Heavier or lighter blade for beginner | Golden Skate

Heavier or lighter blade for beginner

stepbystep

Spectator
Joined
Jun 6, 2019
Just curious about what the differences are between heavier and lighter blade for beginners when you are not doing advanced jumps.

Right now Jackson, JW and MK all have the new and innovative blades with lighter material. I know it primarily helps the advanced skaters with jumps, but I wonder if it also helps with beginners too. Given price is not a concern. The light material is a slight bit more pricy that's true ($100 more than the traditional counterpart), but it is not too much, and more importantly if it helps at all, it would mean a world for a beginner who is struggling...:)

However if the heavy blade actually does have more advantages, then it will be a different story.

Your opinions are much appreciated!
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
Before you pursue this issue too far, what boots do you have? You need to consider the total weight of the boot plus blade, and consider whether the difference in the weight of the blades (standard vs. lightweight) makes a significant difference in the total weight. For example, my boot weighs ~1000 gm. For one particular model blade, someone posted ~330 gm for standard vs. ~300 gm for lightweight (for approximately the same size blade as what I would use). So the total weight would be ~1330 gm vs ~1300 gm for standard vs. lightweight. Not significant in my book. A lightweight blade really makes sense only when paired with a lightweight boot. And check carefully what the actual difference in weight of the blades is (for your size blades). Marketing guys play fast and loose with "lightweight" (for both blades and boots).

As for actual impact on skating performance ... I'll leave that for others to answer.
 

MCsAngel2

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 10, 2019
Speaking as a beginner, based on everything I've read since I started skating again, I think beginners are best served by using a beginner blade. Flatter rocker, lower stanchions, smaller toepick. I think all the lightweight blades out there are intermediate or advanced.

What do you mean by beginner, exactly? To me, that means someone in Basic 1-6. If you're higher than that, it's reasonable to upgrade to an intermediate blade. Even then, I personally think a change to lightweight will be less helpful than a change to a blade with a feature you particularly need. Coronation Ace if you have trouble with spins, for example.
 

ayb2

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 2, 2018
I asked this question of my coach - I have a 45 pound skater, and was told that a lighter blade might be harder for her to hold her edges since she doesn't weigh much in the first place. I notice that when she gets her blades sharpened, she does have a harder time stopping because she can't dig in as much as my 95 pound older daughter.
 

MasterB

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 18, 2004
I say go with the heavier blade for now and later when you are struggling with finishing off the triples upgrade to the lighter blades. Just my opinion, no scientific data to back it up.
 

bostonskaterguy86

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 3, 2018
Country
United-States
Lightness is nice but I really do think that unless you’re either doing double/triple jumps or have some kind of physical condition where lightweight skates would be helpful, it’s not worth spending the extra money for most people.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
As a beginner the highest I would go is a JW Coronation Ace, MK Pro, or Ultima Legacy 7 or 8.
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
As a beginner the highest I would go is a JW Coronation Ace, MK Pro, or Ultima Legacy 7 or 8.
The CA, Pro, and Legacy 8 come in both standard and lightweight versions. Returning to the original question posted, what is your opinion of the pluses and minuses of a lightweight blade at this level? For the purposes of this discussion, let's put aside other design issues (such as with the Revolution chassis) and just focus on weight [e.g., there is a lightweight, but not Revolution, Pro in the works, as discussed in another thread]. Thanks.
 

Tavi...

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
Speaking as a beginner, based on everything I've read since I started skating again, I think beginners are best served by using a beginner blade. Flatter rocker, lower stanchions, smaller toepick. I think all the lightweight blades out there are intermediate or advanced.

What do you mean by beginner, exactly? To me, that means someone in Basic 1-6. If you're higher than that, it's reasonable to upgrade to an intermediate blade. Even then, I personally think a change to lightweight will be less helpful than a change to a blade with a feature you particularly need. Coronation Ace if you have trouble with spins, for example.

Well, I would disagree. I started on the Jackson Mirage blade that came stock with their Elle boot. I switched while still in basic skills to the Matrix Legacy - a lightweight intermediate blade - and found it much easier to do things like stroking and crossovers because of the better blade. The rounder rocker, slightly higher stanchions and larger toepick all helped me. So I think what’s best varies by skater.
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
Well, I would disagree. I started on the Jackson Mirage blade that came stock with their Elle boot. I switched while still in basic skills to the Matrix Legacy - a lightweight intermediate blade - and found it much easier to do things like stroking and crossovers because of the better blade. The rounder rocker, slightly higher stanchions and larger toepick all helped me. So I think what’s best varies by skater.
Ah, but the outstanding question is whether the lightweight Matrix Legacy provided you with advantages over the standard Legacy 8 (as far as weight is concerned).
 

JSM

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 11, 2011
My fitter likes to put beginners and intermediate skaters in standard weight boots and blades, claiming that it will help them
develop proper technique and musculature for basic skating. It’s also less expensive. When the skaters get good and serious they can spend more and feel the difference in the jumps. I don’t know if I agree but I see his reasoning.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
The CA, Pro, and Legacy 8 come in both standard and lightweight versions. Returning to the original question posted, what is your opinion of the pluses and minuses of a lightweight blade at this level? For the purposes of this discussion, let's put aside other design issues (such as with the Revolution chassis) and just focus on weight [e.g., there is a lightweight, but not Revolution, Pro in the works, as discussed in another thread]. Thanks.

I'm aware of this and don't have time to sit here and write a dissertation on it or nitpick over trivial points.

From past posts one should realize that I meant the standard version since I'm not a fan of the lightweight versions or those that have a revolution gimmick for a beginner skater.

Although, the lightweight do have advantages for some skaters (which has been previously mentioned in this thread).

OP- Consult your coach and tech pro, they would know your skating and particular issues better than anyone here.
 

vlaurend

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 14, 2008
Is there a particular reason you are focused on the weight of the blade rather than the rocker radius, rocker profile or radius of hollow? The difference in weight between the heaviest and lightest blades is much less than the difference in weight of the skater herself when weighed before lunch vs. after lunch, so it's not going to make a difference in jump height. It might make a slight difference in the amount of strain on the muscles when, say, swinging the free leg into a sit spin position, but if that is causing strain, it's probably due to poor technique, not blade weight.
 

Tavi...

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
Ah, but the outstanding question is whether the lightweight Matrix Legacy provided you with advantages over the standard Legacy 8 (as far as weight is concerned).

The OP’s original question was regarding heavier versus lighter blades, but the post I responded to made a pretty categorical statement that beginners are best served by beginner blades, for reasons that included a “flatter rocker, lower stanchions, [and a] smaller toepick.” That is why I answered the way I did.

Even as a recreational skater, I much prefer my Matrix blades to the Mirage. It’s not just that my skills improved, it’s that it’s simply more pleasurable to be on the ice. I can’t say how much blade weight was a factor in that, but it was probably not negligible. Basically, I think there’s as much variety in what blades work best for skaters as there is for boots, and your level is just one part of the equation.
 

daniiltimin

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Weight of the blades only starts making a big difference when you perform triple/quad jumps. For the beginners, there is no need to have lightweight blades but it’s up to you if you want to spend these extra money (lighter blades are more expensive).
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Weight of the blades only starts making a big difference when you perform triple/quad jumps. For the beginners, there is no need to have lightweight blades but it’s up to you if you want to spend these extra money (lighter blades are more expensive).

More like higher doubles/triples and onward.
 
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