Tip 40: Undefended Penalties
Undefended Outdoor Penalties #2 (30 yards) & #3 (40 yards)
Ok, what could one possibly talk about? Undefended. Just take the shot. Hit it through, score and throw-in. Miss, knock-in. Short, knock-in from that spot. Defense, none, nada. As I type, there is discussion to again allow a defense to the open goal outdoor. For those of you new to the game, they use to allow defenders to jump over the back line and race across the front of the goal just as the shot was taken. The ongoing debate about bringing it back is all about safety. No defense, no chance of anyone getting hurt. The other side of the debate is that the whole game is a chance of getting hit, so why is it all of a sudden an issue on penalties?
Well, while the polo world continues the debate, this article will go with the present ruling, no defense.
So tip #1-Defense
If you are defending, stand both behind the end line and well wide of the goal posts. You are not allowed to stand between the goal posts, and why would you? Do you like being drilled by a hard plastic ball being fired at you? And if your answer is yes to the previous question, at least think of the horse. I always turned my horse away from the shot being attempted, to protect the horse’s head from the attempted shot. There is absolutely no reason to be anywhere near the goal posts. So stay behind the line and well to the side in case someone hits a hard shot wide of goal. If you do not stay behind the goal line and at least 30 yards from where they set the ball, you will wind up giving the hitting team another shot if they miss. So if they award a spot hit from 2 yards out, you are suppose to be 28 yards behind the back line.
Sometimes a team or team member that has committed the foul will canter back to the throw-in with the feeling that the penalty is a given. In my years, I have seen some shots missed from inches, not yards, inches away from goal. I certainly cant remember doing so myself, and if I did, I would have surely blocked that experience from memory, (please, no write ins). So if the goal is important to the outcome of the game, stay behind the goal line, you just never know.
Tip #2-Offense
The open goal allows us to focus on hitting straight. We are not forced to hit hard due to someone rushing out, trying to defend. So don’t hurry yourself. You are only allowed one approach, so start back a ways so you can get a good line to the ball. Some canter, some walk. Do whatever you are most comfortable with. Some horses will not steady at the walk, some won’t steady at the canter. You should take a full, steady swing with your focus on following through straight. Too many players shorten their swing and wind up getting tight, which usually winds up in a missed opportunity. Don’t swing hard, just swing through the ball and keep your focus on your mallet head facing the goal as you finish your swing. As you only get one pass outdoors, sometimes your horse may take a funny step just about when you are ready to hit. Try to maintain calm and adjust your swing to make the best of what you are left with. You should practice taking shots on the wrong lead, at a trot, and at various angles, so that at least you are familiar with hitting under various conditions. It would be wonderful to always get that great approach, but not very realistic. It’s not always all about a great shot, sometimes it is just the shot that works. You get a goal if the ball rolls through or if it sails through, so with no defense, straight is our focus. Happy Polo !!
