Tomahawk: although it can be a difficult skill to master, it is definitely a skill worth practicing especially if play on the left hand side. Defenders can use the tomahawk to clear balls down the line, midfielders could use it to cross the ball in and strikers to shoot at goal from various angles.
This shot is played with the edge of the stick when the stick is held in the reverse grip (sometimes called the frying pan grip); v’s of both hands facing upwards, as is the stick face, when the stick hits the ball.
- grip: The player changes from the standard grip as the swing commences to a reverse stick grip.
- swing: The swing starts with the stick head being tilted upwards in front of the face, then the player takes their hands away around towards their left hip (body rotates as this happens) in a half circle movement.
- ball position: at the point prior to impact the ball is moved into a position in front of the player creating an angle of 90 degrees between the direction the player is moving and the target (usually the goal but if used in field play can be another player).
The stick is swung in an arc from l – r with the stick being parallel to the ground prior to impact. To achieve this, the player “lunges” with leg that they intend hitting the ball off (the key is being very low to the ground).
