TORQUE to ME
Hockey is usually described in terms of speed, skill, and stick–ball control. But underneath every clean hit, deceptive carry, or flick sits a quieter, more fundamental engine: body torque. Torque is the rotational force that the body generates and transfers through the stick into the ball. When it is organised well, players create more power with less effort, more deception with less tell, and greater resilience under load. When it is untrained and disorganised, the system leaks energy and exposes joints to unnecessary stress.
This article builds on our original introductory piece which was training-conditioning specific and frames body torque as a central performance variable, linking the available biomechanics and injury data to playing realities: power generation, deception, stick–ball control, injury resilience, and neuromechanics. Where possible, it draws from hockey‑specific drag‑flick and hitting research, and from broader sports biomechanics on rotational power and kinetic chain organisation.
Torque in plain language
At its simplest, torque is a rotational analogue of force: it describes how much “twisting” is applied around a joint or axis. In hockey, torque is the product of how much rotational force the player generates (through the feet, hips, and trunk) and the distance over which that force acts (lever arms such as the trunk, upper limb, and stick).
In practical terms:
Body torque is the controlled rotation of the body segments (hips, trunk, shoulders) that stores and releases energy into the stick and ball.
It depends on sequence (which segments move first), timing (when they move), and stiffness control (how the body alternates between tension and relaxation).
It’s not just “turning the body more”; it is about how intelligently that rotation is created, transmitted, and expressed.
Well‑organised torque allows a player to separate what the lower body is doing from what the upper body is showing. This separation underpins both power and deception: the athlete can load rotational energy early, hold it, and then release it at the last possible moment.
Biomechanics of torque
Most stick sport athletes with effective actions follow a proximal‑to‑distal pattern: larger segments (pelvis, trunk) rotate first, followed by smaller segments (shoulders, arms, stick). This “kinetic chain” sequencing allows energy to be transferred and amplified along the chain.
Studies of drag flicking show clear proximal‑to‑distal patterns, with pelvis and trunk rotation preceding rapid motion of the upper body and stick.
In elite drag flickers, there is typically:
Earlier and more controlled pelvic rotation,
Efficient trunk contribution, and
Smoother transfer of angular velocity to the stick,
compared with lesser or developing players, who often compensate with higher internal joint moments and less efficient sequencing. These findings illustrate the core principle:
better‑organised torque reduces internal stress while maintaining or increasing output.
Ground reaction forces and hip–shoulder separation
Effective torque generation begins at the ground. When a player plants the lead foot and applies force into the turf, ground reaction forces travel upward through the kinetic chain. The hips rotate relative to the feet; the trunk rotates relative to the hips; the shoulders and arms then express this motion through the stick.
A key concept to bear in mind here is hip–shoulder separation: the angular difference between pelvis and upper trunk rotation. In many rotational sports, greater (but controlled) separation is associated with higher racquet, bat, or stick speed, because it allows elastic energy storage in the trunk musculature and fascia. Research on the drag flick and hit suggests that differences in pelvic range of motion and trunk kinematics contribute to both performance and injury risk profiles between players. Certainly, pelvic range of motion is a target for any strength, conditioning and mobility program for drag flickers.
Angular velocity
Torque at a joint depends on both muscle force and the distance from the line of action to the joint centre. High rotational demands at the hips and lumbar spine during drag flicks and hits (forehand and backhand) have been associated with increased odds of hip and low‑back injuries in specialist drag flickers compared to non‑specialists. Kinematic analyses show that elite players often achieve similar ball speeds with lower internal joint moments than less developed players, indicating more efficient torque distribution and better energy transfer.
In other words, body torque is not only a performance variable; it is a load‑management variable. Poorly organised torque pushes stress into the lumbar spine, hips, and groin; common areas of injury concern in developing drag flickers. Efficient torque shares the load and protects these regions while still delivering high ball speed.
Torque as a performance multiplier
Power generation
Power in hockey actions (hits, slaps, sweeps, drag flicks, aerials) is not just a function of arm speed. It stems from how effectively the player couples ground reaction forces, rotational acceleration of the pelvis and trunk, and timing of stick release. Studies on drag flicks and hits in hockey highlight that ball velocity is associated with coordinated pelvic and trunk rotation, stick kinematics, and appropriate loading of the lower limb and lumbar spine.
