A performance secret in women's polo
Conserving your energy is key to performing in polo. According to Ignacio Fernandez Llorente, an official umpire of the Argentina Polo Association:
I usually see how exhausting it is using the mallet. I strongly recommend [the following training] for women. Do [sic] this exercise when you stick the ball, when training, and in competitions.
Always leave the mallet up. Once you have struck the ball or used the mallet, with the same movement continue raising the mallet so it stays up, or rests on your shoulder, if you feel more comfortable.
It can never stay down, because of the following:
i. You would use all your strength in lifting the mallet, and have no energy left to hit the ball.
ii. You may not hit it hard enough, so you would have to hit it again; multiple hits is a bad shot.
iii. If you do not swing the mallet forward in a sweeping motion, it will be a wrong shot.
iv. You may not be able to accurately pass the ball.
v. Ultimately you will waste time, and the opposite team could score.
As you can see, a short hit is extremely negative for the game, so I insist mallet up! We see many shots where a bounced ball appears unexpectedly because it was wrongly shot by a player. If your mallet is up, you are always ready to hit it.
Once you get into the habit of doing this, you need to practise so that when the ball appears, you can point to it, arch forward to the right so you can hit it and take priority over the linear direction.
Girls, be careful with the throw-in though, as you have to leave the mallet down. And do not spin it. This will help avoid mishaps.
Ultimately, if you manage to leave the mallet up, not only will you improve your game but you will also save energy.
I usually see how exhausting it is using the mallet. I strongly recommend [the following training] for women. Do [sic] this exercise when you stick the ball, when training, and in competitions.
Always leave the mallet up. Once you have struck the ball or used the mallet, with the same movement continue raising the mallet so it stays up, or rests on your shoulder, if you feel more comfortable.
It can never stay down, because of the following:
i. You would use all your strength in lifting the mallet, and have no energy left to hit the ball.
ii. You may not hit it hard enough, so you would have to hit it again; multiple hits is a bad shot.
iii. If you do not swing the mallet forward in a sweeping motion, it will be a wrong shot.
iv. You may not be able to accurately pass the ball.
v. Ultimately you will waste time, and the opposite team could score.
As you can see, a short hit is extremely negative for the game, so I insist mallet up! We see many shots where a bounced ball appears unexpectedly because it was wrongly shot by a player. If your mallet is up, you are always ready to hit it.
Once you get into the habit of doing this, you need to practise so that when the ball appears, you can point to it, arch forward to the right so you can hit it and take priority over the linear direction.
Girls, be careful with the throw-in though, as you have to leave the mallet down. And do not spin it. This will help avoid mishaps.
Ultimately, if you manage to leave the mallet up, not only will you improve your game but you will also save energy.
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