Custom Bats Cricket Forum
General Cricket => Cricket Training, Fitness and Injuries => Topic started by: Akewstick on May 17, 2016, 12:46:17 PM
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I've heard people saying "you could just put it in your garden." I haven't heard anyone say "I've got one in my garden". I don't see why it's not possible, but without a net, is my control good enough not to be hitting next door's windows and skying them up over the house and into the street? I've done plenty of hitting neighbours windows with tennis balls in my time, but not since I've been what is technically classed as an adult. I think if your new neighbour's kid hits your house with a tennis ball once a weekend you shout out the window, roll your eyes and move on, if the 28 year old bloke who's just bought the house next door is outside playing cricket against himself and smashing the odd one at your french windows, you phone the council.
I'm paying for coaching sessions when really, drilling with a bowling machine would accomplish 90% as much. Experiences?
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I don't but, my friend has one in his back yard with a half pitch (astro turf) and fully covered nets. He kind of stays little far from our club..couldn't make it to nets. So, got his own machine.
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I think nets are probably a must aren't they? Might be something to dream about till I get a bigger garden.
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Fortunately I've got use of an industrial unit on evenings and weekends. Two upsides, 1. guaranteed weather/light 2. Nobody can see when you get cleaned up with the machine set to 60mph.
If you set it up in the corner of the room you've already got two sides to the enclosed space you need. Just cover off one side and the back.
I got a Paceman for the same reasons as you need one, drilling technique when clubbies can't guarantee line or length.
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Hmmmm. I don't know anyone rich enough to have a bowling machine in their garden. In fact I don't know anyone with a garden. I was dragged up thru the Ghettos of London that make West Side Los Angeles look like a vicars parish in leafy Surrey.
But to answer your question seriously, which is I presume what you want :) my personal experience is a bowling machine is the best practice of all combined with a bit of coaching.Small changes/improvements to technique can help as long as they don't throw out another part of your game-so basics only(in my experience I appreciate others my think differently)
if I could practice for an hour a week against a machine I would be 100 per cent happy going into a match..
:)
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Once my backyard is fixed, i have plans to get a Paceman Pro and nets for backyard practice.
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Millionaire at the club uses his tennis court as its concrete. Rolls a mat out, job done. He has fence around it but a couple of the sloggers still manage to hit his house etc.
I've got one in a barn, which is in the garden kinda area
I know another who simply uses a concrete 5-6m bit and no Mets and just does half volleys and length balls and grooves technique. Obviously you can't slog but who trains slogging anyway.
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Millionaire at the club uses his tennis court as its concrete. Rolls a mat out, job done. He has fence around it but a couple of the sloggers still manage to hit his house etc.
I've got one in a barn, which is in the garden kinda area
I know another who simply uses a concrete 5-6m bit and no Mets and just does half volleys and length balls and grooves technique. Obviously you can't slog but who trains slogging anyway.
What kind/brand of bowling machine you got?
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I've got a 10x2m concrete base covered with a proper artificial mat with built in shock pad. I made the net from 2 vertical scaffold tubes at the batting end and extensions to my gate posts at the bowling end. I use cables stretched around the top of the poles.
Cost was:
Concrete £600
Posts, nets, cables £300
2nd Hand matting £200
New Bola Machine + auto feeder £2500
I did most of the work myself and saved a fortune with a very lucky ebay purchase of the matting.
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I have a Paceman machine I set up in the garden. 5 minute job, or less, to get the machine out and an extension cable unfurled.
I have a concrete area (perhaps 30 feet by 10 feet wide) which I bat on. As the max speed is only 60mph I tend to have the machine set around 15-18 yards away to increase the apparent speed a little. Because it is set up close, the balls are inevitably good length/ full. I use it as a way to get my stance right, get my feet moving and my eye in. I don't try to bat as I would in a match and smack a half volley; I just flow through the stroke. This is a fun way to spend 30-60 minutes or or so and get my eye in. I typically face around 60 ish balls in half an hour, using the auto feeder, then collecting the balls up to re-fill.
