How Tight Should You Tie Your Skates?
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- čas přidán 9. 09. 2021
- Will looser skates allow you to skate faster? I took the ice to find out.
In this video, I test 3 different ways of tying my skates: tight, loose, and somewhere in between. Watch and find out which one I recommend if you want to unlock your true speed on the ice.
And if you want to learn more about why a deeper bend at the ankle is beneficial for your skating stride check out my 30 Day Ankle Training Challenge video: • 30-Day Hockey Ankle Tr...
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How do you tie your skates? Has this video made you want to try changing it up? Let me know in the comments!
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first of all, the percentage difference was well within experimental error margin, second of all his muscles were warmed up; there was a paper about sprinters and track and field people about how in practice their third or fourth run was their fastest out of a set
Yeah this isn't good science.
Either way testing something ONCE doesn't say anything anyway. But then the speed doesn't matter much, it's more or an individual feeling for what's better anyway
that is true but this is about the 5th video now talking about how you are tying your or your kids skates too tight and how its holding you/them back. I've always liked my skates looser, probably because I had to tie my own from early on but I started tying my son's (u6) skates looser and it has made a big difference in his stride and maneuverability. Never timed him but it feels like he's picked up a step.
Really what it amounts to is what feels best and most supportive yet unrestrictive for you. And if that middle tightness is what helps him feel most confident and able as a skater, then that's the best for him. And most NHL players would agree with him; many don't use the top eyelet.
If you're a new skater, don't have much ability or ankle strength, and need support, tightest is probably the way to go. Especially with older skates where the boot is already worn out and where the ankles have already broken down from being tightened too tight/with laces looped around the ankle.
It is indeed very weak science, and generating a difference of almost zero seconds, which is not statistically significant. Makes me also wonder about the effectivity of the timing apparatus. Also: Where is the double-blind?
@@benjaminallen6469
I'm glad to know that I tied my skates correctly just by feel. Some of my teammates always wondered why my skates are so loose, now I have an answer for them :)
Been playing for almost 4 years now so this isn’t a question I still have to ask, but I remember searching for a video like this when I first started playing. Great job with all your content hope it helps others that are searching for this question like I had!
It’s worth trying new things. I especially like to experiment at the start of the season because it’s easier to adjust to a new normal
As an adult learning to play hockey there is so much that is taught wrong. Everyone tells me to tie the skates super tight, I found I skate better with that ankle forward lean! Great video to show it off! Thank you for confirming my thoughts!
Love your videos man! Always on point, straight-forward, and extremely relevant and great for people at all levels looking for advice. Keep up the great work!
P.S. your skates look chewed up. Time for some new boots!
Hockey and skating instructor for 40 years (I'm 61). My skates are VERY loose at the toes, super tight at the ankle bend, and loose at the top. I dont use the top eyelet, but this is my preference.. this gives me speed forward and backward, agility, and edge control.
I'll have to try this
Thanks for sharing!
The 3rd way is pretty much exactly how I tie mine. I used to skip the top eyelet but it feel like it was slowing me down and made me a bit less committed on stops worried that my ankle might roll too much. As long as you get full fwd flex go all the way up!
I had to try so many lacing variations to get a good flex and good stability for a large volume foot.
Ended up going with tight at the toes, lightly loose above the arch, tight and the heel, and then a runners heel lock and 1 eyelet down from the top.
came back just to say, that the 4th eyelit from the top was exactly where the skates would hurt my feet the day after i skate, my foot feels numb the day after and i just tried going tight on the bottom and from the 4th lace, if i tighten it up i feel the skate pinching on that hotspot where it would make my feet hurt every session, and loosening it up from there a bit and the knee bend technique at the end it sure as hell made skating feel better
I needed this
This is the reason the Graf 707/g7 boots were so good.
I'm all for ankle collapse,.shin angle and Y angle. I expertimented with a bunch of variations with my CCM JETSPEED FT6 pros wide size with the Marsblade i2. I have my rocker set to one below the default radius on the Marsblades which allow me to get that ankle flexion from landing heel to toe with a tight laced skate. I found by going loose off the top eyelet the metal eyelet would rub on the top of my ankle. The Marsblade gives me that option for more flexibility despite how tight my upper boot is laced.
You flyin bro
One reason I go with the CCM Ribcor line of skates is they flex much more than other more rigid models. Having the top of my skates loose is something I’m adjusting before any skate! Thanks for the videos.
