Hollows of the Penguins

Click to enlarge.

I came across a photo on a hockey discussion board and thought I’d post it here.  It’s a list of the sharpening hollows for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

What’s interesting to me is how most players on the Penguins use a sharpening hollow of 1/2″ or greater.  They also tend to use Bauer skate holders (Light Speed 2 or Tuuk) more than other brands.

I’m obviously not a great skater but, on the insistence of our previous hockey director some time ago, one of the best changes I made was going from a 3/8″ hollow to 1/2″.  My skates had less bite but there was also a lot less friction, which meant my gliding speed was much faster (he also gave me some tips on what stick length I should go with and how I should tape it up – he was just a wealth of information).

I’ve also contemplated swapping out my current skate holders (RBK E-Pro) for a Bauer model, as Bauer holders are said to have a more neutral pitch (i.e. they put the player more on their heels rather than toes) and I think that might suit me better.  For a short time,  I had skated with skates that had t-blades, which also have a neutral pitch.  I felt very comfortable with those and I seem to recall that I skated better.  Incidentally, it was those skates that had the equivalent of a 3/8″ hollow that got me going with that cut in the first place.

So, perhaps a holder change will be something I will mess around with in the near future.

Singh10.