How to Design Your Own Goalie Equipment

Many hockey and inline goalies choose to display artwork representations of themselves or their teams on their masks. Today's goalies can take customization a step further by designing their own pads and gloves, because many manufacturers now offer the option for that kind of personalization on most of their product lines. Just be advised that the personal touch probably means a higher price for the gear.

Things You'll Need

  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Colored pencils
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Think about the particular elements of your game, such as playing style and basic ready stance. Manufacturers design gear based on these elements. For instance, classic butterfly style goalies prefer the top thigh portion of their pads to be stiff; conversely, many hybrid goalies like flexion.

    • 2

      Draw two vertical rectangles on your paper to represent the goalie pads, and label where you want the pad to flex, if applicable. Standing in socks, measure from the floor to the mid-knee, then to mid-thigh. This is your custom pad size. Write this number down. Measure from the tips of your middle fingers on each hand to the heels of your palms to determine custom sizing for blockers and catch gloves.

    • 3

      Sketch some basic designs onto the face of the pads (rectangles) on your paper. Once you've settled on a design scheme, use the colored pencils to color the areas of the pad according to your idea. Don't neglect the interior and straps of the pad when it comes to colors.

    • 4

      Draw a rectangle to represent the blocker and an oval to represent the catch glove. Repeat the same steps for the gloves as you did for the pads. When you are done, take your ideas to a pro shop or sporting goods retailer that offers hockey equipment or a retailer specializing in custom gear, or fax your paper to the manufacturer of your choice for a price quote.