What can you tell me about skate sharpening and rockering? – Robby Glantz Int'l Power Skating, Inc (2024)
Skate Sharpening: Again, this is a very personal and individual matter…. I have coached pro players who will go games without sharpening their skates and likewise, I have coached players who sharpen them between periods…
With that said, there are a couple of rules that you may want to follow… If you or your child is having trouble with stopping… then the skates are probably too sharp. A skate that is too sharp can certainly hurt a players ability to stop because before you stop, you need to slide and that is easier with a duller skate.
Likewise, if you or your child is sliding all over the ice or your skates are coming out from under you when you turn, etc. than it is probable that you need your skates sharpened (by the way, we find that the turning problems, while it is easy to blame the skates, generally comes from a technique problem in the turn).
I also am asked frequently about what hollow to get on the skate… unfortunately, there is no universal answer except to say that you should try a couple of different hollows, see which you like the best and then stick with it… and also try to stay with the person at the hockey shop who does the sharpening that you like the best.
Rockering: Many feel that rockering the skate (rounding the blade so that less blade touches the ice) canhelp with turning, quickness, etc. and that rockering the skate towards the front or the back of the blade is also important for the same reasons. Again, this is an individual preference and many players and hockey shop pros rely on it.
The positives may be a little more quickness, agility and possibly, quicker turns, etc…. while the downsides are, the less blade touching the ice, the less thrust into the ice that blade will provide, and this can hurt top speed and the ability to glide to cover distance (speedskaters use longer blades simply to go faster, for example)… but again find what works for you and then stick with it.
Typically, most skate sharpeners will use a hollow of 7/16, 1/2 or 5/8 as a default if they aren't given any specific instructions. Generally, younger and more inexperience players utilize a deeper hollow of 3/8 to ½.
Skate blade rocker is the skate blade curvature form toe to heel. The amount of curvature is measured in feet/radius as though the blade were part of a large circle. Hockey skates will have a 9' or 11' radius (most likely) while a goalie skate will have 28' or a flat radius.
An interesting fact worth noting is that NHL players tend to, on average, skate on much flatter RoHs than your typical recreational player. One NHL team that we are close to claims that greater than 50% of the players are at 5/8” RoH and larger with many in the 3/4”, 7/8”, and 1” RoH range.
Skates should typically be sharpened after 8-10 hours of use on an indoor rink. This timeframe shrinks when skating outdoors. If you find yourself struggling to skate smoothly or falling down doing a typical skill you'd be comfortable with it is a sign that you may need to get your blades checked.
While your skates can never be too sharp, they can certainly be too dull and that can take a whole lot of fun out of the game. For those skaters who do feel their skates are too sharp at times, we recommend reviewing our post on selecting an ROH. You should experiment with a slightly shallower radius.
Basically, your skate “hollow” is how deep the groove is between the edges of your blade. If you hand your skates to someone for sharpening, and they don't ask what hollow you get them done to, they're probably doing them at “a half inch” (which refers to the wheel they use to sharpen your blades).
Hockey player skates will generally be from 9' to 11', with goalie skates in the 28' to 30' range. Speed skates are very flat, with radii often over 40'. Only the center 60% of the hockey player blade is actually profiled. It is also possible to vary the balance point of the profile, which is the center of the radius.
– A profile focused on great acceleration and agility but also providing good speed and stability. Combi 9 – 10 (9 ft. – 10 ft.) – A profile focused on excellent acceleration and agility.
Similar to an ice skate, the Endless Balanced Rocker achieves a balance of stability and agility without destabilizing forward lean. What happens if wheels 1 through 3 are collinear (all in a line) and not progressively rockered as in the diagram above?
Introduction: My name is Nathanael Baumbach, I am a fantastic, nice, victorious, brave, healthy, cute, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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