How to buy hockey goalie leg pads
Step-by-step Instructions
Here is what you need to do...
Step 1
Step one in buying the right hockey goalie pads for you is to take your goalie pad specific measurements. Although many manufacturers have their own specific size guides, it is most commonly recommended that you can identify the correct personal pad size by combining your skate size, the length from the tongue of your skate to the center of your knee cap and the length from the top of your knee cap to your mid-thigh(generally recommended to cover 1-2 inches of your hockey pants). The resulting number will give you your pad size.
Step 2
Step two in buying the right hockey goalie pads for you is to determine whether your specific pad size fits into the Junior or Senior sizing requirements.(*For more general sizing information on hockey pads, please consult the special attention section below.)
Step 3
Step three in buying the right hockey goalie pads for you is to determine your comfort level. Hockey goalie pads should be stiff and flexible, at the same time offering a tight feel around the calf and knee. The top of the pad should not expose the top of the knee cap nor should the bottom of the pads put pressure on the ankle or top of the skate. (**For further details, please consult the special attention section below.)
Step 4
Step four in buying the right hockey goalie pads for you is to stay within legal limits. Although many companies do not produce pads outside of the accepted size standards, it is always best to measure and check for yourself as illegal equipment can often disqualify a player from action and could cost his team further fines, penalties or disqualifications.
Step 5
Step five in buying the right hockey goalie pads for you is personal preference. Color choice, size preference and design are all items that are often left up to the individual goaltender while team purchases should always be based on the respective color pattern of the team you play for.
Special Attention
Difficulties people often experience or parts that need special attention to do it right.
*General Goalie Pad Sizes: Youth Size: 22-25 inches, Junior Size: 26-30 inches, Intermediate Size: 29-32 inches, Senior Size: 32-38 inches. -- ** Although hockey goalie pads often go by recommended size charts, each manufacturer with their own versions, personal preference should be taken into account. Some goalies prefer looser fitting pads with less width while others prefer a tighter fit and larger width, therefore these personal in-game preferences should also be considered.
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Funny or interesting story about this topic...
Goalie pads have been around since the very beginning of hockey, yet like the game itself, have taken leaps and bounds in their evolution. Moving from the historical, older, heavy leather leg pads that gained weight as they soaked in water and sweat, to lightweight, angle-sensitive, high density foam designs have been of tremendous benefit to the goalie. These evolutionary leaps in goalie pads materials turned goaltenders into nearly unbeatable protectors of the net, in turn leading to new standardized rules regarding their size to remove some of the advantages modern goalie pads provided.
When did you first do this & how did you get started?
While attending hockey camp one summer, I had the privilege of playing "goalie for a day." Although I was naturally a forward, I jumped at the opportunity to delve into the mind of my opponent. Fun as it was to try it out, the one thing I couldn't master was kicking my leg out to make a save. Following my grueling attempt to play goalie, the real goaltender explained to me that the reason I was having so much trouble kicking my legs out was because the goalie pads were not sized for me. As a result, there was no way I could play to the best of my abilities. Although I was only "goalie for a day," I learned a valuable lesson; goalie pads need to be nearly as customized to an individual goalie as skates are to a player. Further to this important lesson, I also discovered that white or diagonal striped pads are often preferred as they, supposedly, distract the shooter.