increase your hockey iq

INCREASE YOUR HOCKEY IQ - BLADE TECHNOLOGY Hockey players, who take the time to understand blade technology and how it works, candrastically improve their skating in terms of overall top end speed, glide, and energy efficiency aswell as significantly reduce the number of potential injuries they may incur by simply contouringand sharpening their skate blade correctly.

In the following section you will learn:

• The definition and function of a blade radius.

• The definition and function of a blade pitch.

• The definition and function of a hollow.

• The composition of ice and how it affects your skating performance.

• Smarthockey recommended blade length, radius, pitch and hollow according to skate size.

• Where to go and what to ask to have your skates properly contoured and sharpened.

Blade Radius (rocker)

The blade radius, or subtle curve of an ice skate blade, is measured in feet. Ice hockey skates areradiused or contoured between 13’ and 6’. A 9’ radius is the most common radius used by playersbecause ice hockey skate companies manufacture their skates with a standard 9’ out of the boxradius.

13’

A 13’ radius is considered a “long, flat” radius. The advantage of a longer radius is that it providesmore blade contact with the ice which results in higher top end speed, better body balance andbetter energy efficiency. The disadvantage of a longer blade is that it is considered to be lessmaneuverable.

6’

A 6’ radius is considered an extremely “small, rockered” radius. Very few players have the bodybalance or coordination to use a 6’, 7’, or even 8’ radius. Players who do use skates with a bladeradius this small are definitely more maneuverable, but they gain that maneuverability at theexpense of speed, stability and energy expenditure. Smarthockey strongly discourages players fromusing anything smaller than a 9’ blade radius because any advantage you might gain by increasedmaneuverability is greatly outweighed by the decreased speed and increased energy expendedwhen using a shorter radius.

9’

A 9’ radius is the industry standard radius. Most skate companies believe that a 9’ radius offers thebest compromise between speed and maneuverability. Smarthockey will explain why a 9’ radius isnot the optimum radius for maximizing a player’s performance and how a subtle change to yourblade can drastically improve your performance compared to players using a 9’ radius.

DEFINITION

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INCREASE YOUR HOCKEY IQ - BLADE TECHNOLOGY

An ice hockey radius does two things:

1. It allows you to rock your body weight back and forth over the length of your blade just like rocking in a rocking chair.

2. By rocking over the length of the blade, the percentage of blade contacting the ice changes depending on the skating maneuver.

For years, ice hockey skates had virtually no radius. They were basically cut down flat speed skatesand worked a lot like today’s conventional inline skates. In 1914, a collegiate player named HobeyBaker changed ice skate blade technology forever. Playing for the first time on a rink with boards,he realized he needed quicker acceleration over shorter distances, better maneuverability, tighterturns and the ability to pivot and stop more quickly than skates of the day allowed. As an engineerhe calculated that a radiused or curved skate blade was the answer.

Hobey realized that a radiused skate provided the following advantages:

Acceleration

Just like a sprinter in starting blocks, when a player accelerates on a radiused skate blade theplayer’s body weight rocks forward over the balls of his/her feet. At this moment the player is on thefront 70% to 80% of the blade, which goes on an edge, digs into the ice and torques. By rockingforward the player is able to explode forward, not up, which makes a player quicker over shortdistances.

Skating

Whether you’re skating forward or backward, when a player reaches full stride on a radiused skateblade the player’s weight remains over the balls of his/her feet. Because the player is only on thefront 70% to 80% of the blade, and because his skating posture forces his weight over the balls ofhis feet, he is able to reach full extension snapping his toe at the end of each stride. “Toe snapextension” utilizes the players calf muscle group, which enables the player to reach a higher topend speed.

FUNCTION

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Turning

When a player initiates a turn on a radiused skate blade, his body weight rocks back creating arearward turning axis. The best way to describe a rearward turning axis is the feeling you get whenyou run up to a flagpole, grab it and let it whip you around. When the player initiates the turn, he ison the back 70% of the blade, which again goes on an edge, digs into the ice and torques. Byreducing the amount of blade on the ice and by creating a rearward turning axis, a radiused bladewill literally whip a player around a turn which not only creates a tighter more controlled turn butuses up less energy.

When a player completes his turn, a radiused blade will catapult the player’s weight back onto theballs of his feet. The body weight shift creates momentum that propels the player forward and putshim in the optimal body posture for acceleration.

