Testing 4 skate profiles (Do they make a difference?) 

Have you ever tested different profiles? If so which do you use and why? If you want these blades toss a follow on Instagram @howtohockey

I’d like to see a video of blades being changed without you knowing the radius of the inserts. Then you guess which one you are using. To get rid of that placebo effect so to speak.

I went through all this stuff about 7 years ago when I got back into hockey, bought new skates, after playing elite hockey as a youth and then taking 15 years off. I struggled with all the new stuff as I think in the old days of old guys in arenas doing quick sharpenings on everyone's skates they turned everything into 5 foot radiuses. Thus I could not skate - a AAA guy who basically felt like a beginner again. I want to jump to the punch line because I play D - and when you play elite D you are basically skating backwards trying to keep very shiftly forwards in front of you so you are constantly turning from skating backwards to turning to one side then the other etc. Thus, for me, I ended up going back to a very small radius because that is how I learned to skate and play. All the above said, those types of small radiuses only work if you are going fast all the time - otherwise they are actually unstable. So, I then went on a mission to build a custom radius with a center flat spot for stability and power - but this then creates challenges to make sure there are no pivot points on the blade so if you go down this route you have to become friends with your sharpening person to get it right. I ended up with sort of a 11 radius on the back that went into a 7 radius on the front but on both the front and the back I had significant toe taken off the skates so I could be turing fast and have 1st step hard acceleration without the front toe getting in the way. In the end I ended up with a much better version of a very old 5 foot radius with a nice completely flat section in the middle that I could skate on for good stable power but would quickly be maneuverable for turning. Finally, I also had a forward slant put on the skates - again something you wouldn't think a D would use but when you are playing fast high level hockey as a D you actually have a forward lean when you are skating fast backwards - so again I found the recommended D setup of large radius with no forward lean is exactly the opposite of what works once the speed of the game gets very high. Great video

Jeremy, in my experience as a Maximum Edge-trained operator, we would recommend a shallower hollow as the skate profile increases. With more blade on the ice, you can reduce the depth of the hollow which will reduce the drag or what you described as the "weight" or heaviness of the skates.

Good Vid. Been skating for 41 years. Currently I am using a 10/13ft radius. Front half is 10 ft and back half is 13ft. I have 2 degrees of forward pitch. My ROH or hollow is 1 inch. My goals was/is forward speed. Mission accomplished. I am anywhere from 3/4 to 1 inch ROH. Most recent ROH is 13/16. 3 years ago I tried 10/20ft or what they call "Detroit" profile. 2 degrees of forward pitch. The ROH was 3/4 inch. This was the fastest set up thus far. The 20ft on the rear half was very flat and cornering, even crossing over, suffered. It was the best set up for straight forward acceleration and speed other than the 13/26ft profile. Speed skaters use a 26ft radius. Now THAT was a FAST profile but horrible for turning. Really had to "pick up" my feet when turning and be light on my toes. It was awful but it taught me a lot about profiles. Paul Coffey and Mark Messier skated with 1 inch ROH. Coffey even went 1 1/2 inch. They were both fast. Federov skated on an 11 ft radius. He was fast. Trying a 1 inch ROH will change your skating style and your overall speed. After years of trying and testing different combinations of profile/radius/ROH, I came to come significant conclusions. If you use a larger radius, you can use a shallower hollow. Larger radius means more blade on the ice and shallow hollow like 1 inch. Typically people say a 1 inch hollow feels "dull" or less sharper or has less bite. I understand. But, a 1 inch will leave more blade touching the ice kind of like having a smaller radius with a deeper hollow - 1/2 inch or 5/8 - BUT.. and here is the discovery, I noticed you will still have LESS DRAG than a 7 ft radius with a 1/2 ROH. That's right... a 11ft or 13ft or 14ft radius with 15/16 or 1 inch or 1 1/4 in hollow will be far less draggy with more blade touching the ice than the opposite. Your skating technique will need to change to compensate for your additional speed AND... you will experience MUCH LESS fatigue. You will need to carry more speed and glide with this set up, which requires a re-think of your game and positioning. Try the following: 11ft radius 1 inch ROH 2 degrees of forward pitch (to shift your center of gravity forward) for more acceleration. Try for a minimum of 10 sessions and really work on adapting your skating style, before making adjustments up or down, in order to find the RIGHT set up for you. When I was getting in shape for a WHL tryout, our trainer gave me a very shallow hollow. I don't recall what it was but it as WAY shallower than my regular set up, which was probably the usual 1/2 inch. First turn I fell. Got up, tried another easy/relaxed turn and i fell again. Crossover turn and fell again. Trainer was there on the bench smiling away. Took me about 5 minutes to make adjustments and then... and then... and then... I never skated so well. Took a few more practices before camp for me to now maximize my skating. My entire game improved dramatically. I played defense. The shallow hollow was a revelation as was combining it with a larger radius and the 2 degrees of forward pitch topped it off. Flat Bottom V can be substituted for ROH. Try 90/50 or 80/50. As good as 1 inch or better regarding glide and bite. 90/50 is as low or deep as I wish to go. 90/50 is shallow, 80/50 is shallower. The point here is to experiment. Cheers!

