Top Hockey Equipment
Tips And Tricks
Ice hockey requires a high-skill threshold in order to
succeed, meaning that your equipment needs to be able to keep up with your feet
and hands, or else you won't get the velocity or acceleration needed to score
goals. Hockey equipment is durable by nature, seeing as how it's worn in
freezing temperatures and designed to block 80-mile-per-hour pucks, but
everything breaks down eventually and even the most expensive set of pads or
gloves are no exception. Get the most out of your equipment during a long
season by following these tricks:
Goalie Pads
The purpose of goalie pads is to protect a team's keeper
from slapshots, meaning that the pads can endure a lot of wear and tear. The
weak areas of pads, however, deteriorate faster than others. Usually, these are
the clasps and straps that allow pads to fit snugly. Most vulnerable are the
straps that attach through the skates, as these are prone to being stepped on
with sharp blades. The easiest way to keep skate straps intact is to tie them
slightly loose so that none of the excess can be wedged under a skate during an
in-game pivot. The clasps that buckle on the legs, by contrast, are more
vulnerable to the plastic bits breaking when a puck is hit at an unsteady
angle. Keep these clasps working by pulling the straps farther outward so that
they lie behind the goalie's legs rather than on the side, making it much more
difficult for a shot to hit them and break the plastic.
Helmets
As the most important piece of any gear in a hockey player's
arsenal, helmets need to be carefully inspected before and after each game.
Keep a screwdriver in your gear bag to tighten the rivets that attach the
plastic shell of the helmet to the padded interior, as well as the rivets that
connect a cage or a visor to the frame. Inspect a helmet around the ear protection
for any signs of cracking; including the white stretch marks indicating that
the plastic shell has been weakened by a shot. Finally, always air-dry a helmet
so that the sweat from your head does not rust the metal parts — and to reduce
the smell.
Elbow Pads
While elbow pads are some of the easiest pieces of gear to wear
— strap them in and they're ready to go — the straps have a higher failure rate
than other pieces of gear, due to the elbows’ range of motion. Ensure that the
Velcro attachments do not start to lift off the pads’ fabric; while superglue
can temporarily keep these attachments in tact, it is not a permanent solution.
When putting on your jersey, firmly press the elbow pad with the opposite hand
so that the friction does not pull the Velcro.
Gloves
The amount of contact between your hands and stick in a
hockey game will give gloves a shorter lifespan than some other pieces of gear.
In addition to air-drying gloves after games to eliminate moisture, players can
increase the lifespan of their gloves by sewing small leather patches (no
larger than the size of a coin) into the seams between the palm and fingertips.
The first NHL gloves were
nothing but leather; today's mitts are lighter and easier to maneuver, but lack
the durability of gloves from yesteryear.
Sticks
One of the easiest ways to ensure expensive sticks survive is to tape them
often. Tape prevents ice from melting and seeping into the wood or composite
core of a stick, chewing at the interior. Also, consider using a double layer
of tape to cushion the
pass, if you find that you're bobbling too many outlets. Tape the heel and the
toe thoroughly, as these bear the brunt of pressure from shots. You can tape the
stick shaft, as well, in order to get a better feel for your release and the
flex point of your stick.
About the author:
AJ Lee is a Marketing
Specialist at Pro Stock Hockey, an online resource for pro stock hockey equipment. He was born and
raised in the southwest suburbs of Chicago and has been a huge Blackhawks fan
his entire life. AJ picked up his first hockey stick at age 3 and hasn’t put it
down yet.
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