Author Topic: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it  (Read 24333 times)

kenzie

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #11 on: February 07, 2017, 09:18:03 pm »
Please keep these updates coming. I am loving reading about your experience.

I bought my hockey skates a couple of months ago, but I've been off ice for a while because I injured my ankle on a drunken night out.

But I have just been accepted (we had a long waiting list) for learning to skate lessons, and I want to eventually join my local recreational team, so seeing your experience is really quite interesting and exciting to me.

I'm terrible on the ice, so I'm living vicariously through you until I can actually skate well enough to attempt to skate with the team.

Leif

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #12 on: February 08, 2017, 07:32:44 pm »
I'm fairly new to skating, I learnt basic skating, 20 years ago, but after a long break started again 6 months ago, and this time took it seriously, learning moves and technique for the first time. It has at times been very painful, needlessly so, but I am now at the stage where people have said I am a 'good skater' and 'one of the best skaters on the rink'. I'm not good, my technique is poor, but I am improving a lot, and it is great fun. And the people at the rink are very nice indeed, ranging from young kids to wrinklies like me.

Anyway, here are my experiences in Tolstoyian form. Skip to the end if you want a summary.  :o

4 months after starting, and using my knackered old hockey skates, I bought new ones at the rink shop, for £175, and they were 1 size too big although it took me 3 months to realise as I blamed poor technique for my lack of achievement. The junior hockey coach who sold them couldn't give a damn about making sure they fitted. Perhaps he saw some older grey haired chap who he assumed would do no more than go round in circles. There was over 16mm of empty space at the toe end. With the new skates I managed hockey stops with both inside and outside edges for the first time, and my clockwise backward crossovers are much better, albeit mediocre. And that was on the very first session with them.  :coolsmiley:

The skates from the rink shop came ready sharpened (with a 1/4" hollow). I found them hard to skate in so after 10 hours of poor skating, had them resharpened at the rink to 5/8". Over the next 10+ hours I regularly fell, usually when going slowly, usually when my right foot shot forwards after seeming to trip, and my backside hit the ice hard. I would struggle to skate for the first 5-10 minutes. I suffered two injuries, not serious fortunately, but I left blood on the rink once and required first aid for a head injury. I know from comments from others that I had a reputation for falling. Then I had them sharpened by a known good sharpener. In many subsequent sessions I had at most two falls in total, but only when trying a hard move when I expected to fall, and even then the fall was more of a stumble, without pain, rather than a nasty fall. Three months after buying over-sized skates, I bought proper sized ones at the shop with the good sharpener, and I've used them for 4 hours, with only a minor stumble, when trying a hard move. Skating is now fun again, and hard work but rewarding.

So in summary:

Skates must fit well. If they are too big, you have less control, and will learn more slowly, or not even master some moves.
Skates must be sharpened by a competent person with a well maintained machine. A bad sharpening will ruin your technique and may even be dangerous. Many sharpeners (or their machines) are useless and should be avoided. The good skaters on the rink will know who is good, and who to avoid. My skate edge checker is currently on its way from Canada.  :)

AndyinSwindon

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #13 on: February 12, 2017, 05:23:38 pm »
Well after a break for a couple of weeks I thought I should post an update.
I went for another 'Learn to play' Ice Hockey session a couple of weeks ago, and it totally killed my confidence.  For the warm up, we had to skate around the 5 face of circles (yep, so far so good), and then pivot between each pair and change direction (so, forwards around one, then pivot, skate backwards around the next, pivot, skate forwards etc).  I was totally incapable of skating backwards around them (even my backwards lemons wouldn't have done the job), and they wanted crossovers to boot, and so I just smiled and skated forwards around the lot, still slower than anyone else. 
Next came drills, and again, it was a confidence killer.  They set out 3 cones, and we had to race to each cone, hockey stop, back to the line, on to the next cone, stop, and so on.  The first to the pile of pucks at the end became the attacker, and the loser was the defender.  I looked at the rec team player next to me, and instantly knew it was futile.  And when he inevitably beat me, I had no chance in defence.  I truly wondered what the hell I was doing even being there.  Then at the scrimmage in the end (15 mins of scrimmage, about 3 minutes of ice time), I felt like I'd just wasted my time.
However, after chatting to the other guys, I had the usual supportive comments and felt a little better, but I am seriously wondering whether to hold off of returning until my skill set is a little higher. 
I have now passed my NISA level 2, and on the level three am battling with slaloms, backwards 'C' cuts, moving turns (transitions) etc.  Still loving it, still enjoying chatting with others in my class, and hope some day that I may improve.
My son has now pretty much mastered hockey stops, and does his best to intimidate me on the ice at every opportunity, but I still have the weight advantage ;-)
« Last Edit: May 15, 2017, 01:30:58 pm by caffn8me »
Started skating 07.01.17
Currently working through NISA LTS Levels.
Currently wobbling through hockey LTP sessions.

santa-maria

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #14 on: February 13, 2017, 12:01:08 am »
Nisa level 2? Surely that would make you a quite advanced skater.. well good luck and keep skating 8)
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Leif

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #15 on: February 13, 2017, 07:44:09 am »
It takes time and hard work, but you'll get there. Hockey stops are an advanced move, it can take many many months to learn them. Try the inside edges version first, useful and easier. And you have the advantage of pads, so you need not worry about falling.

