Custom Bats Cricket Forum
General Cricket => Cricket Training, Fitness and Injuries => Topic started by: Silver Bullet on October 04, 2014, 11:48:10 PM
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This is goal number one on my off season list.
I am a traditional player in the mold of a Michael Clark. I can hit a six or two, but just barely. Due to family commitments, I am playing a lot more T-20 cricket now.
Anyone have any ideas on how to best utilize the off season to become more of a power player ?
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Hit the gym
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Hit the gym and do what ? There's plenty of muscular guys that can't reach the boundary either and plenty of skinny guys that hit it miles.
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It's all timing mate. If you're not a big hitter, you can't change your game to be a muscle player. Look at a guy like Kane Williamson. He knows his strengths and he looks to hit the ball in those areas. Just work on timing. That being said, not everyone is a big hitter, and not everyone needs to be. DONT TRY TO OVERHIT
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I don't think that's it. I could time the ball to absolute perfection and it still barely sails over the rope.
There have to be some exercises that focus on increasing power and explosiveness.
Also why can't you change your game if you're not a big hitter ?
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Maybe change your technique then ... Like higher bat lift ... Or play with heavier bat than one you are using ...
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I scored a 57ball 100 in a t20 and only hit 1 six!
You don't need power and sixes, it's just obviously nice to have them.
Try some range hitting. Get on the square(old pitch/artificial) And just try and clear the ropes.
You obviously have to get under it, but just keep.trying to add more bat speed, while maintaning the timing and shape in your shots.
Hopefully muscle memory will help the extra bat speed become regular.
If all fails, learn to judge and nurdle, move the ball around to fielder less spots. Don't stay static in your crease, move around (forward/back, over to off back to leg etc) and up your run rate that way.
We have a half decent t20 side. Unfortunately we have 6 massive hitters. And then a few guys that are made for test cricket. So if the 6 fail. We struggle.
Would kill to have a nurdler or 2 in my side.
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In our meet sessions we always do a 20 off 6 session where you have a vevtobtry and score the required runs off an over. Helps with practice.
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If you hit the gym,,make sure you work your legs
To hit long and straightish, you need to have the power in your legs to drive through the ball
The thing with t20 is you need to score from as many balls as possible,,singles are better than nothing,and rotating the strike upsets bowlers rhythms etc
Main thing is tho, get a decent bat!ha
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Lower body workouts. Hips/abs/ do deadlifts.
Also in a T 20 game mostly any time there is any contact there is a run. So even a strike rate of say 90 or 85 also works well.
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I scored a 57ball 100 in a t20 and only hit 1 six!
You don't need power and sixes, it's just obviously nice to have them.
Agreed, if you bat high enough up the order.
If you go in the 17th over, it'd certainly be nice to be able to hit a few.
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One tip that's helped me is to start with a bigger backlift. Just play your usual shot and the faster bat speed and momentum will naturally carry the ball further.
You don't have to throw the kitchen sink at it. Keeping your shape and timing are still equally important.
The biggest hitter in our club (and the highest run-scorer in our Premier division) is a wiry fella of above average height, but his timing is exquisite. Keeps his shape and retains control to hit proper shots all round the wicket. Cracks everything along the ground like a tracer bullet.
He doesn't look to hit a six off every ball, either. When he does go the aerial route, he chooses the poorer deliveries that carry minimal risk.
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Stand in the middle of the pitch and practice hitting your big shots. A lot of players tend to overhit so this will mentally show you how hard you need to go at the ball. Get confidence hitting the 4's and 6's. There's no better exercise than practicing for what you want to do.
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Stand in the middle of the pitch and practice hitting your big shots. A lot of players tend to overhit so this will mentally show you how hard you need to go at the ball. Get confidence hitting the 4's and 6's. There's no better exercise than practicing for what you want to do.
Thank You... Sounds like really good advice.
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Pretty sure I already said that.
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Would using a heavy bat in the off season help increase bat speed ?
Why would this not be a great idea ?
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Pretty sure I already said that.
Didn't mean to insinuate that your response wasn't just as helpful.
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Force=mass x acceleration. Get stronger (not more pumped) and increase bat speed by practising with your match bat or same weight bat with good technique and hey presto.
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Force=mass x acceleration. Get stronger (not more pumped) and increase bat speed by practising with your match bat or same weight bat with good technique and hey presto.
Thank You, but there are plenty of players who have strength and still cannot hit the ball long distances eg. Dravid, Pujara....
And then plenty of guys that don't seem that strong that can hit the ball Miles... eg. Gilchrist....
Examples may not be the best, but point is that the strongest players don't hit the ball the farthest.
We have a two guys on our team that bench 300 lbs, yet can't hit a 6 to save their life...
I would probably struggle to bench 150, yet can clear the boundary if I middle it on most grounds...
