The secrets to a great technique in Polo by The Polera

Mallet Rest position
The rest position is the way to keep the polo stick during the match, when not in use or on standby. It must be considered the starting position of every stroke.

The mallet is secured by placing the cigar in a high position. The mallet grip should be firm but never forced, otherwise over-demand the muscles of the forearm and hand, which can eventually lead to overexertion injuries in the elbow and wrist.

The hand holding the Mallet is close to the one holding the reins to help manage the horse. The elbow and wrist should be at the same height, and closest to the body. Then the mallet is balanced, wrist and shoulder muscle with very little demand, thus the possibility to come into play quickly is much greater than in any position.

A serious flaw many players make in their grip and angle of arm is to separate the elbow from side of the body, bringing it up (abduction), to seek greater balance. However, this position generates an enormous sustained tension of the muscles of the shoulder. Fatigue or exhaustion of the deltoid may negatively affect the precision and power of the stick and ball. – DON’T RAISE YOUR ELBOWS WHEN YOU PLAY -

A very common mode of holding the mallet, especially in times where the game is stopped, is supporting it on your right shoulder, as engaging in the clavicle. Others, in this situation, drop the stick and support the rod in the inner arc of the boot, between the foot and the stirrup. If the plug is left hanging (a defect very common), it takes time and extra effort to restart an action. While these positions make the doll look somewhat forced with lateral tilt, the limit imposed by the support allows temporary relief from the grip of the dowel, which can be positive.




Initial position of the stick and ball
It is the position of the rider in the saddle, which is made from the blow to the ball. It can be considered as the position of body tension prior to the initiation of swing stick and ball or "brace". This initial position is the necessary component of the swing, which precedes, accompanies and follows with bodily action. Indeed, for a coup is successful, power and accuracy, the stick and ball must be done with the whole body. The brace can only be achieved when the rider "to" the stirrups, dumping body weight in them. This enables the asymmetrical action of the lower limbs in swing which is performed as follows:

• The leg side close to the ball stays still so that acts as a support center to swing. Can be considered the "pivot" of the stick and ball.
• The leg opposite the side impact moves back to secure a position, or "brace", firmer, ie a better basis for the final movements of the trunk. Is the lower limb more mobile and in charge of finding the balance in stock.

The greater the power of the blow, steadiness was found in the support bracket on the side of the coup and more mobility in the other member.




Timing or Temporo-spatial coordination
The "timing" as expected, is the ranking runtime swing and is given by the Player to start the swing and creates the expectation that the proximity of the ball.

The classic definition of the timing is "the exact moment when, having coordinated the speed of the horse's head and block the ball, hit it reaches the latter in an effective (full)". This last definition we must stress the fact that the temporo-spatial coordination, necessary for an effective stick and ball, to be generated from the backswing, preparation or movement of the ball. At the top of the swing the mallet head must point to the target (goal posts, team mate or place of escape).

It is wiser to make a complementary fit in the run-time swing, slowing at the top of the swing, the time prior to the decline of the dowel (downswing), which accelerate the arrangement of the block in the backswing. It is advisable to make advance preparation of the swing (backswing). It is easier to take contact with the ball at the top of the swing to anticipate it and, secondly, it ensures a correct starting position for the blow. However, the ideal is that stroke is integrated in succession, without jumping in head acceleration of the block. This only backswing and incorporating it as a stage at which it happens, without stopping, the rest of the movement (downswing and follow-through).

Finally, it is noteworthy that an early swing usually reflected in a decrease of the strength and direction of the shot. This is caused by an uncontrolled and short preparatory movement. The speed should not affect accuracy. Fitts's law dovetails nicely these two variables, in circumstances determined by pre-existing focus control the movement itself. In this sense, the neurophysiological processes prior to movement play an important role in reducing the execution time, in plasticity, or continuity of movement and in the temporo-spatial coordination.




The view of the ball
At the beginning of the game, every player is presented with a myriad of stimuli to which must be adapted through training. Among the strongest stimuli and difficult to control, are the visuals. In order to control this important factor in the stick and ball, the player must keep an eye on the ball from the time before initiating the ball, the decision of sending to execution. The impact can cause you to lose for an instant view of the ball, but if you come on to follow in advance, is in danger of failing to properly hit. 

One of the most common causes of missed shots (no impact) due to the fact that too much time keeping an eye on the goal (ultimate goal) and not enough on the ball (goal). Without going into details to neurophysiology, just remember the enormous importance of sight in the body balance system, like the movements of neck, closely related to this task. For this reason, the fact stare at the ball causes the neck to maintain a proper position to provide the necessary balance to strike. The fact track the ball with your neck and eye, does not prevent that act as a pivot or center of motion of the shoulder girdle. On the contrary, predisposes to a finer adjustment of the stroke.




Strong support on the bracket
As with all the bumps, standing in the stirrups is one of the fundamental requirements for a good impact on the ball. This is controlled and are given based on the movements of the trunk from the hip, also is able to perceive with greater sensitivity, the horse's movements, which can more accurately coordinate the ball.

In the pre-swing position, the player must be standing on the running boards looking for a right brace. Then for the coup is necessary to affirm on the running side of the block. The abutment on the opposite side should not have the same pressure, especially in long shots, allowing the action of the trunk in the swing torque. Support is done, primarily, at the knee and the saddle. This way we can distinguish two different actions of the lower limbs:

• Side Strike: the lower member firm needs to have sufficient support.
• Opposite side: the lower limb requires some flexibility to ease the swing

While hip action is not as important at the pole as it is in the GOLF, by the fact that the player is in the saddle, standing in the stirrups can be some movement. It is a power factor of the coup and that may take effect, the player must get used to stand in the stirrups to stick and ball.




Purpose of dribbling
The goal must necessarily be unique and indecisiveness can lead to a hybrid technique that is wrong for any of the desired objectives. The decision must be "total", without any hesitation and you have to know abstract for fulfillment.

In order to make this stick and ball, in which the technique goes hand in hand tactics, you need to know and observe the positions previously heard requests from peers. But once you make the shot and started the swing, the shock should not be disturbed by anything or anyone. At the top of the swing the cigar should point to the goal and the whole movement should develop in the same plane so as not to disrupt that goal.

When we express the fundamental impact on the pole can be summarized in just four, the nature of the movement, we took for granted that the projection of the ball of online effected parallel to the direction of travel of the horse, either forward back oo . However, the shock may have another purpose entirely different from the projection of the ball in the line of travel of the horse. This range of possible directions that are printed on the ball, we can study and not four, but twelve strokes, those resulting from the subdivision of each of the key hits in three different variants, namely:

Stroke:	Direction of Ball:	Zone of impact:
Direct, Straight, Classic hit		The forward stroke is effected at the level of the hands of the horse
Cross backhand, “Cut”	Carries the ball through the line of the horse's body, from right to left or vice versa.	The inward stroke is performed as far forward as possible if it passes below the neck, and the way back if it passes behind the tail
Open or Opening	Move the ball out of the line of the horse's body, directing the ball into the same side, but away from the midline.	The ball was carried out as far as possible from the side of the horse.
“Pull”		Later, when goes back and forth when the ball goes forward.

Basic strokes: How to move the ball in a straight line in a forward direction