You should try a video testing out different cuts on your skates like 3/8 1/2 and 5/8

Would you consider doing a test of different hollow grinds? (3/8, 1/2, etc) Curious to know just how much of a difference there really is.

Jeremy, Thanks for the video! One thing, I would like to add. I have been doing the skates without the top eyelit for about 10 years now. I actually only found this out by breaking a lace during a game. I never turned back. 20 years ago it would have been terrible, but the way they are made now it gives you much better forward knee bend. I teach almost all of my beginner kids/parents to take the top lace out, especially if they are having trouble stopping. I would suggest it to anyone!

Our local rink uses the prosharp system. My son plays club hockey and he wound up going with what they call the "quad zero" profile. I thought it was a gimmick until I tried it. If you get a chance Jeremy I'd love to see a video on a few of the different prosharp profiles as they're 2, 3 or 4 different radii on the same blade.

I think it would be great for you to do a comparison now of the different blade sharpening depths in both the traditional and FBV’s to show how much of a difference (if any) there is.

Solid video Coach! We need a similar video with quad 0, 0.5, 1 , 2 Profiles. 4 radius on 1 blade.

I've always wanted to try the different radius's or (radii lol) but places near DC charge like 20$ for radiusing or contouring as some places call it. So I just never followed through. I use a 9 foot radius now because most skates come with the standard 9 foot but I've always wanted to try the 11 as I'm just a adult beer league guy. I bought bauer Supreme 550s not too long ago and love the skates but would like to try an 11 foot radius some day.

Concerning your comment on your lacing habits, have you tried inverting your lacing? (inserting laces from the outside in) Helps tons with lace slips and you are able to mess with the give a little more in the arch area without having to retie every 5 mins

I love how hockey players just always have their stick in their hands even when they’re nit even playing

Hi coach Jeramy love the vids. You are the one that convinced me to want to play hockey this year.keep up the good work. Lots Of love from Ontario🇨🇦👍😀

I don’t tie my top lace either, I’m a defenseman that loves to jump up on plays so I’m constantly transitioning backward and forward. Just found out I’ve been on an 11ft radius for about a year since I replaced my blades last. I hated them the whole time. I may have been on an 8 ft before, but my local shop no longer has the 8ft template. I could have been a 9ft before too, no one at the shop has been able to tell me but my profile prior to this 11ft mess was perfect. Got so sick of this 11ft profile, that I just bought new blades and started over. I couldn’t turn, accelerate, I had to do crossovers like a speed skater, just tuck down low and leave my skates on the ice. It was also almost impossible for me to transition backward and forward smoothly. Supposedly back on a 9 ft profile now, trying them tomorrow, hopefully this is better or I’ll be looking for another pro shop.

I did a similar thing with T-Blades back around 2005. Very noticeable difference between the radiuses. I went from 13' to 9' and was impressed with how instantly agile I became. I settled on 11' as I found this a good compromise. I always put on the 9' runners when I played at a particular rink first thing in the morning when the ice becomes super hard overnight. I also experimented with various hollows as well. I tried all radiuses each with 9mm, 13mm, and 18mm hollows. I settled on the S9, & M13 (9' 5/16" & 11' 7/16"). I use the L18 (13' 5/8") when at general sessions with my sons.

Very interesting demonstration. Because I play defense, I'd likely prefer the longer radius. But I do enjoy being able to turn easily and have worked at improving my skating.

I just got a quad profile #2 from Prohockey Life using their Prosharp AS-2001 Allpro machine. It’d be nice to see if you can do the same test with the different quad profiles as well or just do a comparison between a quad and your current 9ft single radius profile.

