This rule in Polo states that the mallet must only be held with your right hand. Meanwhile, your left hand should be holding the reins of the polo horse.
The use of the left hand to hold the mallet was very common up until the 1930s when this form of play was banned. The rule was relaxed after World War II only to be reinstated again in 1974 due to the increasing number of Polo players around the world.
Now you may be wondering why does it matter whether you hold the mallet with your left or right hand. The reason for this rule is to keep both players and horses safe during the match!
Playing right handed Polo helps avoid the likelihood of a head-on collision between players. Keep in mind that Polo is a sport of speed that involves continuous body contact and constant change of the players’ positions and directions of play. Therefore, as a left-handed player and a right-handed player head for the ball, they would not pass each other as safely as they do in right-hand only games.
Of course this doesn’t mean that left handed people can’t play and enjoy this beautiful sport too. They just must follow the rules and use only their right hand to hold the mallet.
Polo is a wonderful sport! Let’s keep it fun and safe learning and following safety rules!
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