All present in Semple Stadium on Saturday evening witnessed a clinic in the art of the sideline cut.
It’s a refined practice that only a gifted few have mastered, and when it’s successfully carried out it’s without doubt the most aesthetically pleasing feature of the world’s most beautiful game.
Many hurlers are well able to cut the odd peach of a line-ball, but consistency is the key because without that, managers won’t be entrusting you with the responsibilities.
No hurler in the country at this present moment can claim to be as consistent as Tipperary’s Ronan Maher at pitching from the turf.
This is a man who can hit the ball further from that position than most others can from their hands. That’s saying something.
Michael Ryan doesn’t have much to worry about when a linesman points the way Tipperary are playing.
On Saturday evening, his sideline expert chipped two gorgeous balls over the bar with style and grace to suggest he should in fact be playing in Augusta this week. This wasn’t the first occasion in this League campaign that he has brought spectators to their feet with his unique gift.
We tried to break down his technique via a video from Thomas Conway of the Nenagh Guardian.
Maher finds a tuft of grass and places the ball accordingly.
The Thurles Sarsfields man stands back 1.5/2 metres from the sliotar. He stands upright and his eyes are set on his target.
His eyes turn to the ball. He takes a slight step back with his right foot, as his motion begins.
His left foot takes a similar step back.
He swivels his body slightly and brings his right leg behind his left. This will act as his standing leg. He brings his hurley up as he angles down towards the ball. His posture remains upright, crucially, as he leans towards the sliotar.
His left hand, which had been further down his hurl, slips back to a full length grip.
He stretches his left leg forward in a side-lunging type motion. His hurl almost swivels in his own hands as his wrists rotate with his swing. It’s all about the wrists, the soft hands. You could probably pick the hurl out of his hands easily at this point.
He drops his standing leg down as he transitions from high to low. This helps him build up plenty of power. The swinging of his wrists is again crucial here.
Like a good golfer, he keeps his head down on the ground even after the strike.
And follows through like Padraig Harrington in ’09.
Here it is at it’s free-flowing and brilliant best.
It’s the same trusted technique every time.
The power, the distance, the strike. What a Sideline from Ronan Maher! pic.twitter.com/Hy7GYm0nwr
— The GAA (@officialgaa) March 31, 2018
And again…
https://twitter.com/sportingtipp/status/980193171584974850
Now you can compare it to Mark Coleman’s technique.
Get out on the local pitch practicing.
