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Guest scottj

hockey equipment

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Guest scottj

I've been wanting to start playing pond hockey or drop in or whatever for a lil bit now. now that i'm about to be gettin some money i'm lookin for the basics.

i was wondering if anybody knows of any good skates/stick setups/gloves

not looking for top tier stuff and not lookin for the cheapest stuff in the world either

any suggestions?

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I went to MC sports and got some skates for like 30 bucks and I got a stick for like 15 at dicks sporting goods and gloves and stuff for another 30 or so. Any of your local sporting good stores have pretty cheap hockey equipment. I just got enough to do puck and stick at the local rink near my house for under 75 bucks. The rest of the equipment is a lot more expensive.

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I've been wanting to start playing pond hockey or drop in or whatever for a lil bit now. now that i'm about to be gettin some money i'm lookin for the basics.

i was wondering if anybody knows of any good skates/stick setups/gloves

not looking for top tier stuff and not lookin for the cheapest stuff in the world either

any suggestions?

I suggest go to a pro-shop, get fitted so you know your size, then go online(I personally use Hockey Monkey because their actual store is local so shipping is fast) and get the clearance stuff. The only things i'd say not to go super cheap on is the stick. I went cheap with a wooden Easton and quickly ended up going back and buying a nice super light warrior macdaddy. The weight makes a huge difference in your shot. There are lots of good deals on 2008 equipment. So what if it is last year's model? Is it a fashion contest?

Good luck! Starting to play hockey was one of the best things I've ever done.

Edited by crater

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How often are you gonna be skating? How long when you do it?

It really depends how much you want to spend. You said no "top tier stuff," but do you want mid-tier or low grade s***? I mean do you want a wood stick? That's really where you have the biggest decision to make, I think, is on the stick. You can always find cheap (used if you want) skates that are comfortable. Just get 'em baked. Some places will do that for free when you buy them. For gloves, my personal favorite has been the RBK gloves recently. And for pond hockey especially I'd go shorter than what you think you need? Even in real games, I wear gloves that are about 3 inches shorter than I should be wearing. I'll take a slash on the wrist every now and then for a little more freedom of movement.

I'd buy the skates and gloves online probably, hockeymonkey, hockeygiant and stuff have some really good prices. But I'd get the skates in person, just because the sizes are often way different from shoe sizes.

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I would spring for nicer skates and a nicer stick. Better skates will make it an easier and less painful transition for the first few times you get on the ice. Sticks are somewhat difficult to choose cause you never really know until you go out and skate with it. Maybe try just borrowing a friend's stick for a while and trying out various friends' sticks until you find one that seems comfortable.

Also, this might sound paranoid and motherly but... get a cheap moldable mouthgaurd. My front two teeth were accidentally knocked out years ago... and its just nice to have all your teeth.

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For pond hockey you really only need skates and a stick.

A stick is something you will have to just keep trying out to find what is good for you. Honestly go buy a couple of cheap wood ones with different curves and just try them out. It will take you years to figure it all out because you will get better along the way.

Skates will make a huge difference, and you need to learn about it. Go into a quality hockey shop that knows their stuff and ask questions and try on at least one pair from the same price range from every brand. Bauer skates will fit different from CCM and so on. Just find a pair that feels comfortable because that is all that matters, especially for pond hockey. I recomend not spending less then 100 if you plan on using the skates over 3 times a week. However for pond, I use a fifty dollar pair of skates, because they don't get used that much.

Really you dont have to worry about spending alot to get started. You will worry about price like 5 years from now when you are starting to get good enough to play in leagues, and you know that the light expensive stick is what you want...

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you really need to go to a shop and try it on. its all personal preference of what you like.

for me i like mission skates, eagle gloves, bauer girdle and helmet, easton stick synergy grip best stick i ever had!! i wonder if they still make something grippy like that still. i forgot my shin pads, elbows, and shoulder pads. but you really gotta go try it on.

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Fit is too critical to buy skates online. Maybe if you are going to buy a second pair in a few years, you can stick with the same skate and brand and buy it online, but not the first time.

And that is where you should put your money, into the skates. Or atleast make sure they are stiff enough.

To begin with, a $30 Sherwood will be fine. Don't bother droppin a lot of dough on a composite stick when you don't know how to use yet anyway, and can barely stand up on skates.

