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10 reasons why you are not a better batsman

Posted: June 21st, 2010, 4:55am CDT by PitchVision

Last week Gary Palmer gave us an article on how great batsman play. This week he looks at the common mistakes seen in lesser players.

Great batsmen are technically excellent.

The correct technique means that batting is made easier and the process of development is speeded up. In other words; you will maximize your potential and enjoy improved performances.

But you can't do that if you let technical flaws creep in. Good bowlers in helpful conditions will always find you out. That means you need an eye for perfection.

Video yourself batting and look for these flaws in your game. If you are serious about becoming a better batter (or coach of batters) you will iron them out fast.

1. Closing off in the stance

When setting up, a player can get too side on because the front shoulder is too far round. This causes him or her to tip to the off side and play around the front pad to straight balls. The obvious result is being LBW or bowled.

This also means it's difficult to play in the V. Players who are closed off tend to only be able to drive through mid off and extra cover, never through mid on or midwicket.

2. Picking the bat up over middle stump

A straight backlift means there is a tendency to play around the front pad with the risk over being LBW or bowled and again finding it difficult to play shots in the V.

3. Tucked in back elbow

Having the elbow of the bottom hand tucked in to the side means the bottom hand can become too dominant in shots. This restricts the 'hitting zone'; the swing of the bat in a straight line through the line of the ball towards the target area, making it more likely to hit across the line or in the air.

4. Head behind the front foot

When driving on the front foot, the head behind front foot encourages you to lean back and hit the ball in the air.

Hitting the ball under the eyes level with the front foot this makes you rush the shot with the feeling of being yorked. Trying to hit the ball into the ground is a technique that encourages the above fault and I would strongly advise against it.

5. Back foot heel down

You hear the term 'firm base' but I don’t think coaches and players understand it fully. Firm base doesn't mean keep your heel stuck to the floor so that your reach is restricted and you can't lean in to the shot as much as you could.

You can have a firm base with the back heel off the ground. The heel should be raised so the player is poised for the shot. That's more important.

6. Leaning with the shoulder

When driving, players often turn the shoulder directly towards the ball instead of leading with the head. This means the head leans to the off side leaving the player blocked off. This causes poor balance so players tip to the off side for all drives and defensive shots. This means play around their front pad to straight balls. Bowled and LBW are not far away.

7. Back foot too sideways

When driving straight or through the on side the back foot stays too sideways which causes the players to lean slightly towards the off side. This restricts a players reach reducing the the number of deliveries that can be driven, missing out especially on leg stump half vollies.

If the back foot is too sideways prior to the drive then it tends to finish up too turned in after the shot which causes the player to square up and the bat swings across the line.

Remember point the feet prior to hitting the ball, hold the shape and swing the bat in a straight line to the ball with good balance and alignment.

8. Too big a stride

When on driving, too big a stride makes it difficult to open up and hit with the swing or turn when the ball is moving in.

A big stride also means putting front foot wider than the line of leg stump. This opens the batsman up too much, playing across the ball aiming it too square on the leg side.

Planting the foot down leg stump allows you to swing the bat down the line of the ball for longer which is much more effective.

9. Dropping the leading elbow

Dropping the leading elbow to early after striking the ball will close face of the bat on contact. If the full face is not presented to the ball it is much harder to middle it and much easier to get bowled through the gate.

10. Swinging too hard

You hear the terms 'bat speed' and 'quick hands' a lot. These two comments are counter-productive for straight batted drives as the technique deteriorates and timing is lost. Quick hands are more for the hook, cut and pull where it is important to swing the bat quickly.

If you would like to know how to correct these errors, check out Gary Palmer's online coaching course How To Play the Perfect On, Off and Straight Drive on PitchVision Academy.

image credit: David Surtees

Cricket Show 84: How not to declare

Posted: June 18th, 2010, 5:19am CDT by PitchVision

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PitchVision Academy Cricket Show

The bones of David's game are picked over as we discuss the art of a good declaration. It turns out that in the heat of battle sometimes you can forget your principles.

Should David have declared earlier? Listen in to find out.

We also answer your questions on a range of topics including:

What are the signs of overtraining (and should you even care)?
What are the basics of wicketkeeping for a player taking it up in later years?
How to break into the 1st XI

You can submit your own questions for us to answer here or on facebook.

Congratulations to the competition winner who wins a free coaching course on PitchVision Academy. To find out how to enter this week's competition, download the show.

How to listen to the show

You can download the show onto your computer by right clicking on the link below and choosing "Save Target as..."

You can also subscribe to the show for free:

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If you don't use iTunes You can add the feed manually.

9 traits of world-class batsmen that anyone can copy

Posted: June 17th, 2010, 3:24am CDT by PitchVision

PitchVision Academy batting coach Gary Palmer passes on his observations about how the great batsmen play, and how you can copy them.

Viv Richards. Sachin Tendulkar. Ian Botham.

All of these men are greats of the game. I've seen them bat over the years, often standing at the non-strikers end, and I have noticed several common technical points with them and other exceptional batsmen.

Now that I'm a coach I consider these traits non-negotiable for any player who wants to be a successful batsman against good quality bowling.

1. Stance

The front shoulder is slightly open, eyes are level. The head is in line with the stumps at the bowlers end and slightly forward of the body.

2. Backswing

The back swing goes back over off stump. The elbow of the bottom hand points towards the stumps.

Aligning the elbow like this stops the bottom hand being too dominant and aligns the forearms towards the ball so that the bat swings in a straight line for the maximum amount of time.

3. Head position when driving

The head is forward of the front foot when driving or defending the ball along the ground in the V between extra cover and midwicket.

4. Point of contact

When driving, make contact with the ball slightly forward of the front foot but under the eyes. This encourages leaning in to the shot.

Lean towards the ball predominately with the head not the shoulder to stay open and balanced.

Let the ball come, giving more time and wider variety of options of where to hit the ball.

5. Back foot heel

Defend and drive the ball off the front foot with the heel of the back foot raised. This allows leaning in to the shot to hit the ball on the ground.

A raised heel means the head is forward of the body and in a great position to play the drives and forward defence.

The head is forward of the front foot when driving or defending the ball along the ground

Demonstration of the forward head position and back foot heel off the ground

6. Back foot turn

When playing straight and towards mid on back foot is 'turned in' and the toes are pointed up the wicket towards very straight mid off. This gives better balance, alignment and overall access to the ball.

7. On drive position

When playing the on drive, take a smaller stride and place the front foot down the line of leg stump, this gives you good balance and alignment to play the shot. Only place your front foot outside the line of leg stump if you are improvising for quick boundaries.

8. Checked drive

Finish all drives and defence with high hands and leading elbow in the check drive position. This means the bat swings in a straight line through the ball towards the target area. The full face of the bat will be presented towards the ball for the maximum amount of time. This will lengthen the 'hitting zone' with minimum risk of getting out.

Demonstration of the straight drive check drive position with high hands and front elbow. Also note the back heel off the ground with the toe pointing down the wicket.

9. Bat speed

Don’t try to swing the bat too fast through the line of the ball when driving straight. This compromises technique. Focus on timing the ball by swinging the bat with a rhythmical flow so that technique is maintained.

For video, worksheets and coaching drills to improve batting get Gary Palmer's online coaching course How To Play the Perfect On, Off and Straight Drive.

Do you recognise these 5 bad coaching styles in your junior section?

Posted: June 16th, 2010, 2:36am CDT by PitchVision

This is a guest article from an anonymous coach with many years experience at club level.

Every week during the cricket season an army of volunteers go out to do duty in running junior club cricket.

Without them clubs could not function. However, not all of these helpers are helping.

Many are failing the players, teams and clubs that they represent due to lack of knowledge, understanding or even the ability to engage with young cricketers, their parents or the opposition.

We have all seen them and should learn from the errors of their ways. Here are some stereotype characteristics of Dad coaches (for they are always Dad coaches) but these traits are not that exaggerated.