I'm thinking of getting new skates here soon and Ribcor is on the list for possibilities 👍🏻
I do fairly-tight on my 80Ks all the way up to my top eyelet. I use Howie's wax laces. By the end of a game, my top eyelets/laces are loose. I'm going to try the bending technique shown on the video. I've done super-tight only one time and had to come off the ice immediately due to lace bite.
When I was a kid I would go tight all the way up, including the top eyelet. On top of that, I would run a couple passes of hockey around the ankles above the top eyelet for extra stability. I realized that the tape wasn't helping once my skating got to the point of tearing the tape every game. Later on, I started skipping the top eyelet.
great vid! i would go for the 3 one but i have a hight instep so it really hurts when i do like that.
I normally tighten the lower holes fairly tight (any tighter and they crush my foot!), and do the top holes even tighter. However as I skate on a session, the top gets looser as any slight slack from the bottom holes gets pulled up with the flexing of the ankle. I can make a good guess that I do have my laces too tight, but you might want to bear in mind that laces do tend to get looser as you skate, to some extent.
Hey Coach, I don't play hockey so much anymore, I enjoy freestyle skating, barrel rolls, that kind of thing. I keep my top lace undone, plus keep laces loose, like you, about four eyelets down. I love the freedom but you mentioned your feet got numb?
I'll have to try these different ways to tie my skates. I have always done fairly tight and tightest when I got to the top. That way throughout the game it would loosen to exactly how I want it. However if I can be fast out of the gate, that'd be sweet too. Thanks for the insight!
If your skate gets looser at the top as the game progresses, it means that you're pulling slack from the lower laces. So ... I think your scheme should be re-considered. Make the lower laces tighter from the start and your upper loops looser from the start.
Perhaps you should also talk about the different cuts of skates and the rocker of the blade as well as the inch your skates are sharpened on. Steve Cathcart
Can you guys do a video on wrist mobility and stretching. Had a bicep injury and since the bicep contributes to forearm rotation I ended up developing some compensations and still have some stuffness in my wrist joint, tightness in my forearm muscles and it actually effected the over all alignment of my hand. Thanks guys.
Good idea, we will add it to the list 👍🏻
I tied skates wrong my whole life until I started playing ice hockey. Growing up playing roller, first of all skates were always a couple sizes too big to allow room to grow, and back then the boots really weren't stiff enough yet so tying all the way to the top tightly was necessary. I think also because when I started playing we all used rollerblade lightning plastic shell boots that have a cuff with a pivoting ankle rivet so you made the top buckle tight and got your forward flex from the pivoting cuff. even when I got older I kept tying my roller hockey skates wrong and then when I played ice for the first time I was getting such bad lace bite. Crazy how long I played with pain and lack of ankle mobility for no good reason.
I tie my skates like a snowboard binding. Juuuuust tight enought to hold things in place in the front and then I tie it like my life depends on it for heel lock.
i usually tie my skates fairly tight and then bend and move my ankles around to loosen them! works perfect for me as the skates feel good but i still have a little bit of room for mobility and flexibility purposes! :)))
That's a good way to do it too 👍🏻
Someday I'll get skates that aren't 2 sizes too big and I'm sure it'll make a big difference!!! I'll definitely tie them the way you did in this vid. Currently though, I can only tie them super tight or my foot moves around too much...
Just to add, I had never ice skated before this past year and I started skating with skates 2 sizes too big... I can now backwards crossover in both directions (with my giant skates), so clearly you can still learn fundamentals even with skates that don't properly fit...
Thanks for taking time to review and post this!
Quick question: how much ankle wrap are you getting at the top when tying the skates loosely? Is there a big gap between your ankle and the top of the skate/comfort edge pad?
Just curious how much side to side movement you get when you roll the ankle side to side?
I will have to check next time I tie my skates
I would like to know this too. I am reasonably new to skating. Unless I do my skates super tight all the way my ankle feels like it has no support & I can't imagine I could strengthen my ankles enough to solve this.
Great vid man! Just wondering, is there much of a impact skating when you hide your skate tongue underneath your shin pad? Or not so much
I don't notice an issue but I'd like to test going tongues out vs in
this video made me change my hockey stile tanks. I tried looser and it felt funy at first but it want wel I scored a goal
Nice work!