Trying to figure out the profile on my all leather Black panthers that I've used my whole life. I'd like to take it down a foot I think. The stability has been great. Never really had to worry about falling forwards or backwards. but I rely too much on bending my boot to be agile. Love you, bro. By far my favorite hockey channel. Thank you from CA lifornia

can you do a video about the different hollows?

Thank you so much this video is excatly what I have been looking for :) happy hockey season boys and girls!!

had old tacks for the longest time stock profile and very little blade left so probably equaled to a mythical 6. bought new tacks last week and hockey life put a 9 on them. i noticed an immediate lack of tight agility vs before. i noticed an increase in open ice speed but do not like losing the ability to 180 tighter than any trailer behind. Gonna give it a bit though because the open ice speed increase is so drastic that it could change alot of things.

hi Jeremy, so which one do you like the most on the ice? 7’ ? 9’?

These are my old stomping grounds! Thanks for all the great tips!

It would be fun to see a video where someone else changes the blades for you and you have to try to guess which one it is 😂👏👏

A re-vist would be great, exploring different pitch.

I am 57 now and have not worn ice hockey skates since I was 33. My Lange Lazers had the best blades I ever skated on, they were very slick on ice allowing me to skate really fast. The last skates I had were CCM Tacks 652 and the blades were terribly sticky on ice. So yeah, the different metal blades do make a difference from one another. Now I am using custom fit Inline Speed Skates, hopefully you younger guys are anywhere faster than me?

So what type of profile would a goalie skate be; are they a 13 radius or are they a higher profile?

Great Video Jeremy ...you can also adjust pitch of skate so you may want to address that...its where the highest point of the radius lies...front of center of blade or back of center or center. Preferences are geared more towards playing defensemen and forwards. One makes you play on your heels more for defenseman and the other pitches you forward to keep forward moment for forwards of course. Thanks Jeremy!

i am a D. and i use a Detroit1 profile. But i felt to so comfortable with it. gonna try another one next time when i get my new blades or skates.

Cool video! I work at a hockey shop and had been thinking about trying a similar experiment myself to see what I prefer. I'm currently skating on a profile that is 9ft middle to front, 10ft middle to back and is angled slightly forward.

Coach Jeremy, I played in the Canadians system back in the 50's and 60's outside of Montreal. The term we used for radiusing our skate blades was rockering. In Quebec just about everyone used Daoust, Jean Beliveau model. It was an old timer with steel risers and a steel sleeve holding the blade. After rockering and sharpening so many times, the stone starting hitting the blade sleeve about every two years and you had to buy a new pair. I like the idea of a very tall # 7 blade because at 6'4", 230 lbs I needed all the cut I could get without hitting my boot. I loved to power move on the goalie and for that you need a lot of turn in your blades. I think my parents paid $35.00 for my skates and my sticks {Sherwood} were 1.99. Yeah, suffer. Lol.

Hello from Hamburg,Germany!Finally the blade profile test video!Thanks a lot I enjoyed it!Now I need to find someone who knows about profiling the blade😁😁😁

Recently got new skates. I’ve never profiled blades before, but I’ve been considering it because it feels like I’m on so much more steel than ever before. Thanks for the great video Jeremy. Much love from Los Angeles.

Have you ever tried out or looked into dual profiling? Eg. something smaller like a 9" on the front and a bigger 11" on the rear of the blades?

Hey Coach Have you tried tried the Ellipse 0 profile or the Quad 0 profile. I would love to see you try the other multi profiles out there.

best hockey channel on the internet

I was using half inch for the longest time, I’m a heavier dude (230lbs) and I JUST switched to a 5/8 cut. It makes a HUUUUUGE difference.

You skate beautifully.

Have u done a video about Quad profile and CAG ONE profiling?

Nicely done video...I used to sharpen skates in the late '90s/early 2000s, we used to "rocker" skate blades. If you played forward the center of the radius was more toward the heel of the blade and defence was more towards the toe. Have you ever heard or seen this before?

Do you know what the stock profiles are for the Machs? I'm having a horrible time getting used to them and think I need to get them profiled differently.

Thanks for all the great videos Jeremy. Have you thought about testing after market runners finishes, DLC vs polished Stainless Steel? Is the performance of DLC worth 50% more cost?

I have the detroit 2 which is a Double Radius and is a 13"to 26".. have had this for about 2 years now and noticed immediately I had great speed but my turning is now lacking. Turning transitions are best done with multiple foot movements rather than just leaning. I'm thinking of going to detroit 1, toronto 2 or a zuperior triple radius.

