The Perfect Fitting Hockey Skate

The Perfect Fitting Hockey Skate.

Is there such a thing? Well, yes. The trick is finding the skate that is best suited for your feet. Everyone makes a decent product (heck for $700 or more for top end skates they better be decent. No, they better teach you how to skate and open your beer for you after the game) but finding the skate with the right support, shape, flex, and features that you want without breaking the bank is not exactly easy either.

So where to start? What is the biggest thing to think about when buying skates. FIT! They need to fit correctly or your feet are not going to like you, not even a little bit! Now people think that if they are skating outside they will need a bit more room for thick socks, heat packets in the toes, fuzzy slippers, and a butler to pour your Earl Grey tea for warmth as you zip around the Emera oval like Sydney Crosby. The perfect fit is a skate that hugs your foot, with your toes just barely touching the end of the boot (or toe cap) when you are standing up. The easiest way to measure this is to loosen up the laces and place your toes at the front of the skate unweighted. then check to see if you can fit a) a pen behind your heel snugly if your a child, or b) a finger if you are an adult. Keep in mind the size of a skate isn't the same as a shoe. You have to go down between 1-2 sizes from your shoe size to fit correctly. For example I'm a 9.5 shoe and I wear a 7.5 2E skate.
Make sure that once you have the skate on and laced that you can flex it, there is no sense buying a skate that is too stiff and keeps you off the balls of your feet. Also you will probably find that the ankle is tight and it might actually be sore. The reason for this is that skate these days are meant to be heat molded around the heel pocket to give you a custom fit and help with heel retention. Make sure this step is done and done correctly (worn for10 minutes sitting) as it greatly improves the fit experience. Most skates you can heat 3 times
So what skate fits which way? I'll tackle the skate giant of Canada first, Bauer. There are two series of Bauer hockey skates, Supreme and Vapor. The Vapor line (X1.0 to 7.0 and APX) is aimed towards players looking for maximum acceleration, 2 to 3 strides and they are flying (think Phil Kessel or Mike Camalleri). It's a light weight, nimble boot with great lateral stiffness for cornering and stopping and starting power. It is also has lots of volume with a narrow heel pocket, medium wide mid foot and wide forefoot, so a wide, muscular foot would work well in this skate.
The other side of Bauer's line up is the Supreme line (One 20, 40, 60, 70, 80, 100, and Total One) that want a bit less volume overall and need a bit more "beef" in their skate (think Luke Schenn, Steven Stamkos). This is Bauer's tried and true line that they have been producing for years.
CCM and Reebok are quite the same fit as each other to be honest, Reebok has the "Pump" technology that allows you to customize the heel retention and they need it because the heel is quite wide and deep, so be warned. CCM fits a bit like a rectangle but the good thing is they are very light weight and seem to fit wide feet without having to move to an E width skate unlike Bauer. I found the Bauer Supreme really pinched my feet where my arch is and I had to go to a 2E to make it fit.
One of the best features we have at Sportchek is the Junior Trade in Program. How it works is you purchase a junior skate (they go up to a size 5.5) and within 1 calendar year if they outgrow it you get 50% of your original purchase price back towards a new pair of skates. If they keep it for more than 1 but less than 2 years you get 25% back. It's an awesome way to keep skates affordable and also have your child (or children) it proper fitting skates when it matters most. This goes for any junior skate, hockey, figure, recreational, it doesnt matter. The credit is good for and new skate, junior or senior.
This should give you some insight as to what to expect when you buy a pair of skates. Dont be suprised if when your trying them on you may need a footbed to help with the fit, they help with body alignment and support the foot exceptionally well.
If you ever have questions you can ask here or find me at the Sportchek in Dartmouth Crossing. 902-468-6506

Big Box Retailer Myths

There seems to be a myth floating around out there that as soon as you walk into a large chain retailer like the one I work for you are on your own and that you have no chance at all of a) finding a sales associate and b) finding a sales associate that knows anything. Well hold on to your hat because nothing could be farther from the truth.
 Now I will start by saying that yes, there are some retail chains that do staff so their locations so thinly that you can fire a cannon through the store and not hit a soul. Yes, on a Tuesday morning there will be fewer staff working than there would be say on a Saturday afternoon, but when you do 30% of your sales on one day of the week I, as a consumer would hope that's the case. Most retailers have a cost out formula based on past sales, future budgets, payroll wages etc that go into this complicated formula that tells the manager how many hours they can spend on payroll for that week. If we had as many staff as our customers would like us to have, we wouldn't make a dime.
 MYTH #1, Staff don't know squat.
 Sheer and utter bullcrap! Yes the majority may be young, but they also tend to be university students, well educated, smart, mature people who are totally capable of independent thought. They aren't just mindless robots who sweep floors and go fetch a box for you out of the back room., so please don't treat them like that.  Every store (at least in our case) usually has 3 or 4 product experts that participates in specialized training courses to learn about the latest and greatest products and innovations relevant to a particular vertical, be it footwear, bikes, hockey equipment, ski and snowboards, outerwear, what have you. We are then tasked (yes, I'm one of them) with bringing that knowledge back to the store level and passing it on to the sales associates so they can help the customer make informed decisions about the products they are interested in. They also go through several constantly updated training modules to keep them up to speed on what and how to help recommend the right products and services.
 The sales guys and gals are usually very active in sports themselves and can articulate certain aspects of the sport the consumer might not be aware of (" There's great tree skiing on this mountain, don't put your ski boots in the trunk on the way to the resort, they will be frozen stiff when you get there", etc. etc.)
MYTH #2, We can't Special Order anything
 Just give us a deposit on the product you are salivating over and we'd be happy to order anything you want from any supplier we do business with. But I'm afraid that seal fur lined ski boot warmer from Japan you saw on the infomercial at 4AM last night is not something I am able to get my hands on for you...
MYTH #3, We only carry entry level crap.
Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong! Big box stores like mine have always had the higher end gear to some degree, but only recently have we really made a commitment to be the one stop shop. One weakness was we didn't carry the fringe "accessory" items but that has changed. And besides, if we don't have it, see myth #2.
MYTH #4, No after sales service.
Uh-uh. You buy it, we'll fix it if it breaks, correctly and quickly. Plus small independent shops have to send products back to their suppliers for credit or replacement if their is a warranty issue, so say goodbye to riding your favorite snowboard for 2-3 weeks. We are enabled to make the call on the spot and if it is a legitimate manufacturers defect you walk out with a replacement...or a credit to go pick it up at another location.
The large chain store isn't something to be looked at with disdain. We have the products and tools and people to help you live a healthy, active lifestyle.