In terms of training, this means that improving strength alone is insufficient. Without upgrading how torque is generated and transferred, additional muscular capacity may simply increase internal joint loads rather than increasing ball speed.
Deception - wizardry
Deception in hockey is often framed as “disguising intention” with stick work and body feints. Biomechanically, a large component of deception arises from how the body controls torque:
Pre‑loading rotation while presenting a neutral or misleading upper‑body shape.
Delaying the release of trunk and shoulder rotation until late in the movement.
Changing the axis or amplitude of rotation at the last moment to send the ball in a different direction than the initial body line suggests.
When a player can separate the timing of lower‑body loading from upper‑body expression, they can show one shot, pass, or carry option, then rotate the body and stick along a different path in the final milliseconds. This is a neuromechanical skill: the CNS must learn to tolerate stored rotational energy without prematurely “dumping” it through visible and obvious movement; disguise is an acquired ability.
Stick–ball control in tight spaces
Torque is also central to control in tight spaces. Micro‑rotations of the pelvis and trunk change the line of the ball relative to the defender, even when the player’s feet move minimally. By rotating around a stable base, the athlete can:
Protect the ball by keeping it on the far side of the body,
Change angles without large steps, and
Maintain a heads‑up posture while manipulating space.
Rather than relying purely on lateral displacement, high‑level players exploit rotational adjustments to access new passing lines and deceptive carries.
Defensive stability
When defending, torque appears as a controlled counter‑rotation. When an attacker changes direction or fakes a shot, the defender must resist being rotated out of position. Strong, well‑timed trunk and hip torque allow the defender to:
Keep the pelvis and trunk oriented towards the target (e.g., ball or goal),
Maintain balance while reaching with the stick, and
Absorb and redirect forces from contact without collapsing posture.
In practice, this means that torque is not just something the defender generates; it is also something they absorb and dissipate effectively.
Injury resilience
Drag flickers have been shown to have higher odds of hip and lumbar injuries compared with non‑specialists, reflecting the high rotational loads inherent in the skill. Biomechanical studies comparing hits and drag flicks indicate substantial differences in lower‑limb and lumbar spine loading patterns, reinforcing the need to consider torque not only as an engine of performance but as a potential source of overload.
An athlete with efficient torque organisation can achieve the required ball speeds with lower peak joint moments and smoother load distribution. Conversely, if trunk and pelvic rotation are poorly sequenced or if the player relies excessively on lumbar extension and rotation, the spine and hip joint are exposed to repeated high‑magnitude stresses, which over time may contribute to pain and injury.
Neuromechanics of torque
CNS activation and timing
Torque is not just a mechanical phenomenon; it is a reflection of central nervous system (CNS) decisionmaking. The CNS must:
Decide when to begin loading rotation,
Decide how much rotation to permit at each segment, and
Coordinate release timing relative to ball position, defender position, and tactical context.
In high‑level performance, these decisions occur within milliseconds and are influenced by prior experience, perceived affordances, and current fatigue state. The same player will generate and release torque differently in a drag flick, a fast‑break backhand pass, and a contested circle reception, on the turn.
Rotational actions are heavily anticipatory: the athlete must begin loading torque before the moment of ball contact or deception. This implies that the CNS is constantly predicting where the ball, defenders, and stick will be in the near future, and using those predictions to set up rotation.
As players develop, the CNS refines internal models linking specific visual and proprioceptive cues (e.g., ball position, step pattern, stick angle) with successful torque patterns. Over time, this allows earlier, more confident torque loading and more subtle late changes in rotation for deception.
Get the message; directional change, along with torque optimisation has to be trained and progressive as an integral part of both turf-based skills expression and gym-based conditioning.
Peripersonal space and tool extension
In our game, the stick effectively extends the player’s reach and modifies how the CNS perceives space around the body. Work on peripersonal space shows that the region of space near the body—where interaction and threat processing are concentrated—is plastic and can be extended by tools. In practice, this means that the CNS gradually comes to treat the stick head as part of the body’s action space, integrating it into rotational planning and control.
When torque is well organised, rotation of the trunk and shoulders is tightly coupled to the path of the stick and ball within this extended peripersonal space. The CNS learns how much rotation is needed to move the ball from one side of the body to the other, to access passing channels, or to disguise the final contact point.