Newbie question about skate fitting: From reading online, it seems like my ankles should be able to bend side-to-side, but that the blade of the skate should always move with my foot. That is, my foot should not be able to move without the blade also moving, but my foot *should* be able to move relative to my shins. Does that sound right?
Coming from inline skates I got a pair of hockey skates for ice skating and I am surprised as to why don't hockey players adopt what has been standard in inline skating world - ankle hinge that allows bending ankle forwards yet maintains it vertically stable? Are there any downsides to such system in ice skating?
Unlikely there is actually much of a difference in speed. I am more interested in whether your edge work is easier.
This was my question too. I think the video more or less answered it but we'll see how it feels when I actually try it. It'll be an adjustment because I've always tied mine death grip tight
My agility feels much better with looser skates
@@hockeytraining I won’t lie, I tried it last night and I did find my edge work to be much easier than when I tied my skates tight all the way up.
@@MrMooMoo89 I tie them somewhat tight, then skip the 4th eyelet from the top, then all the way up. I also tie my 2nd and 3rd eyelet weird as well. Choosing to go 3rd to 2nd vertically before crossing them over.
@@andywong8054 I tried the version he recommended in my most recent skate, I quite liked it. Tight all the way up until the last 4 eyelits, then forward bend and loosely tight.
I've been on skates nearly my whole life, the only thing that has stayed consistent after lots of experimenting with different laces (waxed un waxed , shorter vs longer , around the ankle or not), ways to tie etc is that if I have no forward lean it feels terrible , I'm off balanced and thinking about it constantly. I have always performed the best skipping the top eyelet and a bend in the tongue but the whole lower around the foot has to be very tight.
i skip the first 2 lace holes on the top of my skates, then tight on my foot. been skating this way for 20+ years. i can squat just a little lower (more power) and get better extension in my stride.
I had vapor APX prostocks, then switched to supremes. It felt like I laced them up to my chin. Then once I got used to it, I tried to go down one lace hole. I hated it. I'm getting vapors if I ever buy skates again.
I just started playing about 6 months ago and I can't wrench them tight all the way up or I can't feel feet after 10 mins. It becomes so painful it's all I can think about. I started going just snug from the toe to the bottom of the ankle and so the last 3-4 laces up from the ankle I tie pretty tight. Can't be looking like a bender out there!
Very interesting. I tie mine 2 eyelets down but very tight. Im 5’6”. I would love to hear your feedback. I am going to try tying them looser on the last couple eyelets but still leave them down 2 from the top. Whats your take on profiling based on height? I would think that a 9 for a tall player would be different than a 9 for a short player???
Give it a try. I just wouldn't go too loose given that you don't do the top eyelets up.
@@hockeytraining I actually went back to only one eyelet down from the top because I was noticing one of my skates would start vibrating while I was skating in a straight away. One down from the top seems to give me more stability and better ankle bend. Honestly, I love watching this kind of information. Ya don't know what ya don't know...so your information is really thought provoking.
Thank You
Well, the test has no statistical significance, =P.
Got new skates a few months ago, next one down from top of the line. They are so stiff I had to undo the top eyelet to get any knee bend!
That's brutal, hopefully they get worked in for you
Try skipping the second from the top... definitely helps with flexibility/knee-bend while providing ankle wrap and lateral support.
I blocked a couple shots in a tournament in the top of the foot and now it's been swollen and seeing if a foot brace would be good to wear in my skate boot?
Whatever it takes to get back out there (assuming it's not a serious injury)!
the way I tie my skates it feels tight at the top but it loosens once I push my knees forwards and by the end of warm up it is fine.
Yeah that's another thing to take into consideration... sometimes it loosens as the game goes on
What are your thoughts on doing laceless training or loose skate training? My power skating coach as a kid would have us skate for like 10 mins before sessions without tying our skates to build ankle strength and told us not to tie the top eyelet for better ankle mobility. I guess this was something the Russians did or do. I've since seen a lot of mixed reviews on this but I personally feel that it absolutely increased my ankle strength and because of that I prefer my skates looser. I use wax laces and tie the bottom fairly tight but leave the top rather loose and skip the top eyelet
I think it's great for building ankle strength. Just need to be careful the player has built up the ankle stability to try it because you don't want them rolling their ankle
Classic brookside
Only run the laces that line up with your ankle tight. That way you still get good knee bend can still wiggle your toes but your skates feel secure.
