Tip 35: HIT IT !! ANYWHERE !! JUST HIT IT !! short pause, sound of hitting ball…NOT THERE !!
These were actual words gifted to me as I ran full out across the Number one field in Santa Barbara during the Pacific Coast Open some years back. Isn’t it fun to listen to words uttered (uttered with more volume sounds like yelling) from frustration that don’t have a prayer of making it into any collection of inspirational quotes? As I have been guilty of offering similar useless directives, I just did my best and tried to just hit that ball. I did hit it to the one place my frustrated teammate had obviously not considered when he yelled anywhere.
It is true that sometimes just hitting that ball seems to be a noteworthy accomplishment. However, for effective play in any sport, ball placement and ball possession is what it all comes down to. There have been many an armchair quarterback on the sidelines of polo fields that feels the only acceptable shot is a long one with plenty of loft, you know, the crowd pleaser. Unfortunately, often times that crowd pleaser is more like the “hail mary” football heave down field, that is up for grabs for whoever can get to it first. It looks great, but either team can get to it, lowering the probability of your team getting possession, lowering your number of shots on goal.
The most effective way to hit the ball is to place it either to the advantage of one of your teammates or yourself. There has been much debate as to whether one should just hit it or play with it. The “play with it” category is one who is capable of handling the ball in dribble strokes at any speed, much to the frustration of the opponents and often times to teammates.
So somewhere between launching the big one and playing with it lies the complete player. In my observations, the polo greats have been the players who can do it all. They can hit away accurately, they can dribble at any speed, and they can even hit the ball out of the air with seemingly little effort. They have all the various clubs that one carries around the golf course in one single mallet. They select the correct “club” depending on the current play situation. They assess the layout of the teams and the present lie of the ball and based on that information take the shot that is to their team’s best advantage. One hit may be launching it to an uncovered number one out front. The next time may be dribbling the ball through a pack as all teammates are covered.
Dribbling has always been very controversial to the ranks that preach a more traditional game of big hits. I would imagine that comes from the fact that everyone is hoping to get a few hits and are not very impressed when a teammate hogs the ball. In basketball, we used to call them a ball hongo. Now if that hongo turns out to be Alan Iverson or Kobe Bryant, you may be in pretty good shape as far as a win/loss record.
But even in basketball, as proved in numerous titles, it is the complete teams with complete players who are as strong in their assist statistics as they are in their scoring that are winning National Titles. They can shoot three pointers and bring it to the basket. The same applies to our sport. There are time when the dribble is the most effective play and times when the pass or hitting away is the proper selection. The complete polo player and the complete polo teams are able to do either.
When you are passing to a teammate you should lead them to their advantage. You try to hit the ball to an area that makes it easy for them to progress to. For example, if they have an opponent riding them on their left, you hit at an angle to the right of your teammate, preferably allowing them at least several strides before they reach the ball. Likewise, if you are carrying the ball and being ridden or pursued, you hit to your advantage, not to your opponents’. This may seem obvious as we review it on paper, but it is not always so obvious when we are on horseback thundering down the field.
Most players would agree that a shorter pass is preferable to a teammate when they are working against opponents. Longer passes are effective in situations where your teammate clearly has their opponents beat. But as you get closer to goal, shorter passes are again preferable. How often have we seen that long driving pass cross the back line before your teammate can get to it to correct its course? We need to think about our approach shot to goal more like laying the ball up on the green in golf. There are times depending on the opponents’ position that a strong shot on goal is far more effective than shorter lay-up or dribble strokes. And there are times where the shorter lay-up shot and dribbling the ball is your higher percentage shot. Some players are more confident with the strong drives, others with dribbling. Remember, the really tough players to defend are those who can do either. Often times the field is the deciding factor. If the turf is like a putting green, ball handling is a more realistic option. If the field is rough and the ball is on a good lie, now might be your best shot, whereas if the ball is skipping from divot to divot, you may just want to slow your swing and make sure to just hit it. There really is no right or wrong method. It more depends on the situation, the field, and the abilities of the players at any given time. Most importantly, in closing, the next time someone yells for you to just hit it-anywhere, I hope that you are able to hit it somewhere. Happy Polo !!