When my kids use it, they do tend to smack the ball, although I have it set up that it generally stays in the garden (ie close to a wall on the offside, more space on the legside)
I am planning to dig out a net (say 12 yards by 3) in part of my lawn, going down perhaps 3-4 inches, backfill it with mill waste, compact it then get a coir mat to roll out. I will then get a net that can stay there permanently. Unfortunately, I have too many other jobs on at the moment to get around to this. With a net in place, there will be more freedom of stroke.
David
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I did wonder whether setting one up in a garage would work?
My theory was: move car out, old dust sheets hanging next to the walls to dampen shots, 12 foot mat rolled along the floor, set the machine up outside the garage on the drive and setup golf driving net behind the bowling machine.
I wasn't sure about an auto feed existed on the cheaper machines like the paceman so didn't really look further.
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I did wonder whether setting one up in a garage would work?
My theory was: move car out, old dust sheets hanging next to the walls to dampen shots, 12 foot mat rolled along the floor, set the machine up outside the garage on the drive and setup golf driving net behind the bowling machine.
I wasn't sure about an auto feed existed on the cheaper machines like the paceman so didn't really look further.
Definitely a good idea. I'd hang the driving nets from the roof by the entrance like curtains, obviously with a gap in the middle for the ball to come through. Only time you'd be chasing balls would be if you hit a perfect straight drive back though the gap, in which case, you obviously don't need the practice anyway!
Regarding the auto feeder, even the cheapest paceman comes with a 12 ball feeder (extra balls sold separately, mind) but you can now also buy a 12 ball extention to bring capacity to 24. 24 deliveries take about 5 minutes to come through, and it saves you time collecting since it takes the same amount of time to collect regardless of how many you collect. The extension is about £35 inc 12 balls. Just remember to buy another 12 for the machine itself since it only comes with 1 ball!
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Definitely a good idea. I'd hang the driving nets from the roof by the entrance like curtains, obviously with a gap in the middle for the ball to come through. Only time you'd be chasing balls would be if you hit a perfect straight drive back though the gap, in which case, you obviously don't need the practice anyway!
And smash your bowling machine to bits, presumably.
I love this garage idea. I don't have a garage at the moment but we're moving soon and this sounds very easily doable. You could have thick fabric sheets rolled up in the ceiling to drop down to cover the walls so you could still have some storage in there. This has got my cogs turning.
edit:
Construct the first home-fabricated bowling machine umbrella holder attachment, to stop the electrics getting wet, and you've got all weather at-home batting practice!
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ive got one in the garage (paceman 60mph things) and it works okay, got it about 14 yards away to make it feel quicker. Just got wooden boards around the outside of the playing area and sheets drapped from the ceiling to stop the balls flying everywhere. Works okay but its a small garage, good for practicing defensive shots (boring) and foot movement etc!
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The garage set up sounds quite tasty, until you get carried away and start top edging pulls straight into the lights- just like i know i would!
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edit:
Construct the first home-fabricated bowling machine umbrella holder attachment, to stop the electrics getting wet, and you've got all weather at-home batting practice!
You mean an umbrella and duck tape?
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You mean an umbrella and duck tape?
Well, not as marketable as how I named it but I suppose so, yes.
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Hi there I have a small yard that's fairly open but I have an Ultra Sports Net with a pace,an original bowling machine. It's a fantastic setup and all easy to pack away!
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I have a long driveway with wall on both sides and garage at one end. Thinking of getting a stinger machine and just a pop up net for other side.
Not the same experience as bola but still good to practice shots.
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I got a Stinger Pro . I live in a unit so have no backyard etc . Plus i dont drive . But the bowling machine , auto feeder , battery ,balls , etc all fit easily into my kit bag . I wheel my kit bag for a 15min walk down to the local nets . I get a few looks from people but i dont care . Its good practice and essential for someone like me who doesn't have much chance to do non club training with any pace bowlers or people who can use a sidearm properly .
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Reading these replies got me thinking . I had planned on buying a pop up net to place in front of the bowling machine . I think now i will buy chicken or baseball practice netting . I can get some bungee cord and feed it through the top holes of the net and attach clips/ carabiners to the ends of the cord . Then clip it to the side posts/wire netting of the actual cricket nets . It would create something like a shower curtain effect . I could just move the curtain across when going in to collect balls . 5ft high x width of the nets seems good to me .
