Balance different between old and new skates

[bananaskater]

Hello there,

I was wondering if anyone had any insight into an issue I’ve been having. I recently switched to the Jackson Premiere’s from the Debuts and noticed my balance/weight is shifted back towards my heel compared to how it was before. With the debuts, I was much more on my toes and got used to how to spin/turn. Now that I’m more towards my heel, for whatever reason my turns and spins are much more on the toe pick. I’m not sure if it’s to compensate for how far back I am in my skates since I assumed I would have trouble getting onto my rocker but instead it’s the opposite.

Any advice or thoughts?

 

[tstop4me]

Are the new boots the same size as the old? What about your blades? Any changes in model or length?

 

[gleungc6]

Also, did you have the same skate tech both times/same person who mounted your blades (whether new blades or re-using your old ones?)

 

[bananaskater]

Actually my left skate is now a half size smaller now than my right since my feet are two different sizes. But right foot is in the same size boot as before and that’s the leg I spin on. Same issue tho with both feet and the balance being further back towards my heel.

I have coronation aces and I kept them from my previous boots. Since the sole is the same size on the 6.5-7 on the premiere I didn’t have to switch blade lengths.

And yes, it was the same skate tech for all of my boots/sharpenings.

 

[tstop4me]

Actually my left skate is now a half size smaller now than my right since my feet are two different sizes. But right foot is in the same size boot as before and that’s the leg I spin on. Same issue tho with both feet and the balance being further back towards my heel.

I have coronation aces and I kept them from my previous boots. Since the sole is the same size on the 6.5-7 on the premiere I didn’t have to switch blade lengths.

And yes, it was the same skate tech for all of my boots/sharpenings.

Strange. Anyway, if you want to restore the feel of your previous boots, there are two things you can try. (1) Insert heel lifts inside your boots (under the insoles). That depends on whether or not you already have corrective insoles/footbeds/orthotics. (2) Alternatively, your tech can insert spacers between the heels of the boots and the heel mounting plates of the blades. If this is done, all 4 screws in the heel mounting plates should be installed.

 

[bananaskater]

Strange. Anyway, if you want to restore the feel of your previous boots, there are two things you can try. (1) Insert heel lifts inside your boots (under the insoles). That depends on whether or not you already have corrective insoles/footbeds/orthotics. (2) Alternatively, your tech can insert spacers between the heels of the boots and the heel mounting plates of the blades. If this is done, all 4 screws in the heel mounting plates should be installed.

Thank you for the advice! I forgot to say that I have shims placed in the heel plate and the top part as well to compensate for serious pronation issues. I have insoles that have a heel wedge for the same reason. I’ll be getting a permanent mount soon.

I will probably just have to get used to the new feeling of my weight being further back, it might just be because the boots are different

 

[emilinkaa]

My new skates have a lower heel than my old ones (switched brands and sizes and blades), and it took me about 6 hours on the ice to get used to them. Still working on fine tuning it, but it took far less time than I thought it would.

 

[tstop4me]

Thank you for the advice! I forgot to say that I have shims placed in the heel plate and the top part as well to compensate for serious pronation issues. I have insoles that have a heel wedge for the same reason. I’ll be getting a permanent mount soon.

I will probably just have to get used to the new feeling of my weight being further back, it might just be because the boots are different

You can still try some heel lifts inside the boots easy enough. As long as you don't have an exceptionally thick heel wedge, you probably have room for a 1/16" thick heel lift; and maybe even 1/8". It's surprising how much difference in feel 1/16" can make in some instances.

For a quick test, you probably have some stiff cardboard lying around, like from the backing of a notepad. Take out your insole and trace the U-shaped heel section onto the cardboard. Use scissors to cut along the tracing to make a U-shaped heel lift. I measured several notepads I have on hand; the thickness of the cardboard backing ranged from about .020 to .030 inch thick. Depending on the thickness of your cardboard, tape several together to form a heel lift about 1/16" thick; make 4 of these.

Remove any heel wedges and removable insoles you have from your boots. For the first trial, insert just a single heel lift into the heel of each boot, right over the heel of the fixed insole. Then replace the heel wedges and removable insoles. Now lace up and check whether there's any heel slippage. If there's no slippage, try them out on ice.

Then repeat with two heel lifts inserted into each boot.


Your tech can also combine a heel lift with a shim on the outside of the boot. But that's a bit trickier.

 

[bananaskater]

You can still try some heel lifts inside the boots easy enough. As long as you don't have an exceptionally thick heel wedge, you probably have room for a 1/16" thick heel lift; and maybe even 1/8". It's surprising how much difference in feel 1/16" can make in some instances.

For a quick test, you probably have some stiff cardboard lying around, like from the backing of a notepad. Take out your insole and trace the U-shaped heel section onto the cardboard. Use scissors to cut along the tracing to make a U-shaped heel lift. I measured several notepads I have on hand; the thickness of the cardboard backing ranged from about .020 to .030 inch thick. Depending on the thickness of your cardboard, tape several together to form a heel lift about 1/16" thick; make 4 of these.

Remove any heel wedges and removable insoles you have from your boots. For the first trial, insert just a single heel lift into the heel of each boot, right over the heel of the fixed insole. Then replace the heel wedges and removable insoles. Now lace up and check whether there's any heel slippage. If there's no slippage, try them out on ice.

Then repeat with two heel lifts inserted into each boot.


Your tech can also combine a heel lift with a shim on the outside of the boot. But that's a bit trickier.

Thank you so much for taking the time to write all of this out!! I will 100% try this and come back with an update

 

[WednesdayMarch]

Even if you swap from an old pair of boots to new ones of exactly the same size and style/brand, it can take a while to get used to "new feet".

 

[bananaskater]

Update:

I went ahead and cut out heel lifts for both of my boots, so I’ve been using 1/8” and it has made a noticeable difference! I’m slightly more forward which helps a lot. Also just by skating in the new boots more helps by just getting used to them.

Thanks for the help!

 

[tstop4me]

Update:

I went ahead and cut out heel lifts for both of my boots, so I’ve been using 1/8” and it has made a noticeable difference! I’m slightly more forward which helps a lot. Also just by skating in the new boots more helps by just getting used to them.

Thanks for the help!

Hey, glad the heel lifts worked. Thanks for the feedback. Cardboard is cheap enough to replace. But now that you know that they work and the proper thickness, you can consider a more durable set; e.g., made from layers of leather. Happy skating!