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When starting to play in-line hockey, what to choose from the vast range of equipment can seem daunting.
Worse, you may even select the wrong type of kit which may be totally unsuitable. Indeed, you may have unnecessarily wasted your hard earned cash.
On this page we will briefly cover the main types of equipment and attempt to give newcommers to the sport some guidance and information.
Please note that the views expressed here are based on experience and do not presume to be an authoritative/expert opinion.
As stated on the home page the absolute minimum of safety equipment is:
Groin Box/protector (available in male or female versions)
Knee/shin-pads
Elbow pads
Gloves
Helmet with full-face visor.
Recommended additional safety equipment is:
Chest/shoulder padding (available in one-piece)
Padded girdle which would need additional hockey trousers over the top
Trousers with padding sewn in
Neck pad
It should also be noted that the above items should be fit for purpose, i.e. cricket or football pads would
not suffice instead of in-line hockey type knee/shin pads and should be in reasonable condition.
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Please find below a guide to the various types of in-line hockey equipment.
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In-line skates differ from the "aggressive" type street-use ones in two main ways; they have a much higher chassis
to allow for sharp turns thus avoiding the side of the boot clipping the ground when at a sharp angle and the wheels are made of a much softer compound
to get a better grip of playing surfaces. These two factors allow for very fast skating speeds, even when turning, and permit
a high degree of maneouverability often required during frantic games when directional changes are frequent.
The boot section has a hard, vertical spine at the rear to give strength and rigidity. It is recommended that long
laces are not tied/wrapped around the back as this can weaken or even break the spine after time.
The wheels can come in a number of different grades relating to their softness. The softer the wheel then the better
the grip on the playing surface, although if they're too soft they may compress under the larger player's weight and rub on the inside of the
chassis if the wheel-to-chassis clearance is small. The harder the wheel then there may be less grip but more rigidity and more
resilience to wear and tear. The front two wheels are always smaller than the rear two wheels. Wheels should also be regularly turned
to ensure equal wear on each side. The tendancy is for players to turn to the side they are more comfortable with, which
unfortunately causes uneven wear on one side. When replacement wheels are bought, they will come in a set of four, for either front or
rear wheels, so a complete set for a pair of skates would mean buying two sets, one for front and one for rear.
Wheel Bearings also come in a number of grades from Abec 1 to 10. In-line skates are normally rated at Abec 5, although the higher priced ones
may have Abec 7 fitted. It is generally thought that above Abec 5, there is no advantage to the skater because the higher rated Abec 7 benefit's would not be felt
until a speed of about 300mph !
Cleaning should be regularly performed, as the wheels and bearings tend to collect dirt and fluff etc. The bearings can be removed from the wheels and
given a quick spray of WD40, when turning the wheels for ensuring equal wear.
If you are contemplating buying skates for in-line hockey, please bear in mind that the street agressive types and skates with plastic wheels are unsuitable. People who coach with this club
or most people associated with the club can advise you. It is better to ask basic questions getting advise than waste your money on unsuitable equipment. If you have any questions then please feel free to
Email Us us.
Prices can range from £50 - £300-£500.
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Hockey sticks come in two different formats, i.e. single all-in-one piece or a two piece which is made of a shaft with the blade section glued on.
Although getting a two piece hockey stick is normally more expensive, it may well be more economic in the long run as stick breakage can often occur at the blade. Therefore you would only have to purchase
a new blade and glue the new one onto the existing shaft, as opposed to having to replace a whole one-piece stick if just the blade breaks.
To glue a new blade onto a shaft you will need either a hot air gun or a normal hairdryer, although the hairdryer takes longer to melt the glue. New Blades
come with a lump of glue already stuck to them. Heat the blade shaft with the attached glue and ensure you heat all sides evenly by turning the shaft contiuously in the hot air.
When the glue is sufficiently melted, insert the blade shaft into the hollow end of the main shaft until the blade shoulder stops any more insertion of the shaft. Wipe any excess glue. If more glue is required
then normal carpenters glue can be used.
