How Thick is the Line of the Ball?
The Cliff notes for those who don’t like books without pictures.
Is the line of the ball like the line of the road? That would be the most logical guess. Or maybe the width of the ball?
Well, the book doesn’t really say, but hopefully these words will help. Picture the most recent path of the ball or the line as the width of a center line of a road. About six inches wide just for a visual. Now walk your horse alongside of this line and stop by the ball. Now this line, the most recent path of the ball continues either all the way across or up and down the field. Reach your mallet down like you were going to hit properly. Remember, we are just pretending here. Now if you are not hitting too close or two far away from your horse, you will be taking up a lane about 3 to four feet. Assuming you are on your off-side, from the line to your left stirrup is about 3 to four feet. So this lane, not line, lane, is what the right of way is all about. It accommodates your swing and your horse.
This visual may give you a little better appreciation of the right of way alongside the line of the ball. Often times, the right of way is called the hitting lane, alongside of the line. There is a hitting lane or right of way on both sides of the line.
So the next time you are within four feet of the lane, at an angle to someone in the right of way alongside of the line, you might have a better visual that you are impeding the progress of the player in the right of way and that is a right of way violation. Often times it may be loosely referred to a line crossing violation, confusing novice players. No, you did not cross the line, but you did create a right of way violation.
The other haunting problem for us to understand is that often we began our swing or hook in our own right of way, but then we crossed over the line and into the other right of way during or immediately after our shot. A good way to test your sober line cantering ability is to put either a line of balls or a line of chalk with a few balls on that line. Take a few consecutive off-side or near-side shots on that line. Are you still on the same side of the line that you started on after your hit, or is your horse stepping over or even across the line as you hit. This can be a rather humbling exercise and may give you some clarity as to why you may be being picked on by some of the what you thought to be “visually challenged” people that wear black and white shirts and carry whistles. Actually, it is a great drill and all you need is a half a dozen balls, a horse, a field, and some integrity. You know, like when you fill out your own scorecard on the course. Happy Polo !!
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