Learning Hockey:
How an effective tackle can influence the game’s outcome

After reading quite a bit on elimination skills to evade defenders, it’s time for a role reversal. It’s not enough to know how to score goals in field hockey; you also need to learn how to prevent the opposing team from scoring. This involves tackling techniques, the first of which is the forehand tackle.

Posture and Grip

The player’s upper body should be slightly bent forward while maintaining a slight bend in the knees as well. The grip for this tackle involves keeping the hands a little apart, with the left hand on top of the handle and the right hand midway through the stick. Ensure the left hand has a firm and tight grip on the stick while the right hand is just supporting.

Executing the Forehand Tackle

This requires a cone to be placed on the ground or pitch. The player steps forward with the left foot and throws the stick with the front blade reaching the cone. Only the left hand should be holding the stick at that point. He then springs back into position, gripping the stick with two hands again. Now that the technique is clear, some practice is required to perfect it.

Practice Exercise

For this, four cones would be placed on the ground, to the left and right, forming two makeshift goalposts. The attacker has to try and get past the defender, crossing into either of the two goals with the ball. As for the defender, he has to employ the forehand tackle to stop the attacker right in his tracks.

In case children are the ones doing this exercise, the defender needs to walk and defend while the attacker can run to either of the goalposts. There are more skills and techniques to tackle an attacker which you’ll discover as you continue reading this hockey tutorial. The next post covers the reverse hand tackle.