Modern polo . Fig. 3.^Forward drive,view from front. Fig. 4.—Forward drive,view from behind. hind-quarters a little to the left by a strong pressureof the drawn-back right leg, so that the stick may notstrike the off quarter. This stroke should be very frequently practised atsome object ; the angle made by the direction ofthe ball with the direction in which the pony isridden being gradually increased according as dexterityis acquired ; for the greater is the angle, the moredifficult will be the stroke. Like all other strokes, FORWARD STROKES. 13 it must first be tried at a walk, and afterward
Modern polo . Fig. 3.^Forward drive,view from front. Fig. 4.—Forward drive,view from behind. hind-quarters a little to the left by a strong pressureof the drawn-back right leg, so that the stick may notstrike the off quarter. This stroke should be very frequently practised atsome object ; the angle made by the direction ofthe ball with the direction in which the pony isridden being gradually increased according as dexterityis acquired ; for the greater is the angle, the moredifficult will be the stroke. Like all other strokes, FORWARD STROKES. 13 it must first be tried at a walk, and afterwards atthe canter and gallop. 3. To the near side, or tinder the ponys neck.—The difficulty of this stroke, like that of the precedingone, increases with the angle at which the ball is wishing to hit at or nearly at right anglesto the direction in which we are riding, we can makethe stroke much easier, if we have got time to do. Fig. 5.—Hitting under ponys neck, to save goal. SO, by turning the pony slightly to the left, in whichcase it will merely be a modification of the forwardstroke. The difficulty of hitting at, or nearly ata right angle, consists in clearing the ponys forelegs, to do which we have got to lean very farforward. Even the best players are apt to fail byhitting the ponys fore legs with stick or ball, orwith both. It is, however, a useful stroke when theball is in front of goal (Fig. 5), and when we 14 FIRST STEPS AT POLO. [Chap I. are unable to turn our ponys hind quarters to theleft, in order to hit a back-hander under his tail tothat side (Fig. lo). The latter, being much theeasier stroke, should, when practicable, be always triedin preference to the former. Under no circumstances,when the ball is in front of the goal, should a back-hander be hit straight back ; for in that case, byleaving the ball in the line of danger, we violate the
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjecthorses, bookyear1902
