GROUND
STRIKE ON THE RUN
Key Points
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Adopt the
ready position.
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Stride
into the ball.
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Swivel
the shoulders and hips to place the forward foot in line with the ball.
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The
shoulders should be in line with the target.
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Head
down, strike through the ball with a quick, wristy action.
-
Transfer
body weight with momentum and bring the trailing foot behind the lead foot
for balance.
-
Swivel
the shoulders and hips back to the original position to continue run.
Technical
Drills
Drill
1 – Basic – Imaginary Striking
-
This is a
basic drill to practice the Ground Strike on the Run technique.
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Position
the players along a line, a safe distance apart.
-
Players
jog across the field, striking an imaginary ball on every 3rd
step.
-
Ensure
each player strikes to the same side as a safety measure.
-
Strike to
the opposite side on the return.
Drill
2 – Basic –Ground Striking
-
This is a
basic drill to practice the Ground Strike on the Run technique.
-
Mark out
a distance approximately 20m using cones.
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Place 3
balls along the distance, one every 5 metres.
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Divide
the players into groups of 3.
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One group
of 3 line up behind the first cone.
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Each
player in turn runs forward to strike each ball on the run.
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The other
group of 3 take up position to retrieve the balls, returning them to the
original position for the next player.
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Each
player strikes to the opposite side towards the retrievers.
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After
each player in a group has had a turn at striking, alternate the groups.
-
Begin
with a larger ball like the First Touch hurling ball and reduce the size of
the ball as the players become more proficient at the technique
-
Alternatively, use ball and pin apparatus instead of a retriever group.
Drill
3 Basic - Out and In
-
This is a
basic drill to practice the Ground Strike on the Run technique.
-
Mark out
a distance of approximately 30m using cones.
-
Divide
the players into groups of 3, lined up behind the cones at one side, with
one ball per group.
-
Each
player in turn strikes the ball on the run, follows it and continues to
strike around the far cone and back to the start.
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When a
player returns, the next player sets off.
-
The first
group to have all players complete the drill wins.
Drill
4 Intermediate - 3 Player Strike
-
This is
an intermediate drill to practice the Ground Strike on the Run technique.
-
Mark out
a distance of approximately 40m using cones.
-
In groups
of 3, the players spread out along one line with approximately 15m between
each player.
-
The first
player begins by striking the sliotar ahead of the central player.
-
The
central player, without stopping the ball, must strike it on ahead of the
third player, who strikes it back ahead of the central player again.
-
The 3
players continue to move forward in this fashion until they reach the 40m
line
-
The
players
then
reform and wait until the rest of the players have completed the drill
before changing the central player and repeating the drill in the opposite
direction.
Drill
5 Intermediate – 3 Player Relay Strike
-
This
intermediate drill to practice the Ground Strike on the Run technique
requires the central player to pull on a moving ball.
-
Mark out
a distance of approximately 40m using cones.
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In teams
of 3, the players spread out evenly over the distance.
-
The first
player begins by striking the sliotar towards the central player.
-
The
central player, without stopping the ball, must strike it on towards the
third player.
-
The third
player strikes it back to the central player again and so the drill
continues.
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Encourage
the central player to play the ball on whatever side it approaches.
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The first
team to move the ball up and down the line a set number of times wins.
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To reduce
the difficulty of the drill, allow the end players to stop the ball before
striking it to the central player.
-
To
increase the difficulty of the drill, increase the distance and divide the
players into teams of 4 with 2 central players.
Developing the Skill
Grid
Game 1 – Over the Line
-
This is a
target game designed to improve the ability of the players to strike the
ball on the ground while on the run.
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The game
can be played one against one or in teams of 2, 3 or 4.
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Mark out
a grid using cones, two end lines of which act as goal lines.
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The size
of the grid depends on the number and ability of the players.
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A score
is made by striking the ball over the end line in the opponent’s side of the
grid.
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Teams
strike on every second shot.
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Each
player must be moving while striking the sliotar.
Fun
Game 1 – 4 Goal Game
-
This is a
modified game focussing on the Ground Strike on the Run. It also
incorporates blocking and dribbling and will aid the development of
decision-making and team play.
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Mark out
a playing area 30m x 30m.
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Position
a goal at each of the four corners.
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Divide
the players into two equal teams of 4 to 6 players.
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Each team
defends two goals but no goalkeepers are used.
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Vary the
size of the playing area and the width of the goals depending on the ability
of the players.