December 2021 Polo Players' Edition- Operator Error

Operator Error

Common Mistakes and How-To Correct Them

By Erik Wright

In my 25-year career as a polo instructor and coach, my focus has been on clients who are new to polo and will be playing amateur polo from never having ridden to intermediate-level polo. From the first lesson, my teaching strategy aims to identify and avoid mistakes common among amateur players and shorten the learning curve toward consistent and sustained improvement. In this article, I want to show how recognizing and correcting these mistakes is a shortcut to improving your game.

The No. 1 thing players can do to improve their polo almost instantly is to use two hands on the reins. Most errors in individual player skills require a great deal of time and effort to correct. Using two hands on the reins is one of the few exceptions to this rule and provide one of the rare moments of instant gratification to be found in the sport. Once it becomes habit, it will almost instantly double your ability to stop and turn, plus using two hands squares your body up in the center of the horse and dramatically improves your body position and balance in the process.

Another very common mistake I see players make is playing too fast or outside their ability to stay in control. Consciously avoid playing faster than your ability to control. We all love speed and that is why a lot of people play, but you still have to stay within the framework of your own skill set. There is no point running to a ball faster than your ability to hit the ball, only to arrive at the ball and miss. We call that marking yourself, meaning, you are so obviously playing outside the realm of your ability, that it isn’t necessary to attempt to mark you. Don’t be that player.

Understand there is an inverse relationship between speed and control so players must learn to stay within their own individual capabilities and the capabilities of the horse they are riding.

A lot of players only have two speeds—full stop and full go. I call it levering. The lever is either at dead stop or pegged on full steam ahead. I like to think of riding your horse at speed more like driving a stick shift. You’ve got 10 gears. Play 90% of your polo in the sixth- or seventh-gear range. If we stay in sixth or seventh gear then we can maintain a nice balance between control and speed—fast enough to execute and keep up, but still under control.

To be clear, I’m not advocating to just play slowly. What I am saying is that you have to put both yourself and your horse in a framework where you are in control and not exceed that framework. Make your plays correctly and under control, and then add speed as you are able to demonstrate consistent performance at each increasing level. There is no bigger cliché in the sport than watching a player run out of control to nowhere and accomplish nothing when they get there. Work hard not to be that player.

Just by concentrating on using two hands and playing within your ability fixes about 75% of player mistakes. That said, here are a few more common errors that, if corrected, can dramatically improve your polo.

Another common mistake amateur players make is attempting to dribble the ball too much. When it comes to my teaching programs, I emphasize back shots and full shots in low-goal polo and discourage excessive dribbling. Amateur players watch high-goal players dribbling without taking into account the decades of time and effort that enable the better players to execute short plays proficiently. Most amateur players aren’t able to execute a turn play effectively, and therefore the most likely result is that they are going to lose the ball and thereby lose possession for their team. As a coach, I have a very systematic, coordinated approach, preaching back shots and full shots in low-goal polo that lead to effective play.

The back shot is a much quicker and simpler way to set up the rest of your team and turn from defense to offense. In lower- and intermediate-goal polo, when you turn the ball, you are most likely going to confuse the other players on your team, which leads to chaos, and results in poor play. If your team knows you are going to consistently play a back shot, it is truly remarkable how quickly they will turn for the back shot and win plays on a fast break.

When you are on offense and dribble, the defense collapses on you quickly because you inevitably slow down to execute the dribble play. Now you are left trying to dribble through four pairs of legs versus taking a shot when you have an open shooting window—be it a pass or a goal shot. It is also much easier for you to be ridden off at a slower speed and lose the play that way.

Limiting dribble play offers alternatives that put you and your team in position to execute winning polo plays. For instance, when going to goal, take full shots. If you are inside the 60-yard line, shoot on goal. Worst case, you set up a knock-in for the opposing team where typically the best player on the other team is off the field bringing the ball into play, and your team then has the benefit of time to regroup and set up your defense. Even if you miss the goal, over time, if pulling the trigger inside the 60 becomes a habit, the goal shots are going to start going in. If you dribble or try to take that extra shot, the window closes and you create a much more difficult shot for yourself.

On defense, unless you have absolutely no option, back the ball. If you turn the ball on defense and lose possession, usually that is going to mean you’re in your half of the field. If you are playing Back, you are responsible for being the last line of defense. If you attempt to turn it and lose it, the most likely result is a goal scoring opportunity for the opposing team.

There is most certainly a place for a short game. But in lower- to intermediate-levels of polo, the back shot is much simpler and devastatingly more effective.

A lot of players and coaches talk about man-lineball. That is a great theory and a basic tenet of our sport. I like to add to that concept there are no free polo balls, you have to go and fight for them. When you are starting out, you get a lot of balls hit to you in space and that’s a great starting point in the beginning. But, at some point you need to do more than just stay up front and wait for the big pass. To get to the next level in your polo you need to start working harder and go and earn your own polo balls. Put an opposing player on your hip and start creating your own plays and opportunities.

Another common mistake for amateur polo players is not practicing riding skills away from games. If you can’t get to the ball, you can’t hit it. If you can stop, turn and get back to the ball consistently more than your opponents, you are going to win more plays, more chukkers and more polo games. There is no better feeling than riding well in a chukker, and no quicker way to improve your on-field performance.

When you are playing, you don’t have time to be thinking about the mechanics of your riding or your swing, the sport is too fast and doesn’t allow for it. For consistent improvement on the field, make the time to work hard on your riding and hitting skills away from the field. It will pay huge dividends in the long run.

I also advocate for taking lessons from an instructor or player you respect on a consistent and continuing basis. No matter how long you’ve been playing, anyone can benefit from lessons. Even an experienced player can benefit from a good coach making corrections and eliminating errors. I’ve been playing this game for 32 years and I still take weekly lessons and learn something every time.

Off the field, the most common mistake I see is attempting to cut corners either with time or money. Polo is expensive so in our program, we have done our best to create a broad ladder of time and money through leasing and custom programs tailored to each client’s needs and goals. With just a 10 to 15% cost differential it is possible to add much more value and the result can be a much better experience for you and your ponies, and that translates to a much higher value for your money. That goes for horses, fields, pros or tournaments. Set a budget for your polo, and most importantly, understand the difference between cost and value. You can enjoy the full season with sound horses or you can go the cheap route and lose half your string because they are not being taken care of properly. Find a program that works for you and pay for it. In polo, if you think a good deal is too good to be true, I can assure you it is. No matter what, there is a cost threshold below which you cannot take care of your livestock properly with the end result being more injuries to your livestock and you.

When we are talking about horses, there is no question you should spend money on having good horses, even if that means you end up having two good horses instead of four mediocre horses. It costs the same to maintain a horse you love as one you hate to play. Buying horses is the cheap part. Proper care and maintenance is the expensive part.

Lastly, use two hands! I can’t say it enough. I have students that come off the field and say they had trouble stopping and my first question is, ‘did you use two hands?’ It might feel a little awkward to start out, but once they figure out how to get their hand in the right spot, all of a sudden they are making stops or turns they never thought they could make.

I have played a lot of different sports in my life and without question, polo is the hardest by far. Consistent, concerted effort and discipline is what is required to improve. Play smart, practice with intent and you will become a player that other players want to play with. Good luck and I hope you put a few of these tips into practice and improve your polo!

Erik Wright is a USPA Certified Instructor as well as a USPA Instructor Certifier based in California.