Blades - upgrade or not?

[axelwylie]

My blades are in need of replacement soon. I am currently on Coronation Aces. They have served me well, and I have my axel and will be working on doubles soon.

How do I know when I am ready to upgrade to the next level of blades? Will they really make that much of a difference?

Coach says I should stick with the Coronation Aces, as does my blade fitter. But of course I am curious about upgrading. Is it worth the extra $200+ for Pattern 99s or Gold Seals? Would these really help my (future) double jumps and spins?

I am a Gold level freestyle skater and skate in the IJS system, if that makes a difference.

[irenar5]

My experience is with Ultima Matrix blades.  I switched  from Legacy (Coro Ace equivalent) to Supreme (Gold Seal equivalent).  I noticed that I get a lot more spring on jumps- the rocker is so pronounced that it sort of propels me to the toe pick.  Spins were awful for a long time- the sweet spot is more forward, so I had a lot of difficulty adjusting.  Footwork seemed easier. 

My Legacy blades were just a couple of months old and the rocker was not worn out, so I feel that I got a pretty good comparison of the blade profiles (as opposed to having a worn flat blade and then going to a new blade).  The only difference was that my Supremes were 1/4 "  shorter, so that may have played a role in footwork seeming easier. 

I'd say- upgrade!  YOLO, right? ;-)

[PhysicsOnIce]

Personally I am on MK Professional Freestyles ( the MK equivalent to the Cor. Aces),  and working on my Doubles with no major problems due to my blades. I did get new skates and did choose to stay with these blades because my coach believes that they are good up to the Double Axel.

Honestly, if your coach and your fitter both think it is best to stay on your current blades, you should trust them, not blindly but trust them. Some coaches, mine included, prefer to work with lower level blades to develop  prefect technique instead of working with blades that will "help" you but end up increasing the chances that you develop bad habits.

[sarahspins]

I would go with what your coach and fitter are suggesting.  I know plenty of skaters at my rink doing all of their doubles on Coro Ace's or Professionals - there's no "need" to move up to a higher blade just because you can... however that says nothing about your desire to try something different   If you really want to, you certainly can, but you may not necessarily notice much difference in your skating.