| If you have played the sport of hockey for as long as I | | | | also a good thing to make sure they are lubricated |
| have, then you'll know that hockey equipment matters | | | | properly. This will be a good deciding factor on how |
| almost as much as the skill of the player. Why is | | | | fast a hockey player can skate. |
| that? Well for one, you have to take the sport of | | | | While having the best hockey skates you can have is |
| hockey itself into consideration. There are | | | | a good thing, I would mostly just stick to picking a pair |
| two types of hockey where the equipment you | | | | that has a good aluminum frame. These can last a |
| use can really affect your performance. The first is | | | | very a long time. Everything else on the skates can |
| ice hockey. Ice hockey more or less requires sharp | | | | be upgraded later on when you get the money. I've |
| blades on your skates and aerodynamic gear to | | | | personally used Bauer hockey skates and I can say |
| improve your playing. As with all sports, the lighter the | | | | that they are very comfortable and give good |
| hockey equipment the more you can accelerate your | | | | performance. Even though I've never actually used |
| skill. It all comes down to optimizing. Ice hockey | | | | Reebok hockey skates, I've owned a pair of CCM |
| gear can only be optimized so much before it | | | | Tacks. I can happily say they lasted me longer than |
| becomes a non issue. | | | | 10 years and are still usable. Reebok hockey |
| The other type of hockey where the equipment can | | | | purchased CCM hockey not too long ago. I don't |
| make an even bigger difference, is roller hockey. | | | | know how their hockey skates have changed other |
| Roller hockey equipment can be tweaked and | | | | than them maybe adding the Reebok pump to its |
| upgraded on so many levels. This is all based on | | | | features. |
| affordability, price and the budget of the player. What | | | | Lastly, your hockey stick is what I consider to be the |
| makes roller hockey so different than ice hockey? It | | | | final deciding factor in your performance as a hockey |
| is an easy factor to guess. The skates. The | | | | player. It is what you use to control the puck. How |
| skates the players use in both sports are very | | | | you shoot, slapshot, stick handle, it all depends on your |
| different. One pair of hockey skates glides on a slick | | | | stick. If you have a very light stick that is very |
| surface such as ice and the other pair has wheels | | | | strong, you should be able to improve your hockey |
| that roll on a much harder surface. The surface can | | | | skills considerably. In most cases, the more |
| vary very much in roller hockey. Some are flat and | | | | expensive sticks are the ones made with a stronger |
| smooth like in indoor hockey. The others can be | | | | material that also is lighter. If you are interested in |
| rough like concrete in outdoor hockey. Which type of | | | | getting a better stick, most players tend to go with a |
| hockey equipment can improve the roller hockey | | | | composite material for the hockey shaft. |
| player? Well, the following are a few based on my | | | | In the end, what gear you choose largely depends on |
| experience growing up playing the sport: | | | | your own personal preference. The items I have |
| Abec bearings for the skate wheels can help out | | | | listed above are the ones that helped me in my |
| tremendously in speed. With my experience I've had | | | | playing. I don't know what will work for everyone, but |
| good performance with Abec-5 bearings and up. | | | | I do know that a deciding factor in how good you can |
| Although, I've read that Bones Swiss bearings are | | | | be can come down to the use and brand of your |
| actually better and give a boost in overall speed. It is | | | | hockey equipment. |