Walter Walsh explains how his unusual grip came about and when he sometimes changes it

If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

Ever since he was young, Kilkenny’s Walter Walsh has held his hurl in a unique, unorthodox manner, but he sees no point in changing at this stage.

The Tullogher Rosbercon man is one of very few hurlers, at inter-county level at least, who catch the sliotar in their left hand, before putting their left hand on top of the hurl to strike the ball.

Traditionally, hurlers catch the ball in their left hand and then place the catching hand under their right hand when striking. But Walter Walsh has been doing it his own way since as long as he can remember.

“My father used to be onto me to change it,” he says on this week’s GAA Hour. Different coaches might have said it to me too.”

“But I just started it that way and kept going with that.”

Some hurlers, like TJ Reid, Lar Corbett, Padraic Maher and Cian Lynch, for example, hurl cack-handed, catching in their right and then striking left over.

But to the mind of this writer, other than Walter Walsh and before him, Aidan ‘Taggy’ Fogarty, there haven’t been too many inter-county hurlers who catch with the left and strike left over.

Traditionalists might call it ‘awkward’ but as a man with three All-Irelands, seven Leinster titles and an All-Star, it certainly hasn’t held Walter Walsh back.

“I was playing well (as a youngster) I suppose,” he reasons.

“I was maybe one of the better players at underage club level so you’re thinking you don’t need to change. Look it is unique. I do have to work on it.”

The 32-year-old admits that he does have to adapt his grip in certain situations, and when giving short passes, occasionally strikes traditionally. He admits too that, if he was to go back to the beginning, he’d probably grip the hurl in the more orthodox manner.

“I’ve adapted it a fair bit over the years as well to kind of change,” he says.

“Say during a short passing game for example, I’d hold the hurl the right way doing that because it does restrict you in some ways.

“It doesn’t really restrict me striking the ball. It might restrict some fellas.

“In Tullogher, we have three or four who hold the hurl like me as well, and I think if someone was looking on, they might blame me for it!

“But if you work on something enough, you’ll get skilful enough in your own respect,” he says.

“It works for me anyway but if I was back again and I was starting to play hurling, I would try the right way,” he says.

Walter Walsh in action against Dripsey of Cork in the 2009 All-Ireland junior club final, which Tullogher Rosbercon lost.

“You could be better but you don’t know, there’s pros and cons to it, but at this stage I’m not going to change.”

Walsh, who is teaching on the Wexford/Kilkenny border in New Ross, is looking forward to his second AIB All-Ireland junior club final this Saturday, when Tullogher Rosbercon take on St Catherines of Cork.

He’ll have the whole school behind this time around, unlike when Kilkenny take on Wexford in the championship.

“Most of the students are from Wexford, maybe two thirds of them. The rest are from either Carlow or Kilkenny, mainly Kilkenny.

“If you lose to Wexford, coming in here is… in fairness to the young lads, the students, they mightn’t say a whole lot, but they might just have a smile on their face, to let you know,” he laughs.

A past student in New Ross himself, Walsh went to school with the likes of Tadhg Furlong, Matthew O’Hanlon and Ian Carty.

“It is a healthy rivalry, especially on the border here in New Ross. It’s massive for bragging rights alone.”

The half forward shot to stardom in 2012, when he made one of the most memorable inter-county debuts in recent history. He only found out he would be starting that All-Ireland final against Galway on the Friday and on the Sunday he scored 1-3 and won man-of-the-match.

He says a relaxed approach to preparation helped him back then, and he’ll be completing that tried and trusted routine again this weekend.

“I was as shocked as anyone when it was named on the Friday night.

“Nerves-wise, I wouldn’t get particularly nervous before matches.

“Nerves are good, but I wouldn’t get too nervous. Maybe Brian thought of that and decided to leave it until the Friday but you just get on with it.

“Take this Saturday. I know it’s Croke Park and it’s your club and emotions may be running high, but at the end of the day, you just go out there to try and win a match. Whether it’s in front of one hundred people or ten thousand people, you just get on with it.”

“I was a sixth year student here the last time. As you get a bit older, you start to appreciate it that bit more, that these days don’t come around all that often.

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