Polo Tip #31: Proper Timing

Ok, I’ve worked on my riding, my swinging form is ok, why am I having trouble hitting?

Answer – Three reasons:1) Timing 2) Timing 3) Timing

We are running towards the ball at speed, when we get to the ball, our mind (clue is our mind) tells us-ok, now, swing, hurry, NOW !! We swing and guess what? Way too late. When we swing late, which most of us are pretty darn good at doing, we hurry our swing and catch the ball on our downward portion of our swing. All that does is drive the ball down into the ground or at best, our mallet rolls across the top of the ball and produces what we affectionately call the worm burner (for you worm lovers, that is slang for a grounder). That shot makes a louder noise and is tougher on the arm as you are hitting the ball against the ground as well as forward due to the late swing.

How do we convince our (note the word our) brain to swing earlier, say, like maybe Memo’s, Adam’s or Adolpho’s brains? The main difference between their brains and ours, aside from thousands of hours of practice, is that their brain is trained to tell them to start their swing earlier.

Here is a visual drill to help you out. Place four balls in a line about ten feet apart from each other. As you canter down the line, focus on hitting the last ball. Now the other three balls are markers so to speak as to when you should start your swing depending on your gait. The third ball is when you would start at a trot, the second ball at a gallop, and the first ball at a flat out run.

If you watch someone doing this from the side, it becomes very obvious, very quickly, that most of us start our swing at the fourth ball-the one you are hitting.

The markers spaced at 10 feet each may be a little off, but it will give you a better feel for training your mind to start your swing sooner. This is something that does not come factory installed. It is an art that has to be practiced and developed. Timing is an issue that will challenge most of us our entire playing career. So in other words, you are not alone. Maybe we should consider starting a recover group. Late Hitters Anonymous (LHA). Ok, maybe not. But, start your swing sooner than you think you should. If you keep doing it the way that you have always done it, you will keep getting the same results. Happy Polo !!