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Thank You, but there are plenty of players who have strength and still cannot hit the ball long distances eg. Dravid, Pujara....
And then plenty of guys that don't seem that strong that can hit the ball Miles... eg. Gilchrist....
Examples may not be the best, but point is that the strongest players don't hit the ball the farthest.
We have a two guys on our team that bench 300 lbs, yet can't hit a 6 to save their life...
I would probably struggle to bench 150, yet can clear the boundary if I middle it on most grounds...
if you increase your strength (mass) practise hitting the ball long (acceleration) with good technique you will hit the ball longer.
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In my experience big hitting is all about timing and intent. My style of run scoring used to be based mostly around nudging and nurdling and stealing quick singles. I would hit maybe one six all season. Then I spent the entire winter watching Gayle and friends in the IPL. Next season I decided to try to hit sixes more often. So I made a point To work on hitting aerially with proper timing. I'm a skinny lad and far too lazy to be a gym rat but now I'm hitting sixes regularly. I may not be hitting the ball 100 meters but on most grounds you don't have to.
Timing and transferring your body weight into the shot, generating power from the hips are really the key factors to six hitting. Getting the mechanics of that right just takes practice. So getting someone to chuck a few pies at you while you deliberately try to hit sixes will get you used to the proper flow of the shot. You'll soon realize the some of your biggest sixes will come from hits where you don't try to hit the cover off the ball.
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You also have to decide what balls you are looking to hit for six
Are you gonna drive straightish?
Can you pull for six
Are your boundaries short enough to cut a six
What sort of pace ball are you facing
Does the ball come onto the bat nicely,(decent wickets)
For certain shots, range hitting will definitely help
See how far you can hit a full toss
Walk the ground before a game,, I zig zag from the boundary to the wicket,, this gives me an idea of distance needed to clear the rope
There are lots of things to consider when trying to clear the rope
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It's all the timing and at what point you strike the ball.
You need to hit it a little earlier so your bat is coming underneath it.
Weight training etc is not an issue. I'm 5.10 and I hit a lot of 6's .... I'm talking over 40 a season.
I know o can hit a pull shot for 6 and a straight drive over mid on or mid off. I can not cover drive, sweep or cut for 6 so don't bother.
If you want more power in general. Stand on one leg in the nets and play your shots .... You'll be very surprised at the outcome
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Guys just to make sure everyone understands... I bat no. 4 in T-20, so very often I need to walk in and immediately swing for the fences.
The problem is, when you don't have the confidence that you're going to be able to clear the fielder, you either end up overhitting the shot or you don't bother attempting.
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Cocking of the wrist, and breaking it at the right time ( during the impact with the ball).
Great examples are Azharuddin, Ricky ponting, Gilchrist, Kohli, Sehwag and plenty more.
Try it at nets with throw downs and you will see a noticable difference in the speed the ball goes off the bat. Though difficult to incorporate in the technique, once done you will not need to use your shoulders to hit a six.
From my personal experience, handle thickness is important for wrist to come into play. Thinner round handles are perfect to develop such a technique.
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If you want more power in general. Stand on one leg in the nets and play your shots .... You'll be very surprised at the outcome
Very intrigued, do elaborate, which leg for right handers
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Very intrigued, do elaborate, which leg for right handers
I would say back leg for certain front foot shots ( charging down the wicket ) and front leg for back foot shots ( pulling and cutting). It is about transfer of momentum from base to the bat swing.
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Cocking of the wrist, and breaking it at the right time ( during the impact with the ball).
Definitely all about wrists and really getting your hands through the ball, not just to it. Also for me (I hit my fair share of sixes), if you're looking to get big, getting low lets you get under the ball and then put your weight through it, powering up from your legs. These are the two most important things for me, wrist power through the ball and using your whole body to hit through it, not just your hands.
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I think it's mainly about picking the right delivery - as has been suggested - know which shots you can clear the ropes with - and which ones you can't.
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I think it's mainly about picking the right delivery - as has been suggested - know which shots you can clear the ropes with - and which ones you can't.
I'd go with this. I can hit it as far as I've ever needed quite comfortably. However, I know which shots I can hit big and which shots I can't. If I can't then tbh, unless the situation demands I take the low % chance I might actually hit the 6 I will just stick to my areas. No point trying to play a lofted extra cover drive for 6 if you simply can't do it.
Amateurs rarely have all round the ground strokes so stick to what you can do, learn to pick up 4's off the ones you can't. Bowlers aren't good enough to bowl to your weakness anyway unless it such a big flaw like 'can't pull a half tracker' or 'can't mince a half volley'
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Guys just to make sure everyone understands... I bat no. 4 in T-20, so very often I need to walk in and immediately swing for the fences.