Pivots

A radiused skate blade greatly increases the ease with which a player can pivot from forward tobackward or visa versa. When a player using a radiused skate blade pivots, his body weightnaturally shifts to the flat center 40% of the blade, which releases the blade’s edges from biting intothe ice, and allows the blade and player to spin.

Similar to turning, the key to pivoting is the acceleration out of the pivot. A radiused blade catapultsthe player’s body weight forward using the momentum to place his body weight in the optimal bodyposture for acceleration.

Stopping

Stopping is much easier on a radiused blade. Much like when a player initiates a pivot, when aplayer initiates a stop, the player naturally shifts to the flat center 40% of the blade which releasesthe blade’s edges from biting into the ice. By releasing the edges the player breaks the frictionplane with the ice for a split second and then slides to a stop as his blade digs back into the ice.

When the player completes his stop, his body weight is positioned over the balls of his feetreadying him to accelerate forward.

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Over the past several years there has been a lot of research into how to maximize a player’sperformance (e.g. stickhandling, shooting and skating) through blade contouring. In studying dataand speaking with industry experts, Smarthockey has concluded that younger players or playerswho wear a size 5 skate or smaller can maximize their performance by using a 13’ radius and olderplayers or players who wear a size 6 skate or bigger can optimize their performance using an 11’radius.

It has been proven that a longer radius provides players with:

Higher top end speed

All things being equal, a faster player has an advantage over a slower player. If you can reach amaximum speed of 18 mph on a 9’ radius, an 11’ radius will enable you to go 20 mph.

Better glide

Glide is important for carrying speed through turns, pivots and in one-on-one situations against adefenseman. The more you are able to carry your top end speed through these maneuvers the lessenergy you’ll expend trying to get back up to your top end speed. Furthermore in one-on-onesituations against a defenseman, if you can glide and maintain your speed, you can concentrate onyour stickhandling during your initial fake before exploding past the defenseman. If you need proofthat this works watch Mario Lemieux in one-on-one situations. Lemieux uses an ICM† blade with an11’ blade radius.

More stability and better body balance

Because the blade is longer and flatter it’s easier to stay balanced on your skates when you arefighting for the puck in the corners or getting bumped while trying to pass a defenseman. Betterbody balance also correlates directly with better stickhandling and a harder, more accurate shot.

A longer blade radius is also a lot easier to skate on for players just learning to skate or for playerswho formerly played roller hockey.

Reduced energy consumption

It takes less energy to skate 15 mph on an 11’ radius than it does on a 9’ radius. Players who havemore energy at the end of a shift or more importantly at the end of a game make better decisions,fewer mistakes and have a decided physical advantage.

The one disadvantage to a longer blade radius is that initially you may lose some maneuverability,but once you get used to skating on the longer radius you won’t notice the difference.

There is one catch to skating on an 11’ or 13’ radius, and that is that you need to have a +1 pitchon your blade so you can get up onto the balls of your feet for acceleration which brings us to ournext section.

1Smarthockey recommends a 13’ blade radius for younger players or players with smaller skates because their skate blades are shorter; as a result, there isn’t any significant difference in performancebetween an 9’ radius and an 11’ radius in terms of the amount of blade contacting the skating surface.

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SMARTHOCKEY RECOMMENDATIONBlade Radius: 13’ or 11’

DEFINITION

FUNCTION

Blade pitch (blade lie)

The difference in millimeters between the height of the back of your blade and the height of thefront of your blade.

The blade pitch affects where the player’s weight is balanced over the length of the blade.

Most skate companies claim to manufacture their blades with a 0 or neutral pitch. The reality,however, is that inconsistencies in mass production often produce blades with a negative pitch andoften one pair of skates will have two blades with two different pitches. This is why new skatesmake you feel as if you’re on the heels of your skates.

It is extremely important for players who buy a new pair of skates or who have never had theirskates contoured to have their skates properly contoured with a +1 pitch. For information on whereto have your skates contoured see page 13.

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Players who use the Smarthockey recommended 13’ or 11’ blade radius need to have a +1 pitchcontoured into their blade so that they have the proper skating posture. With a +1 pitch, you’ll havean easier time getting your body weight over the balls of your feet for quicker acceleration.

