The old adage of hurling being the fastest ball game in the world has been doing the rounds for years now and while it may not be technically true that doesn't take away from some interesting facts concerning the 2015 All-Ireland final. The average speed of the ball (based on shot attempts, above the crossbar) during yesterday's clash clocked in at around 120 kph and Joe Canning recorded Galway's fastest flight of ball at 157 kph.
But once again, T.J. Reid stole the show with a stat that justifies his ownership of the Sunday Game Player Of The Year award. He launched a free that reached a peak speed of 169kph.
Exclusive ball speed stats #libertyanalysis from the @KilkennyCLG v @Galway_GAA game yesterday... are you surprised? pic.twitter.com/ad2CuvRdVr
— Liberty Insurance (@LibertyIRL) September 7, 2015
We're not saying that being able to hit the sliotar hard is intrinsically linked to being a quality hurler but it's worth noting that Reid is a bit of a regular at the top of these charts. And while 169 kph was good enough to take home the gauntlet on this occasion, it failed to surpass his effort from last year's All-Ireland semi-final against Limerick when he recorded a shot of an incredible 181kph.
And to add some context to that measurement, the average speed of Kilkenny in that game came to 123.6kph.