I always want to try things like Flat Bottom V or different radii(?) but my biggest hindrance is that I live 2 hours from good ice, so anytime I do something like try a new edge or radius, I have to drive 2 hours, get the sharpening done and then learn the new blade profile in game which can be a little scary when you're heading towards the boards needing to stop.

I don't lace up the top eyelet either but you said that they come loose after a little bit. I think it might be because you use non-waxed laces. I use waxed laces and I don't have a problem with my skates becoming more loose. They did do that a lot when I used non-waxed laces though.

Hi Jeremy. I’m transitioning from roller hockey to ice hockey and sometimes when I attempt to crossover I stumble because I don’t have the toe that a roller blade would have. I’m a very good roller hockey player and was wondering, if you think going to an 11 or even 13 would make it easier to transition. I’m pretty good with my edge work, but feel like I’m missing that step. Also, do you think a forward lean would help with this issue?

Have you ever been to TN in our area we don't have very many arenas but so many people love the sport

I went from a goalie skate to a Tuuk and found that radius of the Tuuk had way too much rocking (old Bauer 2000's). I then went to the blade that was on the CCM and found them to be more to my liking. I would assume the Goalie skate was 13+ and the Tuuk a 7. The CCM blade is probably a 11, which is perfect for me. I also have a pair of Graf's Cobra's which feel more like a 9. Great video on the profiling of blades

I have been waiting for this video for so long!! Thanks for making it. The first one was very informative for people about profiles.

Hello Jeremy - Love this lesson. I rested my skate on my table standing straight up as if on ice to see how much of my blade was actually making contact on the ice surface. What I saw was about 2” of blade making contact on the ice? Is this right? I never feel comfortable in my skates as it never feels right. How can I know what radius my blades currently are. I think I need more blade to ice. What do you think? Keep up with the tutorials.

The rink you skate at is so much nicer than my home rink. I’m so jealous of not living in Canada right now and after having seen your Winterlude video.

so you probably already know about the different profiling radius' in one blade but i would find it interesting to see a video on you trying that. basically your blade get slip up and sharpened at different radius'. i had it done last season and loved it. if i remember correct, the toe and heel are 7' radius, this is to help you maintain the agility and quick acceleration. the next section is 9' and the middle stretch of the blade is 10' so you can get that stability and maintain your coasting speed longer. like i said, i got it and loved it but im curious if its a placebo effect. at the same time i also got the bauer speed plates and i am wondering if thats the noticable difference.

Jeremy, just like a few other comments, you should really look into quad profiles... it is a game changer and I m surprised that this is not more known online ? There s a place in new england that offer over 17 quads on top of the 4 x prosharp combinations. Anyway quad with FBV on Byonic super polish steel is where its at.

Thanks for all the details, much appreciated.

Love the vids will have to watch them between games

You have to try combination radiuses. I have a 8/12;' radius. They also a triple radius.

Single radius profiles are good, but Thera have been loads of development in this field the last 10 years. Have you thought about a remake of the video with the Detroit vs Zuperior Vs Squad Vs Ellipse profiles? Kind regards from a Swedish skate sharpener 👍

HI coach Jeremy, could you do a video that explain all the number and letter on a prostock hockey stick. Thank you. Sebastien Roy

Try skating with bandy skates they have got like 17”

Curious as to why you wear a cage helmet vs the plastic visor?

Hi, I’m a speed skater so I skate on racing skates( the Viking silver you can look them up if you want) but I would love to try ice hockey, it’s a great sport. And I think I would like it a lot. I’m sorry for my English but I’m Dutch so it’s not my first language. I love your videos!!

Witch one is the best for quick transfer and tight turns

Hey Jeremy I saw a hockey shot logo in a Vegas La game it was on the led board in the third period and I just wanted you to know

Awesome videos, i know the different profiles have their place but do you think they vary from ccm to bauer i feel like my ccm 9ft are totally different from my 9ft bauer. The ccm seem much soother and the bauer seem to catch more on the heel and toe.

Ive been playing for16 years and just tried out a combo radius 8 in the front and 13 in the back with a forward pitch. It was noticeably better than the stock radius for me in terms of speed and agility. No icing has an online sharpening and profiling service by mail if anyone is wondering more about it.

