Hitting Technique

The hiTTing Technique

We will look at the polo swing technique by taking the fully performed polo swing, called full-swing offside-forward (short “full-swing”), as an example. It is regarded as the very basic shot of polo and should be mastered technically accurately. It is performed at the horse’s offside in its moving direction. The full-swing is a flowing motion with the mallet head creating a complete 360-degree circle.

The Theory of hitting

Every polo player should understand the basic relations between his swing and the flight characteristics of the ball.

Among other things, the swinging movement influences:

n n n n The direction which the stick heads swings in. The angle the mallet head strikes the ball. The impact on the striking surface. The speed of the mallet head.

The basics of hitting and expressions from the sport of polo as well as the anatomy of the human body and that of a horse will be mentioned in the glossary for further reading and information.

Learning the Technique with the Walking Stick

As the polo swing is a very complex motion sequence, many mistakes in the movements can creep in here. Following, you will be shown how to acquire and improve the full-swing offside forward with a walking stick.

You might ask yourself if it would not be better to learn the polo swing from horseback, for this is what you have to do in a game: Mount a horse and play. There is a simple explanation. If you have full control of the swing with a walking stick on the ground, you will be able to develop a proper swing from horseback. It will be almost impossible to properly learn and control the swing technique from horseback if you have problems in correctly performing the swing with your feet on the ground.

Learning Targets

n n n n n Controlling the stick – learn to control your mallet Sharpen your hand-eye coordination – learn to judge the distance between ground and mallet Strike control – learn to control striking distance and striking direction Body control (and balance) – learn to use your body properly and practice your body’s rotation Refinement of mistakes – correct your mistakes, try to avoid swings with wrist motion from the very beginning

Therefore, the walking stick is one of the most important parts of your training equipment!

The Method

Santiago Schweitzer divides the full polo swing into three parts. This division is supposed to help you learn the proper technique step by step.

1Basic Position

2Backswing

Every step is accompanied by checkpoints.

3Hitting and Follow-Through

The Three Steps to Full-Swing

Step 1: Basic Position

Description of Step 1

The basic position simulates the riding situation; it corresponds to the typical half-seat in polo. The player balances out his weight on both legs, standing in a position with slightly angled knees. His left hand is clenched to a relaxed fist at the level of the reins. The mallet is held in a neutral position in front of the body, as if carrying a sword or scepter. Both arms are held like “praying”, with the same distance to the body.

The following checkpoints shall help you understand these moves.

Stance n at shoulder’s length n feet placed parallel n knees slightly bent n weight is on the forefoot and is balanced out between both legs

Hitting arm/mallet n in its basic position n out-balanced mallet in neutral position n cane is vertical n the upper arm touches the body

Position of the mallet head n head is the highest point

Left arm n simulates holding the reins

Shoulders n are parallel to feet and hips

Hips n are parallel to feet

Upper part of the body n bent slightly forward n bends from the hip n the whole back remains straight

Posture of the head/gaze n straight ahead, in direction of travel

Position of the ball n at about 45 cm from the outer edge of the right foot

Please note: The precise ball position depends on the length of your arm and your mallet (position of the ball will be discussed in detail in another chapter).

Description of Step 2

The backswing should be equally focused on the body rotation and mallet and arm extension. The transition from the basic to the swinging position is to be performed as follows: Shift your weight to the right leg. Now turn your right shoulder in the direction of the imaginary horse’s tail (the upper body should rotate clockwise about its spin) until both shoulders are parallel to the line of the ball. Ideally, the left shoulder aims at the ball. Simultaneously, the hitting arm is raised and straightened backwards (to the horse’s tail).

When you perform this movement, you might imagine a movement like opening a casement window with your right arm. Pay attention to the fact that your stick must be directed upwards! Elbow and forearm turn rightwards and at the end of the movement the arm is straightened. It is absolutely necessary to pay attention that your forearm stays comparatively close to your upper body (imagine that you want to pick up a phone!). Imagine there is a glass panel parallel to the horse’s spine and you have to perform the backswing between the horse (here the outer edge of your right foot) and this panel. As you have learnt, the index finger of the hitting hand is fixed in the trigger position; the position of your bent wrist does not change! At the end of the backswing the right arm should be straightened and in one line together with both shoulders, parallel to the line of the ball. Your wrist is above your head. Here you could imagine you were aiming or pointing with your left shoulder at the ball. The cane stands at least vertically; the cigar is the highest point. The player’s gaze is focusing on the ball. All the muscles concerned are tensed, the backswing has reached its top of the swing, your right leg is now straightened and carries your weight. Your body is ready for the downswing.

