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We
are trying to do our best to provide you the best possible
experience with your Vaughn equipment and goaltending. Therefore
we are constantly adding articles to our pages and updating
the existing articles.
This
time we have updated this article for velocity pad users based
on the continuous testing and feedback from our loyal customers.
Look
especially for the strapping and tiedown instructions where
we have added new information and tips.
The
new Vaughn Velocity 7000 pads are truly different by design
from the other pads out on the markets today and they need
to be used differently as well. Because of this, first time
Velocity users may need some help in order to get the most
out of their pads and get comfortable with them as fast as
possible. With this article I am trying to address this issue
and make your experience with your Velocities even better.
Are
Velocities only good for butterfly style?
First
I want to address this thinking that I have heard from several
goalies that Velocities will only work if you play butterfly
style only. These pads have features that give big advantages
for butterfly goalies, but let me make this clear: " There
is no reason what so ever that these pads would not work well
for a stand-up or hybrid goalies as well!" I play hybrid style
myself, combining the best of both worlds and playing up when
I can and butterflying when needed and the pads have been
working great for me.
Velocity
advantages over traditional pads
- More effective
butterfly movement and easier to position the pads vertically
on the ice
- Better 5-hole
closure in butterfly
- Less strain
to knees and hips in butterfly
- Faster leg movement
How
to use the strapping system?
These
pads have a different strap system than what you are used
to with traditional pads, so let's go through how to set the
pads up properly so that they will work well for you.
These
are our recommendations and the way the pads were designed
to work. However, it doesn't mean that you could not try other
ways than recommended and we are all individuals with different
needs etc.
First,
lets look at the bottom of the pads and you will notice that
your Velocities have only 1 strap instead of the 2 that most
other pads have. This is because these pads function differently,
are very flexible/pre-shaped and the design of the pads is
made so that you don't need to anchor them tightly to the
skate boot like you would do with a traditional pad. By not
needing the extra straps, it also reduces weight even more.
I
did a lot of testing and seemed to find the best performance
when I had the front tie-downs attached more loose than I
used to do with traditional pads. After testing for several
times I was finally able to find the right way for me and
the method I recommend you to use is to start adding small
knots to your tie-downs to give the top of the pad some room
to move, while still keeping the laces tied snug to the skate
and not getting under your blade. Sometimes you may need a
few knots before you find the right position. For me it seemed
to work best with 1 knot giving about 1" of loose movement
(see photos).
Then
set the bottom strap attached to the skate semi-loose/loose
and the next 2 straps the same way. Basically these straps
were all set the way that I could easily move the pads around
my leg when going down to butterfly. It's important that the
pad has some room to move when going up and down as that movement
allows you to place the pads vertically to the ice the new
way instead of the old style butterfly where the pads are
angled forwards (see the photos).
I know that it is a tough transition
for those of us who have played with very tight straps, so
start by loosening them up 1 or 2 holes and work your way
out to where you get them to perform properly and feel comfortable.
The
next and the last regular leather strap should be fastened
with normal tightness or a bit looser than your traditional
pads, but not too tight either so it does not lock the pad
in place too much.
Now,
for the 2 top straps that are speed-buckles, there are 2 ways
to set them. You should set them up the way that they work
best for your style of play. If you just got the Velocities
for their light weight and still play mostly standup style
you need to have these top straps horizontally just like on
traditional pads. You can do this by moving the lock straps
from the 2 lower positions to the traditional spots higher
up where you have extra loops ready for them. Using the straps
this way, the pads will function just like traditional pads
and bend over the knee when you go down.
Now
for those goalies that use butterfly as part of their save
repertoire, you want to strap the top 2 ones so that they
go from their high starting position on the inside edge of
the pads to the outside edge on an angle that will end up
underneath the knee rolls. What this will do is to allow the
top of the pads to act as an extension of your butterfly and
come over the 5-hole area and create perfect coverage instead
of curling away and exposing an opening. Now if you go down
on your knees instead of the butterfly, the angled strapping
system will function differently and actually pull the pad
up just like the regular strapping system, adding protection
and coverage. Angled top straps provide you with the "best
of both worlds" and give the feeling of loose top straps pro's
have been looking for but at the same time been losing some
protection and coverage when putting their knees down.
Another
way of looking at the advantage the angled strapping system
gives you is the tight feeling of having snug straps while
they still allow your thigh and knee to travel through the
area where the traditional top strap would be. This will enable
you to move faster without the restriction traditional strapping
would give you and the move will feel a lot smoother when
you don't need to move "through" the straps.
One
feature that I find really nice is the ease of replacing the
straps. Since there are no straps running through the pads
you need no tools or anything else than your hands. Anyone
can literally change a strap in a minute just by pulling it
under the "floating" leg channel.
Thigh
boards
A
lot of the pro goalies have already moved to thigh boards
because they give you better protection and don't restrict
your movements like the traditional knee pads do. Another
advantage of the thigh boards is additional coverage in the
butterfly for the 5-hole when you don't get your pads perfectly
together.
Velocity
thigh boards are anchored to the pads on top of your knee
and the inside edge is hooked to the top speed-buckle strap.
You need to find the right spot where you lock the thigh board
to the top strap as that will work as the guide on how the
boards function when you move and go down with your saves
and butterflies.
You
can see from the attached photos how I have mine adjusted.
This position allows the boards to move freely and bring them
out for additional coverage in the butterfly.
Be
careful not to bring them too far back, as then you will start
to get your thigh boards to slip under your pants on extended
moves. I did find the right adjustment by pulling the boards
back a little bit at a time and if they didn't get pulled
under my pants I would bring them back a bit more the next
time until they went too far. Then I pulled them back forwards
a bit and that has been a perfect setup for me.
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