Correctway to hold a Hurley! To late to change years of doing it wrong?

Deedsie

Hi, hoping some of the hurling lads on here might be able to give me a few pointers about this. I developed a terrible habit of holding a Hurley with my left hand at the top. I went out today to try and hit the ball correctly. I had no problem hitting the ball, but I was occasionally topping it! And my right hand is now mangled. Skin torn off my right hand thumb at the knuckle, and on my index finger and thumb.

Any suggestions, I'd appreciate it!

hurlingmad81

if you are right-handed, your right hand should be on top. for left-handers, the left hand should be on top.

there are exceptions to this, lar corbett is a right hander and plays with left hand on top. jimmy doyle was the same

hunter164

If you're comfortable using it the other way, what's the point in changing? I hold mine right hand on top but strike off my left side. It's how I'm comfortable with it. Plenty of hurlers hold it differently.

Deedsie

hurlingmad81 wrote: »

if you are right-handed, your right hand should be on top. for left-handers, the left hand should be on top.

there are exceptions to this, lar corbett is a right hander and plays with left hand on top. jimmy doyle was the same

Ya, I was thinking it would be good to be able strike a ball with both hands on top!

Bizzum

hunter164 wrote: »

If you're comfortable using it the other way, what's the point in changing? I hold mine right hand on top but strike off my left side.

Same here.

I'm trying to get my head around what is happening to be tearing skin off your hand?

Deedsie

Bizzum wrote: »

Same here.

I'm trying to get my head around what is happening to be tearing skin off your hand?

I havent hurled in a long time, skin probably has to harden up again.

teednab-el

Bizzum wrote: »

Same here.

I'm trying to get my head around what is happening to be tearing skin off your hand?

Happened me years and years ago, when I started playing hurling I was doing what the OP was doing and my coach got me to do it correctly. I am right handed so he got me to hold the top of the hurley with my right hand. When I hit the ball I think the sting of the shot was tearing the skin on my hand, but got used of it after a while and my swing improved so it doesnt happen now.

DoctaDee

There was a time no so long ago that we didn't know which end to hold here in Dublin

Deedsie

DoctaDee wrote: »

There was a time no so long ago that we didn't know which end to hold here in Dublin

Well here is one Tipperary man that still isn't sure. I'll stay at it for two weeks and see if I improve my striking of a ball.

CiaranMT

Aidan Fogarty is another who holds it like that.

nice_guy80

glue the glove of your strong hand to the hurley for a few weeks
that way you cannot take your strong hand off the hurley to catch the ball and must do all the catching and handpassing with your weak hand

has worked for a lot of kids I know to correct this habit.

Gingy

I was a left hand on top (the natural way) player until a few years ago, when it was beaten out of me by a succession of managers.

Funnily enough, I saw an exhibition on this at the young scientist a few years ago, and they found that right handed players could strike the ball further with their right hands on top, but could strike it more accurately with their left hands on top.

ontheditch2

A number of different comments.
If you are right handed, then your right hand (lets call it the hurley hand) should always stay on the top of the hurley, as suggested by nice guy 80. Your left hand (skill hand) should be the only hand that loses contact with the hurley. The skill hand is used to catch the ball, handpass, throw it up when striking. The hurley hand should always stay at the top of the hurley.

Lar Corbett is right handed but he plays as an orthodox hurler, because he plays exactly like a naturally left handed hurler, by keeping the left hand on top of the hurley at all times. I, as a coach have no problem with this way for an adult player, except that his striking off his left hand side will be weaker than other players. For a child, i would definitely encourage them to change.
Aidan Fogarty does everything as a right handed player, except he changes hands to strike the ball. His style is commonly referred to as a Cack Handed hurler. He is an exceptional player, in that he is the only player regularly playing Liam McCarthy hurling like this. I would not encourage this style at all. Again, his striking off his left is weaker than others.

On another note, Regardless of what hand you hold on top, every player has a preferred side to strike the ball off, be it right or left. There are 4 brothers in our family, all right handed, 2 of us would say our right side is stronger, the other 2 would say their left side is stronger. Practice both sides equally.

But the most important thing is that your strong hand, is always on the top of the hurley. I would say 99% of senior intercounty players playing for the Liam McCarthy cup play this way, so the facts are there.
Best of luck with it. Its the best game in the world.

Deedsie

Thanks for the tips, similar stories. I'll try it for two weeks and report back any improvements or failings.

nice_guy80

the first thing a hurling coach should do when 5 or 6 year olds come down to the park is identify which hand is the dominant hand....
how to do this?
get kids to put hurleys on the ground. tell them we're going to draw an imaginary letter in the air with our finger - say the letter 'S for snake'. guarantee 100% of the time they will do this with their dominant hand.
now, you can either give everyone of them a wristband to identify their strong hand or using two different coloured tape - put red tape on the shaft of the hurley for right handed kids. white tape for left handed.

another thing I have seen used to correct the wrong hand syndrom in kids is this: http://cumashurling.com/corrector.htm

the best way to eliminate it is to pratice for hours against a wall with a ball and your brain will establish the proper movements

Temp Barry

Deedsie wrote: »

Thanks for the tips, similar stories. I'll try it for two weeks and report back any improvements or failings.