Naturally, the hips are able to support the upper body’s rotation in a limited way only, as the rider has to keep his balance on horseback in order not to unbalance the horse.

Stance n weight is on the right leg (about 80% of body’s weight)

Hitting arm/mallet n open “casement windows” n grip remains unchanged n arm is straightened and extends the shoulder line

Right wrist n bent, hand posture: Trigger position

Position of the mallet head n the cane is at least vertical at the end of the backswing n the head is at the highest point of the swing

Left arm n still simulates holding the reins

Shoulders n upper body rotates rightwards n left shoulder aims at the ball n line of shoulders should be parallel to the line of the ball

Hips n rotation clockwise, hips follow the shoulders as far as possible

Upper part of the body n bent slightly from the hips, balanced n the upper body itself is straight n the center of gravity is shifted to the right side

Posture of the head/gaze n keep your eye on the ball n make sure your chin does not rest against your chest n point your chin in the direction of movement

Pay attention to having your body tensed at the end of the backswing!

Description of Step 3

The final step of the swinging movement is covered by downswing (release), impact (hitting) and follow-through with the finish.

At the end of the backswing the swing movement has reached the “top of the swing”. Of course, body tension here is of basic importance. To be able to visualize this phenomenon just imagine the backswing is like winding up a spring, which has absolute tension at its upper dead center, being ready to transform this into a maximum rotation during the downswing. All the muscles, tendons and joints concerned are strained.

In order to relax this posture, the backswing results in an automatic reflective release. Here, only the torso will rotate; the head stays still, with eyes kept on the ball. The downswing is introduced by a downward movement of the right shoulder and is supposed to follow-up the backswing fluently.

Move the mallet downwards clockwise. Basically, the straightened arm “falls down”, the grip does not change and during this downward movement the wrist is straightened. Consequently, the mallet head (and the wrist) turns, so that the mallet hits the ball with the broad side of the cigar. Eyes are still kept on the ball. For the highest possible impulse change, ball and head have to contact precisely.

Stance n weight is on the right leg

Hitting arm/mallet n imagine yourself hitting the ball with the palm of your hand n the stick strikes the ball with the broad side of the cigar n note: you have to be able to see the numbers or initials on the mallet!

Right wrist n is bent at the beginning of the backswing n as soon as the mallet is at the horse’s hip point, straighten your complete arm to make wrist and mallet form one straight line n the palm points ahead in direction of movement

Position of the mallet head n ball contacts head at the sweet spot of the mallet during impact

Left arm n still simulates holding the reins

Shoulders n anti-clockwise, in direction of basic position

Hips n mirror the shoulders, i.e. run parallel

Upper part of the body n still bent forward n at the end of the swing the weight should be shifted to the ball of the foot (the swinging movement ends in the half-seat position)

Posture of the head/gaze n eyes are kept on the ball, still aiming n make sure your chin does not rest against your chest

It is important to complete this downswing movement with a follow-through. Make sure your hitting arm is still straightened after the impact. Imagine head and ball are connected with a twine and the flying ball keeps dragging along the mallet. At this point your gaze is still on the ground.

If you follow this advice, the swing will end as follows:

n n n

n The cane is in an upright vertical position. The hitting arm is straightened and approximately parallel to the horse’s neck. The gaze is still on the ground (eyes kept on the striking point of the ball) and then follows the ball. From the end of the backswing to the end of the follow-through the hitting arm has roughly covered the same distance, as the radius stays the same.

combining these Three Steps

Combined, these three steps result in a rhythmical, flowing movement.

Summary and Further Aspects of hitting

The Importance of the Correct Basic Position

The basic position in polo and golf is of vital importance in order to start with the swing technically correct. Here, your leg technique is the key. You can compare balancing out in polo to making a snowplow in skiing. Balance your weight evenly between both legs with knees bent, so they are elastic and support balancing by shifting weight from one side to the other. Morever, knees are used for controlling the horse. In this case, even other sports like basketball can be referred to as an example. A basketball player who starts a maneuver will always have his knees bent in order to be ready to quickly start off or go around by shifting weight from one leg to the other and equalizing his center of gravity.

