Custom Bats Cricket Forum
General Cricket => Cricket Training, Fitness and Injuries => Topic started by: 400notout on August 27, 2014, 03:56:24 PM
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Guys, as a complete non sweeper I've now decided I need that option in my armoury when playing spin.
I've seen enough cricket to know how best to play it etc, however it's the only shot I don't feel confident at at all, feel like I'm increasing my risk of getting out massively.
Think it's down to being a perfectionist, and subconsciously putting it away since its across the line!
Any guys who picked the sweep up later on to add to their game care to pass on what helped them get it from scratch safely into matches?
I'm currently just hitting underarms and slow spinners as much as possible, trying to get as many balls hit as possible.
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I tried learning the sweep, had an entire net last year against u15 and u17 spin bowlers. I felt uncomfortable, and ungainly doing it.
Although by the end I was middling more than not, and keeping it down.
I tried again on a howling machine, but the bounce is ridicolous in there.
Not yet used it in a match though.....
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I wouldn't bother with it personally in your shoes.
I have only played the sweep about 5 times in 20 years or more of cricket!
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Love sweeping. Get a bowling machine set for a sweep and just practise with it on autofeed.
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I love a sweep, probably a bit too much - definitely one way to pi*s off an opening bowler...
The trick I find is when playing the shot is to try and play over the ball with a slightly twisted bat, you certainly won't be hitting any huge sixes but it normally helps the ball around the corner avoiding both square leg and fine leg if you hit it hard enough (and avoids the majority of top edges) - most of the time the ball ends up somewhere between backward square and the 45, well at least that's the idea anyway...
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For starters only attempt sweep on deliveries outside leg and look to just make a decent connection. Don't try to hit too hard try and watch it in slow motion.
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The sweep, both slog and orthodox, has been a shot that came naturally to me. As I always hit it well I used it as a go to shot. It almost became my Achilles heel as I'd be trying to sweep balls to full and get myself out.
Moral of the story, if you can play it, great. But play each ball on it's merit, don't pre-meditate these things as you can end up looking stupid.
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For starters only attempt sweep on deliveries outside leg and look to just make a decent connection. Don't try to hit too hard try and watch it in slow motion.
For me, this is completely the wrong way to sweep. You can't sweep a yorker length outside leg stump. Sweeping is ALL about being able to pick up length. You always, always, always sweep on length. If you work out what your sweepable length is (full stretch in front of you - stick a ball on a cone and move it til you find it), you should then be able to swwp anything from a foot outside off stump, to a foot outside leg. Just a matter of where it gets hit... obviously the further outside off stump. the straighter it will go!
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Use your feet and send it down the ground
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For me, this is completely the wrong way to sweep. You can't sweep a yorker length outside leg stump. Sweeping is ALL about being able to pick up length. You always, always, always sweep on length. If you work out what your sweepable length is (full stretch in front of you - stick a ball on a cone and move it til you find it), you should then be able to swwp anything from a foot outside off stump, to a foot outside leg. Just a matter of where it gets hit... obviously the further outside off stump. the straighter it will go!
valid point but this plan may be too risky for non sweeper
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High to low with your hands
Head over the front foot
Stretch out your arms
This will avoid being blocked by your front pad
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZqeghVSGfA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZqeghVSGfA)
enjoy
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I wouldn't bother with it personally in your shoes.
I have only played the sweep about 5 times in 20 years or more of cricket!
just to clarify a little further...
the sweep is an effective shot and will work for many people, however, my view is that it is unlike any other shot and to learn it late in your career may not actually help you.
the way we pick up line and length becomes a subconscious trait (which is why chucking is bad and much harder for batsmen to adjust too) from when we learn the game and to be able to react to play the shot to the right time will take a considerable amount of practice, because it is so different to other shots in terms of the body position you should get in to play the shot
my view is that you could use that time more productively to work on other aspects of your game.
as for playing the shot, what Nick and John said...
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I was like you , didn't know how to play it properly , but I badly wanted to play the sweep shot .
So our coach did tennis ball under arm throw downs for few weeks with me , good thing is you gety tpo hit lot of balls when you do tennis ball throw down so you can practice your shot over and over till you get tired.
For me it's all about muscle memory and being able to judge the length well in advance , now I play sweep(paddle sweep) shot even to medium pacies if the ball is down the legside.
If the ball is down the leg I play sweep shot regardless of the length , if it is a yorker length then you can get the ball as a full toss when you reach out so it has benefits. depending on the length sometimes I have to settle with a paddle sweep rather than playing with force, it's all about practice.
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I only started sweeping once wearing a helmet never really fancied it before for obvious reasons it's defiantly a handy shot to have even if I don't use it to much
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I know some batsmen have a preference to play with or against the spin. I have found that playing with spin is a lot easier as it reduces risk of a top edging it. Look at Hales' dismissal today and he was with the spin and still top edged it. It's all based on what your personal preference is.
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The kind of wickets you play on also needs to be considered. Especially if there is variability in bounce.
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'For me, this is completely the wrong way to sweep. You can't sweep a yorker length outside leg stump. Sweeping is ALL about being able to pick up length. You always, always, always sweep on length. If you work out what your sweepable length is (full stretch in front of you - stick a ball on a cone and move it til you find it), you should then be able to sweep anything from a foot outside off stump, to a foot outside leg. Just a matter of where it gets hit... obviously the further outside off stump. the straighter it will go!'
'valid point but this plan may be too risky for non sweeper'
I agree with both of these points. My foot movement has always been absolute pants, yet against all the odds I can play the sweep quite naturally. For me it is really all about length, though due to my normal lack of foot movement the line has to be right for me too - around or outside leg stump.
There's just a certain length that has me almost over reaching and I find I'm down on one knee and sweeping it.
As has also been suggested, in my case I can go months without getting a delivery that draws me into the shot.
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Thanks for the info so far.
Lot of useful points.
I'm primarily exploring it as a possible option as the ball doesn't come on consistently on some of the pitches I play on, so coming down the wicket is sometimes a difficult task.
Personally dont play spin very well, looking at using it as a get down the other end type shot to keep things ticking.
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Personally dont play spin very well, looking at using it as a get down the other end type shot to keep things ticking.
I am no coach mate but unless you have practised a bit, do not use it as get away shot to off spin. There are other ways to tackle spin, watch watch watch and nudge i.e. play late.
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I know some batsmen have a preference to play with or against the spin. I have found that playing with spin is a lot easier as it reduces risk of a top edging it. Look at Hales' dismissal today and he was with the spin and still top edged it. It's all based on what your personal preference is.
I'm not really qualified to comment on technique, but I would strongly advise wearing a helmet if you don't already. Sweeping is how I lost my 2 front teeth!