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Great question! The mat shown is primarily there to soften the slippery surface of the tiles, but it also serves a purpose in terms of stability. It's a 1/2 inch foam mat, and the softer the surface, the more your foot and ankle muscles have to work to stabilize, which can help with balance and strength development. Mat: www.roguefitness.com/rogue-individual-mat Here's how different surfaces can impact the effectiveness of the drill: Concrete/Wood Flooring: This provides a very stable surface with little to no give, making it ideal for focusing on pure stride mechanics and balance without much foot stabilization required. Hard Carpet: Adds a slight level of instability, which forces your foot to engage more, particularly through the ankle joint. Soft Carpet: Further increases the need for stabilization, working both the foot and ankle more intensely. Foam Matting: This offers the most instability, making the foot and ankle work even harder, which can benefit balance and proprioception, but may detract from focusing on pure stride mechanics. From a biomechanics perspective, if your skater is struggling with maintaining proper shin angle or balance on a softer surface, it could be beneficial to start on a harder surface to ensure they master the mechanics before progressing to something more challenging. Once they are confident in their stride on a stable surface, gradually moving to softer surfaces can improve foot and ankle strength, which translates to better stability on the ice. While the surface you use doesn’t make a huge difference for most players, starting on a more stable surface and progressing to softer ones can help develop the full range of stabilizer muscles, which is important for maintaining balance and control on the ice. A hard surface like wood or concrete should work just fine if you don’t have access to foam mats. Hope that helps, and feel free to reach out with any more questions!

@@SwansonX7Hockey You are amazing, thank you sir!

@@4TheLoveOfHockey Welcome!

Thanks for watching.

I def think it needs to feel right but first and foremost leverage the data and then optimize for feel.

👍👍

Thanks for the great question! You're absolutely right-skate fit plays a critical role in stride mechanics, and improperly fitting skates can lead to inefficient movements, sloppy strides, and even increased injury risk. Here are my thoughts on this, especially regarding skate scans and fit: The sock issue: When players get scanned for skates, they’re usually wearing a sock, which makes the foot appear larger than it really is. This leads to skates that are often too big. In my experience, a properly fit skate should be about 3 sizes smaller than their regular shoe size. The reason is simple: the scan doesn’t account for how the foot moves inside the skate during a stride, particularly with flexion at the ankle, knee, and hip. “Grow-into-it” recommendation: This is a big problem. Many times, after a scan, skaters are put into a size or half-size bigger skate “so they can grow into it.” While that sounds good in theory, it’s terrible for stride development. When the skate is too big, it forces the player to stand more upright and prevents proper ankle flexion. This shortens their stride and makes them inefficient on the ice. For optimal skating performance, they need to be in a smaller, snug-fitting skate that allows their foot to move properly. Standing vs. active skating position: The issue with scans and how skaters are sized is that they’re typically standing tall, which is not how they skate. When skating, they’re in an active position, with their hips, knees, and ankles bent. This pulls the foot into a different position, and that’s why a smaller skate size is actually better-it helps the foot maintain the proper position in the skate during those flexed, active movements. Blade profile: Beyond fit, blade profile plays a huge role in skating performance. Right now, I have most of our players using a CAG ONE profile (you can check it out here), which optimizes balance, acceleration, and turning. Getting the right profile for the blade can correct many of the balance and positioning issues that arise from improper skate fit. The bottom line is, your child’s skate fit has a direct impact on their stride mechanics. Simply getting a scan and trusting it without accounting for real-world movements can lead to bigger problems down the road. That’s why I recommend focusing on expert fitting that takes into account the player’s skating style and body mechanics-not just what the scan says. Thanks again for the great question! Feel free to reach out with any more, I’m happy to help. Cheers, Coach John

Yeah. I find that after 5-8 sessions you start to really feel much better on it.

Big fans of General Sports. They will take great care of you.

Hey @zeroGhost86, great question! For players your sons' size (8 and 10 years old, ~80 lbs and ~70 lbs), I’d recommend moving to a 3/4 fire hollow. This gives them more glide compared to the 5/8 fire, allowing them to cover more ice with less energy output, which can improve acceleration, especially in their first 3 steps, while still maintaining solid edge control. In addition to the hollow, another important factor is blade profiling-this is where you can see even more gains. I pair a 3/4 fire hollow with a CAG ONE profile to maximize balance and speed. A well-profiled blade allows players to find that perfect balance between acceleration and stability, improving stride efficiency and control on the ice. Based on their skate size and position, here’s a great starting point for CAG ONE profiles: For Skate Sizes 1-3 (younger, smaller players): Forwards: I recommend a 15-25 profile for better forward-leaning posture and quicker acceleration. Defense: A 15-30 profile is ideal, offering balance for transitioning between acceleration and lateral movement. For Skate Sizes 4-6 (slightly older or larger players): Forwards: A 20-35 profile works well to boost speed while maintaining control. Defense: A 20-40 profile is great for increased stability and quick transitions. These are solid starting points, though I do offer some tweaks depending on the specific player's needs and skating style. The combination of the 3/4 fire hollow and a well-chosen CAG ONE profile can really make a difference, giving them both better glide and more efficient strides. Give it a try and see how they adapt! Let me know how it goes. Best, Coach John

​@@SwansonX7Hockey thanks for your advice!