Using a 13’ or 11’ blade radius with a +1 pitch gives players the advantage of more blade on theice and a more forward body posture which translates into higher top end speed and glide, reducedenergy consumption and quicker acceleration.

SMARTHOCKEY RECOMMENDATIONPitch: +1

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Blade hollow

The arc of the circle cut into the blade when you have your skates sharpened.

Blade edges

A portion of the blade formed by the hollow radius; properly sharpened skate blades have an eveninside and outside edge.

The skate blade hollow traps air between the surface layer of the ice and the apex of the hollow.

The edges do two things:

On properly sharpened skates, the edges glide on the base layer of the ice during the glidingportion of the skating stride.

The edges dig or bite into the base layer of the ice for grip during the push-off portion of theskating stride.

DEFINITION

FUNCTION

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SMARTHOCKEY RECOMMENDATIONBlade Hollow: 5/8” to 3/4”

Most hockey players have their skates sharpened to a 3/8” hollow with the assumption that it willmaximize their grip for tighter turning and better acceleration. The reality is that while a 3/8” hollowmay increase the blade’s grip, it significantly decreases top end speed and glide; and a 3/8” hollowgreatly increases energy consumption, which results in premature fatigue. But a more seriousconcern with a blade hollow that is too deep is that it significantly increases the likelihood ofserious joint or bone injuries during high speed lateral movements. This occurs because the edgescan’t release their bite from the base layer of the ice. As a result when a player makes a quick turnor pivot, the player‘s body will often go one direction and his skate’s blades will continue in theoriginal direction causing severe ligament damage and possible bone fractures.

If you are using the Smarthockey recommended 11’ or 13’ radius with a +1 pitch you should begetting your skates sharpened with a 5/8” to 3/4” hollow. A 5/8” hollow will increase your top endspeed and glide, greatly reduce muscle fatigue and drastically reduce your potential for injury.

TYPES OF STEEL

Stainless SteelMost high-end consumer skates come with stainless steel blades. Stainless steel blades hold anedge longer than a carbon steel blade, but stainless steel blades are harder to sharpen.

Carbon SteelMost pros use carbon steel blades, but apparently it’s not due to any performance benefits. Thereality is that pros use carbon steel blades at the request of their equipment managers who have tosharpen 30 pairs of skates almost every day during the season. Since pro players get their skatessharpened every day they aren’t concerned with whether or not the carbon runner can hold an edgefor more than a game or two.

Blade WeightThe lighter the blade the better. If your leg works like a pendulum during the skating stride, thenyour hip is your leg’s fulcrum point. Since the skate blade is the farthest point from your hip, theslightest change in your skate blade’s weight is exaggerated by inertia. If you can decrease theweight of your steel blade by even a little bit it will greatly increase your performance by increasingyour stride efficiency/frequency, decreasing your energy expenditure and decreasing stress relatedoveruse injuries.

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ICE COMPOSITIONIce is made up of three distinct layers: base, quasi-fluid, and surface.

Surface LayerThe exposed layer of the ice.

Quasi-fluid LayerA thin liquid-like layer of molecules which bounce back and forth between the base layer and thesurface layer of the ice. The quasi-fluid layer provides the lubricant which enables skates to glideover the ice.

Base LayerA stable matrix of frozen water molecules. If a skate’s blade is sharpened properly its edges willglide on the base layer during the gliding phase of a skating stride and will bite into the base layerduring the push-off phase of the skating stride.

There are different types of ice: soft ice and hard ice. Hard ice has a very thin layer of quasi-fluidmolecules. Soft ice has a thicker layer of quasi-fluid molecules.

DEFINITION

FUNCTION

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A blade’s hollow traps a pocket of air between the apex of the blade hollow and the surface layer ofthe ice. In order to maximize speed, scientists found that the blade should be sharpened so theblade’s edges are just long enough to rest firmly on the base layer of the ice maximizing thelubricating effects of the quasi-fluid layer and minimizing the friction that is created if the blade’shollow is too deep causing the edges to cut into the base layer.

This explains why speed skaters who skate on extremely hard ice don’t have a hollow in their skateblade. Instead, they simply square their edges. It also explains why figure skaters who skate onextremely soft “competition ready” ice sharpen their skates with a 1/2” hollow.

