Unorthodox grip: Minor

Gee

A bit of background:
I started playing hurling when i was about 6, when i was 12 i gave up and i recently(2 months ago) joined back hurling & football at the age of 16.
I held the hurley wrong from the start and it never bothered me, even at 10 when my teacher tried to fix it.
hurling training starts tomorrow and I don't know whether to stick with my grip or try and fix it?

How I hold the hurley:
I hold the hurley with the left hand on top, I catch with my left hand and strike of my right which means I throw the ball up with my left hand and put it back on top then strike. I solo holding the hurley with my right hand but its always a handswidth down the hurley not on top.

If I should change my grip, any tips on how to change? I tried recently but it is agonizing how poor my strike is when I do, It feels so unnatural.
Thanks,

deadybai

Do what ever is comfortable for you. If you are at no disadvantage in striking or catching then I wouldn't change. If you really want to change the only thing I would recommend do is visit a hurling wall and practice the 'unnatural way' again and again and again until you feel really comfortable. Its not going to change overnight so plenty of practice would be essential. Make sure you practice striking on the left also. When I visit a wall ball I try and keep my striking 70% on the left and 30% on the right (I am right handed).
Good Luck!

Gee

Thank you, the reason I am worried is people say when you throw the ball up to strike it with the hand thats on top, you take longer to strike which isnt good in a match and some of my friends can score from 65's but I can only score from 45. part of this is maybe my lack of strength but I thought maybe some of it is my grip too.

markfla

went back hurling a few years ago myself and do the same thing, technically hitting off my left is correct with my left hand at the top but incorrect off the right with my left hand on the top too. When you think about it every right handed player I've seen has his right hand on the top when hitting off the left which is technically wrong too? There are loads of top hurlers who do it this way too, keep an eye on every picture of a hurler you see in the papers or online and you'll see there are plenty.

Also with myself when playing the xbox I have to invert the y axis..down is up in the thumb stick...my brain is wired arse ways but it's whatever you're comfortable with. I got myself in a rut trying to correct it and constantly thinking about it which got in the way of me just letting myself hurl naturally as I would. Here's a few pics to put you at ease, all savage hurlers. Aidan Walsh, Willie Hyland & Eoin Larkin

Gee

markfla wrote: »

went back hurling a few years ago myself and do the same thing, technically hitting off my left is correct with my left hand at the top but incorrect off the right with my left hand on the top too. When you think about it every right handed player I've seen has his right hand on the top when hitting off the left which is technically wrong too? There are loads of top hurlers who do it this way too, keep an eye on every picture of a hurler you see in the papers or online and you'll see there are plenty.

Also with myself when playing the xbox I have to invert the y axis..down is up in the thumb stick...my brain is wired arse ways but it's whatever you're comfortable with. I got myself in a rut trying to correct it and constantly thinking about it which got in the way of me just letting myself hurl naturally as I would. Here's a few pics to put you at ease, all savage hurlers. Aidan Walsh, Willie Hyland & Eoin Larkin

This has definitely made me more confident in the way I do it.
I guess the main aim in hurling is hit the ball from A to B and whichever way I choose to do it is ok, as long as I'm good at that way!

Twiceasnice97

Sorry mark buth all of this is totally inaccurate and misunderstands the kids problem. The players you are talking about have their left hand on to because they are naturally left handed. The key difference is that they catch the ball in their right hand. This lad is hurling with the right hand lower down, the left hand on top the same as these guys but catchs the ball in his left hand. Hend absolutely must change this if say all possible otherwise he will never be able to hit the ball off his left side with any power. Walter walsh is a good example of this. a player who could be terrifying is made manageable by the knowledge that pushing him on to his left reduces his effectiveness.

Make every effort to change to right on top or it wil l diminish you as a player. This is not an opinion it is a simple fact

Get your dad our someone to tape your right hand to the top of the hurley and go out in the back yard and stick at it.
Best of luck

markfla wrote: »

went back hurling a few years ago myself and do the same thing, technically hitting off my left is correct with my left hand at the top but incorrect off the right with my left hand on the top too. When you think about it every right handed player I've seen has his right hand on the top when hitting off the left which is technically wrong too? There are loads of top hurlers who do it this way too, keep an eye on every picture of a hurler you see in the papers or online and you'll see there are plenty.

