The Truth about Ball Hockey

The Truth about Ball Hockey

by Riel Ouimet

Head Coach for the Carleton University Ravens Ball Hockey Team

Owner of Ballhockeygear.ca

So many times we hear ice hockey players tell people to go play ball hockey because they aren't "good enough" or that Ball Hockey is an easy sport. As a Ball Hockey player myself, I find that insulting. They may be right when it comes to the skating portion. I have seen some great Ball Hockey players that can't skate if their lives depended on it however Ball Hockey is no easy sport. 

Similar to ice hockey, you're playing with hockey sticks, similar rules and similar formats except there are two big differences. Cardio and Equipment. Players play just as hard as any other sport except they are not able to glide and gain speed with a couple strides as in ice hockey. They are required to have explosive bursts of speed with quick pivots to maintain control of the ball and open passing/shooting lanes. They are also required to rely a lot on passing since there's more time for the defence to move into position and block shooting opportunities. 

They also play with hardly any equipment. There's no foam puck, that's Floor Hockey. We play with an Orange ball that will leave a nasty bruise when you get hit especially when playing with the D-Gel Pro Ball. Unlike ice hockey, players block shots with hardly, if any, equipment so that they can help out their fellow tendies such as myself. As much as we tell our players that we have the padding, they still sacrifice for the sake of the game. 

How Can We Help?

The more I watched guys get hit or took the shot for me, I wondered if there could be a way I could help out my team-mates. So many times I'd hear them discussing where they could find good ball hockey equipment. I'd hear a few different store names but none specialized in this niche sport that is growing so quickly. Not only was I able to find a way to help my team-mates, I was able to help the entire Ball Hockey Community with Ballhockeygear.ca. 

Now Ball Hockey players are able to find all the gear they need to play comfortably with protection. We have a variety of options from jerseys to shin guards and even Ball Hockey shoes. Here's a sample what we have to offer. 

Jerseys

We recommend sublimated jerseys for two reasons. 1st reason is because the rice mesh material used for the jerseys is extremely light and breathable which is excellent for playing Ball Hockey. They don't double in weight when you sweat and they are much more comfortable than your standard iron logo on a cotton T-Shirt sort of deal. (For those on a tight budget, we understand and we can still do heat press shirts)

The second reason is the options to have a unique design. We have partnered up with LA Sport who have some amazing artists that can turn your idea into a reality. You can put your name, number, logos at no extra cost and you can have as many colours and graphics as you want. There's no limitation. 

Here's an example of how a project went from an idea to a finished product:

   BEFORE                                                    AFTER

                          

You can order jerseys by contacting us at info@ballhockeygear.ca. 

Protective Clothing

We have several options when it comes to protective apparel. We have the new Knapper products releasing this month and our most popular brand has been Shock Doctor. 

We have protective shirts, compression wear, jocks, padded shorts with cups, and more. 

Gloves

Our main brands for gloves are Knapper and D-Gel. The most popular demand for Ball Hockey gloves has been for something that is light, less bulky and flexible while still providing the protection needed. Brands such as D-Gel and Knapper have designed their gloves to meet these needs. Their top gloves are shown here. 

AK7 Ball Hockey Gloves

   

The AK7 Ball Hockey gloves come with full thumb protection as in ice hockey gloves. They are equipped with slash guard technology to protect your hand at the thumb joint. The Split Cuff offers you wrist protection and passes the standards of the CBHA. (Canadian Ball Hockey Association)

D-Gel Komodo Gloves

The Komodo Gloves offer a lighter feel with stable protection. The palm is a mesh palm allowing more breath ability and the wrist is secured with a drawstring. These gloves offer excellent manoeuvrability when playing. 

Shin Pads

Our top selling item here at Ballhockeygear.ca are shin pads. It doesn't matter what level of Ball Hockey you play, you'll always receive a lovely hack to the shin or a beautiful bruise from a blocked shot. 

As the one stop shop for Ball Hockey gear, we have pads for all types of players. Unfortunately we are currently out of the Classic Mylec Shinpads and due to the exchange rate, we don't have plans on restocking any time soon. 

Here are our top selling Ball Hockey shin pads. 

               

Ball Hockey Shoes

There are now shoes made specifically for Ball Hockey. Knapper has designed the MK5 shoes which are now on clearance for 20% off. These shoes come with a Toe Guard for additional protection against slashes and shots. The court grip gives excellent traction on all surfaces including gym floors, slab, and dek. 

The new Knapper shoes offer more in variety for protection from the AK5 to the AK7. 