Cover your elbows if you haven't skated a lot already, you'll be falling on them.

OF course a helmet too, but like someone already said, it doesnt need to be expensive.

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Guest scottj

thanks guys

yeah i've only ice skated twice so far... still got a lot of work to do. i only fell once when my cousin decided to spin me around though haha... but i was pretty drunk/high the second time i tried and did pretty good. i think i may just buy a stick off of one of my friends if he wants to sell one for pretty cheap, i think he has quite a few

i could always go to a place around here n rent their skates n let them keep a crappy pair of shoes while i take theirs home haha, but i don't think i'm gonna do that

so what is the difference between expensive and cheaper skates? comfort or durability or what? I'm guessing that the only thing that can affect how you skate would be the blades? so comfort would be the only thing you're looking for?

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I'm kinda in the same situation as you right now. I played roller hockey for 6 years a while back, and never made the transition to ice, but i've been skating a lot lately and started buying my equipment and stuff, working out and whatnot.

For skates, definitely comfort is key. I'm using some cheap-o CCM's that aren't too bad, but if I take a break during skating I get a blister in the same spot every time when I finish. Just monday I took a break, unlaced my skate and found my foot bled through my sock. Really wanted to continue though, so I laced em back up and fiiiiiiinally learned how to hockey stop. Worst blister ever but it was damn worth it. Point is, comfort!

Stick with it, have fun, good luck.

Oh, and for me, going on youtube and watching a ton of skating videos helped me out a ton, so if you're having trouble with some stuff try that.

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so what is the difference between expensive and cheaper skates? comfort or durability or what? I'm guessing that the only thing that can affect how you skate would be the blades? so comfort would be the only thing you're looking for?

Comfort/durability/protection/performance really I guess. There's definitely more to skating than just the blades.

And like others have said, since you really haven't skated much, DEFINITELY get elbow pads.

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I played over 15 years of competitive hockey in my life with full contact and would say skates are your most important. If you buy cheap ones they'll wear out and feel like youh ave pins in your foot everytime you skate. Elbow pads and shoulder pads are really where you can save the money. I use a pair of old school lace up cooper shouldies(never had a better pair and you look sweet in them haha) that I got from a buddy's dad free. I have matching cooper elbow pads that I've had to sew about 10 times now but i love them. Theres barely any padding in them but the mobility is so nice because it only covers my elbows not my forearm.

Its nice to have a decent pair of gloves. You wanna havea flexible pair so you can dangle and be comfortable. I like my gloves short but if you can't tell I dont really like padding lol.

The stick is all about personal prefernce, I have a wood and composite stick and like them both. The wood is a nike bauer suupreme 155 its probably the best wood you can get and it only cost me 35 bucks. The composite I got on sale, its a Stealth and I absolutely love it.

Equipment is all about personal preference. For me I like the small pads and easy to move in ones like the lace up shoulders but tis really all up to you thts just my 2 cents.

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I suggest go to a pro-shop, get fitted so you know your size, then go online

Don't do this... local hockey shops aren't personal fitting rooms for online shoppers. Support your local store whenever you can! You'll come to appreciate the service, advice, and personal attention they can offer you. If you're going to buy online, call or email that company to ask about the equipment.

I also agree, skates are the most important purchase. Find something that fits your foot well and is comfortable and supportive. You'll have to spend some time getting fitted properly, this won't be a 10-minute purchase. Ask questions, try different brands and price points, spend some time in a skate if you think you like it. Minor pressure points can be punched out, and some skates can be baked to improve fit and reduce break-in time.

Experiment with sticks, try a few different curves and stiffnesses before you settle into something you want to use over and over again.

I'd go cheap on the rest of the gear, you can begin to replace it if you're going to continue to play.

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Don't do this... local hockey shops aren't personal fitting rooms for online shoppers. Support your local store whenever you can! You'll come to appreciate the service, advice, and personal attention they can offer you. If you're going to buy online, call or email that company to ask about the equipment.

Well, in my case my local pro-shop at the rink I play in in a league at is owned by Hockey Monkey, and I bought at hockey monkey online to get a special deal. I usually would agree that supporting local places is nice, however if you are really looking to save money sometimes you can't beat going on x online retailer, who has no way of letting you try on their products.

Edited by crater

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