Pad Flex, Curvature & Eternal Breaks
Pad flex and breaks are something very misunderstood by many goalies. Beginning with the latter, pad flex is an evaluation of how pliable the pads are and how much the movement of the goalie will translate through the pad. What is most important to understand is that goalies should not think of their preferences on broad terms like “I prefer a soft pad” or “I prefer a stiff pad” but rather “I like lots of flex in my pad in XXXX area and more stiffness in YYYY section.” So for example, many goalies prefer a softer boot as it allows skate movements to more easily translate through the pad and the goalie can place their weight in front of the toes without the ankle stiffness of the pad resisting the flexion. This trend has been seen through the equipment industry as companies continue to offer pads with softer and softer boots. In contrast, many prefer more stiffness toward the upper portion of the pad as this is an area designed more as a blocking surface. Flexion in the upper thighrise could result in pucks squeaking through, which is why many opt for stiffer foams in this area.
Moving to pad curvature, while flex and curve are related on a practical level, they are independent and should be thought of as such.While a stiffer pad hold its shape better than a softer pad, pad curvature should be aligned to the goalie’s butterfly width. Goalies with narrow butterflies will need more pad curvature to help close the 5 hole versus a goalies with a wider butterfly who has the hip flexibility to rotate the straight upper portions of the pad together.A general rule is that, as a goalie ages, more pad curvature will become necessary as flexibility naturally decreases.And importantly, while additional curvature can be added to the core within leg pad, it CANNOT be removed.This is why we recommend adding curve by storing pads upside down and NOT dramatically affecting the pad curve by placing the pads under a table or tying them.
Like flex to pad curvature, external breaks are related but independent parts of pad design.Breaks in the outer roll in the pad will add some flex to the pad (which can allow the pad to curve more) but not as much as internal breaks within a pad.Said another way, the flex differences between a pad with no external break and one with 1 external break are not profound.This is another reason why many companies have started moving away from putting breaks in pad outer rolls (e.g. Bauer).
