Up and Away

The jab lift on the move, straight into the first strike from the hand

Hurling
U10
60 min
12–24 players
2 coaches
Effort 3/5
Quarter to half pitch
u10
lifting
striking-from-hand
first-touch

The PitchPlans coaching teamGAA Award 1 & 2 coaches

Kit: Sized hurleys, helmets on for every ball, sliotars one each plus spares, 24 cones, 8 cone gates, 12 bibs (2 colours)

Warm-up8 min

Lift-Off

Setup: 25×25m square, a ball each, helmets on from the first minute. Two mentors calling and playing along from opposite corners.

How it works: Everyone moves with a ball, working the roll of the bas under it. Calls build the lift a piece at a time: DRIBBLE keeps the ball moving with taps; ROLL slides the bas under the stopped ball and rocks it up the face without catching it; JAB stops the ball, slides the bas under it and flicks it up to a soft catching hand; GO carries the caught ball two steps and places it down again. Keep the calls flowing so lifting becomes something they do on the move, not something they stop and think about.

What to say

“Tell them: 'bas flat under the ball, not banging into the front of it.'”
“Tell them: 'flick it up to waist height and let your hand come to meet it — soft hand, no snatch.'”
“Tell them: 'eyes down on the lift, then straight back up — the lift is quick, the head does not stay down.'”

Easier

Static lifts from a stopped ball, no movement; roll-up only before adding the flick.

Harder

Jab-lift on the jog and carry three steps before placing; a weak-side jab lift once a lap.

Activity13 min

The Lift Lab

Setup: Four short stations along a line, pods of 3–4 rotating on ninety seconds, two full rounds. Kit set before training: a cone slalom, a roll-lift line, a jab-lift-and-carry lane, a lift-and-place target.

How it works: Bank clean lifts, counted. Station one, the slalom: dribble to each cone, jab-lift on the move, carry two steps, place it, on to the next. Station two, roll lifts: from a stopped ball, roll the bas up the face to the hand, ten in a row, smooth not rushed. Station three, jab-and-carry: jog in, jab-lift, carry five steps and place the ball on a marker. Station four, lift-and-place: lift and drop the ball softly into a hoop from two steps back. Shout your station count as ye rotate; in round two, beat your round-one number. The maths does the motivating.

The technique, step by step

Station 1 — slalom: jab-lift on the move at every cone.
Station 2 — roll lifts: ten smooth roll-ups from a stopped ball.
Station 3 — jab-and-carry: lift on the jog, carry five steps, place it.
Station 4 — lift-and-place: lift and drop softly into a hoop.

What to say

“Tell them: 'the jab lift at a jog beats a perfect lift standing still — this game happens moving.'”
“Tell them: 'roll or jab, the bas stays flat under the ball — it lifts, it does not scoop and fling.'”
“Tell them: 'count honest — the number is for you to beat, not to beat your friend with.'”

Easier

Two-minute stations at walking pace; static lifts allowed; slalom walked.

Harder

STEPR: weak-side jab lift at the slalom in round two; roll and jab alternate at station two; carry stations add a wobble cone to swerve.

Activity14 min

Lift, Step, Strike

Setup: Pairs 12–15m apart, one ball per pair, all striking down the same channel with three steps between pairs. Mentors walk behind the line of strikers.

How it works: Now the lift feeds a strike from the hand. One partner rolls the ball in; the striker jab-lifts it clean, takes a step, tosses the ball flat off the open palm and strikes it low and firm to the partner. It is four moves in one flow — lift, catch, toss, strike — so take it slow until the flow is smooth, then let it speed up. Count strikes that reach your partner below head height without a second bounce. Swap the roller and striker every five and race your own best.

The technique, step by step

Jab-lift the rolled ball clean to the hand.
One step and settle for a heartbeat.
Toss flat off the open palm, arm's length.
Strike through it, low and firm, finish at your partner.

Common mistakes

Tossing the ball sky-high — a flat low toss is what makes the strike repeatable.
Snatching the strike straight off a scrappy lift — settle first, then swing.

What to say

“Tell them: 'lift, then settle for a heartbeat — a rushed lift makes a rushed strike.'”
“Tell them: 'toss flat off the open palm at arm's length, not up in front of your face.'”
“Tell them: 'point your finish at your partner and keep the strike low and firm.'”

Easier

Take the lift, then place the ball down and strike from a settled tee; partner moves to 8m.

Harder

STEPR: strike on the move after two steps; a five-second clock on each turn; weak-side strike every fifth ball.

The rest of this session is free — along with 3 more this week.

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