Decision‑making and cognitive load
High‑torque actions such as drag flicks and powerful hits are often executed under complex cognitive conditions—set‑piece slide-rules like decision trees, variable defensive patterns, time pressure. Evidence from team sports suggests that competitive match play can acutely alter cognitive performance, including reaction time and executive function, which may influence how effectively players can sequence and time complex rotational actions under fatigue.
This reinforces the need for torque training that integrates not just physical mechanics, but also decisionmaking under realistic perceptual and cognitive constraints; including fatigue.
Torque in skills execution
Forehand
In a well‑executed forehand hit:
Lead foot plants to establish a stable base.
Pelvis begins to rotate towards the target, creating hip–shoulder separation.
Trunk follows, unwinding stored rotational energy.
Shoulders and arms accelerate the stick through the ball.
Lesser player patterns often show reduced pelvic contribution and compensatory upper‑body motion, increasing load on the lumbar spine and shoulders without proportionally increasing ball speed.
Slap hit
The slap hit uses a lower backlift but still relies on rotational torque. The player typically:
Rotates the trunk over a relatively fixed lower body,
Uses hip and trunk rotation to accelerate the stick along a low, sweeping path, and
Controls deceleration through the trunk and shoulders after impact.
Efficient torque use allows quick, accurate ball speed from constrained postures, especially in defensive outlets and quick circle entries.
Backhand
The reverse is a classic example of how torque can be expressed around a different axis and with altered joint mechanics. The player:
Loads rotation through the hips and trunk in the opposite direction to the forehand,
Utilises different wrist and forearm mechanics, and
Must manage unfamiliar loading patterns at the hip and lumbar spine.
Research suggests that drag flickers and players who frequently perform high‑torque reverse and drag actions may experience different hip and lumbar loading profiles, again pointing to the importance of organised torque training and conditioning.
Drag flick
Drag flicks are perhaps the most studied torque‑intensive skill in field hockey. Kinematic and kinetic analyses show that:
Pelvis rotation velocity,
Trunk contribution, and
Timing of stick acceleration
are key determinants of ball speed. At the same time, the movement places substantial demands on the lower limb and lumbar spine, with elite and sub‑elite flickers differing in their range of motion, angular velocities, and internal joint moments.
This duality—high performance potential and high injury exposure—makes the drag flick a prime example of why body torque must be understood, trained, and dosed intelligently.
Tight‑space carrying and deception
In tight quarters, players exploit micro‑torque: small rotational adjustments of the pelvis and trunk that move the stick–ball complex around the body without large translational steps. These actions:
Protect the ball from the defender’s stick,
Create small but meaningful changes in passing lines, and
Allow late direction changes for deception.
Here the goal is not maximum ball speed but precise, controllable torque to reshape space and timing.
Defensive footwork and reach
Defensively, effective tackling combines:
Rotational alignment of hips and trunk towards the ball carrier,
Controlled counter‑rotation to maintain balance during reaches, and
Safe distribution of torque across the hips, trunk, and shoulders.
Poor defensive torque—twisting from the lumbar spine without hip contribution, or reaching with the upper body while the pelvis stays fixed—can expose tissues to high shear and rotational loads.
Practical torque training program - introductory & generic
Read our first article TORQUE-TORQUE-TORQUE
Bibliography
Aziz, L., & Lee, M. (Year). Implication to performance and injury risks: The kinematics and kinetics involved in the execution of the drag flick between elite and sub‑elite field hockey players. Singapore Sport Institute. Grace, K. (2024). The biomechanics of the field hockey drag flick (Doctoral thesis, Leeds Beckett University).
Grace, K. (2024). The biomechanics of the field hockey drag flick (Doctoral thesis, Leeds Beckett University).
Ibrahim, R., Faber, G. S., Kingma, I., & van Dieën, J. H. (2017). Kinematic analysis of the drag flick in field hockey. Sports Biomechanics, 16(1), 45–57.
Mysore, S. (2023). Biomechanical analysis of drag flick and hit among Indian field hockey players. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 26(Suppl 2), S176–S177.
Rosalie, S. M. (2018). A biomechanical comparison in the lower limb and lumbar spine between a hit and drag flick in field hockey. Journal of Sports Sciences.
