Motion Analysis of a Field
Hockey Stroke
By:
Kate Scanlon & Julie Cairone
Equipment Needed:
 Field Hockey Stick
 Field Hockey Ball
 Mouth guard
 Goalie (with pads and stick)
 Field Hockey Cage
 Chin Guards
General Rules of the STROKE
 Ball has to be placed on penalty line
 Stick cannot make a “tap” sound on the ball; it has to be one
fluid motion
 Stroker can take as many steps behind the ball as they want
but only one follow through step past the penalty line
 Cannot go until the whistle is blown or you don’t get the
stroke
Objective: get the ball in the cage
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93O9x7KSbho&NR=1
STANCE PHASE
 Player stands sideways with stick rested behind ball, with legs
slightly bent
PRIMARY MOVERS: (isometric)
Slight arm extension: triceps brachii, brachialis, brachioradialis,
anconeus
PREPARATORY PHASE
 Player gets ready to move and stands with both hands on the
stick, legs bent, getting ready to transition into the
movement phase
 PRIMARY MOVERS: (concentric)
Knee Flexion: sartorius, semitendinosis, biceps femoris,
semimembranosus
Arm Extension: Biceps brachii, anconeus
Back Flexion: erector spinae, rectus abdominis
MOVEMENT
PHASE
 Player gets low to use all muscles to power ball
 PRIMARY MOVERS: ( concentric)
Knee Flexion: sartorius, semitendinosis, biceps femoris, semimembranosus
Back Flexion: erector spinae, rectus abdominis
Arm Flexion: Biceps brachii, brachialis, brachioradialis
Wrist Flexion (R): Flexor Carpi Radialis, Palmaris Longus, Flexor Carpi
Ulnaris
Wrist Extension (L): Extensor Carpi Ulnaris, Extensor Carpi Radialis
Brevis, Extensor Carpi Radialis Longus
Lateral Pelvic Rotation: psoas major and minor, gluteus medius, gluteus
medius, gluteus minimus
FOLLOW THROUGH
PHASE
 Player has released ball and is now exaggerating the finish
PRIMARY MOVERS: (eccentric)
Knee Flexion/ Extension: sartorius, semitendinosis, biceps
femoris, semimembranosus; rectus femoris, vastus intermedius,
vastus lateralis, vastus medalis
Back Flexion: erector spinae, rectus abdominis
Arm Extension: triceps brachii, brachialis, brachioradialis,
anconeus
Lateral Pelvic Rotation: psoas major and minor, gluteus
medius, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus
RECOVERY PHASE
 Player regains stance position
PRIMARY MOVERS: (eccentric)
Knee Extension: rectus femoris, vastus intermedius, vastus
lateralis, vastus medalis
Back Extension: erector spinae; iliocostalis, longissimus,
spinalis
TIPS!
 Be sure to stretch legs, glutes, and back
 People underestimate the use of back muscles in this




movement and they tend to pull out their back
Bend legs to get more power
Legs are most important muscles to strengthen
Aim for the four corners of the cage when shooting
Injuries are pretty rare with strokes as long as player
stretches and warms up properly beforehand
References:
Manual of
Structural
Kinesiology.
R.T. Floyd.
Seventeenth
Edition.
http://usafieldh
ockey.com/rules
/rulesmodificationscomparisons