Mylar or Glassless Mirrors as Training Tools

[Cubanpuckstopper]

I find a benefit to working with screenboards.

An improved version is the mirrored screenboard


While this works in a goalie camp/clinic enviroment, I have not seen widespread use in youth hockey programs.

Various reasons come to mind:

The wieght of an acrylic mirror.
The cost, about $320, for an acrylic mirror.
The time to setup, head coaches being what they are generally look annoyed when there is any setup time for goaltending apparatus.

and a regular mirror is too unsafe to consider.

With that said, this season I am working on a mylar mirror


(ballerina not included)

The mylar mirror pictured above costs more than an acrylic mirror.

So as an alternative I have laminated mylar to various foam insulation panels.


I am going to use it this weekend, and while the image is not perfectly clear, it is not distorted. And cost about $ 15 (U.S.) to produce, and the 4 ft x 8 ft one that I hope to incorporate into a screenboard was about $27.

I've also found a local supplier http://www.delmarvaglasslessmirrors.com/panels.htm

They have a 2 ft. x 2 ft. ceiling panel that may be useful as a highly portable mirror for providing feedback.

Has anyone else attempted to create and or use lightweight portable mirrors as coaching tools?

[Jukka Ropponen]

Most cases the problem here is the lack of facilities, storage etc as gear like this takes up a lot of space which is usually not available at normal rinks.

All tools like these are useful to a degree. Mostly it depends on the coach how well they can use the training aids.

Jukka