Shooting 101: Making Goals That Count
Scoring is the part of bike polo everyone wants to get good at, and it's also the part that takes the longest to click. Let’s face it: we’re riding bikes while trying to hit a small ball with a plastic cylinder attached to a thin metal stick. That’s a challenge!
This post covers what counts as a goal, the shots worth learning first, and where to aim once you've got them. At the end, there are a few drills to try at Tuesday skills night.
What counts as a goal
A goal counts when the entire ball crosses the entire goal line after a shot. In the ruleset, a shot means your last touch on the ball was with either round end of your mallet head: the cap end or the open end.
Exceptions to using the open end include scooping or carrying the ball in your mallet head. These don’t count. Hitting the ball with the shaft of your mallet, or with your body or bike, also doesn’t count.
A shuffle is any contact between the long side of your mallet head and the ball. It's a legitimate way to move the ball around the court, but a shuffle into the goal doesn't count, and your team gives up possession. Plenty of us have celebrated one of these before someone gently pointed it out.
After taking a real shot, the ball can still bounce off things on its way into the goal. If it hits any part of a defender or the goalpost, it counts. It just can't take a last redirect off any part of a teammate’s mallet, bike, or body.
Additionally, if a defender knocks the ball into their own goal, that counts as an own goal, and you get the point.
At pickup we're pretty relaxed about calls, and nobody is going to make a big deal out of it. At tournaments, refs will call it, so it's worth understanding now.
Rule reference: NAH 2022 ruleset, §4.4 (Scoring), §5.2 (Shooting), §5.3 (Shuffling)
The cap shot
This is the main shot in bike polo and the one to practice most. You line up the end of your mallet head with the ball and hit it with a controlled swing toward where you want it to go.
A few things that help:
Ball position. Keep the ball slightly in front of you, and a little out to the side, so you have room to swing without clipping your front wheel or handlebar.
Swing size. A big wind-up feels powerful but usually costs you accuracy and gives defenders time to get a mallet in. A shorter swing with a good follow-through toward your target works better.
Eyes on the ball. It's tempting to look at the goal while you swing. Look at the goal first, then watch the ball until you've hit it.
Forehand and backhand
Your forehand is the shot on the side of your mallet. Most people pick this up first because it feels natural. Your backhand is the shot across your body, on the opposite side of the bike, and it feels awkward at first.
It's worth working on both. The ball won’t always end up on your forehand side, and moving it over takes time a defender can use. A backhand that’s just okay still gives you a shot from where the ball already is.
Close-range shots
Sometimes you're right in front of the goal with a defender on you and no room for a full swing. In that spot, a quick tap or push with the cap is often enough. These shots don't need power. They need to be quick and on target.
Using the shuffle anyway
Just because a shuffle can't score doesn't mean it isn't useful near the goal. A shuffle is one of the best ways to move the ball a few feet to the side, open up a better angle, or get it away from a defender's mallet.
A common pattern looks like this: shuffle the ball across the front of the goal to pull the goalie one way, then take a quick cap shot back toward the side they just left.
Where to aim
Goalies cover the middle of the net with their bike, body, and mallet, so a shot straight at the goalie is usually a gift. Some better targets:
Low and near the post. A shot near the post gives the goalie the least to work with, especially if their wheel isn’t tight to the post.
The side they're leaving. If the goalie leans or shifts to cover one side, the other side opens up. Shoot where they aren't.
Look before you shoot. Take a second to see where the goalie is before you shoot. You'll miss fewer chances by looking than by rushing.
Come play with us
Nobody gets good at shooting by reading about it, but everyone improves with time on the court.
We play Tuesday evenings and Saturday afternoons at Gateway Park in Travelers Rest, and Sunday afternoons at Malvern Hills Park with AVL Bike Polo.
Loaner gear is available. Follow @GVLBikePolo on Instagram for updates.