My son has now pretty much mastered hockey stops, and does his best to intimidate me on the ice at every opportunity, but I still have the weight advantage ;-)

 :) The young uns pick it up so fast, partly lack of fear it seems. There is an 8 year old at our local rink, who skates in hockey gear, and is better than most other skaters, it is impressive to see him whizzing around.

beginner skater

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #16 on: February 13, 2017, 02:23:02 pm »
Well after a break for a couple of weeks I thought I should post an update.

I am seriously wondering whether to hold off of returning until my skill set is a little higher. 
I have now passed my NISA level 2, and on the level three am battling with slaloms, backwards 'C' cuts, moving turns (transitions) etc.  Still loving it,

We missed you  ;D

I think I read somewhere that LTS level 4 or 5 (cant remember which)  is a good place to start learning hockey. That was old LTS levels when there were 10, so its probably  a level lower now. NISA level 2 is, as santa maria implies much more advanced. NISA didnt try very hard to make things clear when they named all the levels

One of the coaches at Swindon does figure skating as well as hockey, if you wanted to try and accelerate your progress. You'll  find his name & picture on the coach board. You could ask the hockey coaches what they think too, they'll have an idea how quickly youll get up to speed

As long as you're still loving your skating, thats all that matters.

AndyinSwindon

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #17 on: February 22, 2017, 12:42:25 am »
Time for another post!

I'm certainly not feeling very advanced, in relation to the above comments about the NISA levels, but after a few skate sessions with my son last week, and a pretty positive lesson on Saturday, am still enjoying getting out on the ice.

I decided to go for a lunchtime skate today, and so took my hockey gear along so I had a little bit of padding to give me that extra confidence.  However, I felt a bit conscious when I got to the rink, with about 12 others on the ice (which was freshly Zam'd, and like skating on marble, it was superb).  As a result, I had a couple of warm up laps, and then just donned the helmet and elbow pads.  I had a chat with Sam (Bullas - Swindon Wildcats player) and Robbie (Hockey Coach) about whether or not I should improve my overall skating skills before continuing with the Learn To Play Hockey sessions, and both said that I should carry on and will improve in time.  Sam stated that whilst NISA tends to concentrate on the feet, the hockey lessons demand a lot more from the body as a whole, and so to continue, with Robbie adding that as long as I'm enjoying it, not to worry about how I perceive myself in comparison to others.

I had a bit of practice of the moving two foot turns, with some positive pointers from Jordan (one of the rink stewards and a superb skater himself), worked on my backwards 'C' cuts, and tried (unsuccessfully) to nail my hockey stops. 

Progress may have been minimal, but with the less crowded rink, positive encouragement, and a bit of grit and determination, I think I left the ice a little bit further ahead than when I got on.

Started skating 07.01.17
Currently working through NISA LTS Levels.
Currently wobbling through hockey LTP sessions.

AndyinSwindon

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #18 on: February 27, 2017, 10:24:49 am »
Time for an update!

Another week on the ice, focusing on my hockey stops (nope, not quite there yet), backwards 'C' cuts (getting there slowly), and the dreaded moving two foot turn.

Am hoping to hit the hockey class again tomorrow night, so if I manage to stay awake long enough to go, will report back later in the week!
« Last Edit: May 15, 2017, 01:39:14 pm by caffn8me »
Started skating 07.01.17
Currently working through NISA LTS Levels.
Currently wobbling through hockey LTP sessions.

Leif

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #19 on: February 27, 2017, 01:24:50 pm »
Andy, I must have mentioned this before, but if not, check out YouTube if you haven't done so already. There are some really good instructional videos, some from Quebec are excellent.

What is the two foot turn?

My nemesis at the moment is forwards to backwards transitions. I'm okay one way, and pants the other. As for backwards to forwards, I can do it, but not up to a good standard. For hockey of course you have to be able to do stuff not just in your preferred direction, but in both. Apparently figure skaters (and ballet dancers) tend to rotate in one direction only. Remember that the next time a figure skater refers disparagingly to hockey skaters.  ;D

granita

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #20 on: February 27, 2017, 02:25:59 pm »
tend to rotate in one direction only

Hahaha, no. That only relates to spins (and some people can spin both ways). Figure skaters can very much rotate 3-turns, brackets, rockers, counters, mohawks, choctaws, loops and twizzles both ways.
Passed level two field moves 29/5/12
Passed level two elements and free 17/6/14

Leif

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Re: A total noob to Ice Hockey - sore and loving it
« Reply #21 on: February 27, 2017, 04:18:42 pm »
tend to rotate in one direction only

Hahaha, no. That only relates to spins (and some people can spin both ways). Figure skaters can very much rotate 3-turns, brackets, rockers, counters, mohawks, choctaws, loops and twizzles both ways.

Damn, then I need to find some other reason to look down on figure skaters.   ;D I'm just kidding of course. I've been advised to listen to figure skaters, as there is much too learn. But don't tell anyone I said that.



 

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