COMBINATION. 35 



those of attack. If the order of the day is to attack 

 strongly, every effort shoukl be made to hit the ball 

 in the right direction, that is, towards the adver- 

 saries' goal. Wild hitting is of no use, and accuracy 

 and direction are of far more importance than 

 strength. For instance, we may often see a man 

 make a fine run down the side of the ground and 

 then smack the ball behind, instead of taking a pull, 

 as he often has time to do, and either making a careful 

 shot at goal, or middling it to a comrade by means 

 of a back-hander. 



In defence, exactly the opposite tactics should be 

 employed. Although hitting round generally spoils 

 the game, there is nothing for saving a goal like a 

 good hard back-hander under one's pony's tail, so 

 as to send the ball right out to the side of the 

 ground (Fig. 10). A clever Back often turns de- 

 fence into attack by hitting under his pony's neck 

 from near his own goal to the side (Fig. 5). This 

 is a very difficult and risky stroke for any one who 

 has not an accurate eye, but it has the advantage 

 over a back-hander that it cannot be stopped by the 

 legs of the ponies which are galloping behind. It is 

 a particularly paying stroke when, as often happens, 

 the ball has come from one side of the ground 

 towards goal, and the Back hits it under his pony's 

 neck towards the other side, but away from his own 

 goal (Fig. 5). If he does this successfully, he 

 will probably get the next hit at the ball, which would 

 save his goal for the time being, even if it does not 

 result, as would not be unlikely, in a run the whole 

 length of the ground. The objection to a man hitting 

 round, is that the other members of his team, not 



3* 



