The RinkFor the not so ready for prime-time players, coaches, referees, and the people that have to live with them. Discuss experiences in local leagues, coaching tips, equipment, and training.
So when I play ice hockey I tuck my socks in. I know some people put the sock over the tongue, others put it over the back lip of the skate, and others do both. I haven't tried changing, but do any of these changes have any effect on skating. Is it worth me experimenting?
I tuck everything in. Like Forsberg and Jagr. I know lots of idiots that go "tongues out" which means you bend the tongue down to make it look even stupider, imo. It has no bearing on your skating ability. May be a comfort issue, but I have tried them and they seem the same.
Tongues Out:
Tucked In:
bohlmeister: I think you are referring to what people calling "flopping" the tongue. Basically folding the tongue down the front of the skate (Pronger?) I think it looks silly, and I don't understand why anyone who isn't getting the skates for free, would do that. I heard some American kids talking at one of the local hockey shops here. They were looking at some of the top line skates (9K, XXXX, etc.) and getting all excited about how they would flop them.... Is it the cool thing nowadays, a new fad? It doesn't serve a purpose does it? I think mostly - it's a fashion statement. Just like I see some kids pull the back of the sock all the down around the heel of the skate boot - now talk about looking stupid! Heck, I grew up in the days when the socks had a band that went around your foot!
I wear mine over my skates, because I use longer shin pads, therefore don't have a choice, but they are in at the back.
I tuck everything in. Like Forsberg and Jagr. I know lots of idiots that go "tongues out" which means you bend the tongue down to make it look even stupider, imo. It has no bearing on your skating ability. May be a comfort issue, but I have tried them and they seem the same.
Tongues Out:
Tucked In:
So someone is an idiot if they wear their tounges out?
I wear mine out not because of how it looks. It's how I've always done it and don't feel the need to change.
Mainly you really should for safety reasons keep your sock over the outside of your skate especially in the back. I think everyone saw Robert Lang get his leg cut in the back by getting stepped on with a skate and it severed his muscle or tendon or whatever happened officially.
The back of a skate as everyone knows has a guard for the back muscle and tendon and when pitched forward a gap opens up and a skate can go in there and cause bad damage. This is obvious and we all know this already so why not wear a sock over it like malkin does in the picture above.
I do ... and I also have my tongue tucked under my shinguard. I lace my skates right up to the last eye hole on the top of the skate and the tongue absolutely cannot hang out.
This may be preference though as I like my ankle locked an immobile. I have a little natural flexability even with the skate laced up all the way.
After I have my gear on I use one strip of clear tape on my ankles LOOSELY and not taped stiffly. This is only there to help hold the sock around my ankle.
I was talking with a guy the other day at a pro shop who used to play semi-pro and he could not understand how some people do not lace their skates up all the way. It forces you to use more muscle and work more to get skating pressure on pushoffs, quick starts and striding etc.
My skate looks like this when laced up and my shinguard and sock go over it.
usually i don't focus on what my socks are doing they are usually over the tongue and heel just because. If i forget my hockey socks and am wearing normal short socks ill tuck the back infront of the tongue to avoid massive blisters on my calf. I don't think it really makes a difference. feels the same either way.
I pull my socks over my shinguards, then put on my skates. My tongue is a lil bit long on my XVI so I guess they are tongues out but I dont do it for a fad its the way my skate is, and some skates obviously dont have long tongues compared to others. Also I tie my skates as tight as I can and every eyelet for it to not cut off circulation except at the top of course, I tie those tight as possible since it wont cut off my circulation there. Shinguards come down just inside the top of my skate to where it doesnt affect my skates but it protects all that area. Ya I guess there are those people who do it for the fad but thats with anything, just remember, there are those with tongues out that dont do it on purpose thats how the skate is. I never understood tuckin the tongue in my shinguard, would just seem to get on my nerves but I would guess in the end its pretty much all preference.....also depending on how big your shinguards are too I guess.
So someone is an idiot if they wear their tounges out?
I wear mine out not because of how it looks. It's how I've always done it and don't feel the need to change.
It's a comfort thing.
No, I think it looks stupid to physically push the tongues down and bend them strictly for looks. When I was buying my skates a couple months ago the salesman said that some kids now get custom bigger tongues so they are even longer. I think doing it for looks is stupid.
Why would anybody leave something untucked just for the look? Are they trying to impress some girls who aren't in the stands in their beer leagues or something? I don't understand why anybody would be trying to make a "fashion statement" while trying to play hockey.
I personally leave it completely untucked. I just feel my ankles can move a little better and yes, I have tried tucking them in and I just think it's uncomfortable.
Why would anybody leave something untucked just for the look? Are they trying to impress some girls who aren't in the stands in their beer leagues or something? I don't understand why anybody would be trying to make a "fashion statement" while trying to play hockey.
I personally leave it completely untucked. I just feel my ankles can move a little better and yes, I have tried tucking them in and I just think it's uncomfortable.
