Just wondering what does anyone think about hurls with bands? I think you're better off to leave them off until they break and you fix them. It might strengthen the hurl but if the nail is going straight through the grain and someone pulls the nail will drive into the wood and crack it? Your thoughts?

dammon (Meath) - Posts: 1291 - 23/07/2010 08:47:18    720092

It's known as a 'hoop' in Limerick but I have never played with a hurley without a band. I suppose growing up in 70's 80's recession hit Ireland, the idea was to always protect the hurley from breaking & the band was seen as a good way to do this. I used to find it strange watching Limerick play Wexford as normally 10 of the Wexford lads would have no band on the stick.

I've heard some players say you geta better strike off the stick when there is no band on it.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 23/07/2010 10:17:40    720137

slayer:

Aye hoop country in tipp too... but the thing was any time you got a crack on the boss of the hurl it was normally started where one of the nails for the hoop was.... i know one lad that had about 8 hoops on his hurl he just couldn't face replacing it.

Hag_and_Cheese (Tipperary) - Posts: 6103 - 23/07/2010 10:31:36    720151

HAG_AND_CHEESE wrote

i know one lad that had about 8 hoops on his hurl he just couldn't face replacing it.

this is the same mentality ye have in Tipp that makes ye wrap up any left over sandwiches 10 minutes from time if the game is close ............. deep freeze them for the replay.


:-)

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 23/07/2010 10:43:48    720166

33 years of age and this was the first year I played with a "Hurley" (not hurl) without a "hoop".
Damn all differnce really when the push comes to the shove. I would say they do help lenghten the life of a stick though.
Sometimes they can help balance a hurley to. I would generally prefer to play with a hooped one overall.

endofstory69 (Cork) - Posts: 97 - 23/07/2010 10:55:29    720183

slayer:

And don't forget hanging out the used thay bags on the washing line!!!

Hag_and_Cheese (Tipperary) - Posts: 6103 - 23/07/2010 11:03:54    720194

I grew up in hoop country but started using hurleys without hoops when i turned 18 or so. I way prefer them and love the strike i get with them but the club sec actually asked me to start using hooped hurleys because i was breaking hurls left, right and centre (not a hatchet man!!) and it was costing a bomb to keep me in hurls. In my experience, you break a non hooped hurley way easier.

By the by, the best hurleys i've ever hurled with are willie bulfin hurleys from bruff county limerick.

hurlinspuds (Cork) - Posts: 1494 - 23/07/2010 11:08:05    720199

Hoops or bands - I often hear both. I always palyed with one, so I couldn't comment on the hurleys without.

On another note, when did 'hurleys' become 'hurls'? I know they were always called that in and around the midlands, but has the name spread? Or are Cork/Kerry and Dublin actually the only places that call them hurleys? It seems to me that every other county is now using the shorther name. What are they called out west and up north?

Culchie (Cork) - Posts: 799 - 23/07/2010 15:19:54    720635

use hooped ones, although I don't play much anymore....that said, they're not too nice to get a crack of!

abhainn (Galway) - Posts: 1000 - 23/07/2010 15:38:09    720659

Culchie,

I never heard hurl used to describe the stick until I saw lads from Wexford & Kilkenny being interviewed in the 80's. I always considered the name to be 'hurley' anyway.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 23/07/2010 15:45:55    720676

Culchie:

You'll hear it around the nenagh area "You sir give us dat hurl"..... also the farmers tend to use a battered ould hurl in this area instead of the bit of wavin pile to herd the cowes

Hag_and_Cheese (Tipperary) - Posts: 6103 - 23/07/2010 16:17:55    720717

hurl rearly leaves my hand wheather im huntin cattle or trainin...i dunno which i prefer reali...all the same,,,tis only timber !

lowerormond (Tipperary) - Posts: 1267 - 23/07/2010 16:38:14    720755

lowerormond:

Aye I'm not a fan of the wavin pipe Myself.

Hag_and_Cheese (Tipperary) - Posts: 6103 - 23/07/2010 16:47:07    720773

Nevre heard it being reffered to as the hoop before. I sometimes use hurl, hurley, and plain simple stick

dammon (Meath) - Posts: 1291 - 24/07/2010 08:52:34    721083

I prefer to leave it without de hoop until it breaks. And its a hoop aswell not a band. and its a hurley not a hurl. The non-traditional hurling countys tend to call it a hurl. I also prefer de aul hurley to de wavin pipe

ranglerrothar (Limerick) - Posts: 72 - 24/07/2010 11:02:54    721132

The non-traditional hurling countys tend to call it a hurl.

like tipp, kilkenny and parts of limerick?? ;)

Hag_and_Cheese (Tipperary) - Posts: 6103 - 24/07/2010 11:39:03    721159

Ive never heard a Limerick person use hurl, its a hurley..

I always used a hoop when i was younger but havent since i got an O'Connor hurler about 10 years ago.. personally i think it makes not much of a difference practically really but i like for my hurley to look slick and i think it looks better with no hoop.

miketyson (Limerick) - Posts: 2748 - 24/07/2010 15:45:54    721372

miketyson
County: Limerick
Posts: 1468

your one of the lads who likes how he looks instead of how he plays?

lowerormond (Tipperary) - Posts: 1267 - 24/07/2010 17:01:43    721425

i am ya.. i fell if i look better i play better

miketyson (Limerick) - Posts: 2748 - 24/07/2010 17:36:03    721455

Jaysus lads ye are talking some load of tripe! Who cares what people call it everyone has a different opinion depending on where they are from, at the end of the day we all know what we are talking about and we we all know that the better team won at the end of the day. I've heard it call caman, but I can't add the fada here. I hope Tipp can be the better team today

tipptothetop (Tipperary) - Posts: 531 - 25/07/2010 09:40:36    721830