1. The Dad helping out: Often forced into this role due to lack of suitable coaches within a club, this Dad is offering a noble gesture to pick up the reins but can also cause major issues within team dynamics, team structures and parent relationships. Young players are desperate to bat and bowl and often their parents are even more desperate to see this happen. Dad Coach is in an unenviable position of having to pick batting/bowling orders under the watchful eyes of players and parents alike! Some promote their less gifted child at the expense of the team, some bat or bowl their child lower than should happen at the expense of the child.

2. The Dad living his lack of sport through his child: These coaches are often the most dangerous to teams of young cricketers. Not having learnt themselves through experience of playing the game, its special moments and ambiguities they base their knowledge on their armchair experience of the game. They can push their players to the very edge through unreasonable expectations, limited concept of how the game works or just sheer pressure on their child and their team to perform. How many young players have you seen visibly shrinking during a game with their parent/coach verbalizing every tiny failure in their performance? These coaches can also often be seen slogging their young bowlers or bowling at full pace to their 10 year old junior batsmen in the nets.

3. The Unqualified Dad Technical Coach: Often linked to the above, these coaches are doing a massive disservice to their young charges. Teaching incorrect technique not only has implications on players’ skill sets but also can often lead to injury. A player needs to groove good habits, particularly from Under 10 upwards. They need to be shown good technique, tactical elements, teamwork, attitude, etiquette and respect for the game. All of these are often lost, damaging the prospects of all players involved.

4. The Competitive Dad: The Testosterone flows too freely with these characters. They are often confrontational with other coaches and spectators and often push players away from the game with negative and often aggressive behavior in the face of failure or defeat. Games are often played in unnecessarily hostile atmospheres and there is a fear of failure that transposes onto the team and reduces flair and enjoyment for the young players involved. Instead of looking for the positives and learning from mistakes these coaches undermine confidence and spoil the game for youngsters with critical tirades at the end of an innings or match.

5. The Pushy Dad: These coaches often do not understand the natural development process of young cricketers. They put intense pressure on their child and ultimately the team with exaggerated performance goals. Other players within the team are often overlooked or even shunned in favour of their own child. Not only does this damage the team dynamic it also puts untold or often unrecognized pressure on the coach’s son/daughter from their teammates.

Watch out for these characteristics from your child’s team coach. Talk to the club to remedy the situation before we lose youngsters to the game.

image credit: Flying Cloud

Strengthen up like Stuart Broad and Steven Finn

Posted: June 15th, 2010, 3:40am CDT by PitchVision

If you need proof that cricket is changing, look no further than English fast bowler's Stuart Broad and Steven Finn.

The pacemen were the first to openly miss competitive cricket to improve their strength and conditioning, showing how important fitness has become, especially to young fast bowlers.

If you have lofty fast bowling ambitions, should you follow their lead?

Maybe.

But like everything in fitness, it depends. So let's look at the idea behind an in-season 'strengthening programme' and find out if it's for you.

What is a strengthening programme?

In the case of Broad and Finn, the plan was two-fold:

· Take the players out of competitive cricket to mentally recover (especially Broad who had been playing non-stop for several months with no off-season).

Reduce the risk of injury with a well-planned few weeks of training.
As the players are not playing cricket, they can focus on doing more intense training that the usual schedule would allow. In other words, the players have a mini off-season because they don't have a full off-season.

Let's take the example of squats.

Squatting with a heavy weight for low reps is an excellent way to improve cricket performance and reduce injury risk. Strong legs and hips are crucial elements in fast bowling. But heavy weight training also makes you sore and inflexible for a day or so after training. If you were playing a game the day after squatting you wouldn't expect to do well, especially if the match demands you bowl 15 overs in a day.

But it's not just about big heavy lifting.

Cricket is an imbalanced sport; we bowl and throw with one arm and so over time a natural imbalance between the left and right hand side occurs which has been shown to increase injury risk.

A strengthening period with no cricket played will iron out these imbalances.

Is such a plan applicable to club cricket?

For most cricketers playing 1-2 games a week in the summer, and taking the winter off there is no need to follow a plan like this.

Club and school players in most countries don't play cricket year round like international players do, and the demands are less with less cricket played.

You can do all your strengthening work in the off season and maintain your improvements during the summer easily.

However, there are a couple of exceptions.

Players who are very good tend to be in a lot of demand, and might play for a club twice at weekends, and a school and representative side in the week. With 4-5 games a week there is not much chance for fitness work.

A break in the season is no bad thing in this case. It recharges you mentally and allows you to focus on preventing injury with a well designed programme.

You won't make many in-roads into improving overall strength, but you can focus on correcting imbalances and improving core strength and make a big change in 2-3 weeks.

If you are in that position, consider cutting back to a single game a week for 2-3 weeks, especially if you are getting the low back troubles that bother many quickies.

The other exception is if you play in India, Pakistan or any country where the climate dictates a year round season.

It's important to rest and spend time getting fit (or strengthening as we now seem to be calling it). So make time to create your own off-season and take a few weeks of cricket to develop you body and allow you to get strong and stay injury free.

If you want your very own year round 'strengthening programme' designed by a county and ECB strength coach, get the online coaching course Strength and Conditioning for Cricket at all Levels by Rob Ahmun.

image credit: al_green

Can you use this banned delivery to get more wickets?

Posted: June 14th, 2010, 3:01am CDT by PitchVision

It's the ball that either takes a great deal of skill or a total lack of it.

And it's been banned in English county cricket, but crucially not by the Laws making it a legal ball in club and school cricket.

It's the double-bouncing ball.

Origins of the double-bouncer

Anyone who has played a questionable standard knows the double bouncing ball well. It's the hallmark of the occasional or beginner player. Also see: black trainers.

Some people think it is a no ball. However, Under Law 24.6 of the game the ball is permitted to bounce twice and only becomes a no ball on the third bounce.

Nevertheless, tradition dictates that the batsman smashes the filth to the boundary.

Tradition also dictates that such a ball is also a wicket-taker as the astounded batsman doesn't know how to deal with it. He swings to early and missed it altogether or hits it up in the air.

I don't know for sure, but I'm willing to bet that was the genesis of the idea developed by the Warwickshire bowling coach Graham Welch: To bowl one deliberately in T20 cricket.

The killjoys at the English Cricket Board quickly banned it in the county game; despite the MCC (the official lawmakers) saying it's a perfectly acceptable bowling variation.

Is it a ball to develop?

What that means is the double-bouncing ball is still legal in most games.

So should you try and bowl it as a variation at the death or in Twenty20?

It would certainly be fun to try, but it wouldn't be easy to do on purpose as there is not much margin for error.

The first bounce must be dead on. If it's too short you end up with three bounces (and a no ball). If it's too full it's a long hop that a fielder has to retrieve from the pavilion roof.

The ideal would be a ball that reaches the batsman at yorker length on the 2nd bounce and hitting the stumps. It would be coming very slowly compared to your normal delivery but because of the length would be hard to hit.

the perfectly legal double bouncing ball - should you bowl it?

As a shock ball at the end of an innings it's hard to fault. At the right, pace, length and line it is very hard to hit and very easy to get out to.

But don't head out to the nets just yet.

It would take quite some work to perfect as getting it wrong is a disaster.

My question to you would then be, if you are working on a shock variation, wouldn't a more traditional inswinging yorker or slower ball be just as effective against the standard of batsman you are up against?

I would guess in most cases, the answer is 'yes'.

In my mind perfecting a yorker would be easier and just as effective, and something I would encourage anyone I coach to work on first.

But if you are going to work on the double bouncer (and I applaud you if you do, cricket needs such ridiculousness) then don't just try it in a match. Take a box of balls to the nets, mark your target area with flat discs and get to work.

You will be at it a while.

But let's not just get my opinion. After all, I'm a 'keeper who has never bowled a ball in a competitive match at any level.

What are your thoughts on the double-bouncing ball?

Have you tried it? How did it go? Are you prepared to practice it?

Leave a comment or chat to us through facebook.

If you enjoyed this article, don't forget to get the free email newsletter every Friday packed with more coaching tips and advice.