Also with myself when playing the xbox I have to invert the y axis..down is up in the thumb stick...my brain is wired arse ways but it's whatever you're comfortable with. I got myself in a rut trying to correct it and constantly thinking about it which got in the way of me just letting myself hurl naturally as I would. Here's a few pics to put you at ease, all savage hurlers. Aidan Walsh, Willie Hyland & Eoin Larkin

Twiceasnice97

Watch larkins catching hand and the hand he carers his hurley in. this lad catchs with his left but carrys the hurley in his right if I understand you correctly
Also tell your coach about the problem and even your team mates and they should be very helpful to you

markfla

Good points, important to be able to catch with both. For an old dog like me it's probably too late. As said above talk to coach, few opinions and hit the ball alley

nice_guy80

Twiceasnice97 wrote: »

Sorry mark buth all of this is totally inaccurate and misunderstands the kids problem. The players you are talking about have their left hand on to because they are naturally left handed. The key difference is that they catch the ball in their right hand. This lad is hurling with the right hand lower down, the left hand on top the same as these guys but catchs the ball in his left hand. Hend absolutely must change this if say all possible otherwise he will never be able to hit the ball off his left side with any power. Walter walsh is a good example of this. a player who could be terrifying is made manageable by the knowledge that pushing him on to his left reduces his effectiveness.

Make every effort to change to right on top or it wil l diminish you as a player. This is not an opinion it is a simple fact

Get your dad our someone to tape your right hand to the top of the hurley and go out in the back yard and stick at it.
Best of luck

Catch with your other hand.
Keep the left hand on the Hurley.

You're too old to change old habits!
Best thing is to maximise your potential with the unorthodox grip

Cornerstoner

What hand do you write with? Always have that hand on top, doesn't matter which side you swing off

Grudaire

markfla wrote: »

Good points, important to be able to catch with both. For an old dog like me it's probably too late. As said above talk to coach, few opinions and hit the ball alley

Keep your damn slioters out of the ball alley :mad:

Twiceasnice97

nice_guy80 wrote: »

Catch with your other hand.
Keep the left hand on the Hurley.

You're too old to change old habits!
Best thing is to maximise your potential with the unorthodox grip

Not correct but a firm myth of the gaa this one. It is difficult but a willing player can change at any age. I changed a 15 year old last summer. His friend who was not willing to put the work in can't change he tells me.
I was speaking to a hurling coach who teachs in a kilkenny primary school. He could not get one of the current ballyhale players to change in school but when the same player got to 22 and was not making the seniors he changed himself over a winter. He has an allireland club medal on the field of play.

There is no obligation to change but you can't fulfil your potential if you don't.

Gee

nice_guy80 wrote: »

Catch with your other hand.
Keep the left hand on the Hurley.

You're too old to change old habits!
Best thing is to maximise your potential with the unorthodox grip

Im right handed, so shouldn't i just keep catching with my left and learn to play with my right hand on top?

Cornerstoner

Gee wrote: »

Im right handed, so shouldn't i just keep catching with my left and learn to play with my right hand on top?

Yes thats exactly what you should be trying to do

CrabRevolution

Had the same problem myself till I was 14/15, a coach at a skills camp picked some of us out and basicaly forced us to change. I think there's nothing fully "wrong" with the golf style grip (holding your dominant hand closer to the head), but it makes it more awkward for striking off your weaker side.

Took a little while to get used to the "right" way (weaker hand on top), but since your arms are already used to the basic mechanics of the strike, you will get into it after a bit of practice.

Twiceasnice97

CrabRevolution wrote: »

Had the same problem myself till I was 14/15, a coach at a skills camp picked some of us out and basicaly forced us to change. I think there's nothing fully "wrong" with the golf style grip (holding your dominant hand closer to the head), but it makes it more awkward for striking off your weaker side.

there are lots of little small things that players do incorrectly that don`t make a whole ton of difference but catching the ball in the hand closeset to the top of the stick is not one of them.

it is a disaster which wrecks the chances of otherwise good players to fulfil their potential

Martin567

CrabRevolution wrote: »

Took a little while to get used to the "right" way (weaker hand on top), but since your arms are already used to the basic mechanics of the strike, you will get into it after a bit of practice.