If you typically skate on soft ice your skates should be sharpened with a deeper hollow meaning a1/2” to a 5/8” hollow. No matter how soft the ice, an ice hockey player should never skate withsmaller than a 1/2” hollow. Players who skate with a 3/8” hollow are significantly reducing their topend speed and glide in addition to the fact that they are increasing their rate of muscle fatigue andtheir likelihood for serious bone or joint injury due to the fact that their edges dig so far into thebase layer of the ice.

If you typically skate on harder ice your skates should be sharpened with a more shallow hollow or5/8” to 3/4”.

SMARTHOCKEY RECOMMENDATIONIce & Hollow

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Now that you understand what a skate blade radius, pitch and hollow are and what they do, it’s timeto learn how you can greatly improve your skating performance by simply contouring andsharpening your blade to the proper radius, pitch and hollow.

* Bauer† sizing is used in this example. For other brands of skates go by blade length. If the next size up from your boot uses a longer blade then Smarthockey suggests using a longer blade on yourboot.

** Player’s choice at these sizes. Smarthockey recommends younger players stick with 13’ radius and encourages older players (e.g. 14+) to use an 11’ radius.

SIZE BLADE LENGTH RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDED(IN MM) BLADE LENGTH BLADE RADIUS BLADE HOLLOW

(IN MM) AND PITCH

1 212 212 13’ +1 5/8”- 3/4”1.5 212 212 13’ +1 5/8”- 3/4”2 212 212 13’ +1 5/8”- 3/4”

2.5 212 212 13’ +1 5/8”- 3/4”3 230 230 13’ +1 5/8”- 3/4”

3.5 230 230 13’ +1 5/8”- 3/4”4 238 238 13’ +1 5/8”- 3/4”

4.5 238 238 13’ +1 5/8”- 3/4”5 246 246 13’/11’ +1** 5/8”- 3/4”

5.5 254 246 13’/11’ +1** 5/8”- 3/4”6 254 254 13’/11’ +1** 5/8”- 3/4”

6.5 254 263 11’ +1 5/8”- 3/4”7 263 263 11’ +1 5/8”- 3/4”

7.5 272 263 11’ +1 5/8”- 3/4”8 272 280 11’ +1 5/8”- 3/4”

8.5 272 280 11’ +1 5/8”- 3/4”9 280 280 11’ +1 5/8”- 3/4”

9.5 280 288 11’ +1 5/8”- 3/4”10 288 288 11’ +1 5/8”- 3/4”

10.5 288 296 11’ +1 5/8”- 3/4”11 296 296 11’ +1 5/8”- 3/4”

11.5 296 306 11’ +1 5/8”- 3/4”12 306 306 11’ +1 5/8”- 3/4”

MAXIMIZE PERFORMANCE WITH THE PROPER BLADECONTOUR & SHARPENING

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There are many pro shops especially in Minnesota, Michigan and throughout Canada that contourand sharpen skates properly, but there are also a lot of pro shops that do not know how to contouror sharpen skates. You have to know what to ask in order to ensure you’re getting your skatescontoured and sharpened properly.

If you are getting your skates contoured, find out the following:• Make sure the pro shop uses templates to contour skates. • Make sure the pro shop has an 11’ or a 13’ radius template depending on your skate size.• Make sure the pro shop knows how to put a +1 pitch on your blade.• Make sure the pro shop bases the blade‘s measuring points on the boot as opposed to the

blade holder.

If you are getting your skates sharpened, find out the following:• Make sure the pro shop can put a 5/8”– 3/4” hollow radius into your blade.• Make sure the pro shop finishes your blade with at least an 80-grit stone to ensure a

poished finish which glides better on the ice base.

1. Nicked edges occur from walking on dirty flooring either on the bench or in your locker room orfrom nicking another player’s skate blade during the course of play. If your blades are nicked you’llfeel like your blade is slipping during the push-off phase of your skating stride or when you’remaking a turn depending on where the nick is on your blade. Skating on a nicked edge increasesthe risk of groin and hip flexor pulls.

2. Uneven edges are typically caused by poor skate sharpening. Just like with a nicked edge,uneven edges will make you feel like your blade is slipping during the push-off phase of yourskating stride or when you’re making a turn. You can check to see if your edges are uneven with theQuick Square† by Maximum Edge (www.maximumedge.com). Skating on uneven edges alsoincreases your susceptibility to groin and hip flexor pulls.