Cricket Show 83: Even more free cricket coaching

Posted: June 11th, 2010, 5:46am CDT by PitchVision

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PitchVision Academy Cricket Show

Due to last week's epic fail we felt guilty enough to extend this week's edition of the Cricket Show to 41 minutes to try and beg your forgiveness.

So what's in the show this week?

All the stuff you expect: coaching questions answered and cricket issues discussed as David and Kevin talk about the English club season so far and the challenges we face that you don't see in the pro game too often (like getting lost on the way to the ground and being two players down until they arrive back from a summer holiday).

Gary Palmer is guest coach and we answer your questions on:

How to improve your throwing arm
How to bounce back from a failure on day to play the next
How to become a hitter even if you are not big and strong

You can submit your questions for us to answer next week here or on facebook.

How to listen to the show

You can download the show onto your computer by right clicking on the link below and choosing "Save Target as..."

You can also subscribe to the show for free:

Click here to subscribe in iTunes.

If you don't use iTunes You can add the feed manually.

How to guarantee the success of young cricketers in your senior team

Posted: June 10th, 2010, 2:23am CDT by PitchVision

This is a guest article by Daniel Maddocks of Kids Cricket Tips. Daniel is an ECB Coach with experience in coaching young cricketers in the North West of England.

Kids often play adult club cricket. But how do we make sure they enjoy it and do well?

Over the years I've watched my younger brothers develop from playing cricket in the garden to being first team regulars by the age of 15. They have shown a rare enthusiasm for the game and have been eager to train.

And the better you train the better you play in junior games.

It doesn’t take long before word starts spreading and the player is drafted into a senior game. This is when the behaviour of fellow teammates can impact on the young player.

Parents, coaches and teammates can all have an influence on a player's development. Offering support, guidance, advice and the right type of motivation helps young player's to further grow in confidence.

When playing alongside a youngster it is important to act as a suitable role model.

Direct influences such as words of encouragement and advice are important. A pat on the back from a senior player makes a huge difference to a nervous youngster. The player can also pick up indirect influences such as body language and behaviour; if the team is chirpy and energetic then he or she will be too.

It's inevitable that inexperienced players will have their good days and their not so good days.

This part of the learning curve and the captain should not be quick to drop a youngster for having the odd bad innings or bowling spell.

I’ve been there myself, played really well for a period of time but dropped after one bad game. If this happens to a young player then it can result in a huge loss of confidence.

Show patience with any young player and give them guidance and praise when they need it. It will pay off in the long run!

If you want more tips on coaching kid's cricket visit Kids Cricket Tips. You can also get Daniel on Twitter and Facebook.

image credit: doogsta

2 situations where you can set a field for bad bowling

Posted: June 9th, 2010, 3:02am CDT by PitchVision

Everyone agrees: You can't set a field for bad bowling.

Except sometimes you can.

Like a lot of one-line advice, it's more of a guideline because there are always exceptions. It's the cricketing equivalent of "I before E, except after C".

Most of the time you will set fields that assume the ball will be pitched up hitting off stump. If you bowl a long hop that gets carved away, well, that's your fault.

Put it behind you, listen to the 'sage' advice of your team mates telling you to pitch it up, and get ready to bowl again.

Same field.

But before you do that, as you walk back consider if you could afford a boundary runner for that bad ball.

Here are some situations where it is possible to cut off the four and not feel like you are covering your own inability to bowl accurately

The inaccurate leg spinner

Leg spin takes a lot more practice to be accurate than conventional spin. As a result, club and school leggies will bowl more long hops and full tosses, especially when they are younger.

So, if you know a long hop is coming set a man back on the boundary, save 3 runs and give the bowler a bit more confidence. With the ball turning away this is usually deep point.

This has the added advantage of making the batsman try and play good balls into the same gap for an 'easy' single. However, with a ball pitched up and turning away, playing square increases the chance of catches behind the wicket.

Of course, this has to be done with caution.

Boundary runners on both sides is a gap too many. Non-first class batsmen are not able to score freely on the on and off side. The good cutter is rarely strong on the leg side too. That means choosing which side to put you man back based on the batsman.

The cut off

The other situation where you would put a man out for the bad ball is to cut off a batsman's favourite shot.

Let me give you an example from a game I played recently. We were fielding and the openers had put on a big stand, one scoring freely the other holding up and end. We had some luck and got the free scoring batsman out. The 'anchor' batsman didn't look in much trouble, but also was scoring very slowly.

We worked out his two main shots were the cut and cover drive. Bowling at one end was our most accurate medium pacer. He bowled with metronomic accuracy cutting out the option of a cut altogether.

However, the batsman was still looking for the drive, and managed to hit a couple to keep his score ticking.

So I set an in-out off side field. I put a man back on the boundary to stop his best shot going for 4 and put in a short extra cover to stop him playing tip and run.

With his best shot cut off he was forced to improvise, play shots he wasn’t comfortable with and ended up hitting one in the air.

This tactic also works well against a good player who likes to deal in boundaries. Instead of a ring field, cut off his best shot with a man there and put someone in close on the drive. It's frustrating for the batsman and causes mistakes.

For more club cricket tactics, check out ex-Glamorgan player and current club professional Adrian Shaw's online coaching course: The Game Plan: How to Build A Winning Cricket Team

image credit: Sarah Canterbury

Why you should care about your cricket team's culture

Posted: June 8th, 2010, 2:13am CDT by PitchVision

118 - Sunday Cricket in the park (Kolkata)

Every cricket team has a culture.

You don't have to be a professional side with team rules, mission statements and bonding sessions in the Brecon Beacons. Culture is simply the values you share with your team mates when you get together to play cricket.

But if you are playing Sunday afternoon cricket, does it even matter about what culture the team has?

It does if you are even vaguely interested in winning.

Because a strong team culture means you are in a better position to win games.

Everyone understands what the tactics are. Player's trust themselves and each other to do a good job. Everyone takes responsibility for winning games whatever their talent level.

Can you build a winning culture?

In the past all kinds of methods have been used to try and force a winning culture in sport teams.

Things like writing down team rules or team nights out are limited in their success because they feel stilted. I'm all for a night out, but I'd rather go with the friends I choose, not to try and become better friends with the people I play cricket with because we had a bad season last year.

It just doesn't work like that.

But you can build a winning culture in a natural way.

Just act in the way you want the culture to be.

If you want your team to trust each other, take time to build trust. If you want a side to be good at catching, do extra catching practice. If you want everyone to know each other's role in the side, make sure you tell them it's Brian the opener's job to see off the new ball so Kevin the stroke maker can play aggressively against the weaker bowlers (or whatever it is).

If you do it rather than force it you will have a stronger culture.

And as all sides have one whether you act on it or not, wouldn't you rather have one you helped shape with positive actions?

image credit: dhaag

5 Ways to recover from a hard day's cricket

Posted: June 7th, 2010, 3:48am CDT by PitchVision

How do you get over that next day (or few days) soreness that cricket gives you?

I'm thinking about it especially today because, until now, my team have been good enough to bowl sides out well inside the allotted 50 overs. But this weekend it took the full overs to get the runs and my keeping legs have been feeling the strain.

It's not just annoying to walk around at work feeling stiff on a Monday either.

Players who play twice a week end up doing poorly in their second game because their body has not recovered from the first.

Fortunately, 'recovery' is a well research part of sport, especially in professional country cricket where intense games come thick and fast.

Here are some of the simpler methods of getting back on track quickly:

1. Compression tights

Research has show that tights increase the flow of blood to muscles in the legs, and more blood means more oxygen which leads to a quicker recovery. The anecdotal reports of players in professional county cricket back this up.

Most professional strength coaches in cricket insist players put on a pair as soon as possible after play or coming off from batting or fielding. There is nothing to stop you doing the same.

2. Foam rolling

As we have discussed before, foam rolling is a fast and easy way to relax the fascia around muscles and reduce the minor inflammation that comes off the back of a cricket match.

You may have to experiment to find the perfect routine for you, but I find 5 minutes of foam rolling on the morning of a match, followed by a longer session the day after works to reduce soreness and improve range of motion in my joints.