Weaker hand on top is the wrong way!!

Twiceasnice97

just for clarity for the original poster.

if you are right handed you should have your right hand on top and catch the ball in your left.

for the time being no matter how frustrating it may be you should commit to doing it this way. you might be weak this year but that is better than being weak for ten years which is what will happen if you stick to the current style

CrabRevolution

Martin567 wrote: »

Weaker hand on top is the wrong way!!

Here's the strike of the ball in absurd detail, you clearly see he throws it from his weaker ("non dominant") hand, then places the weak hand closer to the head of the hurl.

Martin567

CrabRevolution wrote: »

Here's the strike of the ball in absurd detail, you clearly see he throws it from his weaker ("non dominant") hand, then places the weak hand closer to the head of the hurl.

Your earlier post said that the correct grip was to have the "weak" hand at the TOP of the hurl. To my mind, the top of the hurl is the narrowest part. In your post above, you refer to the HEAD of the hurl by which I presume you mean the bas (the part that strikes the ball).

The video you attached above clearly shows the player with his strong hand (right) on the top of the hurl. Given that the OP was looking for advice, I think you should be careful not to confuse the issue further by using careless terminology!

CrabRevolution

Martin567 wrote: »

Your earlier post said that the correct grip was to have the "weak" hand at the TOP of the hurl. To my mind, the top of the hurl is the narrowest part. In your post above, you refer to the HEAD of the hurl by which I presume you mean the bas (the part that strikes the ball).

The video you attached above clearly shows the player with his strong hand (right) on the top of the hurl. Given that the OP was looking for advice, I think you should be careful not to confuse the issue further by using careless terminology!

We're both saying the same thing so, just confusing our terminology. In my mind on top means closer to the head!

Twiceasnice97

CrabRevolution wrote: »

We're both saying the same thing so, just confusing our terminology. In my mind on top means closer to the head!

i really don`t know what you are trying to do. your postings are utterly confusing.

the strikes in that video are being executed by a player who has a strong right hand. that right hand is on top of the hurley. he is catching the ball in his left hand and off both sides the same hand is on top of the hurley and the catching hand returnsns to the hurley below the strong hand

the kid that opened this topic looking for advice does not do that. he has his hands the other way around. he catchs the ball in his left hand and puts that hand at the top of the hurley when he throws it up.
thats fine when you are striking off your right side but a disaster off your left

Slobbery

OP - put the effort in to change, I won't happen overnight but it will in a short enough space of time and it will improve your striking and it will pay off. Go to a ball alley with your strong hand taped to the top of the Hurley or strapped to your wrist somehow.
Make your coaches aware you are trying to change and some of your teammates you are friendly with, they can watch out for it and correct you when you subconsciously cross your hands to the wrong grip, bandage up your strong wrist, or wear a wristband or a glove on your strong hand, it will be a good visual aid to anyone looking on so they can pick up when you are switching hands

Don't carry on regardless - with practice you will 100% change

Twiceasnice97

Slobbery wrote: »

OP - put the effort in to change, I won't happen overnight but it will in a short enough space of time and it will improve your striking and it will pay off. Go to a ball alley with your strong hand taped to the top of the Hurley or strapped to your wrist somehow.
Make your coaches aware you are trying to change and some of your teammates you are friendly with, they can watch out for it and correct you when you subconsciously cross your hands to the wrong grip, bandage up your strong wrist, or wear a wristband or a glove on your strong hand, it will be a good visual aid to anyone looking on so they can pick up when you are switching hands

Don't carry on regardless - with practice you will 100% change

there is a rubber strap you can buy that works for this

Gee

just incase people with this problem read this thread, I changed and now hold it the correct way.
It didnt take long and now holding it the wrong way feels wrong and holding it the right way is easy. Just take advantage of a hurling wall!!