Hey @badalamentidesignco.245, thanks for reaching out! For the hoodies, we use UNRL for the brand-great quality, comfortable, and perfect for team gear. We work with a company to produce them. If you shoot me an email at John@x7hockey.com, I’d be happy to connect you with them directly. Glad you’re enjoying the content, and best of luck with your 10u team! Coach John

@Healthy_Scratch Great observation! Yes, for a player like Bedard, because his stick is longer, the angle of the stick can cause more puck contact toward the heel, which is why he tapes higher up. But for most youth players, especially when they’re still developing their skills, we generally recommend a shorter stick-around collarbone to chin height when they’re on skates. This shorter stick makes it easier for younger players to develop better hand skills and puck control. For older, more experienced players like those in college or the pros, longer sticks can be beneficial once they've mastered the fundamentals of stickhandling. The content I'm creating is focused on educating youth parents, so the recommendation is based on what's best for skill development in younger players. Hope that helps clarify, and thanks for the great comment! Coach John

That's awesome to hear you're loving the 3/4 fire! It's always great when the glide and grip balance out, and even better when your teammates notice the difference! For future reference, when you switch hollow on the Sparx, they recommend 8 passes to ensure the hollow is fully changed over. Here's how I typically manage my sharpening: Deep Nicks: As many passes as needed, then match that on the other skate blade. Hollow Change: 8 passes. Game Sharpening: 4 passes. Practice Touch-Up: 2 passes. I also alternate the direction of the skate in the sharpener each time. Facing the skate to the left every now and then helps round the toe, which is essential to avoid catching the ice and to keep the blade smooth. Glad you're enjoying the benefits-keep skating fast! Coach John

Absolutely! Most of my girls that age are in a 40-50 flex. Again .3 x bodyweight = stick flex after cut.

It definitely comes down to personal preference! I've experimented with no tape, Lizard grips, and traditional tape over the years. Personally, I find that traditional cloth tape works best for me, especially from a friction and control perspective. It gives just the right amount of grip without feeling too sticky or heavy. But again, every player has their own feel for what works best for them.

I'm not a huge fan of shims. I'd be really curious to see the long-term impact on the knee, ankle, and hip joints. Instead, I prefer focusing on building back the strength in the foot and ankle. Cal Dietz has some excellent resources on this, particularly his "Spring Ankle Program," which is worth checking out. In the short term, shims might offer some benefits, but in the long run, I'm concerned about the potential injuries that could develop from using them consistently.

Thanks for the comment! For a deeper dive, check out the full video here: th-cam.com/video/Rv6cnUdFuUQ/w-d-xo.html&lc=UgxrunYhywUkBo9UpQZ4AaABAg. As for the research, it was actually never made public. It was done by an NHL team back in the 2000s to gain a competitive advantage. I personally know the skating coach who conducted the testing, and he shared the results with me directly. Now, it's starting to become more common knowledge in the hockey world.

Yes and no. Both blade profile and hollow play a role in speed and stability. However, changing the hollow is more accessible for most skaters, especially with Sparx sharpeners - it’s a $7 adjustment versus $40-60 for a full profile change. That said, both can be beneficial. For our skaters, we use a 3/4 hollow paired with CAGOne profiling to optimize glide and balance.

Welcome.

They’re lucky to have you! I’ve done the same with a few skaters, adjusting their hollow without telling them initially. After a few sessions, I ask how their skates are feeling, and most of the time they mention how much better they feel without even realizing the change. It’s always a great way to show how subtle adjustments can make a big difference!

The coach in the video is ex-NHL star Daryl Evans, who now works with the NHL LA Kings team. There’s actually video footage of skaters doing this, and I just used the image for reference. Some skaters can even get their forearm to touch the ice while maintaining blade pressure. th-cam.com/video/8o4adhzXg3g/w-d-xo.html

I would start with the 3/4 Fire on the Sparx and adjust based on how it feels from there. It’s a great place to start for most players.