It's also excellent when used as a warm up for a 'blood flow' workout (see number 3).

3. Increasing blood flow

Like we talked about with compression tights, one really effective way to improve recovery is to increase the flow of blood to muscles.

By far the easiest way to do this is by working those muscles with simple exercises the morning after play. Just moving your body is enough to get the heart rate up and more blood round the body.

You can walk, swim or go for a bike ride. You can do a light bodyweight workout which is especially good if you have injury problems and want to do some preventative exercise. The point is; get moving.

4. Sleeping

We all know we should get plenty of sleep but how many of us get enough every night?

But we should, because sleep is an incredible recovery tool. Put simply, the more we get the faster we recover.

And while nobody really knows what 'enough' sleep is (8 hours is a good rule of thumb but far from accurate for everyone), experts do agree that while you sleep your muscles get to work repairing themselves at a tremendous rate.

So the more time you can spend in that state the better. Plus it gives you a good excuse for a bit of a lie in. What's not to like?

5. Eating

Another overlooked recovery method is eating. A lot of cricketers think that 'carbing up' after a game is all you need to do but it's actually about 'nutrienting up'

(I know nutrienting isn't a word, but you get my drift.)

After a game your body needs fuel to start repairing damage. Yes, carbohydrates are an important part of that but so are fats, protein, vitamins and minerals.

Get a good 'post workout' drink in as fast as possible after straining in the field. It doesn't have to be an expensive powder either. Chocolate milk works brilliantly and even a post-match pint of beer has been show to aid recovery.

Other than that, it's all about eating natural, unprocessed, whole foods including lots of fruit and vegetables. A bit like this.

Will these 5 tips stop all post-match soreness?

No, nothing can do that, but a few simple tricks can make a big difference and allow you to play better in more games for longer in your cricket career.

How team targets can help your cricket

Posted: June 5th, 2010, 2:10am CDT by PitchVision

We all know how important setting targets is to cricket success, but most of us focus on individual aims and forget that teams can set targets too.

Setting 'team targets' is just as powerful in motivating players to do well because, like individual goal setting, a realistic and achievable target focuses the mind.

Cricket has teams within teams (batsmen get the runs, bowlers take the wickets, fielders help the bowlers) and working with your sub-team colleagues works better when you all have a goal to focus on.

So what are team targets? Batting

The easiest batting target is the score the opposition has set. Everyone can easily see how many you need to cross the line.

But even with this, you can break it down to something a bit more realistic. Set the openers a target for the first 5 overs, and keep batting partners setting 5-10 over targets through the innings to keep the overall target in sight.

If you are batting first you can also set a 'top 6 target'. That is to say, the number of runs you want the batsmen in your team to score. This can help focus the mind and prevent the common assumption that 'someone else will get the runs'.

Bowling and fielding

One of my favourite rules of thumb in the 50 over matches I play is at the 30 over mark.

I know at this point, if the opposition need about 80 runs it's going to be a close finish. If we need 4 wickets we should win. So my target is to manipulate the opposition to be 6 down at the 30 over mark.

On a more short term basis, you can use team maidens. Here your bowlers attempt to bowl 12 dot balls in a row to put a lid on a scoring rate. Most club batsmen can't go more than a few balls without hitting out and making a mistake.

Fielders can support this by aiming to keep a 'clean sheet' during the team maiden and preventing quick singles from releasing the pressure.

The key with team targets is to remember that within the bigger game, there are many smaller games going, and goals help you keep track of what is really happening much more closely than just looking at the overall runs and wickets column.

image credit: SarahCanterbury

No cricket show this week

Posted: June 4th, 2010, 7:44am CDT by PitchVision

This week's PitchVision Academy Cricket Show has been cancelled.

Sadly the show had some technical difficulties meaning we could only record about 5 minutes of an introduction to the show but nothing more.

If you want your PitchVision Academy Cricket Show fix, the archive is still available for free from here.

It's a good chance to catch up on old shows where the cricket coaching advice is just as relevant now as it was then.

And if you want some fresh audio, don't forget there are mp3s as part of the following online coaching courses:

What is a good length to bowl?

Posted: June 3rd, 2010, 3:53am CDT by PitchVision

It doesn't matter if you bowl occasional leg spin or you open for a Premier League team; you want to bowl a good length.

Consist accuracy is one of the non-negotiable Laws of bowling success.

But what does a 'good length' really mean?

In the past coaches have always stuck to the mantra of 'putting the batsman in 2 minds'.

A good length is the ball that the batsman finds hard to decide to go forward or back to play it. And doubt leads to mistakes.

In modern times tools like PitchVision are allowing us to take this further.

We can see where different bowlers are pitching the ball, and what success they have at different lengths, which helps build a picture up of where all bowlers should be aiming.

And while this helps, in reality length is not to do with where the ball pitches at all.

The target area

A good length can only be measured by where the ball passes the stumps.

This is because of the variety in pitches.

Slow and low pitches will see a good bowler dropping his length back a little; quicker and bouncier pitches need the ball to be fuller to pass the same place.

The length has altered a great deal, but the end result is the same.

So if you are no longer thinking about where the ball pitches, what is the target area you are aiming for?

In most cases you will be looking to bowl the classic 'hitting the top of off stump'; an area about 25cm square on and just outside the off stump.

In training you can use tools like PitchVision, or a towel hung behind the net to aim at. This will allow you to work out where to pitch the ball to hit that target.

Remember though, pitches do vary, so you need to be able to adjust your length to the conditions.

Practice bowling a little full and a little short to get used to these minor adjustments.

Then next time your captain asks you to put it on a length from the first ball, you will be ready to oblige with control, accuracy and wickets.

For more advice on consistently accurate pace bowling, including drills, purchase Andy Caddick's online cricket coaching course: Consistency and Rhythm: Fast Bowling Technique from PitchVision Academy.

The hierarchy of playing spin

Posted: June 2nd, 2010, 2:46am CDT by PitchVision

How many good players of spin are there in club cricket?

I would hazard a guess there are very few.

Playing spin is difficult and takes practice, but good spinners are rare in the non-professional game and so batsmen don't get to face them much in the nets or in matches.

The result is batsman who can defend or slog, with not much in-between.

So how do you improve your play against spin with limited time to practice and play?

I think the easiest way to develop a game-plan is to treat playing spin techniques as a hierarchy of risk vs. reward.

1. Play straight with the spin

The underlying principle of playing spin is always the same: first play with the spin using the full face of the bat.

That means driving with a high elbow on the front and back foot. The exact target area will vary depending on the way the ball is turning.

Ball turning in: Look to drive/flick the ball in an area between midwicket and mid off.
Ball turning away: Look to drive the ball in an area between cover and straight mid on.

At this level simply wait for the over pitched or slightly short ball then get in position and swing the bat through the line towards the target area.

Simply playing like this will get you plenty of runs without having to do anything else.

2. Use your feet

Now imagine the spinner is tying you down enough so you are behind the rate you would like to be scoring at.

The first tactic is to use your feet to move down the wicket and turn a good length ball into a half volley that you can drive straight.

This is slightly riskier than staying in your crease because if you miss it you can be stumped, but because you are still playing straight you can pick up runs in your chosen scoring area (which hasn't changed).

Pick the right line to move and do it with confidence. You can find out more about how to move down the pitch to spinners here.

3. Sweep

Sweeping is a riskier way to score against tight bowling because you are playing across the line, which is why it's third in your list of options.

If the mid on and mid off are back and the ring fielders are tying you down then the sweep is a handy option to manipulate the field.

It's best played against a bowler pitching the ball on or outside leg stump with the ball turning away (for example left arm over to a right hander) because LBW is out of the picture.

You can also sweep to the ball turning in if you hit it square.

If you are right handed the riskiest sweep is the off spinner bowling around the wicket (for left handers the risk is the left arm round bowler). This is because if the ball straightens and hits you in line you are likely to be out LBW.

If you want more tips on playing the sweep, look at this article.

4. Improvise

If you are looking to score quickly and off almost every ball (say at the death of a one day innings) you must take risks, however you can still look to score in safer areas, even when you are hitting sixes.