Can the type of skates you have effect performance. For example, I have been strengthening my left ankle for the past month and I still can stop or Mohawk on my left foot. My skates are only worth about $60 so should I get a new pair?
What kind of skates do u have and about how many times a week r u on ice if u don’t mind me asking
@@Nick-qt5sx I think I have Bauer x250
I like my skates kind of loose. But I wrap tap around my ankles. Been working for 20 yrs
I leave every eyelet loose except the top 2 I pull these tight, feet feel good in them
The most important thing for me is I always tie my right skate up first.then I told another player that and he said the same thing.we’re both crazy.oh ya not too tight at the top three eyelets.
in the old days they would tape the shin guards to the skate . guess the skates were flimsy back then
Paul Coffey crammed his feet in skates 2 sizes too small and tightened them as tight as he could...He was a pretty good skater
That’s about as scientific as this ‘experiment’… if you make hockey training videos I’ll follow you from now on 😂
@@hansdar79 just an observation...make of it what you will
I’m very excited to try my skates looser, I’ve been tying them vice grip tight for years. I always thought it felt unnatural but it seemed like the thing to do……
How did you get on ? Which did you prefer?
I am tying them much looser now and I’m loving it. It felt strange at first but now it’s great. My feet hurt much less as well which is a bonus.
I am tying them much looser now and I’m loving it. It felt strange at first but now it’s great. My feet hurt much less as well which is a bonus.
I would say hands down the best way to strengthen your ankles is to skate without your laces tied at all. Your ankles will ache like never before while maximizing balance and mechanics
is it bad if i still wrap the laces around the skate?
Everyone has their own preference... the idea is just to make sure you get still get a good ankle/shin angle
The problem with it is that when you take a check your way less stable and strong on the puck that if you had tight skate.
Comfortable at the bottom, tight at the instep, comfortable at the top
Hey, so I'm a peewee aa hockey player that would like to improve my skating can you give me any tips.
Did you check out the videos on our channel? We have a ton of skating videos + training for edge work
@@hockeytraining yea Ive been doing that I was just wondering if there was anything else.
I'm ruining my kids... This really makes so much sense. My boys are about to get some elite upgrades!
Haha you're a good hockey dad for watching these videos!
@@hockeytraining thanks! I've purchased an off season training pack in the past, it's really chocked full of good stuff, the only issue ends up being time and drive... I have limited time, and trying to get my boys motivated to do things themselves is the real struggle. I mean my eldest (11) really because the others are super young. The off ice stick handling video he used daily as his PE during remote school. The programs and videos are all great 👍.
Ever tried zipper style? It’s my personal favorite. Great video as always! Thank you.
I've been intrigued but never tried it!
@@hockeytraining If you’re ever free with the time give it a shot, it’s kind of a pain to tighten and undo but I’ve found it worth it, can mix a few zips in a normal tie too.
There are a lot of Canadians & Ruasian professional hockey players that tie their skate so tight at the ankles that they lace around the boot or even tape around the book. Not everyone is better with lose ankles.
Some NHL players drink Coca Cola before games... doesn't mean it's ideal. Each player will ultimately find what works for them
@@hockeytraining ha ha I guess we can't all be the Great One! lol Gretzky drank a coke & had a snickers bar before almost ever game.
Plenty NHL’ers used to smoke a pack a day too… Some smoked between periods.
Lots ate pizza, some even drank beer to ‘hydrate’
@@hansdar79 different times of hockey...crazy!
Useful if youre just fwd skating. Not much to do with the game of hockey though😅
I peley hockey I loosest now I hav Tight
You are better doing what you usually do. This is called the physiological principle of "specificity." The fact that long track speedskaters have a very low cut boot makes your experiment questionable since this indicates that loosening the top laces increases top end speed.
I get ankle pain when I don’t tie the, as ticket as I can
I got a high ankle sprain leaving it loose like that. I will never do that again.
I go tight and don’t use the top hole
My problem is not how tight the skates are, but it always get loose during the game, and I'm a goalie, I can't just tie them again during an off shift.
You should use cotton laces and when you do your knot go under twice instead of only one then wrapp it around your ankle then put tape over it I hope you understood !
@@jeannormandin3581 Ya I started using cotton laces, without wax. It is helping indeed.