Try the 13' with a 3/4 sharpenl it gives you back some of the maneuverability but In my opinion 11' is the best.. Matts sundin were the flatest skates I have ever seen in the 30 years I've sharpened skates, Thats why he was so strong on his feet the downfall was he had to take long turns to change direction.

You got some nice looking rink there in Canada.

My father was custom radiace my skates in 1989 when I was playing AAA hockey in Toronto defo can feel the difference on them when changed

Do you live in Orillia? Is the old hockey arena downtown still there?

Coach which would you recommend for a defensemen ? There are also multi profiles out there, are they better then the standard profile.

What about the sharpness? What sharpness do you recommend on the blade

Great video Coach Jeremy! Also how'd you know I have Bauers and that 288 is my size? Haha your videos help a lot thank you so much for all the great information!

If your laces come loose this will fix it. Make the normal knot but when you wrap it around your thumb to make the loop to pull the lace through wrap it twice around your thumb and then pull the loop through and Pull. Never loosen on you

Is it possible to profile blades for novice or atom league player ? Considering they’re kids with small skate size

What about the different sharpening hollows like 1/2 inch or so do a video in that

Hey Jeremy I've got a non skate related question. On your first videos of you taping your twig you used to always go with black on the blade but I've been noticing you using more white as of late?!? Is This just coincidence or are you finding you see the puck better out of your peripheral vision while skating with your head up?

dude, your vids are awesome bro thank you, I am a really good skater 54 years old, noticed my new skates need a break in period, baked them still pretty stiff

Radii.

Hey just broke one of my LS 2s on my Bauer Vapors. Got any of those extra LS 4s?? Would be awesome if you did!!

Great Video. Thanks Jeremy

The local hockey store uses the CAG1 machine. I wanted to get an 11' radius with a forward pitch but I guess they don't do that there. Seems odd. Anyways, have you ever tried different profiles done by a CAG1? Like 25/40, 20/40, etc?

well another amazing video by Jeremy

Can there be different turn radii but also different back to front lean angles that can be cut which puts your COG at different places in relation to your bodyweight? Which angle from centre works better for F or D?

Hi Coach Jeremy! I love your videos. I have a question on the profiles and using the Sparx. I love the Sparx, I normally use the factory setting on my TUUK LS5 Blades; (apparently stock is a 10ft radius) However if I change the profile to a 9ft or 7ft etc. Can I still use the Sparx at home? Also your other video spoke about changing the pivot point. Is that anything you have tried? How would that change using the Sparx at home? Thanks Again! Keep the Vids coming. Badger 91

So does radious matter with your cut

Awesome video! What profile do skate blades come in from the store? I would absolutely love some new steel! My steels getting small!

Good stuff! I run 9’ radius with a 5/8ths hollow. What do we have to do to win one of those LS4 blades? Still running stainless 😬

I didn't know this was an option until about 7 yrs ago when i bought new skates at our local Source for Sports... huge difference with 9s! Curious about the flared blades.. have you tried those?

Hi Iv just started looking at taking up hockey!! Where I am from hockey is hardly played and In fact Im struggling to find a shop that sells gear so would need to buy abroad!!! But I’m interested in trying both goalie and playing out on the ice... i maybe wrong but I see the positions use very different blades but in theory could I buy those Bauer skates a put goalie blades in and swap out the blades as and when needed??? Sorry if this is the dumbest hockey question ever I’m just trying to do research before buying anything and I’m trying to look at position flexible equipment as there aren’t any shops here so again I will probably have to travel abroad to do my shopping

I'm In u16 travel hockey and I play offense. For speed, what radias would you recommend.

I know this is a super late comment but I never saw the sharpening video come out, anyone got the link?

What do you use to take the skate blade out

one of my LS4 blades snapped in half after i got an 11’ profile so i’d definitely take a pair if you’re getting rid of them lol

@Coach Jeremy which hollow do you always use?

So basically I watch a lot of ur videos and I’m like “ please more coach Jeremy in my recommend” yeah that’s true. ALSO MAKE MICED UP MASON 3 PLEASE!!!

Which profile comes stock on a bauer LS blade?

Hey how would it be if you combined a smaller radius with a shallower hollow or a larger radius with a deeper hollow for a combination of glide and turning. Just wondering if any of you have tried this I'm new and need the speed but also the help with turning.

Hey I have an idea for a vid. Do something wear u put on all vintage hockey gear(like the first kind ever) and like play with Kane Van Gate and compare back then and now