One way of doing this is the modern "forward press" of taking a small step onto your front foot just before the delivery. This means you have the option to move down the wicket and hit straight, or to go really deep in the crease on the back foot and drive or pull.

To the ball moving away you also have the option of cutting and late cutting safely if you are deep in the crease.

Other improvising options are:

Ball turning in: Move the front leg out to the leg side, opening yourself up to hit the ball over mid on or midwicket if it's full or square leg if it's on a length with a slog sweep.
Ball turning away: If the line is leg side you can sweep or slog sweep the ball over midwicket. A straighter line means you can move down the wicket and hit with the spin over extra cover, going 'inside out'.

The trick to playing spin well is to not try and move up the hierarchy unless you have to. If you can score at the required rate by sticking with number 1 then why take additional risks?

This is especially true if you have little practice time against decent spin. Focus on the basics of 1 and 2 then, if you have more time, start practicing 3 and 4.

For more on the techniques and tactics of playing spin; including videos on how to play, check out The Complete Guide To Effectively Playing Spin Bowling on PitchVision Academy.

image credit: Sarah Canterbury

How to spin out a batsman set on defence

Posted: June 1st, 2010, 3:22am CDT by PitchVision

Picture the scene; you are playing in a English declaration game. The weather is set fair and after batting first you have enjoyed an excellent tea.

The opposition start well, but lose a flurry of quick wickets. With 6 over to go 22 runs are needed but numbers 10 and 11 are at the wicket.

So they shut up shop, batting out to save the draw.

The spinner is on. What are the tactics? The first class plan

In first class cricket the plan would be simple.

Both bowlers and wickets are better quality. That means the average top level spinner gets more dip, turn and bounce than his club or school counterpart.

So he sets a wall of close fielders; slip, gulley, silly point, short leg and more. He spins the ball hard looking for the edge behind or onto bat-pad. Well armoured men bravely stay low and take the catches when they come.

But there are problems with this plan at lower levels of cricket.

Fielders don't like risking life and limb in close catching positions. They rarely, if ever, practice taking bat-pad catches and helmets are not worn as frequently as they should be (in fact, in junior cricket fielding in close might even be banned by governing body regulations).

There is less turn, dip and bounce in club games, so even with close men in, a decent tail-ender can lunge forward without fear of the ball going to hand.

Stalemate. And that means your victory is lost. The club plan

Unless number 11 is a total rabbit, it's unlikely your spinner (or even your quickest bowler) can beat his or her defence.

But there is a way out.

Tail-enders like putting bat on ball. They don't get to the middle much and when they do they want to make the most of their chance. Of course, most are going to be sensible enough to pat back the slow bowler at first, but as confidence grows that the bowling is 'easy' so does the chance of a big shot.

We have all seen it in our team's late order; walking back, shaking his head muttering "why did I play that shot?"

So, as batsman playing shots are more likely to get out, it's your job as bowler or captain to encourage such behaviour.

So rather than have close fielders aplenty you would have a field something like this (for an off spinner to a right handed tail-ender):

A left arm or leg spinner would be similar with a short third man.

The field is telling the batsman the bowling is poor and he expects to be hit. So the batsman will, on realising he can win the game with a few choice blows against such weak bowling, have a go, hitting it straight up to mid on or midwicket or missing a straight one.

So, going back to our original situation, ask yourself what is more likely on a slow wicket with an old ball: getting a bat-pad against a number 11 set on defence, or seeing his eyes light up when a gentle spinner throws the ball up with a defensive field?

The 5 immutable Laws of bowling success

Posted: May 31st, 2010, 3:23am CDT by PitchVision

Some say bowling is a 'god given' skill. Those rare few with the talent for it are the only ones who can succeed.

Those people are wrong.

Bowling ability isn't bestowed by a higher power at birth. It's the result of 5 simple things, all within the reach of anyone wanting to be successful with the ball.

You can be a spinner or seamer, 10 years old or in your forties. These are the universal truths that dictate your success.

1. The Law of single minded obsession

There is a proven fact from every walk of life from brain surgery to gardening: The best are the ones who practice the most.

The obvious conclusion is to practice more than anyone else if you want to be better than everyone else. You are the first to arrive at nets and the last to leave. You are the one taking a box of balls on your own and bowling at a target until it gets dark. You are the one seeking out games in the summer, even if it's just a pickup match in the park.

But it's more than that too.

Cricket obsession is born from a deep love of playing; something you can't fake. If you enjoy what you do you will do it more, and so you will get better at it.

Also you will be relaxed, focused and happy. If you feel that way, success will be far more likely.

Even the boring, hard work doesn't feel that hard if you are having fun.

2. The Law of pinpoint accuracy

Think of any great international bowler. The variety in styles is huge from the pace and athleticism of Michael Holding to the spin of Shane Warne. When they were at their best they all had one thing in common: accuracy.

Accuracy is not just the realm of wily medium pace bowlers. If you have searing pace, you need to be accurate. If you are a leg spinner, you need to be accurate.

Nobody gets a pass because without accuracy you can't set a field and if you can't set a field you can't build pressure on batsman to force a mistake.

Mostly this is down to single minded and deliberate practice (see Law 1), but the ability to know how to stay confident and control your concentration levels are also key skills for staying accurate. You need to trust yourself in the middle and controlling the mental side of the game allows you to focus on just playing without over-thinking.

To learn some simple tricks to improve your confidence and keep your concentration buy the online coaching course "How to Use Mental training to Boost Your Game" on PitchVision Academy.

3. The Law of explosive power

All bowlers also need to be explosive. Seamers need to generate as much pace on the ball as they can muster. Spinners must spin the ball hard. That takes a powerful action.

That means every part of your body is involved in your action to put pace or spin on the ball. Your front leg should brace, your hips should drive through, and your shoulders should rotate fully.

In that moment of delivery, effort is at 100%

It's not just a psychological thing to work on in the nets either. Your fitness training also needs an explosive element. Throw medicine balls, do clap push ups, learn power moves with weights and experiment with light plyometrics.

4. The Law of variety

Nobody needs 5 different slower balls or to invent new types of leg breaks, but all good bowlers need to know simple ways to mix up their style because it confuses the batsman and knocks him or her out of rhythm.

It doesn't have to be dramatic or clever because batting is difficult enough. Even a small change is enough to upset a player. Pick one or two changes and work on them:

Pace. Either slower or quicker with no change of action.
Angle. Round the wicket, wider on the crease, tighter to the stumps.
Length. Yorkers are a winning variation for all types of bowlers. Good seamers can call on a bouncer.

Spinners, naturally, also have their variations from the hand be it the leg spinner's googly or the finger spinners arm ball.

A good rule of thumb is to practice a variation about 20% of the time and use it sparingly in games unless you have a specific reason to do otherwise.

5. The Law of knowledge

Knowledge gleaned through playing builds up a bank of experience you can draw on in any situation.

If you have been hit round the park before, you know how to handle it tactically and mentally. If you are able to read a batsman's weaknesses because you have seen it in another game, you can bowl the same way again.

But such skill takes a conscious effort on your part. Take time to read up on techniques (not just bowling either), Pay attention when you play and ask other players about why they did things when you get the chance. The more you know, the better armed you are when you are standing at your mark and wondering what to bowl.

image credit: p_a_h

Cricket Show 82: Adrian Shaw

Posted: May 28th, 2010, 9:57am CDT by PitchVision

Enclosure: [download | LBL_PLAY]

PitchVision Academy Cricket Show

Former Glamorgan player and coach Adrian Shaw joins us on the show this week.

Adrian is the latest coach to join the esteemed PitchVision Academy panel and has developed a course called "The Game Plan: How to Build A Winning Cricket Team".

To celebrate we are giving you a sneak preview of the 40 minute audio interview part of the course in the show.

Click here if you want to purchase the course.

There are no reader's questions this week, but we catch up with what David and Kevin have been up to as normal.

You can submit your questions for us to answer next week here or on facebook.

