The bond between a hurler and their hurley is stronger than most.
Sometimes it's love at first sight, at first grip, sometimes it takes a few days of pucking to get used to a hurley, but once your hit it off with your 30 something inch wand, each grain of ash arrowing down from its handle and through its bás becomes as much a part of you as your right hand.
If you're a hurler, that is.
From the curve of the handle to the thickness of the toe. From the bend of the heel to the overall feel. From its weight to its bás to the spring under pressure.
Each inch of its being is worth its weight in gold. Gold in a hurler's world is ash. Each inch of ash is studied in great detail as to its legitimacy of being connected to the palm of your hand.
Some hurlers could play for years with the one hurl. Some go through them like the Maltesers in a box of Celebrations, but the one guarantee in life is that once you break that moneymaker, you'll be going through
7 stages of heartbreak.
David Reidy knows the score. The Clare hurler was on fire at the weekend as the Banner toppled Tipperary in their League opener in Cusack Park.
Reidy hit 1-8. His trusted 33" Torpey stick never once let him down. That's because he's put time, money and thought into his weapon. His breadwinner.
1. The Length
It's a catch 22 situation. Too long and you'll be hooked like a vulnerable fish, too short and the length of your strike will suffer. Reidy is small in stature, so a 33 incher seems about right
"I'm gone back to a 33" hurl now. The reason I'm gone back to the 33" is that I find there's a better strike in it, (than the 32) there's more weight in it too. I'm out the field a bit further now, so I'd be taking shots from further out, so I'm back to the 33 for good now," he said.
2. The feel
From the moment he picked up his hurl, he knew his rolex wrists would be served well. Sometimes you just know.
"I'd seen a couple of 32s, and I picked them up in my hand, and they just felt excellent."
3. The hurley-maker
You trust your hurley-maker like nobody else in the world. You provide them with the most detailed requests. You trust them to pare your piece of ash down to a tee. You trust them to provide you with a slinger.
Reidy trusts the Torpey hurls. We all have our go-too hurley makers.
Hurley-makers are great, great men.
https://twitter.com/TCDGAA/status/959158318337069057
"I'm back with the 33" Torpey now," says Reidy.
4. The grudge
If a hurley lets you down, be it through a couple of stray touches, a couple of dud strikes or just a general bad feeling about it. It won't be coming back near you anytime soon.
"I''d be very picky with hurleys anyway. If I don't like one I'd put it down and I wouldn't pick it up again for a long, long time."
You're not the only one, David.
5. Backing your nitpicking
You'll take abuse from parents for having enough hurls for the whole team lying around the house. You'll fork out big money every year to find the perfect hurl and to replace the casualties.
It's worth it in the end.
"It's them small percentages that will make the big difference at the end of the day."
https://soundcloud.com/sportsjoe-gaa-hour/david-reidy-interview-welcome-back-offaly-tommy-walsh-punditry
