Hurling Drills & How to Improve in General.

DaltonHurler

I'm new to boards.ie but I see it as an opportunity to get useful advice and tips & tricks.

So, I've played hurling when I was 10 and i remember going up to the local rugby pitch and just hitting the ball over the bar over and over again. I think I was 12 when I joined my local hurling club and I joined near the end of the season. And for whatever reason i Never went back till I was u14. So, When I joined back I started going to the training again. And when we play matches I am always picked to play midfield. It was quite taunting as it was my first game and I didn't know what to except. And I've played a few games and I always feel that I never get involved and when I do I always can't pick up the sliothar and I just don't get involved much for midfield. I also feel my touch isn't great. I play gaelic and when I'm on the ball I feel composed but when I play hurling I always feel under pressure and not composed and not confident in my ability.

I would like to know if there are any drills to do to improve my touch (apart from a wall which I use with a tennis ball because it bounces off quicker) and drills to improve skills in general.

buck65

The only thing that will help your composure on the ball is actual training matches, possession games , drills that involve more than one player i.e trying to round a player, rising the ball while being shadowed, hooking and blocking exercises, running with the ball while being hit my rugby pads etc.

All basic drills, using the wall is good for touch but you need to be doing drills and match scenarios with others too. If your coach isn't doing this there is something wrong.

Midfield does allow a bit of space to get on the ball but your touch will be exposed here. Maybe a move to centre forward would get you into the game a bit more. I've played mid and also struggled to impose myself on the game. I always did better in a confined space.

DaltonHurler

Hi,

Thanks for the advice. I will ask the coach to do more of them drills and try me in a different position. We do training matches at training and I feel confident enough on the ball and picking it up but when it comes to matches against other clubs like in the championship I just don't have that compose like I do in training.

Thanks for your reply.

krazyklown

For me the ball alley is where I found my skill level really improve and my confidence grew as a result. The key thing though is not to stand in one spot with your feet planted striking - you need to hit the ball as hard as you can and move into it as fast as you can. With a four sided ball alley, i strike into one wall, move into the ball, control it, turn clockwise and repeat into the adjoining wall - all whilst continually moving - i give particular emphasis to speeding up into the ball. Two walls i strike high and catch the ball and two i strike low to control. I find using the o'neills rubber ball is best as its so fast. Every so often move counter clockwise to work your other side. The idea is that in the ball alley you improve your touch, striking and catching to give you the confidence when you take to the field.
As the previous poster said you then need to be able to apply your skills whilst competing against an opponent. Being able to attack the ball at pace gives you a better chance of beating an opponent. Practical advice is to try to pair off in competitive drills against the better players and max yourself out. Good balance and fast feet help here greatly.
As regards positioning - try and learn to read the play, look for breaking ball off puck outs, read the opposition - whos their go to player and try to snuff out their supply. Learn how to tackle effectively - flicking the ball away, hooking and blocking require patience and good timing - a great skill is hooking a guy and quickly using your body to push them off to get possession.
Go to an intercounty game and watch a good hurler in your preferred position - what do they do when they arent in the play - observe their good habits off the ball, how they cover their opponent, how they look to get involved.

Be constantly looking for work, on your toes, alert and always expecting the ball to come your way.

DaltonHurler

krazyklown wrote: »

For me the ball alley is where I found my skill level really improve and my confidence grew as a result. The key thing though is not to stand in one spot with your feet planted striking - you need to hit the ball as hard as you can and move into it as fast as you can. With a four sided ball alley, i strike into one wall, move into the ball, control it, turn clockwise and repeat into the adjoining wall - all whilst continually moving - i give particular emphasis to speeding up into the ball. Two walls i strike high and catch the ball and two i strike low to control. I find using the o'neills rubber ball is best as its so fast. Every so often move counter clockwise to work your other side. The idea is that in the ball alley you improve your touch, striking and catching to give you the confidence when you take to the field.
As the previous poster said you then need to be able to apply your skills whilst competing against an opponent. Being able to attack the ball at pace gives you a better chance of beating an opponent. Practical advice is to try to pair off in competitive drills against the better players and max yourself out. Good balance and fast feet help here greatly.
As regards positioning - try and learn to read the play, look for breaking ball off puck outs, read the opposition - whos their go to player and try to snuff out their supply. Learn how to tackle effectively - flicking the ball away, hooking and blocking require patience and good timing - a great skill is hooking a guy and quickly using your body to push them off to get possession.
Go to an intercounty game and watch a good hurler in your preferred position - what do they do when they arent in the play - observe their good habits off the ball, how they cover their opponent, how they look to get involved.

Be constantly looking for work, on your toes, alert and always expecting the ball to come your way.

Thanks for all your advice.

See where I'm from Gaelic would be a lot more popular than hurling and I only have a one sided wall not an alley. I'll practise coming towards the ball as I just usually stand and wait for it, and when I'm using the wall should I use a tennis ball or a sliothar? Because some people tell me tennis ball and some tell me sliothar. And another question should I practise to use 1 hand to pick up the ball or two hands?

krazyklown

DaltonHurler wrote: »

Thanks for all your advice.

See where I'm from Gaelic would be a lot more popular than hurling and I only have a one sided wall not an alley. I'll practise coming towards the ball as I just usually stand and wait for it, and when I'm using the wall should I use a tennis ball or a sliothar? Because some people tell me tennis ball and some tell me sliothar. And another question should I practise to use 1 hand to pick up the ball or two hands?

lol, I came from such a county also!
slatted shed was the best i got to four walls until i got to go to college.

The reason people suggest a tennis ball is because it comes much quicker than a sliotar, the thinking being if you can control the tennis ball, you should be quick enough to control a sliotar. I dont like tennis balls myself because they are too light. I think its good to use the rubber ball for a while and then switch to a real sliotar for a few mins.

The below is a link to the ball i use - its rubber, and after five mins, it heats up and comes back at ferocious speed.

[Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with either product or the store in the link]
http://www.elverys.ie/elverys/en/Elverys/GAA/Equipment/Sliotars/Cu-Chulainn-Fire-Wall-Ball-Orange/p/000000000001036022

Paudi Butler as some good drills in the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGF9aVO4OO8


If you google for drills, there seems to be a nice bit out there.
Remember though that the goal of the ball alley is to improve your striking, catching and control. Its also good to improve fitness, you can get a great workout done in 20 mins if you do everything at speed. Dont go in and spend an hour dawdling around - be foccussed, know what you are going to do and get it done at high tempo.

As regards picking up - i have always picked using one hand - mainly because i practised it over and over again, on rubbish surfaces and good ones. I genuinely believe it is a more efficient pick and is easier to change direction or react to the ball changing direction suddenly. You may get abuse if you go one handed and fail to pick, but i have seen plenty of lads go two handed and fail to pick. If you can pull it off repeatedly then theres no reason why you shouldnt do it in a game. Look at austin gleesons pick yesterday in the Cork - Waterford game - if you have the skills then go for it.