Don't expect to be as good on your right side using your new grip. Even after lots and lots of practice, you still might not be quite as good as you were with the golf grip (right hand below).

But your striking off your left side will improve significantly with the new grip.

Deedsie

Ya, It could only improve to be honest. My shots off my left handside are a complete Lottery, 1 in 10 might go over the bar. I'll stay plugging away at this anyway. Hopefully it will improve things enough that I could go back and play again.

CiaranMT

Deedsie wrote: »

Ya, It could only improve to be honest. My shots off my left handside are a complete Lottery, 1 in 10 might go over the bar. I'll stay plugging away at this anyway. Hopefully it will improve things enough that I could go back and play again.

Have you a wall to play up against?

spankadamonkee

Its funny really. I play snooker with my left, grip a hurley like a left handed person, yet i am right handed. Id be as good off both sides with the hurl and the same with my feet. Id be as good off both of them. Yet if i was asked to go out on a dancefloor id look like a three legged antelope.

Deedsie

CiaranMT wrote: »

Have you a wall to play up against?

I have a wall at the weekends, looking for a suitable place for during the week.

morcheen k

Temp Barry wrote: »

Don't expect to be as good on your right side using your new grip. Even after lots and lots of practice, you still might not be quite as good as you were with the golf grip (right hand below).

this reminds me that when my old man started playing golf he was told to change his grip to the right hand below,he didnt or couldn't after 30 odd years hurling i was hurling yesterday with my 9 year old nephew and he holds it with the left hand at the top,but he had started playing golf before hurling.his dad is right handed but play golf left handed ? the right way is up to you i think i hold it right hand on top too

Fentdog84

I dont think it matters what way you hold the hurley as long as you can hit the ball. Its more important when hitting the ball(out of your hands) to have your elbows tucked in close towards your lower chest/upper belly as you hit the ball, with you eye on the ball and a fast swing you can get good distance. The most common reason when people mi**** the ball call or miss it entirely is that their elbows are straight, away from the chest when they are swinging for the ball.

Fandango

Deedsie wrote: »

Hi, hoping some of the hurling lads on here might be able to give me a few pointers about this. I developed a terrible habit of holding a Hurley with my left hand at the top. I went out today to try and hit the ball correctly. I had no problem hitting the ball, but I was occasionally topping it! And my right hand is now mangled. Skin torn off my right hand thumb at the knuckle, and on my index finger and thumb.

Any suggestions, I'd appreciate it!

Just saw this now, I had the exact same habit. Strangely, when lifting the sliotar I have my right hand nearest to the top and switch them while the ball is in the air. Very odd but when trying to correct it, it just felt too odd so stuck with it the entire time i played.

grazeaway

only came accross this thread, always found the hurly grip intresting when i was playing.
we didnt have any underage hurling team when i was a nipper even though we are in the middle of hurling country, plenty of good footballers though. had a few coaches that would ask what hand do you write with then would say that was what we should use as our dominat hand. i'm ambidextrous but write with my right hand as that was how i was tought, always found the right handed grip aquward so play with the left.

i play football left and right although i tend to favor my right in football and my left in soccer (there was always a place for soemone with good left foot when i played). like a few of the other posters i can play tennis, snooker and pool (badly) with both hands. i actually shoot lefthanded. played badminton when i was younger but mostly lefthanded

i play hurling like a natrual left hander rather then like a right hander with a golf swing. was working up north a few years back and a lot of the lads i was playign with were very worked up about how to grip and which way to strike the ball (back hand or fore hand). i would always tell them that the swing should be a natrual stroke so what ever way you do it should what ever way your comfortable. its a bit tough to try and change when you get to your late teens or twenties.

passremarkable

i have the same grip as fogarty, looks very awkward but if works for you stick with it.but ideally you should have right hand on tiop if your right handed,left hand on top is more like a golf swing,harrington been the exception when he putts..he putts like he is playin hurling!!

ShamoBuc

Right handed but always hold it with my left on top, not sure why, more of a footballer anyway.

HurlingForCork

Well, As a hurler myself, and i am only 15 years old, I am right handed, and hold the hurley with my left hand a bit down the hurl, i throw up the ball and then put my right hand on the top again, I play for Glen Rovers(Patrick Horgan's Club), I also play on the Cork u15's development squad, I have found no problems with the way I swing. anybody else do this?

Slafella

Its called a HURLEY !

premierstone

Slafella wrote: »

Its called a HURLEY !

Depends on where your from really, its called a hurl where im from.

grazeaway

premierstone wrote: »

Depends on where your from really, its called a hurl where im from.