How to listen to the show

You can download the show onto your computer by right clicking on the link below and choosing "Save Target as..."

You can also subscribe to the show for free:

Click here to subscribe in iTunes.

If you don't use iTunes You can add the feed manually.

How to stop choking

Posted: May 27th, 2010, 6:37am CDT by PitchVision

It was the 25th September 2004. The English summer had passed on and autumn was in the air. But an ICC Champions Trophy final still needed to be played.

It was to be the scene of one of the greatest chokes in cricket history.

The West Indies had got off to a poor start chasing England's 217. After 17 overs they were 72-4 and wickets tumbled further until a hapless 147-8 put England firmly in the driving seat, moments from victory.

Then England choked.

The bowling, according to match reports, was strangely lacklustre and the West Indian tail calmly knocked off the runs.

The science of choking

It's a phenomenon that happens across life, not just sport. Boffins have studied what happens to everyone from golfers to firemen when they choke.

And it turns out to be the same no matter whether you are carrying someone out of a burning building or trying to putt on the 18th or bowling at the death.

You feel out of control, as if events are overtaking you and there is little you can do about it, and most importantly;

You choke when you think too much.

We have all been in the situation. You play and miss, or drop one short. What is your instant reaction?

Maybe you rehearse the shot, or try and compensate with your action. You are thinking about the mechanics of the skill.

And several research studies have shown that the more you think about technique in the middle, the less well you perform.

How to stop thinking

So the answer is simple: stop thinking so much.

Only, your brain isn't quite as cooperative as that, you need to trick yourself.

According to one of the least likely men to choke in the world; Tiger Woods (and sport psychologists who back this opinion) the best thing to think about is all those tired clichés that you are fed up of.

Fill your mind with general fluff and you don't have time to consider your wrist position or head falling over.

So next time you are dropped at slip, don't think about where your feet went and rehearse the shot. Clear your mind and think something general and positive like "Keep going, keep fighting".

And the same applies when you are in the field. Listen to the boring but enthusiastic geeing up of the keeper. It's enough to keep your mind from worrying about mistakes and get on with playing the game.

If you want to know more about keeping your mental game in order, try the online coaching course "How to Use Mental Training to Boost Your Game" on PitchVision Academy.

image credit: Sid/Stephen

How to bowl a yorker

Posted: May 26th, 2010, 5:32am CDT by PitchVision

Yorkers are game changing balls.

Any bowler on any pitch at any time in the match can turn an innings around with the use of a good yorker or two.

And it's not just at the end of a Twenty20 game where they are useful.

A yorker is a difficult ball to negotiate, even for well set batsman. That means you can use it to break a big partnership in longer games just as effectively as you can keep runs down at the death.

So if they are so useful, why don't we see them used more often in non-professional cricket?

Because they are hard.

The target area is smaller than any other ball; there is no room for error. The ideal yorker must land in a tiny area at the batsman's feet:

Miss that box (which is about 50cm by 20cm) and you end up bowling a half volley or full toss and getting smashed for a boundary.

You have to be exact and that ain't easy.

But learn how to hit that target and you will have a powerful weapon at any pace.

So what's the trick?

Look at the target. As most bowler's where they look when they are running in and they won't be quite sure. But you wouldn't throw a dart at the bullseye without looking at it, so why is a yorker any different? Laser-focus your eyes in on the batsman's feet and imagine yourself hitting them as you run in.
Drive your bowling shoulder to the target. In the Fast Bowler's Bible, Ian Pont tells us that the bowling shoulder is crucial in bowling a yorker. Drive it towards the base of the stumps and if you do it right the ball will be faster and fuller. Exactly what you need.
Practice deliberately. Yorkers are hard to bowl so they need practice. Don't wait until a game to see if you can bowl one. After your normal net session lay down a target (or use PitchVision) and try and hit it. Go for 80:20 split. So if you bowl 40 balls in practice, bowl 8 yorkers at the end.

Keep track of your accuracy over the weeks you can trace how much you are improving.

The truth is, not many bowlers outside the pro game can produce a good yorker, but it is an effective weapon at any level.

The fact it's difficult stops most bowlers trying, but just a few extra balls practice a week will give you the confidence to bowl yorkers and take more wickets.

Is your ego holding you back?

Posted: May 25th, 2010, 2:05am CDT by PitchVision

PitchVision elite coach Gary Palmer has coached a lot of players at different stages of their career and he has noticed how ego can get in a player's way.

In this exclusive video, Gary tells us why it's important to drop the ego if you want to be the best player you can be.

Click here to view the video now.

Transcript of the video:

"One of the key things about working with these young lads is that, because they respect our point of view, because we have played at a high level or we've got the coaching qualifications or we are older, when you tell them to do something they back what we are saying. They just get on and do it and the progress really quickly.

"That is nice and simple and a fast way of getting better.

"What can happen with players, when they get into the big time playing county or international cricket, is suddenly they start to think 'I've got a better way of doing things'. Or they keep questioning what you are telling them all the time and they are not taking things on board as simply and as quickly as they could. That is when the process of becoming a better player and being successful and consistent starts to break down.

"It's great if you are a player who has got a coach working with you that is crystal clear on what he wants you to do. He knows what he is doing. It works every time.

"How good is that?

"You tell me what to do. I do it. I get better. I get runs. Simple. And if I was a player I would like a coach to come up to me and say 'Gary, do this to your technique, this for the mental side, this should be your tactics, these are your goals.' Crystal clear, nice and easy, do it and move on.

"But the minute players start to get egos, it's very difficult to coach them and the only person that loses out long term is the player."

If you would like coaching from Gary Palmer, CCM Academy is enrolling for 2010-11 now. Click here for details.

Can you benefit from an intense cricket training camp?

Posted: May 24th, 2010, 2:00am CDT by PitchVision

PitchVision elite coach Ian Pont has announced the MCI International Cricket Camp in South Africa in December 2010 for talented players. It's the first time the camp has been open to non-professionals.

In this interview, Ian gives us the lowdown on why intense camps are so beneficial.

PV: What are the main benefits of going on an intense camp?

IP: The great thing is that learning can be sequenced and built up over the time without the breaks you get in weekly sessions. By having continual coach feedback you can make instant improvements.

Also the camp itself becomes a valuable resource where the group develops individuals' attitudes. There's nothing quite like feeling part of a high level camp to assist with confidence, understanding and growth.

PV: What is a typical day like on a camp?

IP: The days are varied. They can include matches, nets, video analysis, lectures and individual attention based on scenarios. Players have a great focus and so develop their game with technical and tactical input to ensure they make good decisions and acquire new skills.

PV: How much of a technical difference can you make to bowling actions and batting shots in a short, intense period like at the camp?

IP: Most players don't spend long enough thinking about their technical skills - they think more about outcomes; runs and wickets. So an intense camp can have a huge difference to the skill levels to any player with the time to work at then under specialised guidance.

PV: How important is a player's attitude and work ethic in making a success of an intense camp?

IP: I have found that players raise their game when they attend a camp. People want to maximise their time and ability. There would be little point coming all that way if you don't want to be there! The intensity of exposure to cricket means the whole group gel and bond.

PV: What kind of preparation should a player attending the camp undertake before he arrives?

IP: Fitness is the main thing. Get fit to bowl and bat for 8 days in the heat.

PV: It must be easy for players to return to old habits when they get back and waste what they have learned. What's the best way to keep the benefits of a camp when getting back to the dead of winter in the UK?

The great thing about camps is that it becomes clear what a player should be working on next. We identify weaknesses and help set up how to improve them. Once back in the UK those training drills and grooving should be worked on.

PV: How can camps help players to be tactically astute even under pressure?

IP: The great thing about playing cricket at a controllable camp is we can stop and rerun scenarios. You cannot do this on a cricket tour for example, which is why a camp always offers far more benefits. We can put players in a situation to help them work out what to do, what they did and how they could have done it better. I cannot think of anything better.

PV: Where is your camp?

