Here’s a Quick Tutorial on Installing the Sniper’s Edge Indoors

A few weeks ago I published a detailed review on the Sniper’s Edge, which is a shooting tarp that can fit in the opening of any standard two-car garage. The product is fantastic, and I had a blast putting that review together. You can check it out here: FULL SNIPER’S EDGE REVIEW.

Since then, I’ve relocated to a bigger house (Weiss Tech HQ), and the new house has a pretty big unfinished basement… perfect for my new hockey training facility!

Benefits of the Indoor Installation
After getting everything moved in, one of the first things I did was install my Sniper’s Edge in the basement. As much as I liked it outdoors, I must admit, the indoor install has been even nicer! I prefer the indoor install for a few reasons:

• No need to roll and unroll to make the garage usable
• No worries about weather – the tarp is weather proof, but I was concerned about snow and ice weighing it down in the winter
• More level surface – my driveway was slightly slanted as you can see in my previous video. This was throwing off my vertical aim

Indoor Installation Process (The Harder Way)
The Sniper’s Edge doesn’t come with any of the necessary hard-ware to install it. So you’ll need to pick up the following items from Home Depot or Lowe’s to install your Sniper’s Edge the same way I did it (NOTE: THERE IS AN EASIER WAY TO DO It… DETAILS FURTHER DOWN):

• One 16x2x4
• Four 2×4′s long enough to connect the top of the Sniper’s Edge to your rafters
• Screws
• Washers
• 16′ wooden dowel

Here’s how I did it… Unbox the Sniper’s Edge and screw the top of it into the 16x2x4. Screw each of your smaller 2x4s into the 16x2x4, evenly spread – MAKE SURE YOU MEASURE FIRST. You want the measurements such that after it is hung, the bottom of the Sniper’s Edge just barely touches the ground. Screw or nail the entire unit into the rafters.

This method seems easy enough in theory (at least it did to me…), but it was actually quite difficult to make it come together properly! One of our YouTube subscribers suggested a more effective way… READ ON!

An Easier Way to Install the Sniper’s Edge

After posting this video on YouTube, flyers10az (one of our subscribers) suggested a MUCH easier way. If you get a sec, shoot him/her a thank-you note… this could save you TONS of time.

Here’s what you do:

• Screw the Sniper’s Edge into the 16x2x4 as in the first method
• Buy 8 metal hooks and 4 lengths of chain
• Screw 4 hooks into your rafters or ceiling, and 4 hooks in corresponding locations on the top of your 16x2x4
• Attach the hooks on the 16x2x4 to the corresponding hooks in the ceiling using the chain

Isn’t that brilliant? I wish I had thought of it before doing it my way. Since the chain is adjustable, you don’t need to be as exact on your measurements either. I haven’t tried it… but it seems like a WAY better way of doing it.

Conclusion
Having this in my basement has been awesome. We use it all the time and the kids love it. It works really well for indoor use because it’s virtually impossible for a puck to take a bad ricochet off it into a window, or light, or something breakable. I definitely recommend this targeting system for your home!

Technorati Tags: Aim, Car Garage, Fit, Hockey Training, Home Depot, Hq, Hung, Level Surface, Lowe S, Measurements, No Worries, Rafters, Screw, Screws, Sniper, Snow And Ice, Tarp, Unfinished Basement, Weather Proof, Wooden Dowel

The Weiss Tech Hockey Summer Camp provides a fantastic opportunity for world-class training, at a world class facility

Weiss Tech Hockey: History

We started Weiss Tech Hockey back in 2004 as a high-quality summer camp for local players in the Salt Lake area. Over the years, Weiss Tech Hockey has evolved, becoming very involved in the online hockey community. With a world-wide following, we have been receiving an ever-increasing number of requests from hockey folks wanting us to put forth a camp format that would would be more accessible for players from out of state (or out of country).

Summer Camp: New Format

We decided that this was the year to accommodate those requests, and we have put together a camp that could be considered a “Hockey Vacation.” This a camp where you will receive world-class instruction, at world class facilities, and the rest of the family will have a blast at the same time!

You see, Utah is really the perfect location for a camp like this. It’s a central location for hockey in the Western United States, and we will be running the camp out of the Olympic Oval, a venue from the 2002 Winter Olympics. Utah is also a fantastic vacation spot for the outdoor enthusiasts with tons of stuff for the family to do while the players are on the ice.

