Sometimes I hear people being taught to always turn away from your backhanders with respect to the line of the ball. I strongly suggest you continue straight, look, and then your decision should be obvious and your shots will be more powerful.
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Polo Tip #10: Near-side Forehander
One of the most common topics that make the desired agenda by students in my clinics is the dreaded near-side forehander. The following tips will help you make the best of the weakest shot in polo
Schooling a Green Horse for Polo – Tobacco Video 1
Christian demonstrates stops, checks, and both right and left turns throughout the chukker. He emphasizes keeping a relaxed grip on the horse, keeping the horse balanced and on the proper lead, and using soft contact with the horses mouth via the reins.
Riding Style And Reality: How To Properly Apply Your Leg When Executing Checks and Rollbacks From The Gallop
Riding with your toes sticking out is not a big deal. Some people are naturally inclined to be straighter then others. The real sin is gripping with the lower leg.
Schooling a Green Horse for Polo – Video 7
Christian talks about acclimating the green horse to other horses on the field, and the swinging mallets that come with them. He talks about introducing the ride-off and using the trot to help balance the horse by changing diagonals rather than being forced to balance the horse by changing leads at the canter.
Polo Tip #9: Playing Position Number Four — The Back
This player, similar to their opposing number one must be highly disciplined to proper positioning; carefully watching for any offensive drives being mounted and quickly moving into a position of advantage to defend the attack.
Polo.tv – free videos of high-goal polo
I imagine that most of the PoloGringo readers are already familiar with the website Polo.tv but in case you’re not, this is a fantastic free resource. Basically, Polo.tv is a collection of video clips from the various high-goal polo tournaments around the world. They have video of the Argentine Open, the US Open, the Coronation Cup, the Outback 40-goal, and many others. There is even some snow polo and test matches thrown in there.
Polo Tip #8: A Tail Shot? What Kind of Alcohol Do You Use For That?
One of the most difficult shots to learn in polo is the tail shot, especially on the near-side. If you have been handicapped with short arms and long backed horses, a tail shot may not even exist in your inventory. There is no question that gorilla arms and short backed horses are two assets in executing tail shots effectively. But for those of you with ancestors that took to two feet several millennium ago, there is a technique to still accomplish the near impossible.
Fit And Ready – Get Your Horses In Shape So You Can All Enjoy The Season
Injuries are much more likely to occur when horses are not fit enough. Imagine not exercising for months then deciding to jog for 10 days before running a marathon. It is equally rediculous to play a horse that has only had a week or two of exercise. Why risk injury to begin your season?
Polo Tip #7: Playing The Number One Position
The “Attack Position”, the Number One needs to be a disciplined player who can anticipate his team breaking to offense and get into a reasonable position to be able to accept a passing shot coming from teammates.