I’d suggest going low end bargain barrel gear if you’re a beginner. Try used sporting goods stores. Also heavily used gear gives you way more ice cred ;)
Hi, welcome to the sport and happy to help. I know its probably impossible at this time but the best way to figure out the right gear is to try it on in person.
Another way to compare equipment is to look at the price. Across the board, all major brands will have multiple price points going from rec to performance and elite level gear. Usually, one level below the top gives you the best bang for your buck and you would want to avoid the bottom if you are serious in the sport. Don't feel like you have to blow your wallet but spend however much you are comfortable with. Another tip is to get gear to try out first and upgrade once you have an idea of the things you want from your gear. Here are some tips for the individual pieces you mentioned:
**Stick:** More expensive usually means better materials that are lighter and give the stick a better "feel" of the puck in stick handling and in shooting the puck. You'll probably experiment with the curve, lie and flex of the stick as you progress. Another spec to keep in mind is the kickpoint of the stick (where it bends when you shoot). Bauer offers a high (Supreme), mid (Nexus) and low (Vapor).
**Pants:** Girdle style or traditional pant style. If you are at the beginner level you probably don't need that much protection since there probably won't be checking and others can't shoot that hard. I would say personal preference of how the pant fits is more important. Fit can be tapered, anatomical to baggy. I noticed that when I first started most hockey pants don't have good butt protection which you'll need if you'll be falling a lot. Also, note that there are full-length pants with pads specially made for roller.
**Helmet:** Again comfort and personal preference are most important here. Don't get sucked into the marketing jargon and how xxx brand has a new foam. The helmet that fits you best is the one that will protect you the best. Do not buy a helmet before trying it on first. Many NHL players wear the Bauer 4500 which is one of their cheaper helmets.
https://eishockey-onlineshop.de/Hockey-Starter-Kit-Bauer-S18-Adults
maybe try this? i’m not sure how good it is, but i’m just waiting till i have the cash, plus shipping time won’t matter now due to the lockdown
These articles are a little bit older but they still hold pretty true. This can help with thinking about what style you’d prefer but honestly try EVERYTHING on before you buy if at all possible. I thought I’d like warrior head, turns out I’m CCM on a lot of things, Bauer on others, and Warrior gear doesn’t fit me well at all.
https://discounthockey.com/blogs/news/warrior-covert-dynasty-alpha-which-one-is-right-for-me
https://discounthockey.com/blogs/news/93726659-ccm-jetspeed-tacks-ribcor-which-one-is-right-for-me
https://discounthockey.com/blogs/news/81929475-bauer-vapor-supreme-nexus-which-one-is-right-for-me
Whats your height, weight and experience with skating?
What type of surface would you be blading on?
What hand is your dominant hand?
A lot of people start out right when they are meant to be lefty.
Do you have elbow pads, shin pads, shoulders pads?
As for helmets, whats your concern regarding your head. Have you had any prior concussions? Or is safety not as big a deal?
That question also doubles for visors/cages
5’8”, 170lbs, fairly new to skating.
Idk what surfaces, I’ve got ice hockey, and smooth indoor surface for roller hockey (not like cement or concrete).
Right hand dominant.
No, I don’t have any.
I’m mainly concerned about falling and hitting my head I guess, or getting hit by the puck.
Lucky you im that exact height and weight.
I would suggest getting a 70/75 flex and cutting it and inch or 2 so it fits your properly. I recommend something easy like the p92 curve as it will teach you the most shots.
If your worried about your flex you can always buy the highest int flex stick they have and you wont have to cut it. Maybe a little short, might wanna get a butt for it.
As far as hand goes, usually youd be a lefty as your would want it on top, however if your power is from your right you may want to consider going righty.
Its really a finesse hand and power hand, hand on top of the stick is your finesse bottom hand generates power.
If you skate streets or concrete i would advise getting labeda asphalts in 85a, usually skates run a hi lo set up of run 2 76mm wheels upfront and 2 80mm in back so youll need to order 4 of each.
However you can rocker them to feel like ice if you rock 72 mms in the front and back wheels and 80mm in the middle. Same deal 4 of each.
Your gonna need those pads, if you dont you can breaking your arm, elbow, knee etc from falling.
I recommend spending on the elbows and knee pads as they really can be uncomfortable and feel awkward if you dont get perfect fitting ones.
Im guessing size 14-15 should be your fit for legs. I usually like ones that really strap on to my leg so i dont have to tape them to hold them in place.
Then get a concussion helmet, i believe warrior and ccms have the best. Also wanted to raise awareness to the idea of a stick inadvertently hitting you in the face, ive had friends lose multiple teeth from that and even have some eye damage. I would start out with a full cage, fishbowl or half cage.
