There is a special connection between a player and his hurl.
There are not too many other sports in the world which can yield such a special bond.
A player needs to feel comfortable with his or her hurley.
A lot of time, care and attention can go into producing the most distinct and effective hurley for your own style, only for the almost tragic and inevitable to happen when it breaks during the first time you use it in a training session or a match.
There are so many factors to take into consideration.
The length of the hurl, the size of the bas, whether to place strips of tin on the bas, whether the hurl should be sanded down further after you have bought it and of course, the type of grip to use.
This topic of conversation came up in the latest episode of the GAA Hour Hurling Show where three-time All-Star former Galway hurler, Damien Hayes, gave us a glimpse into the ridiculous level of detail which can go into making a hurl to your own preference.
“Everyone has their own preference, you’ll get some lads who will want half inches, so they will go to 34 1/2 as opposed to a 35 and then every hurler in the country has their own little distinct style of Bas. Some people like to have two pieces of tin put on, some only like to have one. Some don’t like tin, an awful lot of the Wexford hurlers don’t use tin on the hurls. I personally don’t use tin on my hurls either, I don’t see the reason for it.”
Remarkably, Hayes tells the panel that goalkeepers or players who are taking sideline cuts often drill holes into the bas of their hurls and then fill the holes with lead.
The ultimate aim of this was to achieve greater distance for puck outs and in the case of sideline cuts, obtain a great connection with the sliotar.
“You’ll have some players who are taking line balls and taking long range free that will drill a hole into the bas of the hurl and put lead into it. I remember a good friend of mine used to put lead into the bottom of his hurl when doing sidelines, a goalkeeper would do the same.”
When asked by host Colm Parkinson, whether this ploy was legal or not, Hayes was brutally honest in response.
“Sure look it…it is being done, has it ever been pulled on? No.”
Fair enough then, and we thought getting a smack on the shins with a regular hurl was bad enough…
You can listen to the full conversation below.