As shown, the polo swing requires a good capability of rotating your shoulders. Only if your legs are adequately bent will shoulder and hip rotate the way they should.

Try yourself and practice the way the pictures below illustrate. For this, Santiago stands on a snowboard, replacing the stirrups which fix the player’s feet at a certain degree.

Santiago on snowboard with legs completely stretched. Rotation of the body is hardly or not at all possible as knees and hips are completely stretched and straight.

Now Santiago has his legs in an angled position, but he does not sufficiently shift his weight into the direction of hitting movement.

Here Santiago bends his knees and hips and shifts his weight to the right, the direction of rotation. The possible rotation of the body is increased.

Wrist Power Balance

The correct basic position requires precise and out-balanced holding of the mallet. As a brief reminder: Basic position means the cane is vertical, the wrist is not unnecessarily stressed and it balances out the weight of the mallet. This is what the Pro calls “Wrist Power Balance”.

n Imagine during your backswing a glass panel which is parallel to the horse’s horizontal axis. n Practice the backswing standing next to a wall in order to maintain your swing plane and to get used to having your rotating arm close to your body. n Never move your arm downwards, just imagine you are lifting your phone to the ear or opening a casement window.

Precision

Every swing should be performed precisely, i.e. as accurately and constantly as possible, and goaloriented.

A constant, correct and accurate swing enables you to: n Develop further swings from this basic swing. n Control distance, flight direction and flight path as well as speed of the ball. n Develop a sense of timing and rhythm. n Get the body used to the movement and have it retrievable with the help of your muscle memory. n Aim precisely, pass the ball to teammates. n Be valuable for the team. n Maintain constant performance. n Avoid swings with the flick of the wrist or the arms. n Convert penalties. n Go easy on your horse’s power.

At the end of the backswing, body tension is of decisive importance. The body should be tensed at its maximum and release this tension in the downswing and the moment of impact.

Impact

Precise hitting at the moment of impact shall ensure the following: n Maximum speed of the stick head n Swing direction of the head points exactly to target n Impact of the ball in the center of the head at its sweet spot

There are two sources of power in the golf swing: 1. The golf player’s muscles 2. Dropping the arms and the golf club with the help of gravitation

In the polo sport, the horse’s dynamic is added.

Sweet Spot

The ball should always be struck with the sweet spot of the mallet. The sweet spot is the spot of the hitting surface which has optimal change of the force of the mallet to the ball. Visualize the mallet as an extension of your arm when you are aiming, and at the moment of impact. Then try to imagine you want to hit the ball with your wrist. The mallet head should be in a position exactly aligned to the target.

Aiming

When you aim at the ball it is important to focus and strike the lower half of it. If you aim at a point of the ball too high, you might tend to top it. During the full-swing offside-forward, the left shoulder should be as far as possible in a position over the ball and point down on it. After impact the target (i.e. the place where the ball lay) should still be in focus, that is, the gaze stays on the ground during and the follow-through.

Always aim, never hit without a target!

Arm is extended, the left shoulder and the eyes are pointing towards the ball – all these factors provide the maximum shoulder rotation. This picture of the mallet being the extension of your arm can also be taken exemplarily for the follow-through, which is the phase of hitting through of the polo swing. Here you should imagine yourself striking the ball with the palm of your hand and pushing your hand forward after the impact. Even after the moment of impact, the hitting arm stays straightened and the eyes are still on the ground. Imagine the head and the ball are bound together with a twine and the flying ball drags along the mallet.

In the follow-through it is important to have the intention to strike the ball slowly and not to stop the movement at the moment of impact!

A quotation by Hugh Dawney should explain the importance of the follow-through: ”In all techniques for striking a ball in any sport, the follow through is the vital last part of the recognized style. It is used to confirm accuracy and to increase power.”

Rotation of Shoulder and Upper Part of the Body and Body Angles

Long shots in polo have to be hit with a movement coming from the shoulder. The more your shoulder rotates, the less effort you will need in hitting. Hips and legs can only partly support the rotation as they would otherwise negatively affect the balance of the riding position.

