Bending it like that guy, special shoes, and one very hot training chamber are all part of the making of a modern player.
Dutch defender Taeke Taekema is known for his ability to curve shots off of set plays. He even has his own piece of equipment to help amplify his talents. Bend it like Beckham? How about twist it like Taekema.
The legend of Taekema was cemented following the European Championship in 2007 where he scored 16 goals in the tournament (apparently that’s good). Taekema’s skills are centered on his ability with penalty corners. Similar to a soccer free kick, a special shot known as the “drag flick” has revolutionized the game in just the past 15 years. And like pulling a wrist shot in ice hockey, the player drags the stick along the permanently wet ground (more about that in a future post) allowing him to either lift the ball or sling it along the ground. In a quasi jai-alai move, the ball rolls up the stick and then back down again adding more speed.
Beckham could bend before his Adidas Predator shoe and Taekema doesn’t need his Adidas TT-10 stick to flick—but apparently it doesn’t hurt. The TT-10 is a carbon fiber stick designed with a more extreme curve and lower blade profile than traditional sticks making it ideal for flicks. With the advent of flicks, the governing bodies have even begun to limit the amount of curvature allowed in the equipment
We'll continue this series in future posts and learn more about the game of Field Hockey.
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