Twiceasnice97

Gee wrote: »

just incase people with this problem read this thread, I changed and now hold it the correct way.
It didnt take long and now holding it the wrong way feels wrong and holding it the right way is easy. Just take advantage of a hurling wall!!

Once you are committed to doing it there is no problem.
Great credit due to you

beggars_bush

Gee wrote: »

just incase people with this problem read this thread, I changed and now hold it the correct way.
It didnt take long and now holding it the wrong way feels wrong and holding it the right way is easy. Just take advantage of a hurling wall!!

Fair play.
I've tried to change so many young lads and failed.

arctictree

Just thought I'd bring up this old thread.

I've recently taken charge of a group of juveniles and its amazing how many have the wrong grip. I've shown them the right way but many of them just won't do it as 'it doesn't feel right'? Do ye think its a bit much to make them stand out if they wont do it?!

Dirty Dingus McGee

arctictree wrote: »

Just thought I'd bring up this old thread.

I've recently taken charge of a group of juveniles and its amazing how many have the wrong grip. I've shown them the right way but many of them just won't do it as 'it doesn't feel right'? Do ye think its a bit much to make them stand out if they wont do it?!

Can't imagine it's that odd.

I didn't play a huge amount of hurling and only at Junior B level but when I started playing when I was young it naturally felt more right as a right handed person to hold the hurl in my right hand, catch the ball in my left hand and the left hand would be on top when striking the ball.

Regardless of it being the correct technique it is surely odd to hold the hurl in your left hand if you happen to be right handed unless you are told otherwise.

nice_guy80

What age?

I'll give you a few tricks to try change them

arctictree

nice_guy80 wrote: »

What age?

I'll give you a few tricks to try change them

U8

nice_guy80

number one issue is hurley length and weight

replace all their hurleys with smaller ones

you can get 'mini hurleys' from Curran in Westmeath and do lots of bean bag work - ensure they are holding mini hurley with strong hand and catching with weaker hand.

glue a glove onto the stick for their strong hand - they have to put hand through the glove to hold hurley.

give all parents a leaflet explaining why this needs to be done, for the sake of the child.
make it a policy throughout the club that the first few weeks of the season are focussed on correct hurley grip and also hurley size. when children first come into the club, parents should buy the hurley off the club, not in a shop. They ALWAYS buy a bigger hurley and think the child will grow into it.

Martin567

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

Can't imagine it's that odd.

I didn't play a huge amount of hurling and only at Junior B level but when I started playing when I was young it naturally felt more right as a right handed person to hold the hurl in my right hand, catch the ball in my left hand and the left hand would be on top when striking the ball.

Regardless of it being the correct technique it is surely odd to hold the hurl in your left hand if you happen to be right handed unless you are told otherwise.

I'm very confused as to what you're saying here.

Everything was correct in your first paragraph until you got to the bit about the left hand being on top. This would involve a switch of hands after throwing the ball up to hit it.

Your second paragraph makes no sense at all. A right handed person holding the hurl in their left hand is most definitely not the correct technique!

Dirty Dingus McGee

Martin567 wrote: »

I'm very confused as to what you're saying here.

Everything was correct in your first paragraph until you got to the bit about the left hand being on top. This would involve a switch of hands after throwing the ball up to hit it.

Your second paragraph makes no sense at all. A right handed person holding the hurl in their left hand is most definitely not the correct technique!

OK.The correct technique in hurling seems to be the equivalent of playing a back hand shot in tennis.That seems odd if you take into consideration other sports which involve using a stick/bat to hit a ball.




I catch the ball in my left hand hold the hurl in my right and when I strike the ball the left hand would be on top (closest to the handle of the hurl), the right hand is doing all the work in swinging the hurl.

I'll go home this evening and check if I described what I do correctly.

Martin567

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

OK.The correct technique in hurling seems to be the equivalent of playing a back hand shot in tennis.That seems odd if you take into consideration other sports which involve using a stick/bat to hit a ball.


I catch the ball in my left hand hold the hurl in my right and when I strike the ball the left hand would be on top (closest to the handle of the hurl), the right hand is doing all the work in swinging the hurl.

I'll go home this evening and check if I described what I do correctly.

