Analysing performance
First touch
Preparation
- Hands are the correct distance apart, although I should have my fingers all touching when round the stick, but I have my index finger pointing down the stick, this is a bad idea as its usually how fingers are broken.
- Knees bent and left foot forward, giving me a low strong body position.
- I move to meet the ball in the correct position however I don't actually move forward towards the ball, so in a game situation it may then be easily intercepted.
- I make sure I know where I’m going to pass the ball next.
- I need to move my feet round more sometimes so that I receive the ball on my open stick side rather on the reverse stick side (it is better to do this because it is easier and quicker to pass from the open stick side. If you then get tackled, then it is your strong side and so you are more likely to keep the ball). To do this I need to anticipate where the ball is going to go by watching the player, which is passing the ball, position.
Execution
- I move my stick forward to receive the ball, and bring it back when receiving it, although sometimes my stick is at too much of an angle and if it is a hard ball then it goes of the end of my stick.
- When I receive the ball, I need to have my stick nearer to the floor, as when I don’t have a strong grip the ball goes under my stick.
- Occasionally I will receive the ball with a static stick, and the ball then bounces back of, this means that in a game situation I would be likely to loose possession of the ball.
- I sometimes do not put the ball in the correct position to pass it and let it get too in front of me or too near my feet.
- I sweep the ball while it is still moving if I am receiving and passing it in an appropriate place, this means that the pass is quick and accurate. Although if passing over a longer distance and I don’t control the ball first it tends to get spin and then veers of in a different direction, also because it’s a longer distance the accuracy is more important and I don’t always get my feet in the right position quick enough.
- When receiving with the aim to stop the ball I do not have a strong enough grip on the stick and sometimes have the stick tilted slightly back so the ball just goes over it.