The problem is, when you don't have the confidence that you're going to be able to clear the fielder, you either end up overhitting the shot or you don't bother attempting.
I don't believe you ever really need to come in and start swinging, unless it is a totally lost cause.
look at how Dhoni plays, yes he has made some misjudgements recently, but his record is extraordinary.
he always plays himself in first.
once you are in you should not think about hitting sixes, you should think about where the gaps in the field are, where your high percentage shots, medium to low risk shots are and seeks to work the gaps.
Adam Holioake said that 2020 is about trying to get 2 runs from every ball (outcome 240 runs in an innings) not trying to smash every ball for 6.
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That's fine as long as you have 20 overs to play with
Batting number 4, you might only have a few overs to score off
Hence his need to hit 6,s as soon as possible
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That's fine as long as you have 20 overs to play with
Batting number 4, you might only have a few overs to score off
Hence his need to hit 6,s as soon as possible
In the history of the game how many players have been able to considently walk in to bat and hit 6's from the off?
Aren't you setting yourself unreasonable expectations? Even Chris Gayle plays himself in... Who are the best finishers the game has seen, Hussey, Bevan, De Villiars, Kholi, Dhoni - all of them take a bit of time to play them selves in.
Only Sammy (of all people) I can think of who consistently walks out to bat and smashes 6's at the end of an innings. oh and then there is the madness of Afridi.
Batting at four you usually would come in around overs 7-12 - so 13-8 overs left - or 50+ balls. At 2 a ball that is more than 100 runs.
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I've had a look at my stats. Had to go back to 2010 as that's when I batted at 4. I have opened in midweek since.
8 games, avg of 75 And a totally of 5 sixes hit all season.
I did hit 28 4s which to me is where you wanna be aiming. Not everything has to be in the air.
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I said as soon as possible,, gotta get your eye in first
And in an earlier post, I said the key to t20 is to score from as many balls as possible, not a six a ball,,,a single from every ball,is as you said, enough to score big
This chaps asking advice on how to hit big,,,just offering a little bit on hitting over the rope
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Hitting sixes needs timing, technique and strength (usually good wrists and shoulders). First of all get a good bat, hit the gym to increase your strength and then practice the big shots in the nets working on your technique. Confidence will also work wonders for you. Just need to believe you can clear the boundary.
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strength for range hitting will come from your thighs and hips like in golf or baseball.
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Not saying you have to hit 6's to be a good T20 batsman in league cricket but it is becoming more and more a marker. If you look at the top ranked T20 batsmen, Kohli, Finch, Hales McCullum, they all clear the boundary
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Not sure why people try and copy the pros. The crixket they play is so far removed from amateur cricket it's unreal. Low avg county pro minces top ECB prem bowling and these guys are many lvls below int t20 players etc etc
Pro vs amateur is just a non starter.
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I don't think many people here play much t-20 cricket. Michael Clarke, Younis khan, Fawad alam could all take doubles with the best of them. None of them lasted long in the short form.
I don't have a problem with my stroke play, I have a problem with not getting enough distance on the shots I do middle.
I ussually come in when we need 70 off the last 7 or 50 off the last 5. Nobody can score consistently at 10 an over without hitting a few boundaries. If you don't get enough power, you have to work much harder to find the gaps. I am not asking how to hit a 6 off the first ball, I am asking, how to get more distance on my aerial shots when I do hit them.
In other words, how do you increase your bat speed...
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ProCricketer is right, the Pro game is a totally different game. The womens game is closer aligned to club cricket.
The simple answer is practice it, work out what is best for you!
That could be: using a bigger bat, getting in the gym and being stronger, lifting the bat higher swinging harder.
Or if you aren't suited to hitting sixes and that is whats needed- get someone else to bat at 4? (harsh but if that is whats needed for the team?)
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Might not be massively helpful, but you've just gotta hit balls, just keep practicing hitting balls. (Can be tennis ball throw downs) This will all help with your timing in general, and also with muscle memory of hitting balls. Having the shots ingrained deeper into your muscle memory means you will find it easier to increase bat speed without affecting your technique and shape, which will lead to you hitting the ball cleanly and more regularly.
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Would using a heavy bat in the off season help increase bat speed ?
Why would this not be a great idea ?
An increase in your usual Bat weight would only allow you to hit the ball a greater distance if the bat is swung at the same speed as the lighter bat you are currently using and there is no loss of timing but if a slower bat swing is used due to the bat being heavier it will not.
Therefore your normal lighter bat would hit the ball further due to bat speed being faster.
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ProCricketer is right, the Pro game is a totally different game. The womens game is closer aligned to club cricket.
The simple answer is practice it, work out what is best for you!
That could be: using a bigger bat, getting in the gym and being stronger, lifting the bat higher swinging harder.
Or if you aren't suited to hitting sixes and that is whats needed- get someone else to bat at 4? (harsh but if that is whats needed for the team?)