One thing that makes hurling different to other sports involving a stick and a ball is the fact that, to play at a decent standard, players have to be able to hit from both sides. This is not the case in other sports. Also, hurlers will have the same hand on top when striking from the left or right.

I would consider striking from the right with your right hand on top to be the equivalent of a forehand in tennis. Striking from the left with your right hand on top is like a backhand.

Your method of switching hands when striking the ball is completely unorthodox. A few intercounty players do it, Walter Walsh being a good example but it is not to be recommended.

I find it interesting that you consider your right hand (the lower hand as you swing) to be the one doing all the work. I'm also right handed (with my right hand on top) and I consider that the top hand does all the work.

I play golf using left handed clubs (with my right hand on top). I see it as being left sided (or a right handed backhand) and not left handed in any way. My right hand (the top one) is the hand doing all the work.

nice_guy80

in tennis you don't have to run and strike the ball

the forearm muscles are ideally suited to the strong hand at end of hurley for grip and other hand guiding the swing
this grip gives the forearm muscles the spring like tension to be able to snap a much tighter and efficient swing

whereas when the hands are switched, the swing is much looser and the upper body is needed to generate more power

Dirty Dingus McGee

Martin567 wrote: »

One thing that makes hurling different to other sports involving a stick and a ball is the fact that, to play at a decent standard, players have to be able to hit from both sides. This is not the case in other sports. Also, hurlers will have the same hand on top when striking from the left or right.

I would consider striking from the right with your right hand on top to be the equivalent of a forehand in tennis. Striking from the left with your right hand on top is like a backhand.

Your method of switching hands when striking the ball is completely unorthodox. A few intercounty players do it, Walter Walsh being a good example but it is not to be recommended.

I find it interesting that you consider your right hand (the lower hand as you swing) to be the one doing all the work. I'm also right handed (with my right hand on top) and I consider that the top hand does all the work.

I play golf using left handed clubs (with my right hand on top). I see it as being left sided (or a right handed backhand) and not left handed in any way. My right hand (the top one) is the hand doing all the work.

Just checked my strike again and as I described I hold the hurl in my right, hold the ball in my left and when I strike the ball the left had is always above the right hand and the right hand is doing almost all of the work.

Any other way seems extremely unnatural, nobody ever taught me how to strike the ball so that was the way I first picked up a hurl I did it that way and I'd say it's not that odd an occurrence in general as if I picked up any other type of object to swing I'd do the same thing.

Bonniedog

I once got into a huge row with a county board coach over this! I'm same - or rather was as retired now - and was could strike almost as well on both sides. I never bothered correcting young fellas if they gripped the stick with left hand on top, once they were comfortable with it. Main thing is to develop your weaker side and that is down to practise, not grip.

Coach by the way was fit to be tied! Everything has to be by the manual now :-(

Realt Dearg Sec

A lot of the posts on here remind me of babs Keating's comment, "if you asked him to shorten the hurl, he'd start from the wrong end".

Twiceasnice97

arctictree wrote: »

Just thought I'd bring up this old thread.

I've recently taken charge of a group of juveniles and its amazing how many have the wrong grip. I've shown them the right way but many of them just won't do it as 'it doesn't feel right'? Do ye think its a bit much to make them stand out if they wont do it?!

it`s not amazing at all.
It begins with children having hurleys that are too big for them so the hand starts to move down the hurley to control it.
the old measurement of hurley to the hip is far far too big for kids
secondly coachs are content if a child can hit the ball out of the hand and make a contribution in under 8 and 10 games with no sense of how that will affect their ability to play as an adult and also some people have no sense of whats going on other than where the ball is

the key question is that loads of children play the way you describe but only walter walsh does it at intercounty level. if it doesn`t affect you where do all of those players go in the journey from club under 10 to inter county minor and on

the only reason walsh can do it at all is because he is so physically powerful

Twiceasnice97

Martin567 wrote: »

One thing that makes hurling different to other sports involving a stick and a ball is the fact that, to play at a decent standard, players have to be able to hit from both sides. This is not the case in other sports. Also, hurlers will have the same hand on top when striking from the left or right.