          

For those looking for the lighter court shoes, we do offer the option through Salming, a well known brand in Europe making its way into Canada. Salming is popular for its shoes and equipment in the sport of Floorball. Since Floorball is played in a similar style to Ball Hockey, players are able to play with featherlite technology. 

   

For more product options, you can visit our site at Ballhockeygear.ca. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, you can contact us at info@ballhockeygear.ca. 

A New Ball Hockey Brand - Knapper

A New Brand Emerges

As ball hockey continues to grow in North America, players are searching for ways to enhance their game with better protection that enables more mobility. They're looking for quality but also fair pricing. They're all familiar with ball hockey brands such as Mylec, D-Gel, and Powertek. Now a new brand emerges offering what players are looking for. Ball Hockey Equipment specifically designed for Ball Hockey and cutting edge technology to compete with the existing brands. 

With Alex Burrows' stamp of approval, Knapper makes its first steps into the world of Ball Hockey. They have designed everything including Ball Hockey Shoes, Gloves, Shin Pads, Sticks, and more. This Fall we introduced their new AK5 Shin Pads which were top sellers. In fact, we are almost out of the black ones until March. We have also introduced their new Ball Hockey Sticks that are Carbon/Fiberglass with ABS inserts to prevent blades from splitting and wearing down. 

  

Upcoming this Winter

Knapper will have some new products releasing this March and we're now accepting pre-orders. Below is a list of the new releases and each image links directly to the product page. 

Shoes:

AK9 Mid Ball Hockey Shoe

This shoe is designed to meet the highest requirement of sports. PTF (Personalised Toe Form) technology provides superior protection at the forefoot area. The rubber outsole provides optimal traction on different surfaces such as Slab, Dek, and gym floorings. Its unique tread will help disperse water when playing in wet conditions. The mid cut will give you additional ankle support.

AK7 Ball Hockey Shoe

Very similar to the AK9, this shoe has a lower cut for those that aren't a fan of the Mid Cut shoes. Both the AK9 and AK7 come with the Personalised Toe Form which is an advanced latex foam which covers the entire toe area and protects the top of the foot while providing cushioning and support for the big toe during deceleration and directional changes.

There's a removable flab that provides an extra layer of thick foam padding for superior protection on the top of the foot. The AK7s however are available in 3 different colours.

       

AK5 Ball Hockey Shoe

Next we have is the AK5 shoes which have the same tread on the sole as the AK9s and AK7s however these shoes have a little less protection such as the removable flap. They're also available in Women sizes for the Black and Pink. 

       

    

Gloves:

AK3 Ball Hockey Glove

Designed to satisfy every level of player. This glove will give you good overall protection.

AK5 Ball Hockey Glove

A great all over glove designed for the sport. Superb comfort, combined with protection that will satisfy all your requirements. Available in 6 different colours. 

      

     

      

AK7 Ball Hockey Glove

First glove designed exclusively for ball hockey. Slash guard technology will protect your thumb against slashing. It is smaller and lighter than a hockey glove but offers the same protection. You'll also notice the wrists are CBHA Standards. 

     

     

Protective Apparel:

Protective Shirt

This shirt is perfect for the player who is seeking just enough protection in all critical areas. It is breathable, light weight, and fully adjustable. You will still keep all the range of motion you need to make your plays. 

Protective Shorts

Strictly designed for the needs of a ball hockey player. Full protection throughout an integrated cup and padding on the critical areas. Engineered for superior comfort and breathability during vigorous game play and running. 

Bags:

Looking for a hockey bag that is easy to carry and strictly for your ball hockey gear? Knapper has that too with their carry on back pack and sports bag. 

     

As you can see, Knapper has a wide range of ball hockey equipment that will be available just in time for the Spring season. We will be receiving the amazing products in March 2016, only a few months away so make your pre-order today at www.ballhockeygear.ca. 

Salming Shoes

Last week we introduced the MK5 shoes and how they were specifically designed for ball hockey. That's not all we have. This week, we're going to show you the Salming Goalie Shoes and Viper Player Shoes. These shoes have been designed for the growing sport of Floorball which is mainly played in Europe but is gaining traction in other countries including Canada. What we realized is that when it comes to running, both sports are pretty similar.

Salming has designed their shoes for optimal grip as well as many other features that can be extremely beneficial for ball hockey players. Our first stop, is the Salming Slide Goalie Shoe. 

**Please note: We'll be partnering up with Salming at our booth coming up this Thursday, August 13th to Saturday, August 15th at the CBHA Nationals in Ottawa at the Jim Durrell Centre.**

Salming Slide Goalie Shoes

This shoe is very light weight sitting at approximately 255g. Despite that fact that it feels like there's no weight at all, there is sufficient protection on the toes and along the inner sole. The material is a very durable polyester nylon providing excellent sliding properties no matter what floor surface you're playing on. So when you're in butterfly and you're trying to move across, you won't have the grip of your shoes holding you back. 

