Free taking in Hurling.

DublinGAA96

Hi guys,

My manager recently said he is looking for a new free taker.
Now I have experience of free taking before like practicing myself, but never in a match. I am looking for a new technique, does anybody have any suggestions or idea's as to which techniques are most succesfull and easiest to get full accuracy etc? Personally I feel I'm strongest at the colin lynch/joe deane approach but I have to rethink it.

any help is much appreciated

Cake Man

Tbh, it's really just a case of whatever way you feel most comfortable with yourself, there isn't really any proven way, at least I don't think so anyway. I'd take a free like say the way Shefflin or Paul Flynn takes them/used to take them, just kind of a laid back and I think that style maximises the distance you can get on a free. The Joe Deane style is probably more suited to close range frees by holding the hurley short but that style wouldn't be that effective for long range frees/65's.
One thing I would recommend is standing over the ball as opposed to getting a run up to it. Getting a run up to it will prob give more distance but you'll sacrifice accuracy. If you ever see Maurice Shanahan take a free, he does this. I don't particularly like that style but each to their own I suppose!
So to sum up, just adopt a style you're most comfortable with a practice the sh!t out with that style!

DublinGAA96

Cake Man wrote: »

The Joe Deane style is probably more suited to close range frees by holding the hurley short but that style wouldn't be that effective for long range frees/65's.

Yeah I totally understand this, but the reality of it is I will only be taking free's from inside the 45', so do you think Joe Deane's style would be suitable? Also, would it also help to go to a ball alley and practice technique there or is the most suitable place just out on the field? Thanks for your help!

bruschi

DublinGAA96 wrote: »

Yeah I totally understand this, but the reality of it is I will only be taking free's from inside the 45', so do you think Joe Deane's style would be suitable? Also, would it also help to go to a ball alley and practice technique there or is the most suitable place just out on the field? Thanks for your help!

a ball alley wont help. you dont take frees in a game off a timber floor.

and why are you fixated on taking someone elses style too? this is where you will make mistakes. same with trying to change your style. if you can hit frees comfortably, why would you change the way you do it? Joe Deanes style worked for him very well. but he is only one of hundreds or thousands who does it that way, and it is not conventional, and I certainly wouldnt be coaching it to players.

another thing is what way do you hold the hurl. do you have the left hand on top, but strike from the right side?

Funfair

bruschi wrote: »

a ball alley wont help. you dont take frees in a game off a timber floor.

Most hurling alleys built over the last few years have artificial grass..
having said that they still are not the most suitable place to practice free's..

You have to stay back after training with a bag of sliotars on the field and practice and keep practicing in all weather conditions to become any way good at taking them..

nice_guy80

invest in a bag of sliotars (say 10)
bring someone to the pitch with you (young fella or auld fella!)

hit lots of frees from every angle. starting from the 21m line and working your way out down both sides of the pitch and middle of pitch away from goals.

you need to improve the quality of the lift of the ball (timing and ball placement), how clean you strike the ball and the accuracy.
practice on a goals that has a ball stopped behind
think of aiming for a point on the ball stopper rather than between the posts.
the top free takers usually aim to hit the post as that takes serious accuracy.

it is all about routine. look at how the top free takers in any sport approach it - hurling, football, rugby etc consistant routine, relaxed but focussed.

if you are anyways good at striking then 65s should be well within your range.

Cake Man

keep practicing in all weather conditions

Exactly. No harm in going out and hitting a few on a rainy or windy day, it won't always be dry and calm during a match. Practicing in windy conditions will give you a better judgment on how to shoot whilst taking the breeze into account and practicing in wet conditions is vital, as it's much more difficult to hit a free with a wet ball-it usually just skids off the hurley and I find the ball swerves in the air sometimes (depending on what the sliotar is like).

you need to improve the quality of the lift of the ball

This is very important too I think. Nothing worse than lifting the ball and realising you lifted it a bit too close to your body. You have to re-adjust your stance and 90% of the time it results in totally messing up the free. I find roll-lifting the ball causes that more often than jab lifting, especially when you're using one of those sliotars with a thick/chunky brown strip part (can't for the life of me think of the name of it but you know what I mean!).

DublinGAA96

bruschi wrote: »

another thing is what way do you hold the hurl. do you have the left hand on top, but strike from the right side?

No, I have my right hand on top and strike off my left. Another thing, when I take a free in a similar fashion to shefflin or eoin kelly etc, my hurl is facing away from the goal, rather than towards it which makes that sort of technique very diffucult, so that wouldn't work. How could I improve the quality of my lift? And, is it better to roll or jab lift the ball?

Irish Hitman

I used to find the way DJ carey took his was a good way about it. Bend the back stay close to the ground for a second, Roll lift up and leave it on the hurl for a second and strike it towards goal

AnLu

Does anyone know what is the time span allowed between lifting the ball and actually hitting it? How long can you balance the ball on your hurl before flicking it up?
Thanks in advance

premierstone

AnLu wrote: »

Does anyone know what is the time span allowed between lifting the ball and actually hitting it? How long can you balance the ball on your hurl before flicking it up?
Thanks in advance

Nickey English used to leave it on it for what seemed an eternity and was never pulled up on it, its nothing something that is enforced at all.

ManFromCheese

DublinGAA96 wrote: »

No, I have my right hand on top and strike off my left. Another thing, when I take a free in a similar fashion to shefflin or eoin kelly etc, my hurl is facing away from the goal, rather than towards it which makes that sort of technique very diffucult, so that wouldn't work. How could I improve the quality of my lift? And, is it better to roll or jab lift the ball?

take a look at how paul ryan dublin strikes hes frees so!