8' rocker to 7' rocker

Shigs15 · Oct 29, 2017

Would going from a 8' rocker to a 7' rocker have a big adjustment period?

So, my coach recommends the Coronation Ace or MK Professional blade, which both are 7' rockers, in trade for my ultima blades, which are 8' rockers. However, when breaking in my new skates I would switch out with my old skates that had blades that were 7' rockers and I could feel the difference between the two blades, and it was not in a good way. I'm afraid of losing the stability of going to a thinner blade, which is what I felt when I would use my old skates while breaking in my current ones. Also, most advanced blades are 8' rockers, so wouldn't going back to a 7' rocker be like backtracking to when I have to go back to 8' rockers when I get to triples and such?

Arwen17 · Oct 29, 2017

I've always stuck with an 8' rocker. I went from Mark IV blades to Matrix Legacy blades. My spins were not affected in the slightest. I just had to get used to the larger toe pick, which took me like half a session. Why not stick with 8' rocker in another brand, and then switch to Wilson/MK blades when you're high enough level for their 8' blades? I hate that MK/Wilson randomly does 7' rocker for their earlier blades. I like consistency. No reason to confuse the skater more than you have to.

treesprite · Oct 29, 2017

If you have high arches, the 7 foot rocker makes skating easier, keeps weight where it should be on the blade. If you have normal arches, 7 foot rocker might make you feel like you are too far back on the blade. Regardless of that, if you have been doing fine with 8 foot rockers and are advancing with them and like them, then at this point maybe you should stick with them.

Shigs15 · Oct 29, 2017

Arwen17 said:
My spins were not affected in the slightest. I just had to get used to the larger toe pick, which took me like half a session.

I agree with the consistency regarding the MK and Wilson blades, it drives me absolutely mad. However, now that you mention it my spins have not been good at all since I switched to the Ultima blade, in fact they have been down right horrible since the switch. Due to having 7' rockers in the past I used to rock up more on the ball of my foot, while now if I do that I risk hitting the toepick, which hasn't been a problem after a month on the Ultima blades, or not hitting the sweet spot right due to the sweet spot moving farther back on the Utlima blades in comparison to my old blades. I think that's why my coach suggested the MK professional because the front radius is larger - 12".

Ic3Rabbit · Oct 30, 2017

IMHO it mostly depends on you personally. I used to go back and forth between 7ft dance blade rocker to 8ft Freestyle blade rocker daily at times during my training years.

Some people have a very tiny adjustment period between the rocker sizes and some do not and it takes them longer to adjust or they decide it isn't for them and they go back to what they are used to.

Sam L · Oct 30, 2017

I recently switched from a 8 inch ultima rocker to 7 inch Coronation ace rocker. Here are the differences I noticed:

- Before I had to really put my weight on the back of the blade when going forwards. There were many times when I felt I was going to trip on the toe pick, I don't know if it's because I've improved but I never get that feeling anymore.
- My spins are better. Again I don't know if it's because I've improved but I like the sweet spot on this rocker.
- I can feel the ball of the foot better and the back of the blade better.
- BUT I liked the other toe pick better. This toepick is smaller and I feel I have less grip and when jumping I don't feel like I get the push off it as much as before?

Those are my thoughts. It would be great if someone experienced could let me know why I'm feeling those things like I do.

But I wouldn't trade anything for the Coronation Aces. They just feel so nice.

jf12 · Oct 30, 2017

It isn't just the radius of the main rocker that needs to be adjusted to. The different blades will have different secondary rockers for spins - Pattern 99 and Gold Seals are both 8' for the main rocker, but the spin rockers are pretty different.

I went straight from the Aspire XP that came with my Jackson Freestyles to the Pattern 99, with no mid level blade in between. This might not be the best choice for everyone, but at that time, I had just been skating for about 18 months, had just gotten my axel and I was terrified of losing it with constant changing of blades. I figured the additional cost wasn't that high compared to the cost of additional lessons. I also knew that as an adult I would fully use the higher level blades for the full life of the blade.