How to choose the right golf club

 It's February...it's cold....what the heck am I doing talking about golf clubs for? One, I'm sitting here watching vintage Shell's Wonderful World of Golf on TV. Two, we are starting to receive new clubs into the store and so that tells me that spring is right around the corner. Eight weeks from now the Masters Tournament will tease us with beautiful shots of Azalea's and Magnolia Lane and short sleeve's and for me that signals the true start of spring.
 There are a lot of things to consider when shopping for golf equipment, clubs in particular. There are several types all aimed at a certain player ability, or handicap in golf vernacular. If you tend to be a fairly good golfer you should have a low handicap. PGA tour professionals don't have a handicap, however it's widely thought that if he did, Tiger Woods for example, would be a plus -8 (he was a "scratch" or 0 handicap at 13 years old). 
 Years ago there were very few choices of clubs to play with (Driver, 3 and 5 wood, 10 Irons consisting of a 2-9, PW and SW, and a putter). Thankfully now you can tailor your club choices to suit your game, be it more wedges, or hybrid's, belly putters, and so on. With the development of new technology the game has changed slightly in the last few years. So much so that in the 1980's it was expected that only 10% of all golfers would ever break 100. Today that number is now only10% of all golfers should break 90. Equipment is shaving strokes off a golfers game at a fairly rapid rate. You have drivers that you can change loft, face angles, etc with. Training tools up the ying-yang, video analysis, self help books and other multi-media sources for improving your game. One thing that hasn't changed however, and that is the fact that properly selected and fitted clubs are essential for getting the most out of your game.
 Where to start? There are 3 types of clubs to consider. Game improvement, intermediate or mid-handicap, and advanced ability clubs. I'd do an honest self assessment of your game if I were you. Do you struggle to consistently hit the ball in the air? Constantly slice or hook? Or are you creating consistent shot trajectories and have the ability to work the golf ball? Once you figure out what type of player you are you can narrow down your choices.
 Stock clubs come sized for players who are between 5'8" and 6'2". Under that or over that you should consult a club fitter for specific shaft recommendations. There are literally hundreds of shafts available both by themselves and offered from major club manufacturers through special orders. There are three main flex ratings however. Stiff for swing speeds over 90mph, Regular for swing speeds between 75-90mph and Medium for 75mph and under. There are also Ladies specific shafts with lower kick pints and are slightly shorter without affecting the flex points. Most PGA tour pros have a swing speed consistently around 110mph. A well equipped golf shop will have a swing analysis device (FlightScope, etc) that will allow you to measure all sorts of data such as swing speed, launch angle, backspin, etc and narrow down your choices.
 Specific shots will require different clubs depending on the golfer's ability, say the shot requires 200 yards of carry over water to a tight pin on a small green. The beginner golfer needs all the forgiveness and assistance possible (...I swear if I make this shot I'll be a good person for the rest of my life....) The mid handicapper will want a bit more playability  with their club, while the advanced golfer will be looking for feel and club head response the beginner cant even fathom.
 You also need to think of what club do you use the most. The putter, which you use between 20-40 times a round by far is the club you reach for most often. Next is the driver, even though we use it sometimes more than we should. A good drive sets up a hole for a good chance at par or better. A poor drive...not so much, it's much easier to hit from the short grass than out of the woods (trust me, I know).
 Beginner golfers should look for clubs that are oversize (they have a larger hitting area of the club face) to reduce mishits and a wide sole to get the ball airborne more quickly and consistently. Clubs that are offset will keep your hands in front of the ball to reduce fat shots (too much grass, not enough ball) and also help square the club face (ball go straight). Look for larger headed drivers to give you a larger hitting area as well as higher loft to get the ball in the air. Hybrids would be an excellent choice as well to help with distance and loft on longer shots.
 The Ideal set for intermediates would be irons with forgiveness but a bit more control and feel. You may be able by now to swap out say a 4 hybrid for a 4 iron for more accuracy on longer shot situations. For your driver you still want the 10-12 degrees of loft but now you may want to look at specific shafts to maximize distance and ball flight. Finally you might want to start looking at specific wedges, Gap, Approach wedges can start to be added, as well as looking at specific lofts (46, 52, 58, 60) or less/more bounce for hitting off tighter lies.
 For Advanced players it's to the point where you start looking for specific products. Player Irons that tend to be thinner with less perimeter weighting and less offset. As soon as the ball is hit you know where it's going and what it's going to do. The driver will have a bit less loft, usually around 8-10 degrees. Now shaft selection becomes critical and it might come down to trial and error by this point. Your wedges really are now getting dialed in with loft, feel and bounce all coming into the equation. 
 I'd consult with your local club pro or a trained sales professional to assist with finding the right clubs for you to help get the most enjoyment out of your rounds. Spring and warmer weather is right around the corner...I hope to see you out on the links.