IP: The University of Potchefstroom in South Africa. We chose it because Potchefstroom is a high altitude venue for elite level training. It's a centre of excellence and the cricket facilities are regularly used by first-class counties and professionals. Durham used the venue for pre-season last year for example. It was also used for the World Cup 2011 qualifiers and has excellent pitches, training, gym and accommodation available.

It's clear anyone can benefit from an intense training camp during the off-season. If you are a want to attend the MCI international Cricket Camp in South Africa click here for details.

Cricket Show 81: Talking technique

Posted: May 21st, 2010, 4:01am CDT by PitchVision

Enclosure: [download | LBL_PLAY]

PitchVision Academy Cricket Show

We get all technical this week as Sam Lavery of Pro Coach Cricket Academy joins Kevin and David to go over some bowling and batting questions.

We also learn about David's latest game and the tribulations of captaining a side who can't get runs in the top 6.

Questions this week include:

How to keep your technique and composure batting
What exactly is hip drive in fast bowling? (we discuss Ian Pont's How to Bowl Faster course)
How to rectify a cover drive that isn't going through the covers.

You can submit your own questions for us to answer here or on facebook.

Congratulations to the competition winner who wins a free coaching course on PitchVision Academy. To find out how to enter this week's competition, download the show.

How to listen to the show

You can download the show onto your computer by right clicking on the link below and choosing "Save Target as..."

You can also subscribe to the show for free:

Click here to subscribe in iTunes.

If you don't use iTunes You can add the feed manually.

If you would like coaching from professional cricketers like Andrew Gale, Adil Rashid, Mal Loye, and Chris Tremlett, visit Pro Coach Cricket Academy.

How deliberate is your bowling practice?

Posted: May 20th, 2010, 5:32am CDT by David.Hinchliffe

Recently I arrived early for a net session and a young left arm seamer was there alone bowling at the stumps.

I watched him for a few minutes and his length seemed to vary quite a bit. As I knew him quite well I wandered up and asked him where he was aiming to pitch the ball.

Surprisingly he wasn't quite sure. He was just running up and wanging it down.

I had some flat marker discs in my bag so together we walked down to the striker's end and put down a couple of discs to mark out the area he was aiming for.

The front one was slightly fuller than a good length, the back one slightly back of a length.

like this:

He then had a crudely marked area to aim at.

And it immediately improved his accuracy.

OK, he wasn't suddenly putting every ball on the spot, but it was clear he was hitting the target area more regularly mainly because he had a target area to bowl at!

And that is the difference between practice and deliberate practice.

Deliberate practice vs. plain old practice

Practice doesn't help you get better; it just stops you from getting worse. But that's what most club and school players do all the time.

On the other hand, deliberate practice gets you to improve.

Deliberate practice is designed with a specific goal and you can get instant feedback on that goal allowing you to make adjustments until you get it right.

And for bowler's that means the dull repetition of running up and trying to hit a target again and again.

It's not fun, it's not easy but it works. And most people won't bother doing it.

So imagine how much better at bowling your team would be if every bowler did more deliberate practice. Like for example what club leg spinner Dave is doing here to improve his leg spin accuracy. (Dave took up leg spin late in life but has taught himself to be a good leggie purely by deliberate practice).

One easy way to motivate players (or yourself) to do more is to show how the practice is working over time.

You could log every ball with a pen and paper, but that can be time consuming and inaccurate unless you do it in pairs. Or you could use PitchVision to track every ball automatically and send the results to a laptop or mobile phone (via Bluetooth). Over time, PitchVision builds up a picture of how fast and accurate you are bowling.

Instant feedback and long term results tracking.

In other words, the perfect tool for deliberate practice.

If you want to know more about PitchVision for your club, school, Academy or organisation, contact Neil Fairbairn to arrange a demo.

image credit: Alasdair Middleton

3 Ways to open the door of opportunity

Posted: May 19th, 2010, 3:34am CDT by David.Hinchliffe

What do you do if you are not getting the chance you deserve in your cricket team?

It's a problem that happens every week in club, school and university teams. A few talented (or well established) players hog everything, leaving others to fight for scraps.

I'm sure you have seen or experienced a situation like this:

James emailed me recently for help. He is a batsman with high hopes of being a 1st XI club cricketer here in the UK. However, he has joined a new club. The club have put him in the 2nd XI but so far he has not had the chance to score any runs thanks to low scoring games.

He feels he is better than some of the current 1st XI batsman but is frustrated that he can't get a chance in the top team.

I'm a 2nd team captain myself, and I have also experienced the frustration of being left out of the 1st XI in years gone by. In my mind, there are 3 things you can do as a player to deal with the situation:

1. Confess your desires

In my experience as captain, players rarely tell you what their ambition is. You have to prise their desires out of them with a crowbar.

It's certainly not a problem to find a player who seeks you out to say; "I want to be playing first team cricket". In fact, it's a refreshing change. I see my job as 2nd XI captain is to provide a stream of players ready to make the step up. Those players with ambition get priority.

So, tell your captain you are desperate for a chance at the next level and ask him what you need to do. If he is worth his salt, he will talk to the first team skipper in selection and they will work out between them the best way to give you a chance while not upsetting anyone else.

I know from experience in selection meetings that fringe players often get the nod based purely on their attitude to playing.

2. Practice harder than anyone else

It's no good just saying what you want. You need to prove it.

And the only way to do that is to practice harder and longer than anyone else.

Yes, it can be difficult if you have other commitments in life, but where there is a will there is a way.

It's easier for bowlers who can go to nets alone with a box of balls and practice bowling at a target.

But even for batsmen and keepers, it's not difficult to find someone who also wants to do extra practice. Good players are good at practicing so there will be a core who you can find will come to nets an hour early on practice day, or go down the ground on the morning of the match to feed the bowling machine to each other.

If there is genuinely no one else who wants to practice with you, it's probably time to move to a club who can provide that.

I'm not just talking about practicing your main skill either.

The best fielders always get the nod in selection when a choice is in the balance, so be as good as you can be in the field. How much are you practicing your fielding now? If you are not one of the best fielders in your club, you need to do more.

Also, you can do fitness training alone and the fitter you are the better you are. So as well as being the keenest to practice and best fielder, you should be close to the fittest in the club.

Anything else and your actions are not reflecting your ambitions, so how can you be taken seriously?

3. Stop the excuses

Finally, it's vital you know the difference between reasons and excuses.

Let me explain. Imagine you are a spinner and you are taking wickets in the 2nd XI but the 1st XI spinner is well established and doing a good job. In that situation you are unlikely to be selected for a good reason.

Now imagine you are a batsman and you are not getting many runs in the 2nd XI. You claim every pitch you play on is a minefield and impossible to bat on. That is an excuse because good batsmen are able to adapt to different conditions (and I doubt every single pitch is unplayable).

Reasons are valid and there is not much you can do about them. Bide your time, wait for your chance and be as prepared as you can be to take it when it comes (and it always comes).

Excuses are ways for you to blame someone or something else for your lack of success. Don't get caught in the trap of complaining without acting. We all get disheartened sometimes but the best players are the ones who put up with difficulties and take action to change it.

Because it's actions like training hard and talking to the captain that opens the door, not complaints about umpiring, pitches or otherwise.

Get a free personalised cricket coaching eBook from PitchVision Academy

Posted: May 18th, 2010, 3:42am CDT by PitchVision

UPDATE: The competition is now closed. Please do not enter.

As I'm sure you agree, it's about time we ran another giveaway.

You see, we have come up with an idea for a new service to add to the PitchVision Academy on-line courses section, but before we start charging we want people to try it out for nothing.

What is a personalised eBook?

The service is a simple one but unique.

Everyone who wins in this giveaway will be supplied with a cricket coaching eBook (that you can download, read on your PC or print out) that has been personalised to their needs.

So say you are a fast bowler. The bulk of your eBook will be about fast bowling techniques and tactics with some fielding and tail-end batting tips thrown in.

But it doesn't end there.

Say you are a fast bowler who is quick but lacks control. The book will contain advice on how to maintain your pace while improving your accuracy.

On the other hand, if you are a medium pacer well known for being low on pace but high on miserly spells, the book will show you how to add a yard without losing your core skill of putting the ball on the spot.