Performing the swing without arm power – this is an essential lesson, especially for beginners,

which is as valid in polo as it is in golf.

The straightening of the wrist begins as soon as the mallet is at the horse’s hip level. At the moment of impact, gaze, arm and ball follow the same line.

When hitting, the rider shifts forward to the hitting position and moves down his knee at the knee roll.

Generally speaking, the pace of a swing is the speed of a swing, due to the player’s temperament and power. Rhythm is the partitioning of a swing in a well-balanced start, a fl uent and yet settled change from the end of the backswing to the beginning of the downswing, accompanied by a smooth acceleration of the mallet to and through the ball.

Timing is the precise interaction of the player’s hands, arms and body but also synchronization of the horse’s speed, that of the ball and of the mallet. Only good timing allows a chronologically precise sequence of all the elements a swing consists of. Timing is one of the most important elements of the polo swing. It might sound like a paradox, but the fact is: The slower and easier a swing begins, the higher the speed of the mallet head will become. Analogously to golf, the speed of the mallet head will increase if rhythm and timing are proper.

Flight Distance

Being able to control swing direction and swing distance (fl ight distance) is immensely important. According to experience, aimlessly-hit balls will mostly be caught by the opposing team. The fl ight distance of the ball is infl uenced by timing and further factors. You might fi nd the following “set screws” of a swing useful to obtain a positive effect on the fl ight distance of the ball:

n Make use of the horse’s dynamics, e.g. increase speed. n Optimize technique and make the mallet head get to a higher speed by improving timing and performing more backswing. n Ride your horse correctly towards the ball before you hit and strike in an optimal position to the horse.

For a good timing you should start with hitting a resting ball in walk. When you have found your rhythm and timing in walking pace you can start practicing at a trot and later at a gallop. With this stepwise alignment of your training goals you will gain a sense of proportion and precision. You should only start practicing with a moving ball when you are able to exactly control distance and fl ight direction of the resting ball.

Tips from the Pro

n Practicing with a dead ball is of advantage as you can ride towards the ball in an optimal position to the horse and then briefl y slow down the backswing. The ball “waits” to be hit.

n Try to start the ball with the highest possible speed in order to achieve a long distance.

The way the horse is positioned to the ball influences the flight direction of the ball. Simplified, you could say:

n n n If the ball is struck in front of the horse’s leg, it will show a tendency to fly to the left. If it is struck on the level of the stirrups, it will fly straight forward. If it is struck behind the level of the stirrups, it will show a tendency to fly to the right.

Orientation of the Mallet Head at the Moment of Impact

You can angle or cut any swing. Here, you would talk of opening or closing a swing.

With angling or cutting we denote the degree of angulation the ball is hit off the horse. Therefore, the horse’s horizontal axis serves as a basic line. A straight shot has a degree angle of 0/180; it is hit parallel to the horse’s horizontal axis.

Angulating is for example necessary as soon as the player has the target diagonally ahead or is not able to ride towards the ball in an optimal angle in certain situations. For a slight angulation a twist of the wrist at impact will be sufficient, so the face of the mallet is also angled.

If you want to hit the ball off the horse in a wide angle you will have to change the swing level of your swing.

Tips from the Pro

n The direction of travel of the ball depends on the position of the ball to the horse and on the position (angulation) of the hitting surface at the moment of impact.

n The speed of the ball is always more important than the horse’s speed. Always treat the horse’s resources and power with care.

n

Confi dence and sense of proportion can be obtained by steady practicing.

n In order to learn a new motion sequence precisely, it is recommended to practice the precise technique slowly and to set yourself realistic stepwise goals.

n It is better to master correctly the technique of one hit than several badly.

n In order to learn one technique, you will have to repeat it several thousand times.

n Ingrain the motion sequences on the pictures, visualize them and perform practice swings with a walking stick but without a ball.

n Hit practice swings at the beginning of each training session as warming-up; practice short swing distances and perform them deliberately slowly.

n In Argentina, it is common to have children practice their fi rst swings standing on the ground before they learn to ride on horseback.

n

Even professional players consistently do ground exercises.

n Listen to the sound during impact; you can tell a properly hit ball from its sound.

n Try to ride towards the ball as precisely as possible, and take care not to foul your opponent!