Improve Hurling First Touch: 5 Elite Coach Drills

Struggling to control the sliotar when it arrives? Learn the exact drills elite coaches use to soften your hands and lock in possession.
These proven steps will help you improve hurling first touch quickly and keep the ball under your control.

How to Improve Hurling First Touch: Core Principles

A loose grip lets the stick cushion the impact instead of rebounding the ball.
When your eyes track the sliotar and your hands stay relaxed, reaction time drops and possession rises.
Focus on soft hands, quick reaction, and realistic ball movement to build a reliable first touch.

1. Soft‑Hand Toss

What you need: A partner, a sliotar, and about 10 meters of space.

How to do it:

Stand facing your partner at a comfortable distance.
Your partner tosses the ball low to medium height toward you.
As the ball descends, keep your grip loose and let the stick “float” into the ball.
Catch it on the flat of the stick, then return it to the starting position.

Tip: Imagine the stick as a pillow – it should cushion, not slam.
Do this for 5 minutes, focusing on relaxed hands. This drill directly targets how to develop soft hands in hurling.

2. Rapid‑Fire Wall Bounce

What you need: A solid wall and a sliotar.

How to do it:

Stand a few steps from the wall and strike the ball so it rebounds toward you.
Let it bounce once, then catch it with a soft hand.
Immediately return the ball to the wall with a short, controlled strike.

Tip: Maintain a quick 1‑2‑3 rhythm to train your hands to absorb speed without tightening up.
This is a classic hurling first touch training exercise used by county squads.

3. One‑Hand Control

What you need: A sliotar and a small cone.

How to do it:

Place the cone roughly 5 meters away.
Toss the ball lightly, catch it using only the bottom hand of the stick (the hand you’d use for a ground ball).
After the catch, roll the ball to the cone and stop it with the same hand.

Tip: Feels awkward at first, but it forces a loose grip and improves limited‑contact control – a key part of best hurling drills for ball control.

4. Pressure‑Simulated Catch

What you need: A teammate, a sliotar, and a small area.

How to do it:

Your teammate runs toward you with the ball, mimicking a game pass.
As they approach, step slightly off‑balance, then recover and catch the ball with a soft grip.
Immediately pivot and pass back.

Tip: Add a light countdown (“3, 2, 1, go!”) to simulate match pressure.
This drill builds the mental habit of staying relaxed when the game speeds up.

5. Shadow Stick

What you need: Just your hurling stick.

How to do it:

Visualize a ball arriving from various angles.
Move your stick to “catch” the invisible ball, focusing on smooth, fluid motions.
Repeat for a minute, then increase the imagined speed.

Tip: Great for muscle memory – your hands learn the right motion before the ball even appears.
Use it as a quick warm‑up anywhere, anytime.

Putting it together: Perform each drill for about 5 minutes, taking a short water break between them.
Complete three rounds (≈30‑35 minutes) three times per week.
Consistency beats intensity; a little daily practice yields steadier first touch over weeks, and those “hard hands” moments fade away.