We are able to cover every cricket discipline (Even all-rounders):

Opening batsmen
Middle order stroke makers
Tail-end sloggers
All types of seam and swing bowling
All types of spinner
Wicketkeepers
All fielding positions
Captains

We can even do a personalised eBook for coaches. So you can put your name down even if you have hung up your boots.

OK, I'm convinced, how do I enter?

We are expecting a big response to this service, so you need to do a little bit of work to get your book.

It's worth it though. In your email please put:

Your name.
Your age.
How long you have been playing cricket (and roughly how many games so far in your career).
What type and level cricket you play most often (for example in the UK it may be club 2nd XI, 50 over declaration games and regional rep under 17s, 50 over limited over games).
Your main disciplines and roles (for example, opening batsman or off spinner. If you have a specialist fielding position let us know and if you are captain also state it here).
Any technical, tactical or mental issues you have been having.

It would also help if you could provide video of you batting, bowling or fielding. Although that is not essential (don't email the video if you have it, just tell us you can provide one).

If you are a coach, just tell us what level and age you coach, and what your coaching plans are.

The more detailed information you give, the more likely we are to choose you.

We will select the best entries and contact you via email to let you know you have won.

There are no age or ability restrictions on entry.

The competition closes at midday BST on Tuesday 25th May 2010 so be quick. Any emails received after that date won't be accepted.

Just so you know the legal bit, the competition is being run by miSport Ltd and the judge's decision is final.

So what are you waiting for? Get emailing and win your ebook! UPDATE: The competition is now closed. Please do not enter.

How to drop a player

Posted: May 17th, 2010, 4:00am CDT by PitchVision

It has to be the worst job in coaching or captaincy; telling a player he or she is not in the side, sometimes when it's not even the player's fault.

But it doesn't need to be all bad.

If you handle the situation right, you end up with better players.

Each drop is different, and knowing how to adapt will allow you to give your players the best possible chance of bouncing back.

And that all starts with a simple question: Why?

All drops are not equal

Player's are dropped for three core reasons:

Injury.
Form.
Tactical.

Injured players are usually simple. They can't play at all, but there will be more complex situations. A bowler, perhaps, who is unable to bowl but can still bat well enough to drop down a level and play as a batsman.

The other problem with an injured player is what to do with him on his return. The ideal would be to give him a run out at a lower level to make sure he is fully recovered and have his 'game head' back on. But in club cricket with a lack of talent that isn't always possible.

It gets more difficult if a player is dropped for reasons of form or tactics.

If your star batsman has a run of low scores you may decide he needs to rebuild confidence in a lower grade, for example.

The worst drop is the player who has done nothing wrong and is dropped for tactical reasons. A medium pacer who is called in to bowl on a green top then dropped when the next game is played on a flat batting wicket is one classic case. Another is the senior pro, getting on in years getting replaced by a younger player not quite as good but with potential.

How not to drop someone

One of the pitfalls of dropping a player is to assume the reason why is clear to everyone and to not tell the player.

That's when a player finds out he is in the 3rd team without a word from the 2nd team captain who was enjoying a cold drink with him just a week beforehand.

Some people can feel let down by this, especially if the reasons are tactical. And in club cricket, the captain and coach has a responsibility to keep players happy as well as win matches (After all, there are plenty of other things they can be doing on the weekend).

So whatever the reason, a player who is dropped always deserves to be told.

What's the attitude?

However, how you tell a player depends very much on the player's attitude.

Everyone responds differently to the news, and you should know each player well enough to know how to present the information.

The laissez-faire cricketer will need nothing more than a quick chat. He or she won't care too much what team or grade they are in, as long as they are playing.

On the other hand, the intense and ambitious youngster may be devastated by being dropped on form or tactical reasons. It's up to you to outline that this is not a disaster. With this player it's important to tell him there is a way back, including exactly how.

On the other hand, you may see no way back for an older player barring lots of injuries. You would be wrong to give false hope, so make sure you and the coach/captain of the side he is in clearly defines what you want him to do from now on. Most senior players respond to being asked to act as a mentor to players on the way up, for example.

Adapting your approach to help meet the player's needs will show them you are concerned for them as a player and a club member. And players who know that are more likely to play at their best, even if they have been dropped.

image credit: ~Duncan~

Cricket Show 80: How to stand out (or not)

Posted: May 14th, 2010, 4:08am CDT by PitchVision

Enclosure: [download | LBL_PLAY]

PitchVision Academy Cricket Show

Nic Northcote is the guest on this week's show as we talk batting, wicketkeeping and becoming a professional if you start late. If you want more coaching tips from Nic, pick up "Wicket-Keeping: The Ultimate Guide to Mastering the Art" from PitchVision Academy.

Also, Gary Palmer talks about what traits you need as a young player to take the step up to higher levels. And we answer your questions on:

How to stand out as a wicketkeeper.
How to adapt your batting to different types of pitches.
What "getting your eye in" really means.
Is it too late to become a professional at age 18?

You can submit your own questions for us to answer here or on facebook.

Congratulations to the competition winner who wins a free coaching course on PitchVision Academy. To find out how to enter this week's competition, download the show.

How to listen to the show

You can download the show onto your computer by right clicking on the link below and choosing "Save Target as..."

You can also subscribe to the show for free:

Click here to subscribe in iTunes.

If you don't use iTunes You can add the feed manually.

The Brian Statham guide to keeping bowling simple

Posted: May 13th, 2010, 3:29am CDT by PitchVision

Modern cricket is a game swamped with fashions and coaching theories. It can get confusing for young bowlers who just want to take a few more wickets.

So it's very tempting to go back to English fast bowler Brian Statham for a much more simple answer.

Statham took 252 Test wickets at twenty fours during a time when conditions did not always suit fast-medium bowling. He always seemed to be second fiddle to someone, Tyson or Trueman, because of his quiet understated ability to get on with bowling non-stop come rain or shine.

In first class cricket his average of 16.37 is lower than any other bowler of note in the 20th century. Not bad when you consider he took well over 2000 wickets.

And he achieved it all by keeping it as simple as possible.

Bowl 5 good balls

Statham worked on the theory that if he bowled 5 balls an over that the batsman had to play, wickets would always come. Bowling as a percentage game.

He would consider it a waste of energy to run in and watch the batsman leave it so he developed an unnerving accuracy, rarely deviating from a good line and length except to bowl yorkers.

He did this by bowling and bowling, as all good pacemen should do. If you want success there is no substitute for practicing your accuracy. And the good news is you can do it on your own in the nets. Either with a low tech solution (a blanket to mark a good length) or something to record and track your results via Bluetooth to your mobile phone.

If you played darts you wouldn't enter a competition without throwing a few arrows at a dartboard first would you?

Be as fast as you can be

But Statham wasn't just about accuracy. He also had serious pace. He wasn't up there with the fastest of his time, but he made the most of the speed he had, especially after remodelling his action.

And that's important. If you want to trouble batsman, making them feel rushed is part of the job. If they are worried when the inswinging toe-crusher is coming they are not as certain against you.

Even if you bowl slow medium pace, you should be looking to move up speed because the quicker you are the harder it is for the batsman. You might never be the fastest in the team, but that's OK as long as you are as fast as you can be.

Like Statham, you can remodel your action for speed and accuracy. The good news is you can do it with the help of Andy Caddick, another fine pace bowler.

When you keep things simple you avoid getting a cluttered mind and you can get on with the business of bowling; which is simply waiting to pounce when the batsman makes a mistake. Or in other words: You miss, I hit.

What do you know about cricket training?

Posted: May 12th, 2010, 6:23am CDT by PitchVision

After the success of the last one, it's time for another quiz to test your cricketing knowledge.

In this short test we take a look at cricket practice, focusing specifically on the type of training you do at nets.

How good are your sessions?

Find out by taking the test and seeing how your answers match up with the training methods used by good coaches.

There are just 6 questions so the whole thing should take less than 5 minutes unless you really dawdle.

Click here to take the test and see how much you know.

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