It's all part of the same issue. Because of limited overs cricket (win/lose) it's purely about run rates (both batting and bowling). That's why most players now are nothing more than flat track hitters. People with good technique and the mental ability to occupy the crease and not slog are being forced out the game. So the guys who simply can't 'hit big', BUT could bat far longer and are better bats than the biffers end up slogging or simply not playing.
Bowling suffers too, it's about economy and not wicket taking now. Simply set defensive fields and bowl tight.. Wait for the biffers to have to slog and get wickets. Woo.. Great cricket :(
It's hard to fix and I'm sure there are no perfect answers. Youth are brought up on t20 so like to just walk it, biff, get out then. It field for long. It's just a shame Saturday league crixket isn't the pinnacle it used to be as its just like playing t20's only slightly longer.
As for power, realistically you are either a natural timer/striker or your not. You can improve by training (hitting balls), gym (physical power) etc. Some people just aren't big hitters of the ball, that's why there (in theory) used to be a role for them at the top of the order or at 6. Modern biring means there isn't a place for nudgers in the seasons going forwards
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It's all part of the same issue. Because of limited overs cricket (win/lose) it's purely about run rates (both batting and bowling). That's why most players now are nothing more than flat track hitters. People with good technique and the mental ability to occupy the crease and not slog are being forced out the game. So the guys who simply can't 'hit big', BUT could bat far longer and are better bats than the biffers end up slogging or simply not playing.
Bowling suffers too, it's about economy and not wicket taking now. Simply set defensive fields and bowl tight.. Wait for the biffers to have to slog and get wickets. Woo.. Great cricket :(
It's hard to fix and I'm sure there are no perfect answers. Youth are brought up on t20 so like to just walk it, biff, get out then. It field for long. It's just a shame Saturday league crixket isn't the pinnacle it used to be as its just like playing t20's only slightly longer.
As for power, realistically you are either a natural timer/striker or your not. You can improve by training (hitting balls), gym (physical power) etc. Some people just aren't big hitters of the ball, that's why there (in theory) used to be a role for them at the top of the order or at 6. Modern biring means there isn't a place for nudgers in the seasons going forwards
So thank you, your post is spot on.
Players like me, with a more traditional game are being forced out of the game. On my league table, the top 10 batsmen all hit 17 sixes plus. The top 3 hit 40 sixes plus in 12-13 games. On full sized grounds and not totally crap bowling.
I agree... You are either a natural timer of the ball or you're not. I'd like to try anyway.... As I get older and older I will have less and less time to play full day matches.
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An increase in your usual Bat weight would only allow you to hit the ball a greater distance if the bat is swung at the same speed as the lighter bat you are currently using and there is no loss of timing but if a slower bat swing is used due to the bat being heavier it will not.
Therefore your normal lighter bat would hit the ball further due to bat speed being faster.
I mean using a 4 lb bat to hit in the off season. So when you return to your 2"10 bat, it would feel lighter, hence you would go through your shot faster.
It would take a month to get your timing back, but theoretically if should work. No ?
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I would say back leg for certain front foot shots ( charging down the wicket ) and front leg for back foot shots ( pulling and cutting). It is about transfer of momentum from base to the bat swing.
Stand on your front leg only when practising drives along the floor.
Watch the power you can get on your drives
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So thank you, your post is spot on.
Players like me, with a more traditional game are being forced out of the game. On my league table, the top 10 batsmen all hit 17 sixes plus. The top 3 hit 40 sixes plus in 12-13 games. On full sized grounds and not totally crap bowling.
I agree... You are either a natural timer of the ball or you're not. I'd like to try anyway.... As I get older and older I will have less and less time to play full day matches.
Top batsmen?? Would you call them the top batsmen or just the best biffers ?? It's only when you play decent cricket that you find these biffers out. Win lose limited over stuff will degrade the quality of the game, not improve it
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Top 3 all scored over 600 runs and averaged above 45. Similar averages in the 50 over format....
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Top 3 all scored over 600 runs and averaged above 45. Similar averages in the 50 over format....
I said win lose limited over. Amateurs play 2020 like they play 50 overs now. Just flat track bullies. Fine when the bowling is nothing special, then the crap county players play and skittle them, yet when you look. That county player is nothing compared to the top bowlers in the circuit. That's my point, 'we' are producing hitters, not cricketers now. They are great on a flat deck when it's just about piling on runs then defending etc. Add in the fact they have to take 10 wickets (take not just wait for them to be gifted like in win/lose) and suddenly buffing is less important and solid technique and mental strength become big factors.
Anyway, derailed a bit from topic but I do think we are just churning out biffers and not solid batsmen. Bowling is dead, it's very poor and will continue to be u til bowling is actually needed rather than just be about economy