The sole of the shoe is designed with an archflex allowing maximum flexibility and a gap for your pad strap if needed. The grip on the sole gives you the grip you need for complete control on those quick side steps allowing you to have more power in your strides and slides if using a slick sheet or pad cover. 

There is asymmetrical lacing covered by an exo tongue construction that keeps the lacing in place and protected throughout the game. Here's what Nathalie Girouard, 2015 Women's Team Canada, had to say:

Salming Viper Series

Our next popular shoes are the Viper Series. These shoes will give you everything you need to increase your performance. It has a 3 layer construction for comfort, stability on lateral movements, and durability. The ErgoHeelCup stabilizes and fixates the heel giving you great fit and comfort.

The shoes come with a T.G.S. 62/75 (Torsion Guide System). That means that the distance from your heel to the ball of your foot (62% of the shoe) has been designed with extra stability and ends in the so-called "ballet" line, a 75 degree angle. In front of the 75 degree line, the shoe is equipped with greater flexibility to stimulate your foot's natural movements. All this is necessary in order to soften the strains caused by friction during lateral movements.

Another feature is the Lateral Movement Stabilizer. This unit is a light weight design integrated with dual torsion supporting your foot during fast and irregular lateral movements. The inner sole consists of a Roll Bar facilitating rolling the foot inwards and a toe push off while the outer sole has the Lateral Movement Stabilizer Plus preventing your foot from rolling outwards during those fast lateral stops.

The two biggest features of these shoes are the XR110 rubber traction on the sole of the shoe giving you extreme grip and the RunLite that features a special High Abrasion Injection EVA giving the shoes a weight of approximately 290g.

A bonus feature is the new Anti-Odour/Anti-Bacterial Inner Sole sock liner. With a high level of comfort and integrated anti-bacterial technology, the shoes will help keep your feet fresh during your game. The anti-odour shows positive effects on both mileage and your surroundings.

Make sure to check out the Canadian Ball Hockey Nationals this week in Ottawa at the Jim Durrell Centre. You can follow CBHA on twitter @CanBallHockey or on Facebook by clicking here.

The tournament runs from Monday, August 10th to Saturday, August 15th. BallHockeyGear.ca will be teaming up with Salming, August 13th to 15th, so make sure to come check out the tournament and check out our booth. 

Have an awesome week!

Shoes designed for Ball Hockey

The most common issues ball hockey players such as yourself are having right now is having the right footwear. Whether you're playing on Dek, Gym Floor, or Slab, you can't quite seem to be getting the edge you're looking for. Edge is not the only factor that's lacking, it's protection and durability. Within half a season, your shoes are torn up and those shots to the toes make your teeth grind.

The solution? Ball Hockey Shoes. That's right. There are shoes that are specifically designed for ball hockey. The MK5's, MK3's, and Mids are all designed to have a solid grip, with toe protection and durability. The MK5's and MK3's are also available in women's sizes. Each model contains similar features with slight differences.

MK5

The MK5 model comes in 3 different colours. Blue and Black for Men and Pink/Black for Women. The shoes are designed with a tire tread giving you more grip on smooth surfaces. They have been tested on all floor types, including the dek surface when there's morning due at 6am. The T-Guard is a solid rubber that protects your big toe area from sticks and shots. The shoe has also been designed with torque resistance, an anti-roll bar along the outer edge, and spy foam at some of the edges of the shoe to give more endurance.


MK3
The MK3 Model has the same tire tread as the MK5 along with ventilation in the centre of the sole. The toe protection is a little more soft but can still withstand a shot from a ball. The material used for the shoe is a little lighter giving the shoe less weight than the MK5 however this can reduce the endurance level. The MK3 will still last longer than your traditional running shoe.



MK5 Mid

The MK5 Mid is a mix of the MK5 and MK3. The tire tread remains the same as the other two models however the toe protection is at it's best. The highlight of this particular model is in the toe protection.

There's a solid rubber T-Guard for your big toe but has the same toe protection as the MK3 for all your toes. The shoe material is identical to the MK5 so it will last a long time. The mid cut design gives you more ankle support and protection.

If you're tired of slipping on the floor, not having enough traction, or you simply want to avoid this...

...then it's time to start thinking ball hockey shoes and there's no better place to shop for them than 

You can browse our shoe selection or you can click on the following images to view that shoe. 

MK5

     

MK3

     

MK5 Mid