3. Skates that have too deep a hollow sharpened into the blade (e.g. 3/8” hollow) feel like the bladeis stuck in the ice when you go to stop or turn. Skating with a hollow that is too deep greatlyincreases your risk of serious joint or bone injuries, significantly decreases your glide and top endspeed, and increases your rate of fatigue. If your skate hollow is too deep, bring your skates back tothe pro shop that sharpened your skates and ask for a 5/8” hollow to 3/4” hollow depending onhow hard the ice is (see page 11).

3 REASONS TO GET YOUR SKATES SHARPENED

WHAT TO ASK AND WHERE TO GO TO GET YOURSKATES CONTOURED & SHARPENED PROPERLY

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If you cannot find a pro shop that uses an 11’ or 13’ template with a +1 pitch to contour skateblades, Smarthockey highly recommends sending your skates to a small one-man skate shopcalled Maximum Skate (www.skaters-edge.com). Tim Mackey, the owner, is an expert in bladecontouring and blade sharpening. Smarthockey recommends Maximum Skate for three reasons:

1. Maximum Skate uses the patented Contouring Technology with specially calibrated templatesthat ensure a precise radius every time.

2. Maximum Skate measures and contours the blade based on its alignment with the boot, not theblade holder.

3. Tim Mackey, the owner, is the only person who contours and sharpens the skates.

The Sweet Stick† by Maximum Skate offers a simple and effective edge-enhancing technology that puts the bite back into your skate blade. The Sweet Stick† reduces blade friction,increases top end speed and glide, and reduces energy consumption. Using the same ceramicmaterials used for polishing edges on downhill skis, the Sweet Stick† angles two ceramic sticks thatyou simply glide down the length of your blade before every game and practice. You’ll notice thedifference immediately. Smarthockey highly recommends this product.

The patent pending Quick Square† by Maximum Edge is a quick and easy way to tell if your blade’sedges are square.

SMARTHOCKEY RECOMMENDATION #1Maximum Skate

1575 Switzerland Commerce

Township, MI 48382

(248) 360-8037

SMARTHOCKEY RECOMMENDATION #2Sweet Stick

www.sweetstick.com

Quick Square

www.maximum-edge.com

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t’blade†, a German company, has developed a replaceable blade system guaranteeing a perfect blade radius,blade pitch and blade hollow every time. The t’blade† system eliminates the issue of inconsistent bladesharpenings and blade contouring.

t’blade† claims that its blade system has the following advantages over conventional blade systems:• 30% lighter. • 40% more glide.• Computer generated hollow, square edges, and polished finish for perfect sharpening. • Computer generated blade radius and pitch for perfect contouring.

Five different blade lengths: • 256 mm, 264 mm, 272 mm, 280 mm, 288 mm

Three different radius sizes: • L = 11’ radius with a +1 pitch, M = 9’ radius with a 0 pitch, S = 9’ radius with a +1 pitch

Five different blade hollows:• 15 = 5/8” hollow, 13 = 1/2” hollow, 11 = 3/8” hollow, 9 = 1/4” hollow

If you use the t’blade system, Smarthockey recommends increasing the length of your blade, anL blade radius, and a 15 blade hollow.

The t’blade system has one drawback - the blade needs to be mounted perfectly to the boototherwise the apex of the radius will be off-center; and since you can’t have these bladesrecontoured this becomes a significant problem, which can negatively affect your skating.

Recently Graf licensed the rights to the t’blade technology. The success of this technology on theirboots will depend on how well they are able to mount the blade to the measuring points of theirboot.

The great thing about this technology is that if the blade is mounted properly the correspondingwheel setups for the C|SAW® training chassis are easy to determine.

Copyright ©2004 Smarthockey, Inc.

® refers to registered trademarks of Smarthockey, Inc.

† refers to the following trademarks which are owned and/or licensed by the companies and/or individuals whose names appear before trademark: TTP Sports, AttackTriangle; Bauer Nike Hockey, Inc.,TUUK Rocker, Shifter; Vapor, Quest, ICM; Easton, Gold; Maximum Edge, Quick Square; Maximum Skate, Sweetstick; t’blade; Rollerblade, Inc., Rollerblade; Mission, Hi Lo, ViBE; Dupont, Zytel

SMARTHOCKEY RECOMMENDATION #3t’blade

www.t-blade.com

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