The knot ''trick'' helped it too. What I´m doing is, putting my skates, skating a little bit, and then redoing the top part of the lacing again.
@@diggydumbo9294 The twice under is good when you go skating outside with your kids because they don't get loose . Sometimes when I was goaling my skates would get loose anyway .
Me being a kid: I just tie them as hard as I can bc it’s really not that hard 😃👍🏼
Bobby Orr's skates were soooo loose they should've fallen off his feet when he moved. But, Boy, could he move.
But hockey isnt just Skating forward,you turn More often Rhen you just go straight forward
I touched on agility in the video. I find it better with looser skates
Yea I won’t leave my skates loose again after I broke my ankle
The only reason that I changed the way I tie my skates is because of lase-bite.
I've dealt with that in the past... it's pretty brutal. I had to switch to a different skate because it wouldn't go away
Top straight speed has little to do with your actual speed on hockey. It's all about transitions, crossovers and your ability to move around.
Roman Josi?
This has to be a beginners video. Because really, it's all about how you feel on the ice. Same when people try to tell you how to tie your skates. I've been tying mine the "sneaker" way and wrapping them around the back of my skates for 30+ years. And, I played AAA as a kid so it's not like I was some pylon.
To each his own. If you're comfortable, you're doing it right.
Sorry but if this were true, then skate companies would easily have developed the technology for this (wrapping something around ankles) long time ago. The closest to this was the moulded skates. I had a friend who worked as the head of skate development at Bauer and CCM and confirmed that there is ZERO advantage to wrapping your laces around your ankle. In fact; it could potentially ruin your ankles. The skates were built to provide the flexibility for extreme sharp turns and why the best NHL players on the planet do not wrap the laces around their ankles.
How do you deal with other people underestimating you.
I love being underestimated. That's when you can prove people wrong
@@hockeytrainingvery true Thanks
@@hockeytraining 🧐 I’m still waiting to be proven wrong 😂
How about tight all the way but no top eyelet
That would be another to test... but I feel like it would still hold your ankle in too tight as the second from the top eyelet is usually above the ankle bone
@@hockeytraining it's what I do and imo its def more mobility than all the way to top with it loose
Why the fark do skates still have laces??’
Look at the string-based cycling shoes with a dial and how much faster, comfortable and tuned they are. It’s 2021 peeps.
Блин,ещё бы перевод на русский был и ваще было бы супер!
first
All that you're pointing out here is that skate manufacturers don't know how to make skates anymore - bring back flex-notches for cripes sake!
NHL players can get away with loose skates because the skates are custom made to their foot
What I learned was the way *you* are most comfortable tying your skates was fastest for *you*. I cannot draw any conclusions from that whatsoever.
I tested the way I have been tying my skates last when my legs were fatigued and still won by quite a bit. It's not the most scientific test, but it makes sense that allowing you to increase your ankle/shin angle will increase speed.
@@hockeytraining except skipping the top eyelet would increase that angle the most but didn’t result in the best time. Maybe you should try a combo of fairly snug laces and skipping the top eyelet.
‘Not the most scientific test’ 😂 slight understatement 🤦♂️😂
@@hockeytraining it’s almost laughable that 3 sprints ‘made you fatigued’. I would think that would barely be a warmup for most people who appear to be as fit as you… guess I shouldn’t judge books by their covers. I mean, you did tie your skates three times too. That’s pretty tiring.
Here’s a real scientific experiment for you: take that same phone stop watch you used to time your sprints and try to stop it on exactly 10 seconds. Repeat 50 times and record your times. Check the variability of the times, and calculate the mean and standard deviation of those times (or the difference from 10 seconds). Then compare that to the hundredths of a second difference in your sprint times to see how much of that time difference could be accounted for simply by ‘user error’ or ‘timekeeper variability’. Better yet, have 30 friends do exactly the same experiment and check their results then check the mean of the mean difference and the sd of that too… and see how varying the timekeeper might alter your measured time.
I still tie them tight
Every player is different!
@@hockeytraining totally
Step1: Need to learn how to skate
Toooo tights no good can’t cut off the circulation
Ok but you tucked your tongue the whole video. That’s what’s holding you back..
how so? look at the NHL seems like more tuck than untuck. McDavid, MacKinnon and Larkin all tuck and are fast as anyone else.