Welcome back to the Monday field hockey blog! We had a great time celebrating National Field Hockey day this weekend with our Opening Day of Rec Field Hockey and U12/U14 club practice.
Just this weekend I was asked by a parent where he could buy his daughter a left handed field hockey stick. I had to break the news to him that in field hockey their is no such thing as a left handed stick. Each and every girl must play with a right handed stick.
Why were left handed sticks band?
Left handed sticks cause a high risk to injury in the game of field hockey. If a right handed player came in for a block tackle against a left handed stick they would most likely get hit on the follow through swing. This would be the same if a left handed player came in for a block tackle against a right handed stick.
Benefits to being left handed:
If you have never played field hockey before you may think this is a big disadvantage but having a strong left wrist and forearm can be very helpful in field hockey. When dribbling the left arm is the controlling strong arm and is used to move the ball when dribbling and dodging. The right arm is used to guide and support the stick. Left handed players also have an advantage when using a reverse stick because this moves the ball to the strong side of their body.
Tip of the Week:
While sitting around the house or standing in line waiting during practice hold your field hockey stick in your left hand. Place the left hand at the top of your stick as you would normally hold it. Next create a figure eight motion with your wrist making sure your stick goes from the strong side of your body to the reverse stick side. This will help strengthen your wrist and forearm making it easier to dribble and dodge around opponents.