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Anyone got any pictures of their set-ups? Would be quite interesting to see.
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Slightly off topic but which bowling machines are best (other than Bola which are a bit too much for me)?
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Slightly off topic but which bowling machines are best (other than Bola which are a bit too much for me)?
Um , depends .
Paceman original : uses light balls( or junior balls) , fires them at aprox 60mph . Not sure on weight , but I'm guessing pretty light (maybe 6-8kg ?)as its mostly plastic.From memory has a twelve ball auto feeder .
Paceman ltd : i think is pretty similar to original but can also fire ltd balls which fire a tad quicker than the light balls ( so maybe 65mph ?).I think these have a twenty four ball auto feeder . They look around a similar weight to the original .
Both these machines are capable of swing (i think) , but not sure about spin .
Paceman strike : heavier than above 2 as its metal , so sturdier as well . Doesn't do swing or spin as far as i know . Fires the light balls at 74.5mph . Also can fire reg /normal machine balls at 62mph . I think its auto feeder is sold separately and looks like its for twelve balls .
Paceman pro : as per strike model but can do swing and spin . Same speeds as strike too .
Ive seen theres a new 'kph'/velocity ball released recently by paceman which could be used on the strike and pro . Its a hard ball and apparently can be fired at 20% greater speed than a reg ball .
Im not sure how compact or easy any of the paceman models are re fitting in a kit bag etc . But they all look easy to pick up and move /pack into a car etc .
All the paceman models run on mains power . As far as i know there's still no power packs available . If you want to use them with a battery you need a car/12v battery and a pure sine wave inverter capable of 600w or better .
Theres also red coloured machines that look really similar to the original paceman . I think they are for American baseball market and are called Slider .
Swinger pro : a bit more compact than the ones mentioned above . Weighs 7kg . Only fires junior size balls that are slightly soft . Fires stinger balls and paceman junior balls at 80mph (but you cant use these balls with the 10 ball auto feeder) . It fires standard tennis balls at 80mph, heavy (cricket style) tennis balls at 65mph , and swing kings(half rubber half tennis ball) at around 70mph . Its ball feeder can come with a remote . It can do swing and spin .It runs off 12v battery .
It does suck a bit that you cant use hard balls with this machine , but i got it because it fits in my kit bag , doesn't require mains power , and is capable of faster speeds (albeit with softer , junior sized balls) .
I guess for a home / backyard setup with available mains power , assuming bola/jugs machines are not a possibility, I'd probably go for a paceman pro (especially if the kph balls do what is stated) .
If i was using the machine at outdoor nets via car transportation , id still probably go for the paceman pro . ( Getting a pure sinewave inverter is extra money that would be needed though ).
If someone is in my position ( no car , using it at outdoor nets ) id obviously suggest they get a stinger pro like I did .
Please feel free to correct me on any wrong guesstimates i may have made .
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Thanks mate, really helpful. Are the paceman balls all hard/pimpled style?
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All the paceman balls are dimpled . The light balls and the ltd balls are hard but light (hollow ?) , the junior balls are dimpled , light and slightly squeezable. The reg(ulation) balls are stock standard machine balls ( like bola/jugs) . The new kph balls are hard, dimpled balls like the reg balls ... not sure what makes them higher velocity , but perhaps its some kind of enhanced dimple structure .
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Am I the only one that finds the Paceman really unreaslistic? The ball floats out almost in an arc, and is nothing like what a real cricket ball does? its because of its one wheeled construction, well i presume it is, i havent tried the pro but Ive tried the standard paceman and thought it was a waste of money for any senior cricketer personally...
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Am I the only one that finds the Paceman really unreaslistic? The ball floats out almost in an arc, and is nothing like what a real cricket ball does? its because of its one wheeled construction, well i presume it is, i havent tried the pro but Ive tried the standard paceman and thought it was a waste of money for any senior cricketer personally...
