We did a live Q&A to answer some of the most voted for questions, and we thought it would be very useful to you to break them up into individual questions.
This is the first question and Gav is going to chat through how you can improve your tail shots...
PLUS there some additional great advice on all backhands!!!
Transcription:
Gav, let's dive into the questions. First question. How do I improve my tail shot?
So, I think that the biggest thing Rob, with the tail shots, is that you must remember that the mallet will always follow where your forearm is pointing. So, for your away backhand, you would get that hand in and the elbow out, so that the mallet goes into-out. And that would immediately give you an away backhand.
But also remember that if you hitting an away backhand, you've got your right side forward, so that you're hitting the ball earlier. With your tail shot, you have to make that turn, I keep talking about, and put your right butt cheek on top of the saddle. Make that little half turn first as you go towards the ball. Kick strong into that left stirrup to anchor yourself. And now make sure the mallet, that you take your hand out to the right, okay. Because if you take your hand to the right, so that your hand is wider than your elbow. And when you drop the mallet, you drop it across the horse, so that the mallet is actually traveling in an arc to the outside and then back.
But the biggest thing with your tail shot is when you hit it, don't allow your hand to go all the way back to where your horses...against your horses flank. Cause you will hit the horses back legs that way. You have to take your hand out and flip the backhand from wider with your wrist, okay. But it's that turn of your body first and taking the hand back.
And guys, if I can do it at 68 years old, so can you, at any age you are. You have to reach backwards, stop being lazy, get that hand to reach backwards so that you are turning around your body, okay. So, that you're turning around your spine and reaching backwards. Don't lean back to hit that backhand. You take all your power away from there. You want to use your body, into the swing, reach backwards. So that as you hit the ball, you actually looking past your horses backside. And if you really reach backwards with that hand, and flip the wrist, and keep the hand a bit wide, you will see you get a lot of distance and angle. I'm not sure if that describes it well, Rob?
No, that's perfect Gav. I think that was great.