It is kind of ironic though that back then I had to get high end blades, and stick with them, because it took me a while to adjust - but now that I'm a much better skater, to actually utilize the high end blades, I can actually skate on anything with 5 minutes adjustment :laugh:

Arwen17 · Oct 30, 2017

jf12 said:
It isn't just the radius of the main rocker that needs to be adjusted to. The different blades will have different secondary rockers for spins - Pattern 99 and Gold Seals are both 8' for the main rocker, but the spin rockers are pretty different.

I went straight from the Aspire XP that came with my Jackson Freestyles to the Pattern 99, with no mid level blade in between. This might not be the best choice for everyone, but at that time, I had just been skating for about 18 months, had just gotten my axel and I was terrified of losing it with constant changing of blades. I figured the additional cost wasn't that high compared to the cost of additional lessons. I also knew that as an adult I would fully use the higher level blades for the full life of the blade.

It is kind of ironic though that back then I had to get high end blades, and stick with them, because it took me a while to adjust - but now that I'm a much better skater, to actually utilize the high end blades, I can actually skate on anything with 5 minutes adjustment

This is how I feel about my new Matrix Legacy blades. They're rated for double jumps, which means I should be able to stick with them for probably forever. I doubt I'll reach triples and require a blade that is rated for triples. Isn't going to super-high level blades like Gold Seals or Pattern 99 a little overkill for those of us who are unlikely to reach triples? Or have you already reached triples?

jf12 · Oct 30, 2017

Arwen17 said:
This is how I feel about my new Matrix Legacy blades. They're rated for double jumps, which means I should be able to stick with them for probably forever. I doubt I'll reach triples and require a blade that is rated for triples. Isn't going to super-high level blades like Gold Seals or Pattern 99 a little overkill for those of us who are unlikely to reach triples? Or have you already reached triples?

No, I haven't, but is a huge amount of work just to get doubles cleanly rotated and consistent - so triples are not really my goal right now. But it's not just about the jumps - anyone who is attempting high level spins and footwork might be able to see improvement from a high-end blade. For boots, anyone can be hindered by overbooting. However, for blades, only a real beginner might be hindered from getting blades that are too advanced for their level - the speed and toepicks could be more than they can handle. In my experience, I
would say anyone from about Pre-Juv test level and up could benefit, if only slightly, from upgrading blades. The major reason not to do what I did is cost. Especially for a kid who would grow out of their blade before they used it all.

Sam L · Oct 30, 2017

What’s the difference between main rocker and spin rocker?

jf12 · Oct 30, 2017

The secondary rocker is near the front of the blade, where you're supposed to spin on, and is a smaller radius than the main rocker.

Sam L · Oct 30, 2017

jf12 said:
The secondary rocker is near the front of the blade, where you're supposed to spin on, and is a smaller radius than the main rocker.

Right, I feel both the rockers are more pronounced in the coronation ace. Has anyone gone from Coronation ace to Gold Seal? I like crosscut toepicks.

vlaurend · Oct 31, 2017

First, just to avoid confusion, let me start by clarifying the terminology:
- Rocker: The curved part of the blade.
- Rocker radius: the measurement of the blade's overall curve (7' or 8' radius). The smaller the number, the rounder the blade, because it is a section of a smaller circle.
- Rocker profile: the specific shape of the rocker (the spinning rocker, under the ball of your foot, behind the toepicks)

I agree that once you've gotten used to an 8' rocker radius, it will make your stroking and jump landings feel less stable if you go back to a 7' rocker radius. So I think you should try another 8' blade, but the blade you choose will require more or less adjustment on your jumps and spins depending on whether or not it has the same rocker profile as your current Ultima blade. Which Ultima blades do you have now? They generally copy one of the Wilson rocker profiles, either the Pattern 99 profile, (spinning rocker is less round) or the Gold Seal profile (rounder spinning rocker). Of course, neither of these 8' Wilson blades is cheap. I personally like the Gold Seal blade because the spinning rocker is rounder and I feel like that makes it easier for me to spin than a blade with a more gradual rocker profile like the Pattern 99 or MK Phantom (which is actually a 7' rocker radius overall). But from the middle of the blade to the heel of the blade, the Gold Seal is just as flat and stabilizing as the other 8' blades.

