The new Sloitar

Imposter

The joys of being in central Europe I managed to see my first Championship game this year at the weekend. Anyways seeing as the game was a little one-sided this new Sloitar debate kept me awake.

Has anyone used it and if so what do they think? Is it supposed to not take in water in the winter or why exactly was it introduced?

Someone also mentioned that it bounced a bit high but I didn't see anything unusual on Sunday!

Lawdie

I've used the new ball and it does bounce really high. The second half where the ball hopped off the tipp goalie shows how awkward the new ball is.
No really happy about the change. Okay it will be better if it does not soak up the water. But why not move the seasons.
Hurling is crap in the pouring rain and wind, take that from someone whos hurled for many years.
Verdict new ball needs more work.

BigCon

I think the new ball makes it a better game, more suited to the more skillful hurlers. However the big point is that the ball should not have been introduced without telling anyone (esp the players). It should have been introduced for a trial period during the league....

Imposter

Originally posted by Lawdie
Hurling is crap in the pouring rain and wind, take that from someone whos hurled for many years.
Verdict new ball needs more work.

What! There's nothing like the romance of playing hurling during a good shower of hail, that leaves a whiteness on the pitch, that makes the ball almost impossible to see until it whacks off you and stings the life out of you. That and trying to hit a thing that is at least ten times heavier than you thought it would be.

Problem of seasons is ok for club hurling but not very easy when it comes to school or university hurling!

But why not introduce this ball in club championships or Fitzgibbon cup and test it's effectiveness in the winter (which I presume is the main reason for introducing it) before flinging it into the flagship competition 'to see how it works'?

MrJoeSoap

It sure does bounce !!!!!!! I was in the Canal end on sunday and TWICE the sliotar came my direction and made an almighty bounce out of my reach. If it was the old one it would have been in my hand on both occasions. It seemed to travel loads on the pitch too, and even if it bounced within 15-20 yards of the endline it would bounce out. Still remains to be seen if its going to be permanent.

I KNOW !!!!!! Maybe Paddy Power should stick their logo on all the new sliotars and the GAA would have the new ones back in the blink of an eye. Just a thought.

Mutz

http://www.gaelicgazette.com/balltampering.htm

I Read that and I didn't like the sound of the new sliotar. We still use normal O'Neills and various sliotars so I havent had a go yet.

Why not just use a new sliotar at each half?

gerire

Originally posted by Mutz

Why not just use a new sliotar at each half?

Even at Junior club level you use about 5 balls a game, so in intercounty matches atleast 10+ balls get onto a pitch in Croker.

As regards to the ball,

Our club uses 'cuffe' sliotars and I love these for my puck outs as they are like plastic and really zip along. But saying that I used to enjoy when we would arrive in Ballyboden and the umpire would hand me a new O'neills ball that with its weight you nearly felt you could point from the puck out. That is until it started raining and even moving the ball past the 45 was a skill in itself.

I nearly caught one of these new balls recently at croker and it 'bounced out of my hand', the cheek of it, and went then to a club game and saw a kid hitting one around on a nearby field. On a pitch with 2" of wet grass this 12 year old still managed to bounce the ball on the 21 and it made it over the bar.

It will ruin the game and sending a ball alone the sideline will not really be an option cause if they let it run on or god forbid miss it the ball is out. So it will force the game into the middle of the field which isnt really what we need for this game to progress

Big Ears

this new slioter needs to be fixed i play u 14 hurling and i can send the thing over from half way. WTF are oneils doing.