If you've only used the original machine the ball will float because it weighs 2 ounces. I agree it has limited use beyond helping young kids and beginners
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@Vitas Cricket yeah agreed it was partially due to the balls but ive watched the paceman videos from dimension sport and the ball still seems to do the same thing, i suppose it isnt too bad for just grooving shots...
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I recently got Bola Junior and it is worth every penny!!!! For a club cricketer who can live with a max 65 mph speed, it is a great training tool.
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@Vitas Cricket yeah agreed it was partially due to the balls but ive watched the paceman videos from dimension sport and the ball still seems to do the same thing, i suppose it isnt too bad for just grooving shots...
I haven't watched them for a while but I think in the videos for the pro/strike they still use the lightweight ball. Could be wrong
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I recently got Bola Junior and it is worth every penny!!!! For a club cricketer who can live with a max 65 mph speed, it is a great training tool.
Do you mind posting a video of it ? can it bowl leather balls? Price???
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Do you mind posting a video of it ? can it bowl leather balls? Price???
It delivers a junior sized bowling machine ball weighing 3 ounces
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Do you mind posting a video of it ? can it bowl leather balls? Price???
I will try to make a video and post for you guys. Price is around 900 GBP.
No leather balls, it uses a light and tennis ball size pvc ball. It swings well in the air and doesn't hurt your toes when you are hit by a Yorker - my friend fractured his toe with a regular Bola. I put Jr at 17/18 yards from the stumps and set the speed between 55-65 mph and it is plenty fast.
I also own the regular sized/pro Bola machine and I love Bola Junior!! Jr. is easier to assemble, portable (put in your car seat), and safer for your health . With a regular Bola machine, at moderately high speeds, I do fear for my life sometimes. :D
One criticism I have of the balls is that they don't bounce very high on Astro surface ( which is the only surface I have tried them on) i.e. I have not been able to produce a bouncer from the machine. Back of good length, good length, full/Yorker are all good and well but not a true short ball kicking up or a bouncer.
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I will try to make a video and post for you guys. Price is around 900 GBP.
No leather balls, it uses a light and tennis ball size pvc ball. It swings well in the air and doesn't hurt your toes when you are hit by a Yorker - my friend fractured his toe with a regular Bola. I put Jr at 17/18 yards from the stumps and set the speed between 55-65 mph and it is plenty fast.
I also own the regular sized/pro Bola machine and I love Bola Junior!! Jr. is easier to assemble, portable (put in your car seat), and safer for your health . With a regular Bola machine, at moderately high speeds, I do fear for my life sometimes. :D
One criticism I have of the balls is that they don't bounce very high on Astro surface ( which is the only surface I have tried them on) i.e. I have not been able to produce a bouncer from the machine. Back of good length, good length, full/Yorker are all good and well but not a true short ball kicking up or a bouncer.
I just recently have been experimenting with different cricket-tennis balls ( like Vicky, Costco etc ) , which are harder and heavier than a normal tennis ball , with my Stinger Pro machine . I reckon they may be a good way to do true bouncer/short pitched bowling with your Bola Junior .
Or failing that you could always just use actual tennis balls . I recently saw the acadamy coach at Kingsgrove doing bouncer drills with tennis balls on a Jugs machine . It works well , with the added bonus (for anyone with a machine capable only of lesser pace ) that they fire quicker than other balls at the same setting .
B.t.w , there's a youtube vid of Indian test players circa 2010/11 ish , with Dravid , Raina etc , doing bouncer work outdoors with a Bola and tennis balls.....so , if it's good enough for them ......
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^ Bola Jr doesn't use same size balls as a regular Bola, the JR balls are smaller and lighter. I tried tennis balls with Bola JR and they didn't work - machine didn't push the balls with any power. Bola has produced heavier white colored balls for the Bola Jr machine. I will be testing them out in a few days.
I have seen the video you mentioned with Dravid. I don't think they are using a Bola machine in that video.
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Hmmm, that's a pity ...perhaps the tennis balls with the bola jr didn't work due to the light weight of the tennis balls . Ifs thats so ,then the harder/heavier cricket-tennis balls might still be a goer . In any event would be good to hear of what eventuates because bowling machine training sans bouncers just feels a tad disappointing. The only other thing I can think of is to use the machine from some point closer than 22 yards , but I guess you would have thought the same already and it didn't do the trick .
