Gaelic Football & Hurling Training Equipment

At some point during a Gaelic football and/or hurling training session, you will need a Gaelic football or a sliotar. Choose from our range of balls which include kids/junior balls, as well as training and match balls. Rebounders can be used for solo and team practice sessions. Having 2 or 3 rebounders in different sizes helps players and teams to accumulate a high volume of passing, shooting and receiving practice. For improving footwork and acceleration, speed ladders, slalom poles, hurdles and cones can be used to set up a wide range of exercises that build top speed, acceleration, and the ability to change direction quickly. Training bibs in two contrasting colours let coaches run training games with clear team identities. A stopwatch and a set of pitch markers ensure an organised session and round out the kit for timed drills and set piece work.

A rebounder is one of the highest-value pieces of training equipment for both codes because it lets players work on skills that normally need a partner. They can be used in the back garden for spontaneous practice sessions for a few minutes, which accumulate to hours over weeks and months. Providing instant feedback, they are one of the best training tools for accumulating repetitions that build neural pathways for specific skills and movements. For Gaelic football, angle the rebounder to bring the ball back at chest and head height for high-fielding practice, or lower down for hand-passing and toe-tap solos. For hurling, use the rebounder for first-touch control, ground strike returns and rising-ball drills. Angle the surface flat for grounded returns and upright for aerial work. Handheld rebounders let a coach change the return angle quickly, which is useful for reflex work. Team rebounders in the larger sizes work well for group circuits with players rotating through the station.

Footwork drills matter as much in Gaelic football and hurling as they do in any 'invasion' field sport. Both games ask players to change direction, accelerate and decelerate constantly. Speed ladders develop foot-speed and coordination. Start with basic speed ladder exercises like "in-outs" and progress to lateral and crossover patterns. Slalom poles and agility hurdles build change-of-direction speed and single-leg landing and deceleration control. Single-leg landing is important for jumping for high catches and evading tackles and injuries - if you can't control your descent, you are likely to injure your knee or ankle. Marker cones set out grid patterns and reaction drills for acceleration work. Coaches often combine ladders and hurdles into a single circuit. For example, coaches will rotate players through 30-60 seconds of work at 5 or 6 stations using speed ladders and different types of hurdles. Pre-season is a great time to focus on speed and acceleration. Consistent speed and agility sessions two to three times a week over the pre-season can produce notable improvements. During the season, many coaches will integrate speed and agility work, rather than using isolated sessions.