mj elric4 · Nov 1, 2017

vlaurend said:
First, just to avoid confusion, let me start by clarifying the terminology:
- Rocker: The curved part of the blade.
- Rocker radius: the measurement of the blade's overall curve (7' or 8' radius). The smaller the number, the rounder the blade, because it is a section of a smaller circle.
- Rocker profile: the specific shape of the rocker (the spinning rocker, under the ball of your foot, behind the toepicks)

I agree that once you've gotten used to an 8' rocker radius, it will make your stroking and jump landings feel less stable if you go back to a 7' rocker radius. So I think you should try another 8' blade, but the blade you choose will require more or less adjustment on your jumps and spins depending on whether or not it has the same rocker profile as your current Ultima blade. Which Ultima blades do you have now? They generally copy one of the Wilson rocker profiles, either the Pattern 99 profile, (spinning rocker is less round) or the Gold Seal profile (rounder spinning rocker). Of course, neither of these 8' Wilson blades is cheap. I personally like the Gold Seal blade because the spinning rocker is rounder and I feel like that makes it easier for me to spin than a blade with a more gradual rocker profile like the Pattern 99 or MK Phantom (which is actually a 7' rocker radius overall). But from the middle of the blade to the heel of the blade, the Gold Seal is just as flat and stabilizing as the other 8' blades.

I have the Aspire XP blades currently. My coach wants to try a smaller rocker profile, which is why the MK professional are something to look at. He would like to move onto Gold Seal in a few years, maybe sooner. Personally, I can't afford Gold Seals at the moment so I'm planning on a cheaper option, which my coach is okay with because I take very good care of my blades. As stated before, my spins are not the greatest, despite having the Aspire's for a few months shy of a year and skating 2 hours per session.

Sibelius · Nov 2, 2017

If you want to try the MK/CA profile take a look at the discontinued Eclipse Mist. It's a copy of the CA and MK Pro that Reidell tried to market against them. It retailed for the same price as those two blades, and it wasn't successful. I bought 3 pair for my 9 year old, one for each of her next sized boots. I bought them from Cale Carvel on Ebay for $89 each (he only listed blade sizes 8 1/4, 8 1/2 and 8 3/4). Some stores are still trying to sell their stock at the old price, but you could always call and make an offer on the blades in your size. I thought it was a great way to try out a new profile (she is in Elle's with the Mirage blade) for little $$$. She instantly was spinning better and the change in rocker hasn't affected her jumps negatively at all. Alternatively you can buy the new version of the blade (Eclipse Aurora) which is now in stainless steel (which at least is differentiation of the CA/MK now for the same price), try it for 60 days and if it doesn't work you can return it. You can only do that once though so my skate tech said save that option for the more expensive blades to come.

treesprite · Nov 3, 2017

I thought the Cresent was a recreational blade, or at most an introductory blade for pre-freeskate.

Shigs15 · Nov 3, 2017

I've read up on Crescent blades and they can be used for single to (supposedly) double jumps. I used them for a few singles, and now when I don't want to wear my newer boots and blades I use them for footwork and to give my feet a breather from the constricting new boots I have, but I don't trust them for jumps anymore due to having the former Mist blades (returned) and now the Aspire XP blades.

just4lizzy · Nov 11, 2017

I went from a Jackson Aspire blade (8ft rocker) to MK Professional blades (7ft) rocker. It only took me two-2 hours sessions to get everything back. Overall, turns and spins improved dramatically. I didn’t notice much difference in speed or edges. I did notice I was cheating my back spin entries and loop just take off because I was relying too much on my toe pick rather than the edge. Those took a little longer to fix.

I think the biggest difference between blades is actually the spin rocker, which is slightly different than the overall blade rocker. There’s no posted measurements of the spin rocker though. But regarding higher level blades, ones like Gold Seal and Gold Star have more curvy spin rockers and the Pattern 99 and Phantoms are flatter even though they are all advertised as 8ft blades. I think the number is pretty misleading and the blade profiles matter more. I just wish such measurement were more available so it would be easier to compare blades.

8' rocker to 7' rocker

Shigs15

Arwen17

treesprite

Shigs15

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️

Sam L

jf12

Arwen17

jf12

Sam L

jf12

Sam L

vlaurend

mj elric4

Sibelius

treesprite

Shigs15

just4lizzy

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