Camp Overview

The camp runs July 30 through Aug. 3 at the Olympic Oval in Kearns, UT. The daily schedule consists of the following:

• 2.5 hours of ice
• 45 min dryland conditioning
• 45 min off-ice skill development (sponsored by HockeyShot.com)
• 30 min classroom session (chalk-talk/video training)

Needless to say, this will be an intense week of hockey training, and a ton of fun as well!

Your Invitation

We would love to have you attend our Summer Camp this year. Please feel free to give me a call or shoot me an email if you have any questions at all. Cheers!

Jeremy Weiss
801-687-0273
info@weisstechhockey.com

Technorati Tags: 2002 Winter Olympics, Central Location, Chalk Talk, Classroom Session, Email, Hockey Community, Hockey History, Hockey Summer Camp, Hockey Training, Kearns Ut, Local Players, Olympic Oval, Outdoor Enthusiasts, Salt Lake Area, Skill Development, Vacation Spot, Video Training, Western United States, Winter Olympics, Winter Olympics Utah

Here’s a Quick Tour of my Basement Hockey Training Center!

You may have already heard… but we recently moved houses (literally across the street, actually!). We’ve got two crazy boys, and a third boy on the way, and it was just time to expand. Lucky for us, a bigger house across the street went up for sale just at the right time, so we jumped on it!

It’s taken a bit of time to get everything moved over and situated, but I finally had a chance to sort through, and set up my hockey training center. You might remember, space was a big concern in my old house, and I had most of my stuff crammed into the one side of our two-car garage. In our new house we have enough room to put it all in our unfinished basement, and I’m really happy about how it all turned out!

I figured I’d shoot a quick vid with the iPad, just to show you my new set-up. With summer quickly approaching, be on the lookout for more off-ice training videos, tips, and drills from Weiss Tech Hockey!

Cheers!

Jeremy

Technorati Tags: Big House, Car Garage, Cheers, Crazy Boys, Hockey Training, Ipad, Lookout, New House, Right Time, Stuff, Tour Hockey, Training Videos, Unfinished Basement

The X-Tiles Flooring System Allows you to Build a State of the Art Hockey Training Center, One Piece at a Time!

I was recently introduced to a new hockey dryland tile that I’m really excited about. It’s called the X-Tile, and it’s made by XHockeyProducts (yes, the same company that brought you the X-Passer, and the X-Deviator).

If you’re familiar with XHockeyProducts, you already know they are famous for designing heavy duty, smart, & functional hockey training equipment… and this product is no different!

The X-Tiles are not only an awesome flooring product to give you a slick surface for stickhandling, shooting, and passing, but they’re also a fully integrated, hockey training system that works in tandem with many other products! In this review I’ll be showing you how the X-Tiles work, and sharing my experiences with them.

Unboxing:

My first impression of the X-Tiles was that they are actually a really good weight. You don’t want a product like this to be too flimsy, but at the same time, you don’t want it to be too hard to move around. The X-Tiles are a durable, manageable weight.

Size:

The next thing you’ll notice about the X-Tiles is that they’re huge (2 feet by 2 feet!). I always say “the bigger, the better” when it comes to flooring tiles because you want to have the fewest seems possible.

Assembly:

The X-Tiles are REALLY easy to put together AND take a part. This is a big feature in my opinion because it allows for a degree of portability, and gives you the option to change configurations if you want (a feature I have made use of a few times myself).

The easiest way to put together your X-Tile set-up is to lay it out first to get an idea of where everything is going to sit, then tap it all together with a rubber mallet. In the video above, I put together a 15 tile set-up in about 11 minutes.

Add-ons:

One of the coolest features with the X-Tiles System is that you can add on various pieces of equipment to enhance your experience and work on different skills. Here’s a quick list of add-ons you’ll want to consider:

1. X-Deviator or X-Deviator Mini – hockey stickhandling aid that can be adjusted into multiple configurations
2. X-Tiles Passer – bungee rebounder that snaps into the X-Tiles
3. X-Saucer – awesome device used to work on saucer passes, also built to snap right into your X-Tile set-up
4. X-Tiles Pocket – a “pocket” piece that is designed to hold the X-Deviator in place. Again, built to snap into your X-Tiles set-up

Experience:

As you can see in the video, using the X-Tiles System is A LOT of fun! The tiles are very slick, the seams are very flat, and the pucks slide well on them. The add-ons work really well, and are fully integrated with the tile system. I like the fact that you can easily change configurations or add to your X-Tiles system over time.