I would consider striking from the right with your right hand on top to be the equivalent of a forehand in tennis. Striking from the left with your right hand on top is like a backhand.

Your method of switching hands when striking the ball is completely unorthodox. A few intercounty players do it, Walter Walsh being a good example but it is not to be recommended.

I find it interesting that you consider your right hand (the lower hand as you swing) to be the one doing all the work. I'm also right handed (with my right hand on top) and I consider that the top hand does all the work.

I play golf using left handed clubs (with my right hand on top). I see it as being left sided (or a right handed backhand) and not left handed in any way. My right hand (the top one) is the hand doing all the work.

can you name another one?

Walsh is in fact the only one

Twiceasnice97

Bonniedog wrote: »

I once got into a huge row with a county board coach over this! I'm same - or rather was as retired now - and was could strike almost as well on both sides. I never bothered correcting young fellas if they gripped the stick with left hand on top, once they were comfortable with it. Main thing is to develop your weaker side and that is down to practise, not grip.

Coach by the way was fit to be tied! Everything has to be by the manual now :-(

you are totally utterly and completely wrong and the coach is right.
Your attitude has prevented countless children reaching their full potential.

if you were correct intercounty hurling would be full of players hurling the way you walsh did but it`s not.

The children you coached who held the hurley the wrong way had all the same ambitions physical and mental abilitys and desires as the kids who did it correctly yet they were immediately prevented from reaching county level by your view unless they had some type of extraordinary physical attributes that bridged the gap.
The intercounty game which is the place that skills are most under pressure doesn`t even let players who simply turn the toe of the hurley in rather than out survive the margins are so tight yet you are blasé about a flaw as fundamental as the wrong catching hand. trying to portray it as some sort of lost tradition is ludicrous. The coach is trying to give players the chance to fulfil their potential while you are simply trying to validate your own career.

Twiceasnice97

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

Just checked my strike again and as I described I hold the hurl in my right, hold the ball in my left and when I strike the ball the left had is always above the right hand and the right hand is doing almost all of the work.

Any other way seems extremely unnatural, nobody ever taught me how to strike the ball so that was the way I first picked up a hurl I did it that way and I'd say it's not that odd an occurrence in general as if I picked up any other type of object to swing I'd do the same thing.

most other sports don`t require you to have the ball in your hand before you strike it which is the fundamental difference

Realt Dearg Sec

Twiceasnice97 wrote: »

can you name another one?

Walsh is in fact the only one

Taggy Fogarty had the ould Protestant grip as well.

nice_guy80

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

Taggy Fogarty had the ould Protestant grip as well.

He didn't catch the ball with the other hand like Walter does

Realt Dearg Sec

nice_guy80 wrote: »

He didn't catch the ball with the other hand like Walter does

Yeah that's incredibly limiting, but I think what bonniedog is talking about just lads putting the wrong hand on top. I would still say that's a big problem and limits the ceiling on what a player can achieve, but catching the ball with the top hand is disastrously awkward and limiting, totally limits your ability to get a good fast strong swing under pressure.

arctictree

Thanks for the replies. So what to do with a kid that just refuses to change his grip?! Should he be made sit out?

nice_guy80

arctictree wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. So what to do with a kid that just refuses to change his grip?! Should he be made sit out?

I already suggested a few things

Bonniedog

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

Yeah that's incredibly limiting, but I think what bonniedog is talking about just lads putting the wrong hand on top. I would still say that's a big problem and limits the ceiling on what a player can achieve, but catching the ball with the top hand is disastrously awkward and limiting, totally limits your ability to get a good fast strong swing under pressure.

Lots of players hold the stick at top with their left and catch with right. Including as people have mentioned current and former greats.

Bit of Church of Scientology creeping into the game, if you ask me!

Bonniedog

arctictree wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. So what to do with a kid that just refuses to change his grip?! Should he be made sit out?

Banned for life if you listen to some people

Realt Dearg Sec

Bonniedog wrote: »

Lots of players hold the stick at top with their left and catch with right. Including as people have mentioned current and former greats.

Bit of Church of Scientology creeping into the game, if you ask me!

Not sure I follow you there chief.