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@InternalTraining ..... did you ever get the white bola junior balls ? If so , were you able to replicate bouncers ? Also , did the white balls ( which are meant to be heavier ) actually have better bounce , and more importantly, better feel off the bat ?
... its just that I'm thinking of upgrading to a bola junior machine soon .
Cheers.
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@InternalTraining ..... did you ever get the white bola junior balls ? If so , were you able to replicate bouncers ? Also , did the white balls ( which are meant to be heavier ) actually have better bounce , and more importantly, better feel off the bat ?
... its just that I'm thinking of upgrading to a bola junior machine soon .
Cheers.
Yes.
White balls are harder than the orange one and have more bounce and force to them. Last season, I got a bruised big toe (left) from the white ball - the old nail detached only about couple of months ago. :D The white ball feels more substantial when striking with you bat. I was able to replicate bouncers by moving the machine to 15 yards and angling the head of the machine down. It works, atleast for me, as I am 5'7'' on a good day. I am also able to replicate short swinging deliveries outside off at 15 yard distance.
This is my second season with this machine and I don't feel that it is a "Jr" machine by any means. I set it at 17 or 18 yards and use speeds of 55-62 mph. The swinging delivery at this distance is just amazing. You can also replicate spin by lowering the speed to 40-50 (setting in/out swing) and pointing the head up in the air at 19-20 yards and you get a good drifting delivery that you MUST play with a straight bat or will make a mistake. I just can't say enough good things about this product!
PS: Those soft orange balls will clean up your drive's timing. You will see massive improvement in your game.
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Yes.
White balls are harder than the orange one and have more bounce and force to them. Last season, I got a bruised big toe (left) from the white ball - the old nail detached only about couple of months ago. :D The white ball feels more substantial when striking with you bat. I was able to replicate bouncers by moving the machine to 15 yards and angling the head of the machine down. It works, atleast for me, as I am 5'7'' on a good day. I am also able to replicate short swinging deliveries outside off at 15 yard distance.
This is my second season with this machine and I don't feel that it is a "Jr" machine by any means. I set it at 17 or 18 yards and use speeds of 55-62 mph. The swinging delivery at this distance is just amazing. You can also replicate spin by lowering the speed to 40-50 (setting in/out swing) and pointing the head up in the air at 19-20 yards and you get a good drifting delivery that you MUST play with a straight bat or will make a mistake. I just can't say enough good things about this product!
PS: Those soft orange balls will clean up your drive's timing. You will see massive improvement in your game.
Thanks mate.... just what i needed to hear . :)
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Sorry to bump an old thread.
Looking to get a bowling machine in my garage, mainly to groove technique and work on shots that can be used to rotate the strike like the paddle sweep etc. My garage is only about 10 metres long, therefore it’s only really throw down length but as I said I wouldn’t be using it to practice range hitting. With the limited space I’m guessing my only real option is the paceman bowling machine? However, having a bowling machine the bowls spin would be ideal, is there any machines that can bowl spin that don’t cost an arm and a leg?
Any suggestions/help are appreciated, thanks.
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Sorry to bump an old thread.
Looking to get a bowling machine in my garage, mainly to groove technique and work on shots that can be used to rotate the strike like the paddle sweep etc. My garage is only about 10 metres long, therefore it’s only really throw down length but as I said I wouldn’t be using it to practice range hitting. With the limited space I’m guessing my only real option is the paceman bowling machine? However, having a bowling machine the bowls spin would be ideal, is there any machines that can bowl spin that don’t cost an arm and a leg?
Any suggestions/help are appreciated, thanks.
I don't think 10m would be sufficient (and im assuming your garage has a roof which would limit pointing a machine upwards to get flight anyway) so you probably wouldn't be able to get any machine to replicate anything that remotely feels like spin , given your 'pitch's limits ......probably the best you could hope for is to use a machine at slow speeds , so a paceman or paceman ltd etc would be your best options (and if you decide its all not worth it or it doesnt end up being good practice , then at least you didn't fork out too much cash on it ).