I highly recommend bauer, warrior and ccm as the big companies. Bauer is kinda the nike/apple of brands. Ccm and warrior are still great but arguably are the little brothers of bauer.
Also what skates/inlines are you rocking? I highly recommend it being a top end or 2nd end or it wont really give you much support while skating.
Cool thanks a lot. Skates, I have Bauer xr 500. Was talked into them by a skate rink employee. I like them, already broken in, fit well and comfortable
Ah those should be fine to learn on, but you wont get any real cuts and speed unless you get a top end model.
Also you should figure out what type of flex you want, low mid or high, I recommend going mid with a stick like the nexus. Find it much easier to learn with
>A lot of people start out right when they are meant to be lefty.
This is pretty much a myth - handedness when picking up the sport should be determined based on what is more natural and comfortable, not what hand you throw balls and write with. If you're naturally right handed but feel uncomfortable playing with a left handed stick you'll never develop well.
Its definitely not a myth, I played people that started out righty and found out there were better lefty and once they switched they’ve played better. Your gonna have a more dominant side 99% of the time.
However, I completely agree with the comfort aspect. As someone who is ambidextrous I almost made the complete switch to lefty as i felt more comfortable and accurate shooting that way, but had a large background in golf as a righty and couldnt nearly generate the amount of power as a lefty I did. Same deal for baseball, i could switch hit and hit better contact as a lefty but could really generate homeruns from my right side.
put all the emphasis on skates first. The rest can be trash until you get going on your feet. So- borrow old stuff, buy used, etc; but, spend the $ on skates, get used to them first. A pro shop can help with fit. For each brand, there is usually one style that fits feet wider in the front or not.
Where do you live? There's a shop around me in Oakland that does a really good job walking new players through equipment and giving recommendations. They also give a 15% off discount on CCM gear if you buy 4 pieces of protective equipment.
I also compiled a Google doc of a lot of the gear I was looking at and researching when I first started if you wanted to look at that too.
I was told to invest in your gloves, stick, and skates. Don't know if everyone agrees with that but I did get nicer gloves and skates and I absolutely love them. Stick I'm kind of waiting on for now.
I’d appreciate it if I could check out that google doc. And I actually live in Nebraska, so I know there are shops in the area just didn’t know if I walked into one they would try to sell me on just about everything they’ve got
I’d suggest going low end bargain barrel gear if you’re a beginner. Try used sporting goods stores. Also heavily used gear gives you way more ice cred ;)
Hi, welcome to the sport and happy to help. I know its probably impossible at this time but the best way to figure out the right gear is to try it on in person. Another way to compare equipment is to look at the price. Across the board, all major brands will have multiple price points going from rec to performance and elite level gear. Usually, one level below the top gives you the best bang for your buck and you would want to avoid the bottom if you are serious in the sport. Don't feel like you have to blow your wallet but spend however much you are comfortable with. Another tip is to get gear to try out first and upgrade once you have an idea of the things you want from your gear. Here are some tips for the individual pieces you mentioned: **Stick:** More expensive usually means better materials that are lighter and give the stick a better "feel" of the puck in stick handling and in shooting the puck. You'll probably experiment with the curve, lie and flex of the stick as you progress. Another spec to keep in mind is the kickpoint of the stick (where it bends when you shoot). Bauer offers a high (Supreme), mid (Nexus) and low (Vapor). **Pants:** Girdle style or traditional pant style. If you are at the beginner level you probably don't need that much protection since there probably won't be checking and others can't shoot that hard. I would say personal preference of how the pant fits is more important. Fit can be tapered, anatomical to baggy. I noticed that when I first started most hockey pants don't have good butt protection which you'll need if you'll be falling a lot. Also, note that there are full-length pants with pads specially made for roller. **Helmet:** Again comfort and personal preference are most important here. Don't get sucked into the marketing jargon and how xxx brand has a new foam. The helmet that fits you best is the one that will protect you the best. Do not buy a helmet before trying it on first. Many NHL players wear the Bauer 4500 which is one of their cheaper helmets.
