Posted in Uncategorized, tagged 100, 586, 588, 7600, 7900, 9500, 9800, Bauer, Canada, Equipment, Game, Goalie, Hockey, III, Kitchener, Koho, One, pads, Palm, Practice, Premier, Pro, Pro Zone, PZ, RBK, Ready, Reebok, Review, Reviews, Revoke, Sport, SportZone, Sr., Toronto Hockey, V4, v5, Vaughn, Velocity, Waterloo, YouTube, Zone on December 20, 2010|
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- Reebok Pro Zone (PZ) catcher and Vaughn V4 7680 catcher from SportZone Canada.
For young (and not so young) goalies all over the place, there’s a real dis-connect when it comes to their perception of goalie equipment, and the actual reality of what the gear is all about. This is common with all sorts of everyday items, whatever they might be – Snow blowers, cars, computers, baseball gloves, school supplies, shoes, and about a billion other items out there.
For all you goalies, we’re going to quickly explain the difference between the three types of (catcher/glove/trapper/whatever term you like) palms available out there. Many can be ordered in whatever you prefer, as custom equipment is now available to the public more than ever before.
OK, so here you go:
1. “Game-Ready Palm”
– The easiest to close right out of the box…If you play a level of hockey that’s anything below (roughly) a 16-year old level of all-star, this should suit you beautifully. There are always exceptions (like that kid who’s a monster for his age, and shoots like a Jr. A player on steroids), but for the most part, this palm should be great. It will also give you the best chance to get a feel for the puck, handle the puck WAY better, and gain confidence.
2. Pro-Palm
This is the most common palm “level” for players from midget to the NHL, to be honest. You have a fabulous blend of protection and control with this level of protection. It will take a couple weeks (or more) to break in, but it’s very worth while to have the confidence to face those cannon shots with a pro-palm, and not even flinch.
3. Practice-Palm
OK – You ONLY need this level of (insane) protection if you:
a) Play in the big show (NHL/AHL/JR.A, even), or you
b) Need a glove to last you a decade or so, depending on your level/frequency of play.
I know, I know….”I want only the “best, most hardcore glove/palm out there, ’cause I’m a warrior in the nets!” is a mentality that is all too often contagious with up-coming teens in the world of goalie equipment…TRUST US – Do NOT fall into this trap, where you’ll end up paying a heavy price. Even the pros only use a practice palm glove for just that (practices), since they usually go through several sets per year due to their grueling schedule.
You’d actually be surprised how many NHL goalies don’t even use anything more than a pro-palm in games and practices!
So let this sink in if you’ve been anything like someone I know very well….Try on the pro-palm offerings at SportZone (or at your local store, then order from us online, since we’ll beat their price for you!), and you’ll quickly realize that perception isn’t reality, as is often the case in life.
– Your friends at SportZone Canada
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