ilyazhito

I call goalies "right blocker" and "left blocker" based on which hand they wear the blocker on. A regular goalie is right blocker, and a full right goalie is left blocker. Right now, I'm right blocker, but I'm looking to experiment with playing left blocker, if not switching to left blocker.

Where is a good place to look for full right sticks? My paddle size is 26", though I might be able to get away with a 25.5" or a 25", depending on the manufacturer. I've been looking on Pure Goalie, Goalie Monkey, and Sideline Swap. There, I've been able to find sticks for $85 and $95 (slightly more expensive than regular sticks). The only other real options are Facebook (I'm not sure if anyone has any sticks available there), or the pro stock/custom route. On Facebook, more people are willing to part with full right gloves than full right sticks. For right now, after I get full right gloves, I might try playing with a regular stick turned backwards until I get an actual FR or no-curve stick.

Think about the style you play and get your pads to work around that. If you're more of a blocking goalie, go for a pad with a flatter and stiffer face. If you're a reacting (hybrid) goalie, look for a more flexible pad with a softer face to deaden rebounds. It helped me in choosing my set of ice pads.

I'm also curious to find that out. A no curve stick would be perfect for the ambidextrous goalie, and would be helpful for both making saves and passing. With a no-curve stick, I could shoot right handed with the trapper on top as a regular goalie without losing passing and save ability, shoot left-handed with the trapper on bottom, or shoot full right with the trapper on bottom to the same effect. I could also shoot lefty as a full right if I wanted to, but the main point is that a no-curve stick gives goalies way more options. I've historically either played the puck one handed or had to rotate my body around the stick to shoot left handed. I've tried backhand shooting and flipping the stick, and have found that flipping works if I have time. However, in game situations, I've only been able to do the one-handed pass to a teammate or else the backhand. Full right would open up the forehand shot as an option for pucks that are dumped in from the right.

OP was asking about the characteristics of the pads. I think he wanted to know if Vapors are pads that are more flexible and give off softer rebounds (hybrid) or stiffer pads that send rebounds further away (butterfly). I chose CCM Premier II Pros to send my rebounds further away because I was annoyed at how often I'd have soft rebounds off my old Brian's Demons pads. Pad characteristics may not influence your style, but they may make a difference in how you play. I was a blocking goalie before I bought my Premier II Pros, but the pads certainly do help me in playing a blocking style.

I wear gloves under both blocker and catcher. Much props to Henrik Lundqvist, and hopefully he will be in the Hall of Fame soon.

I only saw him doing that once, and I wasn't sure how he did it. I've also practiced with the Turco grip. That said, I'll do some experimenting with full right in ball hockey or pickup, and see which approach works better.

Why is this topic here? It looks like Lifestyle in the Banter section would be a better place for it?

I'll look into that. I'll also look at Sideline Swap to see what is available.

Interesting. I'm right hand dominant, but ambidextrous. I'm wondering how to find low cost full right gear to borrow to see if full right is, no pun intended, right for me.

I am a regular goalie who has been thinking about switching to full right. I hope I'm not as insane as a goalie playing without a mask. As it stands, I currently make more reflex saves with my blocker than my trapper. Is this normal for a goalie? My other reason for going full right is that stickhandling and shooting might be easier if my right hand would be on the bottom of my stick and my stick would have a right-handed curve. This will allow me to generate more power on my clearing passes and/or shots. Have any of you went left blocker after starting right blocker? What was the experience like?

The only difference is that I do shower at the rink. I need to because I sweat like crazy, and that makes my skin itch if I don't shower. That said, I either wrap on a towel after I leave the shower, or I put on underwear, socks, and a shirt afterwards. That way, I'm not totally nude in the locker room. I wear a mask entering the rink and while changing. Just before I put my goalie mask on, I take off my mask. I've recently gotten masks that attach to my cage, so I use that instead of a regular mask while playing. Before that, I would play without a mask, as regular masks caused me issues with breathing and overheating. My regular mask goes back on ASAP when I take off my goalie gear, off when I go shower, and on when I dress back into street clothes.

Awesome! I'll definitely be looking into ProLaces the next time I need to buy toe ties.

How do you install the Prolaces? Do you feed them through the holes like regular skate lace, or are there any special steps to take?

I've used the FlexToe hooks, and they worked great for pad rotation. They didn't cause me any strain. The only problem was that I shredded them after a few skates. I now realise that I should clip the hooks to my skates and not each other. In the meantime, I've ordered another pair, and am using skate lace while I'm waiting for a new pair of FlexToes to arrive. I've also read about pro laces, sliding bridges, and Halo toe ties. Are there other types of elastic ties out there. Are there any that stand out? I'd like to hear your opinions on them, so I'll know how and what to upgrade to. Thanks!

There is an adult league at the St. James. I subbed for an upper D level team there a few weeks ago.

I'll check out Wells and Laurel. I know Laurel has adult hockey, but I'm not sure if Wells does. I'll also check Piney Orchard, but I think Laurel is my most likely bet. I'll also check the Capitals Iceplex to see what the game times are.

I live in Rockville. The closest rinks to me are, in order, Rockville Ice Arena, Cabin John, and Wheaton. In VA, the closest rinks are Fairfax Ice Arena and the Medstar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington. It's a pity there is no adult hockey in DC proper.

Why are beer league games so late at night? I get that youth hockey takes priority, because there are SO MANY youth teams, between house, travel, and high school programs, but it seems ridiculous nonetheless that there are so many games that start after 10 and/or end the next day. It's annoying to have to choose between hockey and getting a decent night's sleep. If I'm in a league, it's one thing, because I'll not have to play late every week (sometimes I might luck out with a 7:30 or 8 PM game). Until then, is there a way to control the games I sub for? Until I get on a team, I'd like to get a decent amount of rest so I can do well at work, school, and officiating. I try to have lessons either early morning or some time in the evening before 8, so that I'm physically and mentally effective.

I have a 7 1/4 fitted hat size. Will this fit me? If it fits, I would be interested in buying it. If you can include a dangler with it, even better.

What is the frog stretch? I'm looking for new stretches that can help me goalie better. I'm a ball hockey goalie learning ice, and I'm curious about what it will take to learn roller. It's interesting that shuffles are more difficult in roller than ball and ice. Maybe roller might help me with ice in some ways, but I'll have to look more into the risks and rewards to see if roller hockey is worth it.

How do these slide plates attach and remove? I'm trying to find a solution that can easily be added for ball hockey play and removed for ice hockey.

What is that called?

Suspenders under chesty crossed over (right shoulder strap over left shoulder, then left shoulder strap over right shoulder). The chest protector is not tucked. I've done this with both the old Vaughn Vision 3700 and the newer Vaughn Velocity V7 Pro Carbon chest protectors.

On a similar note, I have had my knees bruise from landing in the butterfly. I used Vaughn Ventus LT80 knee pads (the listed size was senior). I found out that the front of my knees were covered, but there was no material covering the inside. For right now, I've found a temporary solution by sewing some old socks into the inside edges of the knee pads. I don't know if it's a fit issue, or if the Vaughn kneepads just suck. What models and/or manufacturers do you recommend? I've heard good reviews about the most recent Warrior knee pads.