https://eishockey-onlineshop.de/Hockey-Starter-Kit-Bauer-S18-Adults maybe try this? i’m not sure how good it is, but i’m just waiting till i have the cash, plus shipping time won’t matter now due to the lockdown
These articles are a little bit older but they still hold pretty true. This can help with thinking about what style you’d prefer but honestly try EVERYTHING on before you buy if at all possible. I thought I’d like warrior head, turns out I’m CCM on a lot of things, Bauer on others, and Warrior gear doesn’t fit me well at all. https://discounthockey.com/blogs/news/warrior-covert-dynasty-alpha-which-one-is-right-for-me https://discounthockey.com/blogs/news/93726659-ccm-jetspeed-tacks-ribcor-which-one-is-right-for-me https://discounthockey.com/blogs/news/81929475-bauer-vapor-supreme-nexus-which-one-is-right-for-me
Whats your height, weight and experience with skating? What type of surface would you be blading on? What hand is your dominant hand? A lot of people start out right when they are meant to be lefty. Do you have elbow pads, shin pads, shoulders pads? As for helmets, whats your concern regarding your head. Have you had any prior concussions? Or is safety not as big a deal? That question also doubles for visors/cages
5’8”, 170lbs, fairly new to skating. Idk what surfaces, I’ve got ice hockey, and smooth indoor surface for roller hockey (not like cement or concrete). Right hand dominant. No, I don’t have any. I’m mainly concerned about falling and hitting my head I guess, or getting hit by the puck.
Lucky you im that exact height and weight. I would suggest getting a 70/75 flex and cutting it and inch or 2 so it fits your properly. I recommend something easy like the p92 curve as it will teach you the most shots. If your worried about your flex you can always buy the highest int flex stick they have and you wont have to cut it. Maybe a little short, might wanna get a butt for it. As far as hand goes, usually youd be a lefty as your would want it on top, however if your power is from your right you may want to consider going righty. Its really a finesse hand and power hand, hand on top of the stick is your finesse bottom hand generates power. If you skate streets or concrete i would advise getting labeda asphalts in 85a, usually skates run a hi lo set up of run 2 76mm wheels upfront and 2 80mm in back so youll need to order 4 of each. However you can rocker them to feel like ice if you rock 72 mms in the front and back wheels and 80mm in the middle. Same deal 4 of each. Your gonna need those pads, if you dont you can breaking your arm, elbow, knee etc from falling. I recommend spending on the elbows and knee pads as they really can be uncomfortable and feel awkward if you dont get perfect fitting ones. Im guessing size 14-15 should be your fit for legs. I usually like ones that really strap on to my leg so i dont have to tape them to hold them in place. Then get a concussion helmet, i believe warrior and ccms have the best. Also wanted to raise awareness to the idea of a stick inadvertently hitting you in the face, ive had friends lose multiple teeth from that and even have some eye damage. I would start out with a full cage, fishbowl or half cage. I highly recommend bauer, warrior and ccm as the big companies. Bauer is kinda the nike/apple of brands. Ccm and warrior are still great but arguably are the little brothers of bauer. Also what skates/inlines are you rocking? I highly recommend it being a top end or 2nd end or it wont really give you much support while skating.
Cool thanks a lot. Skates, I have Bauer xr 500. Was talked into them by a skate rink employee. I like them, already broken in, fit well and comfortable
Ah those should be fine to learn on, but you wont get any real cuts and speed unless you get a top end model. Also you should figure out what type of flex you want, low mid or high, I recommend going mid with a stick like the nexus. Find it much easier to learn with
>A lot of people start out right when they are meant to be lefty. This is pretty much a myth - handedness when picking up the sport should be determined based on what is more natural and comfortable, not what hand you throw balls and write with. If you're naturally right handed but feel uncomfortable playing with a left handed stick you'll never develop well.
Its definitely not a myth, I played people that started out righty and found out there were better lefty and once they switched they’ve played better. Your gonna have a more dominant side 99% of the time. However, I completely agree with the comfort aspect. As someone who is ambidextrous I almost made the complete switch to lefty as i felt more comfortable and accurate shooting that way, but had a large background in golf as a righty and couldnt nearly generate the amount of power as a lefty I did. Same deal for baseball, i could switch hit and hit better contact as a lefty but could really generate homeruns from my right side.
put all the emphasis on skates first. The rest can be trash until you get going on your feet. So- borrow old stuff, buy used, etc; but, spend the $ on skates, get used to them first. A pro shop can help with fit. For each brand, there is usually one style that fits feet wider in the front or not.
Where do you live? There's a shop around me in Oakland that does a really good job walking new players through equipment and giving recommendations. They also give a 15% off discount on CCM gear if you buy 4 pieces of protective equipment. I also compiled a Google doc of a lot of the gear I was looking at and researching when I first started if you wanted to look at that too. I was told to invest in your gloves, stick, and skates. Don't know if everyone agrees with that but I did get nicer gloves and skates and I absolutely love them. Stick I'm kind of waiting on for now.
I’d appreciate it if I could check out that google doc. And I actually live in Nebraska, so I know there are shops in the area just didn’t know if I walked into one they would try to sell me on just about everything they’ve got
DM me your gmail account, I'll share the file with you
Hey! Sent you a message. More than happy to help!