Shafts come in various types including solid wood, fibre glass, hollow composite materials and aluminium. The hollow composite type is more popular because of it's lightness and flexibility/bendability for taking
powerful slap-shots. Although the aluminium can be more powerful, under 18's are unlikely to have the power to bend the shaft during the ground strike of a slap shot.
With children hockey players, hockey sticks must have a rubber butt end cap fitted onto to the top end of the shaft. This is to prevent injury from the stick and the butt
cap should be wide enough to prevent it getting through helmet face visor cage.
Hockey sticks can also be shortened or lengthened by fitting variable length butt extensions at the top of the stick. If you want to shorten even further, then more drastic action would be to saw an amount
off.
Special hockey tape should be wrapped around the actual hockey stick blade. This serves two purposes with the main one being to get a grip of the puck and the other to protect the blade surface. The tape helps grip
the puck as it is struck and ensures the puck does not slip off.
Prices can range from £15 - £75 for a single-piece stick.
Shafts can range from £25 - £100 and separate blades from £15 - £50.
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Helmets are a vital piece of protection and come in a few different sizes and various colours. They are adjustable in depth
by screws which can be slackened off to allow movement of the front and rear sections. The helmet is held in place by a
chin strap which should always be properly clipped to prevent accidental dis-lodging. The helmet's internal padding is normally
made from polysterene and is usually not removable.
The visor, attached to the helmet by screws, covers the face to prevent injury from both the puck and stray hockey sticks.
The visor can be of two types: the coated metal bar cage type or the strengthened clear PVC type.
Helmets normally come with the cage type, so the clear PVC type is normally an additional purchase.
The visor, which pivots at it's top by clips, is buttoned down by two straps with "popper" type buttons to the main body of the helmet.
When buying a helmet, always ensure the ear is protected through the normal helmet shape/profile, or the ear cover is fixed in the
correct position.
Always check the helmet has a British Standards "Kite" mark for a sign of quality and minimum standards.
Helmet screws should be regularly checked for tightness as they tend to work loose over time and are sometimes difficult to find if
lost and are not always easy to match up through thread size.
Prices can range from £50 - £200
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In-line hockey gloves protect the hands from both the hockey stick and puck.
Gloves are fully padded on all fingers. The palms and inside finger face which grip the hockey stick are normally made of leather.
The price of gloves obviously relates to the quality, i.e. the thicker the padding the better the quality.
Prices can range from £10 - £100
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Knee and shin protection is combined into a single pad wich covers from the top of the in-line blade boot to above the knee. It
is one of the most important pieces of protection because when opposing players shoot, most defensive blocks, either deliberately or inadvertently, will be made by the
protected lower legs.
They mainly come in two types; either with their own straps or without straps, in which case they would be designed for inserting inside
full-height socks, as in ice-hockey.
Prices can range from £10 - £75
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Elbow pads are mainly for protection in the event of falls.
The smaller types will just cover the elbow, whilst the larger types also extend about half way down the lower arm.
Prices can range from £5 - £50
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Padded girdles obviously protect the area across the hips to just above the knee.
When making defensive blocks this is also another area which can be struck by flying pucks. They sometimes have a holder in front
of the groin area to place a groin protective cap. When wearing a girdle it is normal to wear full height in-line hockey trousers
which cover all.
Prices can range from £20 - £75
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Trousers come mainly in two types; one type is designed to simply cover the girdle mentioned above and are unpadded, the other
type will have padding built in to the sections above the knees thus removing the need for a padded girdle.
Prices can range from £30 - £100
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Whilst not a necessity, extra upper body protection can be provided by combined chest and shoulder pads during falls & collisions and from flying pucks.
Some players may find this additional protection cumbersome and somewhat restrictive.
Prices can range from £20 - £100
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Groin protectors are an essential piece of equipment and protect these sensitive areas from flying pucks. These come in two verions, one for male and one for female.
Prices can range from £10 - £20
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