Polo Tip #26: Playing Smart — Higher Percentage Shots

Play Your Higher Percentage Shots/Plays. You should know the shots you are most comfortable with in making from your stick and balling. Those are the ones you should depend on in competitive play. In addition, you should always try to practice the more difficult shots as much as possible, so that when the play situation calls for that particular stroke, you have some familiarity with it.

If you are able to stick and ball regularly, you need to start to imagine play situations to help you become more effective on the field of play. For example, practicing a tail shot to the middle from the end line, as opposed to an impossible neck shot. Or even a short back shot from the end line to a teammate behind you, so that the ball does not roll over the end line, setting the other team up for a knock-in. There are times when it would be better to let that ball roll over the back line, depending on the positioning of the two teams, but having the ability to execute a short back shot to a teammate is a good thing to practice. Many teams get the ball down field, but are unable to successfully navigate the ball to goal, as most shots are wide of goal. Often times the player may have been able to get off a higher percentage shot if they were able to think a little more about ball placement, speed, and shot selection as they were approaching goal. These are things you can practice or simulate while stick and balling, instead of running around for thirty minutes hitting offside forehanders as hard as you can. However, I will admit that running around just hitting offside forehanders can be pretty good therapy on certain days.