I rarely see others wearing a rollerhockey pant shell but I do when I play ice hockey. It is comfy, I could care less how it looks.
You are absolutely right.
The only tongue by the way hanging out when I play is the one in my mouth. I'm sadly a tongue wagger ... I hope I never bite my tongue off by accident.
PS - This thread title is a couple of typos away from being something very obscene.
Just like I see some kids pull the back of the sock all the down around the heel of the skate boot - now talk about looking stupid! Heck, I grew up in the days when the socks had a band that went around your foot!
I wear mine over my skates, because I use longer shin pads, therefore don't have a choice, but they are in at the back.
My team did that when we played, we thought it looked cool. We also flipped our socks upside down and wore them with the elastic at the top, it makes them look like flares or bell bottoms if you do it just right.
Stuff like that is one of the reasons teenagers shouldn't be trusted with major responsibilities....
Why would anybody leave something untucked just for the look? Are they trying to impress some girls who aren't in the stands in their beer leagues or something? I don't understand why anybody would be trying to make a "fashion statement" while trying to play hockey.
I personally leave it completely untucked. I just feel my ankles can move a little better and yes, I have tried tucking them in and I just think it's uncomfortable.
Because pros do it. And they want to be like them.
It depends on your skate, tongues, shin guards, and skating preferences.
I have Vapor XXV skates which have really stiff tongues, so they really don't bend forward and/or flop much at all. And my One90 shin guards are maybe 1/4-1/2 size too big for me (obviously they don't come in half sizes), so they've got a little more room. I've tried it both ways, and for me, keeping the tongue inside the shin guard gives me better range of motion.
I also know guys who use 11-12" shins and keep the tongues on the outside, which gives them better range of motion. Try it both ways.
As for tucking, I put the sock over the shin (obviously, since the tongue is inside the shin guard) but I leave the back tendon guard outside the sock. This is for a little bit of flexibility and it looks a little better.
Why would anybody leave something untucked just for the look? Are they trying to impress some girls who aren't in the stands in their beer leagues or something? I don't understand why anybody would be trying to make a "fashion statement" while trying to play hockey.
I personally leave it completely untucked. I just feel my ankles can move a little better and yes, I have tried tucking them in and I just think it's uncomfortable.
When you are dealing with teenage boys all bets are off. They care what their friends think and what anybody else in the rink thinks.
I can't imagine a grown adult caring what people think about the way he wears his skate tongues.
My shinguards go under the tongues, but I cover them w/ my socks. This is really just to keep my laces from dragging on the ice.
I never really payed attention to the backs of my skates, so the socks have always been tucked in. I figure that putting your socks over the back of the skate would limit how much you can bend your ankles.
I tuck everything in. Like Forsberg and Jagr. I know lots of idiots that go "tongues out" which means you bend the tongue down to make it look even stupider, imo. It has no bearing on your skating ability. May be a comfort issue, but I have tried them and they seem the same.
Tongues Out:
I wear mine like Jordan Staal in the background of this pic: tongues under my shinpad and sock in the front, sock inside the tendon guard in the back.
I've been wearing them like that for 15+ years. Ken Baumgartner wore them that way.
I used to wear my shin pad inside the skate tongue, with the tongue out. although I never thought to fold it down like they do now. But as I have gotten older I got tired of taking shots off the top of the foot so now I wear 17" shins and there is no way I could wear the tongue outside the shin pad. I never thought of doing anything as a hockey player "for looks" thats for basketball players. so now I wear it just like that picture of Jordan Staal above with just a couple of wraps of tape right below the knee. my skate has plenty of movement and my shin pad statys in place.
I wear mine like Jordan Staal in the background of this pic: tongues under my shinpad and sock in the front, sock inside the tendon guard in the back.
I've been wearing them like that for 15+ years. Ken Baumgartner wore them that way.
More then half the league wears them that way, and that's who you pick?
I wear socks in the traditional way- inside the skate. If it's good enough for Gordie Howe, it's good enough for me.
More then half the league wears them that way, and that's who you pick?
I wear socks in the traditional way- inside the skate. If it's good enough for Gordie Howe, it's good enough for me.
Also, better mobility and it looks better.
I used to wear the old fashioned socks with the foot strap sewn into them. My opinion is when it comes down to it is what is more comfortable for the guy wearing them?
Those old fashioned socks I cut the straps off of them and wore them outside over the skate and put a piece of tape around to hold them down. Not tight enough to make the ankle tight like adding support with extra tape though.
I mean if a guy wants to hang the tongues out to look cool he is a tool. Why not sew some fake little bird wings on there at the same time so one can look like they are flying while they are at it.
Some digital jet plane noises or maybe a couple of LED light strips blinking or something.
I tuck over front and back, used to get some snow and water in my skate when I tried under tonge and back. I also don't like to flash my skates even though I have x60's.
So someone is an idiot if they wear their tounges out? 
