HockeyShot Roll-Up Shooting Pad Review
from WeissTechHockey.com
Save Your Stick with this Roll-up Skill Pad that Mimics the Feel of Real Ice!
As is the case with off-ice shooting practice, when working on your stickhandling you need a good slick surface to work on. This is the case for two reasons:
1.To save your stick: Sticks are expensive these days, and you want to be using your game stick for your off-ice stickhandling and shooting drills.
2.To mimic the ice surface: It's no secret that pucks don't slide well on concrete. You want to work on a surface that will act and feel as close to real ice as possible.
HockeyShot's Roll-up Shooting & Skill Pad will accomplish both of these objectives. It will protect your stick, and give you a smooth, slick surface on which your pucks will slide and feel just like they would on real ice!
This surface can be used as a shooting pad or a skill pad. It will work really well either way, but I actually prefer it as a skill pad to be used for stickhandling because it is so big. This skill pad is 4' by 8' which gives you tons of room to work on your stickhandling and passing skills.
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As the name suggests, this skill pad is made of a flexible material, which means you can roll it up and take it with you or store it. While this is great for portability, the one drawback about this feature is that it takes a little time for it to lay down flat after you've had it rolled up. It eventually does stay flat, just leave it on a hard, flat surface whenever possible.
You can pick up the Roll-up Shooting & Skill Pad as a stand alone item, or as part of the Extreme Passing Kit (one timer model). |
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All in all, this is a fantastic pad that is durable, and versatile enough that you can get many different uses out of it!
HockeyShot Roll-Up Shooting Pad Video Review:
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Powerslide Board Review
by HockeyReviewHQ.com
Hockey slideboards are a unique training tool that are meant to help players improve their skating at home. Unless you can afford to run a hockey arena in your back yard the entire year or install fake ice, a hockey slideboard is the only chance you have to simulate skating. When it comes to slideboards there are a number of options available. In this article we will be reviewing the Powerslide.
What You Get with the Powerslide Slideboard
The Powerslide comes in an easy to carry nylon bag. When we emptied the bag, there were a number of items inside. When you order the slideboard you will get
- Powerslide slideboard
- Two end pieces / stoppers
- A pair of “booties”
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Nylon carrying bag
Purpose
The purpose of the slideboard is to provide hockey players with an area to practice skating. The slideboard is designed to be very smooth, and when used with the nylon booties people are able to slide smoothly from one side to the other. This sliding feeling replicates the feeling of sliding on ice with skates on.
Price
The Powerslide retails for $174.95 for the 8-foot size and $184.95 for the 10-foot size. If you would like more information about the Powerslide, be sure to check back for our full Powerslide review.
Assembly
This was easy, all I needed to do was attach the two end pieces to the slideboard. One end piece is permanently attached with bolts, while the other can be moved in or out in order to allow more room to slide or less room to slide.
Testing Out the Slideboard
For this review I tested the slideboard to see how well I could slide, if it feels similar to skating, if I got a workout, and if I think it can help players improve their hockey skills.
Sliding
I was definitely impressed at how easy it is to slide on the slideboard. The nylon booties are great, and make sliding across very easy. I started by sliding back and forth, and just getting a feel for the board, then I increased the distance of the slide by moving the end piece.
Workout
After a few minutes of going back and forth I could feel the burn. My inner thighs were starting to get a bit sore, and I could feel a bit of a burn in my upper legs.
Skating?
The feeling is similar to skating because you need to push off with one foot, and then glide with the other. The difference is that on the Powerslide you only go back and forth, not forwards. I think that the Powerslide would help hockey players who do not use their edges or those who “run” on the ice.
Fun?
I think younger hockey players will have more fun on the slideboard. As for me, after a while, sliding back and forth got a bit old. It kind of felt like public skating; I just can’t have fun without a hockey stick in my hand! That gave me a great idea though. Why not take the slideboard outside and put it next to my hockey shooting board?
Hockey Slide Board Combo Training
The hockey slideboard was pretty fun to use indoors, but after I brought it outside and used it with my hockey shooting pad, my level of enjoyment increased significantly. I got a bit bored just sliding back and forth inside, but when I used the slideboard while shooting and stickhandling it was great. I actaully got a pretty good full-body workout after shooting and stickhandling for half of an hour.
The slideboard also adds a whole new dimension to shooting and stickhandling practice. Instead of standing still I was now able to move laterally. This is great because it adds a new level of realness to the dekes and moves that I am practicing. I also like shooting while using the slideboard because I can incorporate weight transfer into my shot.
Overall Thoughts
Penalty Box
I have been using the slideboard for a few weeks and I can honestly say that I have no beef with anything. It is meant to be a slippery surface to slide back and forth on, and that's exactly what you can do!
Scoresheet
Here are a few points that I liked about the Powerslide
- Good price compared to other slideboards
- Easy to slide back and forth
- Stoppers work well for me to push off of (I weigh 190 pounds)
- Will teach beginner hockey players to use their edges
- Easy to adjust the distance you want to slide, and also lots of room to slide
- A lot of fun to use while shooting and stickhandling
I recommend the slideboard to beginner hockey players, or good players who want to make shooting and stickhandling practice more fun and or challenging.
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