The X-Tiles are also pretty “kid proof.” I’ve had my boys using these things every day, and they’ve held up just fine. My kids love it!

Conclusion:

This is definitely a product I stand behind. If you’ve got it in the budget, I’d pick up a few boxes of X-Tiles right up front, along with all the add-ons (check out the Weiss Tech Hockey Package XHockeyProducts has put together). It’s a fantastic training system that is unlike anything else out there. However, the beautiful thing is that you ARE working with a budget, you can just as easily start basic and then keep adding to it piece by piece as you have the funds.

Technorati Tags: Experiences, First Impression, Flooring Product, Flooring System, Flooring Tiles, Hockey Training, Huge 2, Piece At A Time, Portability, Rubber Mallet, Slick Surface, State Of The Art, Stickhandling, Tandem, Tile, Tile Set

Check out this Slide Board Designed Specifically for Goalies!

Every now and then I come across a hockey training product that just makes me go “wow!” That’s what happened when I first saw the X-Goalie Crease Slideboard from XHOCKEYPRODUCTS.

Now, I’m admittedly NOT a goalie guy. But it’s not hard to tell when something is going to be beneficial for an athlete. Watch the videos I’ve included in this post, and check out how closely this product allows the goalies to mimic their on-ice movements. Incredible!

Here are a few of the features you should know about:

Regulation-size Crease
The X-Goalie Crease Slideboard features an NHL regulation goalie crease that utilizes Fan-tastic Sports technology along with the “ProHybrid Visual Lead Position System.” This system allows a goalie to develop muscle memory using the same Squareness, Angle and Depth as he uses on the ice.

Customizable Movement Patterns
This crease uses adjustable stoppers to create customizable movement patterns. PowerStrides, Shuffles, Pushoffs, Recoveries, Slides and even paddle down wraps can be practiced on our board.

Two Challenging Training Levels
This crease has two challenging levels: Foundation and Elite. Young goalies will want to start by using the crease at the Foundation Level. This level will allow them to get a feel for the system, and begin to build their leg strength and coordination.

The Elite Level has stopper placements progressively further out as you approach the top angle. This level will challenge even the most established goaltenders due to the precision needed in angle adjustment, and the power it takes to carry the full distance outside the crease.

Stoppers, Pushers, and Recovery Bumper
All stoppers are located on the “Awareness to Squareness” lines. Each line gives the goalie/trainer immediate feedback as to whether or not Squareness has been achieved to a specific angle.

In addition to the stoppers, the X-Goalie Crease Slideboard is equipped with a Recovery Bumper. This semi circle railing mirrors the crease line. It is used to execute a recovery or pushoff from your butterfly. The bumper is strategically placed in an ideal position relative to the stoppers for maximum load and power out of your hybrid setup.

Moving in towards the posts you will find two blue net play stance stoppers. These stoppers are placed off of each post to ensure the goalies feet are 30 degrees off the goal line. This 30 degree angle gives the goalie a solid base while allowing him to see the strong side corner while keeping the weak side blue line angle in his or her peripheral vision. The goalie can lead the play with a quick shuffle, come back to the same post, lead again, then rotate and shuffle 30 degrees back to the opposite post.

Lastly, this crease has paddle down wrap recovery bumpers in place. These arched rails enable the goalie to recover out of a paddle down wrap as if a player makes a pass instead of executing a wrap around.

Conclusion
I don’t often wish I were a goalie… (No offense to any of you keepers who are reading this!) I love my position, and I play it well. However, this just looks like A LOT of fun to me, and I’m a little envious to tell you the truth! If you’re a goalie… you’ve gotta check this out.

WHERE TO GET IT: Currently the X-Goalie Crease Slideboard is only available at XHOCKEYPRODUCTS.COM… in fact, this product is so new, they’re still in “pre-order” mode right now. But you can sign up to get on the pre-order list here: CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER

Cheers!

Jeremy

Technorati Tags: Angle Adjustment, Athlete, Coordination, Crease, Elite Level, Fan Tastic, Foundation Level, Full Distance, Hockey Training, Leg Strength, Movement Patterns, Muscle Memory, Nhl, Placements, Position System, Slide Board, Slideboard, Slides, Sports Technology, Wraps