For a field hockey offense to score, their attacking must be better than the defense's tackling. Speed and accuracy are essential for an effective field hockey attack. Learn how to attack in field hockey in this video.
SAMUEL ROBERTS: Hi, this is Sam Roberts again, your field hockey coach. Today, we'll be talking and showing you a little bit about tackling in field hockey. If I'm a forward, if I'm coming with the ball, the best side to go on is her reverse stick side because that--9 times out of 10, that's her weak side. So if I'm coming with the ball and I'm doing my dribbles, if she's coming here, this is her strong side, this is the front part of her stick. The better way to go is just push it that way on the weak side. That's the better side to attack on. Again, if I'm coming with the ball, she can do the same dribbles that I was just talking about. If I've got the ball, she can do the jab tackle where she tries to just jab at the ball. Try to jab the ball away. Right. That's one. Or she can do the swing tackle which she just swings at the ball. Those are all dribbles that--things that are basically the part essential to your defensive play; or even as an offensive player, you might have to defend. So again, it's the swing tackle. Swing tackle. All right. It's the jab. Jab the ball. The jab is more like that, like you've got the ball. You got it and I'm jabbing at it. I'm trying to jab it away from your stick. That's a jab tackle. Or you come with the ball again. Or I can just--again, that's a forehand stop. If she's trying to come to my reverse stick, I can simply block her that way, a reverse stick tackle. If I move forward and I'm coming with the ball, I'll be coming on my strong side. I come here. I pull it and I go through her weak side. I avoid the strong side. I avoid her strong side by coming--like I'm trying to go here. I pull it and I fake it. I go to her weak side to get by her. The other beautiful thing about it is if she thinks I'm going--I can actually do this and change direction. I can fake it. I can fake it like I'm going to go--because it's instinct that we'll try to go the weak side. So I can fake it, pull it back and go. Again, I can fake. I can go to the weak side, pull it back and go.
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