Striking The Ball

[TheWall]

Hi,

Im looking for some help. Decided to teach myself how to hurl (!) but I find Im really inconsistent with hitting the ball, often Im missing it alltogether. I've tried to stick with some of the GAA coaching stuff I've found online, keeping my eye on the ball, keeping it close enough etc. After a few hours of practice I haven't really improved and it is annoying me, is there anything simple/obvious I might be doing wrong or am I just crap?

Thanks lads.

[Zulu]

If you're starting at the start then you have to work from the easiest to the hardest. The swing in hurling is a bit different than say baseball and how you should hold the hurley is important too. But from a basic improving your striking, I would suggest you start by striking on the ground, just hitting it first and not worrying about distance. You could also place the ball on a pointy cone so the ball is elevated (but still stationary) to replicate the hitting of a ball above ground level so to speak. Perhaps lightly throwing a tennis ball up and leaving it bounce before striking would be a development on that, though this would have to be done on a flat hard surface to get a consistent bounce. Like any skill it is a matter of getting the right technique and than repeating through practice. You might also start using bigger and softer balls and even balloons as they will be easier to hit and slower to drop giving you a better chance of success.

[TheWall]

Thanks for that, the tennis ball seems like a good idea that I hadn't thought of myself.

[theskull1]

Sure why not post up a video on YouTube of your swing.

Where you toss the ball is critical to a good swing. Throw it straight out in front of you and the swing goes pear shaped. Throwing it forward of your body opens up the swing. How far you throw it away from you is trial and error but you don't throw it too close cause it really shuts the swing down . A short light stick, tennis ball and a wall.

[TheWall]

Might make a video, for some reason I'm finding the tennis ball way eaiser to hit from my hand than a sliotar, maybe if I persist with that for a few days it will make me generally better and then switch back to the sliotar.

The Junior B career might happen after all!

[Bud Wiser]

I would head for The Wall, TheWall along with your tennis ball.

Get your hand to eye coordination in first. 

  See http://www.brianmac.co.uk/handeye.htm
Just keep at it and in no time you will be connecting with the ball as it comes back off the wall. It will be just like trying to ride a bike, one day it will all come together.

(At first glance I thought you were Olly messing again and I was going to suggest he get his eye in with a fly swat by chasing down wasps for a week and then progress on to gadfly's.)

[neilthemac]

strike the ball at knee height

wristy swing

[stevetharlear]

Try gripping the hurley a good 6-8 inches from the base of the grip, a snappy wristy swing is what you want, find a wall and keep at it for an hour. Once you start hitting it on the sweet spot of the hurley you're away with it.

The tennis ball is a good trick but it'll give you false confidence, a tennis ball will travel far no matter how you connect with it.

Find a wall, use a sliothar and watch out for windows.

[johnneycool]

Try gripping the hurley a good 6-8 inches from the base of the grip, a snappy wristy swing is what you want, find a wall and keep at it for an hour. Once you start hitting it on the sweet spot of the hurley you're away with it.

The tennis ball is a good trick but it'll give you false confidence, a tennis ball will travel far no matter how you connect with it.

Find a wall, use a sliothar and watch out for windows.

Jez, its hard to explain a good swing, but we'd teach youngsters the big 'C' almost starting off like a golf swing (with the opposite grip) eyes on the ball, with the feet apart for balance and following through. Once they're hitting it regularly with the sweet spot of the hurl then get them to step into the ball.

It's far easier showing someone rather than put it in words.

[TheWall]

It's far easier showing someone rather than put it in words.

I think I may enroll in a Cul Camp for the summer! I was using a sliotar but switched to the tennis ball just to get the swing right and like you say connect with the right spot on the bas of the hurl but I don't seem to be developing much consistency.

[neilthemac]

I'm going to make a video to explain this

Its the only way to do it

[deiseach]

This isn't a very helpful comment, but anyway . . . I think picking up the basic skills of hurling is like learning a language or playing the violin. Very young children pick it up without even trying simply by being exposed to it. After a certain age, acquiring the skill becomes a lot trickier. I remember we used have a puckabout at lunchtime when I worked in Galway. There were two lads from Donegal. One of them, his father was from Tipperary and he was just fantastic. All the basic skills combined with an iron temperament. Captain of the Fermanagh hurling team at the time (parish rule stuff). The other lad had never picked up a hurley in his life and he couldn't even pick up a tennis ball. It was painful to watch. I'll be intrigued to see how TheWall progresses with his learning. Go n-éirí an bóthar leat.

[TheWall]

It was painful to watch. I'll be intrigued to see how TheWall progresses with his learning.

I know what you mean about leaving something too late to be any good at it.

I don't know if this is painful to watch but here is a video of me with a tennis ball and a sliotar, not every swing works out! Might be better if I did a slow mo one with a better angle to actually show my swing? I haven't practiced in a week cos I don't know if the project is worth persisting with!

http://youtu.be/t6GKg8LHrc8

[stevetharlear]

Ok first things first, if you want to be a hurler you'll need that haircut and proper footwear!

You're not doing too bad there, but you are throwing the ball up too high and hitting it too low. You should hold the hurley shorter and try throwing the ball to eye level at the most. Then striking it at that level or just when it starts to drop. Also, more power from the wrist and less from the arms.

[TheWall]

Thanks Steve! Shortening the hurl and hitting it higher has made an instant difference, I never miss it now and it it much better. You can't bate a bit of human feedback.