In December 2017 we started our platform for field hockey coaches with a coach conference named HockeyToday.cc. Legendary South African drag flick specialist Justin Reid-Ross hosted a masterclass that day about the drag flick.
One Thing Field Hockey Coaches Should Take from this Drag Flick Masterclass
If there’s one concept every field hockey coach should walk away with from this drag flick masterclass, it’s the value and necessity of consistency in technical approach. Whether you’re working with seasoned flickers or guiding young players just building their PC repertoire, this notion underpins every successful drag flick and ultimately separates the casual from the specialist.
Why Consistency is Fundamental
Drag flicking, as laid out by Justin Reid-Ross, is a complex, highly individual skill—akin to a golf swing; no two flickers are alike. However, he’s adamant that certain universal principles exist, and chief among them is developing a repeatable approach. Coaches sometimes obsess over how to get players to hit harder or flick higher, but forget that power, accuracy, and disguise all rely on a flicker’s ability to repeat their movements, their timing, and their routine every single time under pressure.
To paraphrase Justin Reid-Ross:
“Consistency in your approach, consistency in the angle, consistency in which foot you initiate your movement with, all of these things should become completely natural to you when you’re flicking. So you shouldn’t be thinking about this too much... It should be a natural thing.”
This is more than an ideal—it’s a practical coaching tool. If you build rituals for your flickers (measuring out their steps, marking their starting position, rehearsing run up speed and body position), you’re laying the foundation for every technical, tactical, and psychological component that will follow. These habits bleed into warmups, training blocks, and competitive corners alike.
How to Apply this in Training
Demonstrate and Demand Repetition of Run-Up Routine:
Have your flickers always start from the same spot, with the same number of steps and angle. Don’t just leave it to chance; take markers, cones, or even draw a small scratch with a foot to reinforce their starting spot.Monitor Body Position and Run-Up Speed:
The “stick of dynamite principle” (Reid-Ross’s analogy) is fantastic: teach your players that the approach is the slow, controlled fuse, not the explosion. Start with controlled, ‘silent’ approaches in early drills.Track Changes on Video and Correct Subtle Deviations:
Stress the importance of eliminating bobbing or inconsistent body heights. Use your phone, slow-motion apps, or analysis software to spot deviations—make corrections early before they become ingrained.Make Consistency a Mental Habit:
Encourage flickers to use their run-up and set position as a ‘centering’ moment—a chance to reset, quiet nerves, and focus on the technique instead of the outcome.
Why Focus Here?
Coaching at any level, from juniors to high performance, demands balancing individual style with tried-and-tested technical standards. Consistency in the approach gives you, as a coach, an anchor for everything that follows—pickup, power, deception, and reliability in execution. Without it, gains from technical feedback are often lost, and meaningful statistics (conversion rates, placement, disguise) become impossible to trust.
Two habits to bring into your next session:
Make every flicker measure and mark their run-up—3 back and 1 left (or whatever variation suits them).
Watch body position from the side and demand stillness and control pre-pickup.
Why You’ll Want to Watch the Entire Session
It’s rare to get such deep, practical insights from a top international on the nitty gritty of drag flicking. The real value here is watching Justin Reid-Ross break down not just technical points, but also the logic and trade-offs behind his cues and his coaching—using top player video breakdowns and his own decades of tweaks.
If you’re a coach who wants to actually change outcomes at penalty corners—not just theorize about how to do so—you’ll get direct, actionable takeaways for every stage of the drag flick. You’ll understand how to set up routines, correct rookie mistakes, and develop specialists from raw talent. Plus, you’ll see how the top flickers solve real-world problems you see every weekend, at every level.
To read the deep dive on the three biggest coaching lessons, including practical session advice and quotes directly from Justin Reid-Ross on why each matters, unlock the full post below.
