. I figure i'll wait and keep learning until i'm just as good or better than the worst guy there, then at least I won't feel like an unbelievable tool that's the worst guy there lol. For me, I feel as if me finding skating and hockey at this stage of my life has actually thwarted any chance of a mid-life crisis, because now I actually have something to look forward to doing and several goals to achieve, instead of the mundane day after day of working, coming home, eating dinner, watching tv, going to bed, restart the whole thing again in the morning. The humdrum existence that tends to lead to a mid-life crisis.

[2nhockey 21]

Yeah, don’t wait. If you can do some basic skating then go to drop in. Maybe wait for league play but I’d advocate drop in now. It’s been my experience the guys at drop in are more than willing to slow their play, especially in the off season, to help new players out. 

[KelpFries 21]

I got to talk to a couple of the guys at one open hockey session, seemed like super nice guys. They encouraged me to drop in and offered to give me pointers and help me out. So now i've got butterflies lol. I can't wait to drop in but i'm nervous. I'm 46 years old and I can't remember the last time I was nervous about anything lol. I like it. I'm going to spend the next couple of weeks getting a little more comfortable with my backwards crossovers and transitions then i'm going to bite the bullet and go to an open hockey session!

[marka 526]

Howdy,

I'll echo some others here...  As long as you can stop, you'll be fine at a general drop in that's welcoming to beginners.  If you've got folks attending them already that have seen you skate and they're encouraging you to come, just go.

Also, look for a beginner league in your area.  Around here (Pittsburgh, PA area) there's a few different beginner leagues and they're GREAT for adults just starting out.  At the ones I've been involved in, people that can do good backwards crossovers / transitions are considered advanced skaters.  😉  Having a group of similar level folks out there is a great way to learn and have fun.

Mark

[chk hrd 164]

When you skate at lunch do you just wear skates or do you ever wear gear? If you don't normally wear gear I'd suggest doing some skating with full gear on before going to a drop in. It's an entirely different feeling.  

[KelpFries 21]

21 hours ago, marka said:

I'll echo some others here...  As long as you can stop, you'll be fine at a general drop in that's welcoming to beginners.

HI Mark,

I can stop well enough, cannot do a full 2 foot hockey stop yet, but I can do a 1 foot hockey stop on both sides and be able to change direction pretty well, just haven't managed to get that other foot in there yet!

21 hours ago, marka said:

Also, look for a beginner league in your area.  Around here (Pittsburgh, PA area) there's a few different beginner leagues and they're GREAT for adults just starting out.  At the ones I've been involved in, people that can do good backwards crossovers / transitions are considered advanced skaters.  😉  Having a group of similar level folks out there is a great way to learn and have fun.

We had some bad storms come through here which knocked out power for 3 days, subsequently the rink next to my office is now closed until Monday because the ice got soft with the heat, so this forced me to look around intently for somewhere to go this weekend for open skate. I found a rink not to far away in Red Bank that not only has an Adult clinic which I signed up for, but also a D division league for beginners! So i'm looking into joining that! It's the only rink around that has d league hockey. All the other rinks around me are b/c combined leagues and the people on these teams are quite good, out of my league so to speak, at the moment.

[KelpFries 21]

19 hours ago, chk hrd said:

When you skate at lunch do you just wear skates or do you ever wear gear? If you don't normally wear gear I'd suggest doing some skating with full gear on before going to a drop in. It's an entirely different feeling.  

At lunch because i'm strapped for time, I throw on hockey pants and my bike knee pads and elbow pads over my dress pants and dress shirt lol, and of course my helmet. I can get these on and off really quickly. On the weekends when I have more time I put on full hockey gear.

[marka 526]

Howdy,

1 hour ago, KelpFries said:

I can stop well enough, cannot do a full 2 foot hockey stop yet, but I can do a 1 foot hockey stop on both sides and be able to change direction pretty well, just haven't managed to get that other foot in there yet!

 

So yeah, you're fine.  Stop making excuses and go play.  🙂

Mark

[KelpFries 21]

8 minutes ago, marka said:

So yeah, you're fine.  Stop making excuses and go play.  🙂

Lol, I feel like I'm being chastised by my dad!

You're right though, I'm going to bite the bullet and drop in on Monday when the rink opens back up. But I know that the minute I go to an open hockey session and actually start playing, my wife is going to divorce me and take me for everything I've got because I'll be at the damn rink all the time. I'll be living in my car, but at least I'll have hockey!

[marka 526]

Howdy,

Get her out there with you.

Worked for me.  🙂

Mark

[KelpFries 21]

2 hours ago, marka said:

Howdy,

Get her out there with you.

Worked for me.  🙂

Mark

Would like to but both my wife and daughter have no interest in hockey, they're into figure skating and moving on to the freestyle stuff after our second round of learn to skate completes. I'm going from learn to skate into an adult hockey clinic.

A shame, because there are some days I'd love to be able to check my wife into the boards though, nobody tell her I said that or she'll kick my ass...