Ground Hurling

[the bare biffo]

I see on Hogan Stand a piece from Daithi Regan criticizing some of the players for not playing ground strokes as they were instructed against Wex and continually looking to lift the ball. There was a statement to the effect that Offaly would get nohwere with trying to play with ball in hand.

I am not expert enough on the game to make much comment, but does this appraoch stand up. From a philistines view it does seem to make sense that a lighter team needs to move the ball as quickly as possible providing players get in front of their opponent.

Or have big physical and athletic teams made ground hurling redundant ?

[Lone Shark]

Excellent question.

I definitely think there is a place for it, particular once you cross half way and you're trying to take advantage of nippier forwards etc. Where I have problems with it is guys trying to whip the ball along the ground from their own 45. A half back should not be a ground hurler - God knows our backs tend to have enough difficulty getting the ball far enough down the field out of their hands.

[Bord na Mona man]

Funny enough I was just typing up a piece on roughly the same subject this morning. I would disagree with Regan somewhat myself. You need to use ground hurling where appropriate.

Here is a paragraph written by An Moltóir in 2001. And I think the point is still valid.

The second key difference was Offaly’s preoccupation with striking the ball on the ground. It is true that there is far too little ground hurling in the modern game, and it almost defies belief that its cause should now be espoused by a coach from Galway, where the commitment to what that notable scribe, Kevin Cashman, terms the “jennet express” is as pathetic as it is total. However, just as in a game of poker one has to know 'when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em', so in hurling there is a time when it is better to lift and a time when one should pull on the ground. Indeed, Offaly themselves have been the masters of choosing the correct options in this respect over the years. Last week Offaly were pulling purely for the sake of it, and on several occasions this only served to give away possession to loose and advantageously positioned Kilkenny men.

http://www.anfearrua.com/ViewSectionDet ... ?docid=611

[Plain of the Herbs]

Very briefly (and I could go on all day on this) a ground stroke is ONLY effective if the receiver is expecting the ground stroke and moves into a position to receive it. I would describe Offaly's current style as that of "stand up and move it on" hurling rather than "ground hurling". I feel each ball should be played on its own merits.

As far as Regan is concerned, it isn't the amount of ground shots (or a percieved lack of them) that was his team's undoing against Wexford. I wonder what he thought of Barry Teehan's shot selection which led to the winner?