Yes, my players use Marsblades, and my kids do too, but I personally don’t use them. That said, I think they’re a great product and definitely useful for off-ice training!

Here’s your response: Hey! Just wanted to follow up and see how it feels now. It usually takes about 4-8 hours on the ice to get fully adjusted. After that, you can start looking into blade profiling to further improve your glide, speed, and balance.

Thank you!

If you're using it for dryland or roller, it might work fine without tape. However, when the blade gets wet, you’ll lose friction, which will take away from puck control and your ability to spin the puck. That’s where tape helps keep control and performance consistent on the ice.

Good stuff! We typically teach head up once the move is mastered. I have a different video discussing that progression.

Yes. I cut it down so it’s comes up to the player the same height as their one ice stick would.

Thank you

Head looking down at the puck is on purpose. For a beginner they need to visually see the puck over time we bring the eyes up. I address this in my other stickhandling videos. The water bottle idea is solid. Thanks for sharing.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linus_Klasen

Best of luck!

Thanks

Very welcome!

Have fun!

You bet!

That is awesome

You would say I want my skates at 3/4 or 1 inch.

Yes, that “knob” on the heel is often referred to as a bone spur, and it develops from repeated friction and pressure in the skate. Initially, it starts as fluid buildup due to the rubbing, and over time, it calcifies into a bone spur. One of the primary reasons this happens is improper skate fit. To prevent this, the key is ensuring your skates fit properly from the start. Skates should be about 3 sizes smaller than a properly fit shoe. Current skate scanners and some sales reps often push skates that allow for "room to grow," but this can lead to blisters, discomfort, and eventually bone spurs. It’s also important to remember that while the skates may feel tight initially, especially if they haven’t been baked yet, they typically open up by about a half size after baking. Another point to consider is that most skates are fitted while standing straight, but hockey is played in a much more active stance. When you’re in a hockey position, your foot naturally pulls back into the heel pocket, creating more space and improving the fit. So, while the skates may feel tight while standing, once you’re in a skating position, they’ll often feel much more comfortable. Ensuring the right fit from the beginning and understanding how baking the skates and the active hockey stance change the fit can significantly reduce the risk of bone spurs developing over time.

Great observation! Speed skater blades are indeed flat with no hollow because they're designed for straight-line speed and glide efficiency. However, hockey players need a balance of speed, agility, and control, which is where the hollow and profile come into play. The hollow refers to the concave shape on the bottom of the blade, which creates two edges. The deeper the hollow, the more grip (or bite) you have on the ice, but it sacrifices glide and requires more effort. A shallower hollow gives more glide but less grip, which is why many players prefer a 3/4 hollow for a good mix of both. The profile refers to the shape of the blade when you look at it from the side. A longer profile offers more stability and glide (like a speed skate), while a shorter profile allows for better agility and turns. Hockey players benefit from a mix of both, depending on their position and style of play. So while flatter blades like speed skaters may offer better glide, hockey requires a balance between speed, grip, and agility, which is why the hollow and profile are so important.

That is aesome!

I think the skate should be tight in the mid-foot to create that heel lock, but the top two eyelets need to be loose enough to allow for proper shin angle over the toes, ensuring correct posture and mobility on the ice. From a strengthening perspective, I prefer focusing on off-ice training to create a more controlled stimulus for the athlete. Off-ice exercises such as balance work, proprioception drills, and ankle strengthening routines offer more targeted results and are safer. That said, incorporating a bit of loose skate work on the ice can be useful, but I recommend introducing it in small doses, especially for younger players, once they have foundational skating skills in place. Also, it’s great that you’re already experimenting with lacing setups! Finding that balance between mobility and stability is key for performance, and what works for one skater may not work for another. Always adapt to what feels right for your skating style and development goals.

A "high profile" refers to skates or blades designed with more material under the foot, offering greater stability, which is often suited for players with wider feet or those who need more support. It generally has a higher arch, deeper heel pocket, and higher volume, which means there's more room inside the skate for the foot. This is often found in Fit 3 skates from Bauer, for example, which is ideal for players with wide feet and a higher instep. A "low profile" refers to skates or blades that sit closer to the ice, providing a lower center of gravity, and they usually have a shallower heel pocket and lower instep. This helps players with a more narrow foot shape to lock in properly for better control and responsiveness. Fit 1 from Bauer is an example of a low-profile skate. From a blade profiling perspective, a "low-profile" blade has less curve, which gives players more agility and quick turns, while a "high-profile" blade has more curve and stability, giving a larger surface area on the ice for better balance and power during straight-line skating. So, whether it’s for the skate fit or the blade itself, understanding the difference between high and low profiles can help customize performance based on individual playing style and biomechanics.