Tip 46: The Strong Side of the Field? Is there such a thing?.....Is that where the grass is thicker??
Granted that for beginning, novice, and intermediate levels of play, just being able to carry the ball any number of consecutive hits on either side of the field is a real plus. However, when we move into more competitive levels, we need to understand that the right side of the field as we head to the goal we are trying to score at is considered the strong side on offense.
Simply because we can often get to the right and leave our opponents to the left of us, allowing us a “protected offside shot” as we continue to goal.
Accordingly, the defense of this play is to be to the stick side, or the offside of the attacking team. It is surprising the number of players do not realize that it is better to come up on the offside of an opponent when they are either approaching from behind or following teammates already on the ball. This will give you either a hook, a play on the ball, or at the very least, force them to the nearside.
The left side of the field while attacking is weaker in that your opponents can get to your mallet easier as you turn towards goal. In addition, if you are forced to your nearside, you are left with more difficult options coming in from the left and on your nearside.
On defense, the tables turn. We like the left side of goal or the left side of the field as we head in the direction that the opponents are trying to score. That is because either a nearside open or an offside tail gets us to our strong side on offense.
Most teammates are going to expect that offside tail or nearside open backhander when you are anywhere on the left or center field. If you are well to the right and nearing the goal they are trying to score at, you may elect to back the board to the right or in the opposite direction so as not to place the ball in front of the goal with a weak backhander to the left side.
If the opponents are out of position, it is sometimes favorable to go to the weak side on either offense or defense.
We should all practice hitting the ball at angles away from us as we carry the ball downfield as if there was an opponent trying to ride you off on the far side. If you can cut the ball slightly away from you on your offside or nearside, your chances of retaining possession are much greater. Unfortunately, often times we tend to hit the ball in towards the horse or straight which will make nit much easier for the opponent to either get the ball or ride you over it. I have talked about our tendency to let our mallethead turn too quickly towards the horse on our follow thru. We need to learn to keep the mallethead facing the direction we would like the ball to go as we finish our stroke.
In outdoor polo, getting more to center on offense gives us the better option for a clear shot on goal, whereas in the arena, the corner walls are often a viable option to get to goal. The wall in the arena is an entirely different dynamic. Keep in mind that in outdoors, if you have the caliber of horse, getting to the ball and then turning in to goal with it is far more effective than a very difficult angle towards the uprights…unless of course, your specialty is hitting from the far outside corner with a small percentage of the goal available. And there are many higher goal players with that very ability.
On defense, outdoors and in the arena, our best course of action is a clearing shot at an angle to the boards or walls, preferably to our strong side. It is usually not advisable to hit across your own goal, the one you are defending unless you have the horse and the ability, for the simple reason that if you lose it or miss-hit it, the opponents have a great shot on goal,
In any event, even if you cannot control the ball at this stage of your game, you have a better idea of what the better players are up to and may possibly be able to get into a better position to defend the play.
I wish you many trips down the strong side of the field. Happy Polo!!
