When it comes to the best hockey synthetic ice tiles there is no better source than Sniper’s Edge Hockey Products. The reason for this is pretty simple. Sniper’s Edge is all about hockey, and nothing else. When you are looking for high-grade hockey training aids there is no better place to find them than somewhere that the owners are passionate about the game and take every step that they can to ensure that customers get the greatest possible quality that they can get.

What is Synthetic Ice?

Synthetic ice is made out of a special polymer that is tough enough to withstand the aggression of the sport. The great thing about it is that it can allow a person to ice skate on it a lot as they do on real ice. Although there are a lot of differences between real ice and fake ice, science and technology have been able to match the two pretty closely. Where real ice has to be refrigerated and cared for, synthetic ice can be installed indoors or outdoors in any kind of weather and can be skated on year-round. The type of synthetic ice that is available on the market today is self-lubricating so that you don’t have to add any lubricants or additives to the flooring. It is slick, smooth, and ready for ice skates at any time.

The Difference Between Tiles and Panels

Synthetic ice comes in a number of different options, but the most popular in today’s time are the tiles and the panels. Where panels are generally larger between two feet and four feet squared, tiles are smaller in size and usually one square foot in size. Tiles are easier to install in small places where you wouldn’t need a lot of room. This kind of area is good for practicing stickhandling and passing practices. Although both panels and tiles are both synthetic ice, they each have their own advantages. Panels will easily cover a large area and be able to convert that area into a fully functional skating rink for hockey games, or practice.

What are Slick Tiles?

Slick tiles, also known as dryland hockey flooring tiles, are a type of hockey flooring that players can install in their own homes and businesses just like synthetic ice. Although many people make the mistake of thinning slick tiles are synthetic ice, they are not. The main difference is that slick tiles are not made to ice skate on. They work great for shoes or even rollerblades, but you can’t ice skate on them without damaging them and yourself. Imagine trying to ice skate over a nicely polished roller rink floor. That is how it would be if you tried to use ice skates on dryland flooring. The good thing about them for practice is that the puck will slide effortlessly across the surface much like it would on an ice surface. This is what makes practicing on this type of flooring worth it. Many players prefer to practice with shoes so that they can hone in on specific skills like shooting or stickhandling without having to balance the way they would if they were on ice skates.

Conclusion

When it comes to practicing hockey the best bet is to show up for yourself and do what you have to do in order to get better every day. A day that you don’t practice, even a little, is a day that you don’t get better. As for the best type of flooring to use when practicing, it all depends on your needs. Ultimately the best type of training aids to use are the ones that are going to be the ones that you use, and that is going to be there when you need them.