There’s something about the lefties.
The majority of hurlers hold the hurl with their right hand on top. These lads will all catch in their left hand. This is the orthodox method but that’s not to say it’s the best or the only way. That’s how Richie Hogan, John McGrath and Aaron Gillane go about their hurling.
Some lads hold the hurl with the left hand over the right. Their catching hand is their right hand. Take Lar Corbett, TJ Reid and Conor Whelan, for example.
Different factors influence a lad’s approach.
Often, habits from a young age die hard. If a lad picks up a hurl one way, he’ll find it tough and unnatural to change, even though some parents and coaches will always encourage the orthodox way.
There’s proof in the pudding, however that both can succeed.
The topic came up for discussion on Monday’s GAA Hour Show, when both Brendan Bugler and Michael Carton discussed the struggles they encountered when marking the lefties.
Tipperary’s ‘Bonner’ Maher immediately sprung to mind for the former All-Ireland winner with Clare.
Brendan Bugler always found it difficult to contest for high balls in the air with ‘Bonner’. He was used to marking left handed catchers in training, and the Lorrha club man’s body positioning was something he was unfamiliar with. He was caught unprepared mentally and often found himself on the wrong side of the Tipperary man who could then hold him off and win the ball.
“Firstly, he’s a left hander so when you’re going up for the high ball with him you have to be on his other shoulder.
“I know in Clare, we haven’t many lads who are actually left handers, so if you’re going up for a high ball in training you’re going up on lads’ other shoulders.”
Michael Carton was also a right hander, and Wexford’s Diarmuid Lyng provided him with similar troubles.
“Absolutely, Gizzy Lyng used to be like that for Wexford. He’d go up with the other hand and it’s just so awkward to mark. So awkward in the air.”
In 2008 when Bugler was cleaned out by Cork’s Patrick Cronin in the air. After that, he learned, but it was never an easy task.
“From my own playing days, back in 2008 I was marking Patrick Cronin from Cork, the left hander. I remember he absolutely destroyed me in the air on the same day. I hadn’t the chance to mark him again until 2013, but I just knew I was going to go onto his other shoulder.
He was prepared for it the next time.
“So, basically I was a stopper, I was never going to catch a ball over his head, because he was that good in the air but you just have to think about who you’re marking, how they’re going to position their bodies and you’ve to get to that right side.”
But left handed lads have this opportunity. To throw themselves around, to contest ferociously in the air, to annoy the hell out of the orthodox opponent.
You can listen to the this chat and much more from Monday’s GAA Hour Hurling Show right here.
