There are certain activities in which you just wouldn’t want to be bothered with large or cumbersome gloves. For instance, weight lifting or riding bikes. But for the most part, you’d be surprised at how many situations in which you’d actually benefit from having smaller gloves. Like kayaking, for example. Or gardening. Or cooking. Or cleaning. You get the point.
What if I told you there was a way to shrink the size of your hockey gloves while still maintaining the same functionality? Believe it or not, there is a way to accomplish this, and it involves some seriously advanced science. To ensure that your hands remain at the peak of performance during those frequent shots on goal, you need to undergo a process known as glove stretching. This is what we’ll discuss in this article. So before we begin, it’s important to note that not all hockey gloves are created equal. Some are simply designed to fit tighter on your hands while others are made with additional padding or gel to provide a better experience. Do some research before buying a pair of hockey gloves. Once you know what type of glove you need for your specific needs and lifestyle, you can begin the process of stretching them.
Table of Contents
Know Your Gloves
It is first imperative that you know how your current pair of gloves performs. For most hockey players, the answer is clearly “not very well”. Like many other sports equipment manufacturers, North Face has created a glove specifically for hockey players, and it’s aptly named the Nanuk. The problem with the Nanuk is that it’s far too small for most adult males, regardless of their sport. The problem is compounded by the fact that most adults have larger hands than children, which means they could potentially have a difficult time using the Nanuk. Even the model specifically designed for women is too small for adults, so don’t waste your time and effort looking for a use for it. The same goes for most other smaller-sized hockey gloves.
The Science Behind Glove Stretching
As we’ve established, not all hockey gloves are created equal. Some are designed to fit tighter while others are meant to be more comfortable. Well, before we dive into how you can make your gloves fit you perfectly, it’s important to understand the mechanisms behind glove stretching. Essentially, there are two ways in which you can make your hands faster: by making your nervous system more reactive and by removing the excess fat from your muscles. To do the first, you will need to undergo a specialized training program designed to shape your hands and improve your athletic performance. For the second, you will need to carefully monitor your diet and exercise habits, as well as make sure you’re engaging in enough fiber. In order to do this, you’ll need to use a tool known as a muscle monitor. This device is worn on the wrist and tracks a variety of muscular activity, like grip strength and the force with which you pinch, twist, and pull. If you’re serious about making your hands faster, you should really consider investing in some of these tools, as they can be quite helpful in objectively measuring your progress.
How To Make Your Glove Fit You
There are different approaches that you can take to make your glove fit you perfectly. For some, it may mean getting it altered or taken in, while for others it may mean cutting it out. It really depends on what you want out of the glove. Some things to keep in mind are that you don’t want to remove any more material than necessary and you want to make sure that the fit is comfortable and not restrictive. Typically, the approach is a combination of the two. So, let’s begin by taking a look at what you need to do to get your glove altered.
Take To The Store
The first step is to take your glove to a tailor or seamstress to have it altered. They will be able to take in the glove either in the front or back to fit you better. As mentioned above, not all gloves are created equal, and some of them require a bit more work than others do. But don’t fear, you’re not obliged to have your glove altered. You can also take care of this task yourself by using a simple handheld steamer. Simply put the steamer in the bag with the glove, set the temperature to the proper level, and let them do their thing. This is one task that can be quite therapeutic, especially after a long day of playing hockey. Just make sure you don’t hold it too near to the glove or else you’ll burn yourself.
Try On And Fit
Once your glove is altered, you’ll need to try on the new incarnation and see how it feels. If you’re happy with the results, you can proceed to the next step. If you’re not, you can go back and have the alterations done again. This is an important step because you want to make sure that the altered glove fits you perfectly, otherwise there’s no point in continuing. So don’t be afraid to take your time with this step and try on the glove a few times before making a decision. Once you find the right fit, you can move on to the next step.
Use Exotic Fabrics
When it comes to making your glove fit you, you want to make sure that it’s soft and supple, not blocky and rough. So, in addition to having it altered, you can also choose to have some of the fabrics that it’s made of replaced with something more luxurious. Natural fabrics like silk or cashmere are always a safe bet, but you can also go for synthetic materials like polyester or rayon, which are generally cheaper but don’t offer the same level of comfort. You should definitely try for something in between, though. It’s always best when you can find a compromise. So don’t be afraid to spend a little more money if it means you get the best possible outcome.
Take The Time To Learn Wrist movements
There are three important wrist movements that you need to master if you’re going to be able to shoot consistently: snap, flick, and wrap. The first two are relatively straight-forward, but the third one can be quite tricky to learn. Essentially, the wrap is a combination of the two previous movements, and it allows you to vary your shot selection. When you shoot with your wrist open, it’s called a ‘throws’ hand, and it’s what golfers do when they’re knocking a golf ball around. When you pull your wrist in towards your body, it’s called a ‘choke’ hand and it functions a lot like the way your hand does when you’re choking on something. In essence, the wrap allows you to change the orientation of your palm, making it more or less perpendicular to the ice surface, depending on the situation. It also changes the angle at which you throw the glove, and this can dramatically affect the trajectory of the puck. So it’s important to learn how to do this correctly. Fortunately, it’s a movement that’s quite easy to ‘choke’ on, so you’ll have no trouble falling into the habit of doing this when playing hockey. Simply make sure that you always pull your wrist in when you shoot and that your palm faces the ice surface when you throw. If you need a helping hand with these three movements, there are training videos online which can help you master them.
Cut Some Corners
It can be quite tiresome to wear the same pair of gloves for an entire season, especially if they’re too tight around the wrist. To make things a bit more comfortable, you can cut some corners here and there, which will allow you to play faster and longer without experiencing discomfort. This can be quite beneficial, especially if you play infrequently or on a casual basis. So, if you ever find that your regular gloves are starting to encumber your performance, take a quick trip to your local drugstore or home remedies shop and get yourself a tube of nail polish. Simply pop the tube open and start painting your nails. Not only will this allow you to continue playing without feeling stressed or tense about your gloves, but it can also make playing faster and more enjoyable. It’s always good to have an extra hand to play with while you’re doing this, so make sure you get your nails done with the family or friends around. This is one of the many small things which can help you have a better time playing hockey. Plus, it won’t hurt to have some paint on your nails while you’re shooting, either.