Alvaro Ara, Polo Valley Professional:
“At Polo Valley, Sotogrande, all you need is the desire and willpower to learn to play polo. We take care of the rest. Well trained horses, different fields for classes and practice, all the equipment from helmets, boots and mallets ready to be used by our guests. We take care of everything, so you just need to sho32w up and be prepared to have a lot of fun learning the “King of Sports””
If you want to be the star pupil and be ready to take up the mallet when you arrive for your beginner lesson, here are some tips from the pro.
Holding a mallet
When we watch the great polo players it looks so natural and easy and that is how it is supposed to feel when you get the technique right.
First things first, holding a mallet properly is important to how your swing will be.
Most people when they see a mallet for the first time think that the hand goes through the sling, this would make it slightly dangerous if your mallet gets caught on something during a game. The proper way of holding a mallet is to put your thumb through the sling and wrap it around the back of your hand and then hold it. This way, if you lose your grip, you won’t lose the mallet as well, but if the mallet head gets caught in someone else’s tack you have a “quick release” from it.
You don’t want to grip it too hard by squeezing it, or too loose that it can slip out of your hand. Essentially you will hold it with only 3 fingers, your thumb, middle and ring finger. Your index finger should be holding the bottom edge of the grip.
You will hit the ball with the long side of the mallet head, which is closest to you, the black part of Alvaro’s mallet.
To find out more about holidays to Polo Valley, Sotogrande, please call a Powder Byrne Travel Consultant on 0203 6511 965 or visit our website.