We call it a hurly too, the word hurl is what you doing, the hurly what your doing it with.

grazeaway

HurlingForCork wrote: »

Well, As a hurler myself, and i am only 15 years old, I am right handed, and hold the hurley with my left hand a bit down the hurl, i throw up the ball and then put my right hand on the top again, I play for Glen Rovers(Patrick Horgan's Club), I also play on the Cork u15's development squad, I have found no problems with the way I swing. anybody else do this?

It probably won't effect most of your play as you are used to it by now, however what you will notice is that it ll effect the distance you can hit the ball as you are effectively shortening your grip. The further back the hurly you hold it the longer your swing and more force you get into the stroke.

I used to hold the hurly a few inches from the top as I had more control, can remember how and when I started doing it but must have been in my mid teens as the hurly was probably a bit too long for me. I could slide the hurly in my hand as I was about to swing to get extra distance or to shorten the grip to stop getting hooked.

Carawaystick

I wonder if catching and handpassing the sliotar with your weak hand might be limiting the confidence of having your good hand on top.
If you're sure you'll be able to use your cithog to catch a dropping ball or accurately get a pass away, then your good hand will be more likely to stay on top

I can't not hold a hurl with my right hand on top, and a golf club the same way, so I'd be worse at golf than hurling....

TheCoolWay

what way are you meant to hold it when striking the opposite direction then?

grazeaway

TheCoolWay wrote: »

what way are you meant to hold it when striking the opposite direction then?

It actually has to do with angle of the strike, crossing your hands means you are actually hitting the hand at a different point in the swing. Slow down your swing some time and see where you are actually hitting it. The best strikers will always hit the ball at the pint furthest from the bodies but at the point of greatest force. Again this only really effects long striking or power striking. Most shots are around 45-50 meters so can be done with a shorter grip or in a tighter angle without losing effect. The problem is however that you use up more energy to strike the ball. The like of Colin Ryan and Henry shefflin have such good technique that they make it look easy and don't require as much energy.

TheCoolWay

grazeaway wrote: »

It actually has to do with angle of the strike, crossing your hands means you are actually hitting the hand at a different point in the swing. Slow down your swing some time and see where you are actually hitting it. The best strikers will always hit the ball at the pint furthest from the bodies but at the point of greatest force. Again this only really effects long striking or power striking. Most shots are around 45-50 meters so can be done with a shorter grip or in a tighter angle without losing effect. The problem is however that you use up more energy to strike the ball. The like of Colin Ryan and Henry shefflin have such good technique that they make it look easy and don't require as much energy.

im right handed... so should left hand be at top. i get what u mean re striking

grazeaway

Carawaystick wrote: »

I wonder if catching and handpassing the sliotar with your weak hand might be limiting the confidence of having your good hand on top.
If you're sure you'll be able to use your cithog to catch a dropping ball or accurately get a pass away, then your good hand will be more likely to stay on top

I can't not hold a hurl with my right hand on top, and a golf club the same way, so I'd be worse at golf than hurling....

The amount of people that get fixated with which hand or leg to use has always puzzled me to be honest. Granted I'm ambidextrous but made a conscious decision to be able to use both hand and both legs from an early age. It's very much the case or practice practice practice. In every training session I ever did I would rotate between the two sides. In football drill I would solo right footed one direction and left on the way back. Same with kicking and sticking.

I you have to change grip to catch or hand pass you are slowing down your ability to move the ball swiftly to the hurly. It's all about co ordination and you won't be able to master it with out practice.

grazeaway

TheCoolWay wrote: »

im right handed... so should left hand be at top. i get what u mean re striking

By top do you mean the end of the handle? If so then no your dominant hand in your case your right should be holding the hurly closest to the end of the handle. The dominant hand is used to control the angle and twist of the hurly the left hand is used to steady the hurly and to control the ball. The reason you are putting your dominant hand further up the hurl is that it is easier the control the further it is up the handle (shortening the grip) however this means the steadying hand doesn't have the same amount of control.

TheCoolWay

grazeaway wrote: »

By top do you mean the end of the handle? If so then no your dominant hand in your case your right should be holding the hurly closest to the end of the handle. The dominant hand is used to control the angle and twist of the hurly the left hand is used to steady the hurly and to control the ball. The reason you are putting your dominant hand further up the hurl is that it is easier the control the further it is up the handle (shortening the grip) however this means the steadying hand doesn't have the same amount of control.

I use my right hand closer to the bás....?

grazeaway

TheCoolWay wrote: »

I use my right hand closer to the bás....?

Then yes your putting your left hand in the wrong position, well less optimum. A good way to practice is to actually get a shorter hurly. You right hand is used to controlling a hurly shorter then what you have so its a case of training your left hand to go on above your right. Your right is still the same distance from the gas but there is nothing behind it for the left to hold.

I assume you are favoring striking off your right side all the time? It might actually be easier to try practicing holding the other way while striking off your left side as it's a back hand swing your are trying hit all the time.

When I was a kid one of my dad's friends had a book of hurling skills from the 50/60's that was done by christy ring. It was very good to point out the basics. Found a video too. Well worth watching.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JW4lKaY4jTY