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[tommo256]

Hola,

I've been batting well in the nets, using my head, actually thinking about what i'm doing and taking myself more seriously as a cricketer.
Yet last night I played, and batted for first time this season and minute i got to crease all I said to myself was block it, and then the ball was bowled and I just went to smash it into Australia, and thus got bowled feeling a complete melt as it was a dodgy full bunger.

Any advice?

lee x

[Cumbrian Pete]

Lee

You need to try to replicate out in the middle how you feel when batting in the nets.  Granted, this is a lot easier said than done as you have a bunch of fielders tyring to psyche you out but I try and keep things as simple as possible and run through the same mental strategy when the bowler is running up in the middle as I do in the nets.  My method after I've taken guard for the first time is as follows:
1. tap my bat into the ground three times
2. Stand up into my'ready' position and deliberately relax my shoulders (thinking the word 'relax' in my head)
3. Focus on the ball in the bowlers hand until the point of delivery
4. On delivery, switch my thought to 'watch the ball', watch it leave the hand, get my head in line and play my natural shot (or leave) to that ball based on length and line.  If it's a good ball, I will naturally defend it, if it's a full toss, half volley or long hop then I will naturally attack it, just as I would in the nets.
5. Block out all comments from the field or bowler and repeat steps 1-4.

I'm not thinking any pre-meditated thoughts on attack or defend at this stage, though this may come after I've played myself in, but as a starting point for an innings it works for me.  The key is relaxing and watching the ball and letting your natural game come out.

Hope some of that makes sense!

Pete

The best batters that I've played with or against play their natural shots to every ball, based on how good the ball is, or their perception of how good the ball is depending on their form.  This may mean blocking the first dozen they receive if the bowlers are bowling well or it may mean smashing the first six to the boundary if they're all half volleys and full tosses.

[tommo256]

That makes top sense mate, thanks for that.

Will try and find a relaxation thing before nets or what not, like  a good psychological state as I wind myself up.

[Cumbrian Pete]

Lee

No worries mate, glad it made sense.  Physically relaxing my shoulders always works for me along with watching the ball in the bowler's hand...that way you don't even have to look at the bowler's face and so there's less chance, in my opinion, or getting over aggressive and trying to smash everything. 

[ItsJustCricket]

Lee

No worries mate, glad it made sense.  Physically relaxing my shoulders always works for me along with watching the ball in the bowler's hand...that way you don't even have to look at the bowler's face and so there's less chance, in my opinion, or getting over aggressive and trying to smash everything. 

Interesting... what are your trigger movements, if any? I get a bid fidgety and move my feet a bit more than I should on trigger - find it hard to keep still! I know this is not necessarily a bad thing, but would be nice to be able to control it a bit more...

[charlie15]

Pete, thanks for that I've been having exactly the same problems, and just reading what you have said makes a lot of sense.

[Cumbrian Pete]

Charlie

No problems, glad it was a help.  To be fair, it has taken me 30 years to find a method that works for me!!  I've tried every trigger movement you can think of, at one point I had two different ones carried out in succession...it was just too mechanical.  I'm now just standing up straight, nicely balanced and relaxed and watching the ball...nothing more than that!

Cheers

Pete

[Cumbrian Pete]

It's just cricket...

No trigger movement...just a natural reaction and head, shoulder and ultimately foot movement after the ball has left the hand and I've picked up the line and length.

I have ongoing technical problems like everyone else but if I try to think about too much at the crease then I lose the relaxation and clear mind. 

Pete

[MPingJ]

Good thread and some nice advice. Been having similar woes myself. I've recently started talking to myself like a nutter to make sure I watch the ball out of the bowlers hand.
Another issue is not getting the feet moving early on in the innings and getting out playing away from the body

[Cumbrian Pete]

MPing

Thanks mate.  I know what you mean about not moving the feet and playing away from the body and what helps me is moving my head and shoulders first...the feet have to follow then.  If only I had the natural ability and range of shots to go with my settled mind at the crease I'd be quite a good player!

[tommo256]

Gonna try this tomorrow, having a net with one of the boys. Touch wood, it'll work

[Buzz]

keep still, watch the ball and don't think about anything else.

it is good enough for Sachin afterall!

nice work Pete.

[GarrettJ]

here goes for my methods.

I always wear helment no matter what, i feel like i can hide myself behind it when im faced with a barrage of sledging and just hum a tune to myself loud enough to drum out their noise while looking at the field.

I take guard, do the mark and then look at the fielders

I say to myself what shot i can play safely to get a simple single as i scan round the pitch. After this i then get down to action.

walk down the pitch give it a little tap to see how hard it is near a length and slightly short, also make a note of a distinctive part of the pitch around off stump.

Walk back to my mark, put my back foot ready where i want it, push my glvoes up with my two hands while relocating that mark on off stump. then i get my front foot in postion and take my stance.

get my head int he right postiion near my front shoulder and slgihtly forward of centre. the bowler starts his run up, i look donw quickly at that spot on the wicket.

as he starts running in i look at his fingers, for a tell tale sign of a slower ball or away swing or inswing all the way through the run.

Just as he is about to jump, i take a step back and across onto off stump and lift my bat with my head still forward of the body and the weight 60/40 on the ball of my back foot.

then i am ready, and i look at the ball not the fingers any more.

as it is released i quickly work out the length .... the flatter the trajectory and a late release means its shorter

then i move into position and play the shot based on what i have gleaned from my scan of the fielders.

I like to know for every ball what the possibilities are to score a 1 or a 4 safely on the off and on side to a short or full pitched up ball. this is not premediating but it allows you to relax and attack with confidence,

for exampleif they have a square leg and mid on i know i can drop it into midwicket to get an easy single or smash it htorugh there for a 4, if i mis time it and it goes aerial there is no one there. I also know i can pull it through square leg safely early on as i might get caught.

A lot of people dont agree with trigger movements but i swear by the back and across 60/40 back foot trigger.

To move forward YOU HAVE TO transfer the weight from your back foot to your front foot so it allows you to get forward quicker and easier. It also means you are in a ready position for a short ball and only need to shuffle your foot back as you have already moved your abck foot onto off stump.

For spinners i reverse the trigger, i go back and across then press the weight onto my front foot. What im hoping is that it drops short then i can spring bakc off my front foot onto the back foot and attack it. if it is pitched up i then just need to take a step forward.

Playing the ball i like to play defensive shots with the bat in fornt of my pad not next to it, find it helps a great deal and there is less chance of an LBW if one cut back in.

also the back and across movement can open up your body abit so you can release the arms a bit more.

I put up a recent video of myself on here and realsied i had stopped doing my trigger after not batting since august last year all the way to april this year!

The key to a trigger is to have it completed and your head still, level and forward of your body on release.

If you get thiis far, well done!! I like to read this article now and again .... think its great


http://www.pitchvision.com/9-traits-of-world-class-batsmen-that-anyone-can-copy

[Cumbrian Pete]

Cheers Buzz...keep still, watch the ball and don't think about anything else is perfect advice in my book, although I also appreciate that triggers work for some people, as GarrettJ has described in his post.

Lee...let me know how you get on tomorrow with your net and best of luck mate; relax, watch the ball, play the ball!

Cheers

Pete

[tushar sehgal]

Only thing I would add after reading your issue, since i had been doing this all last season, is what everyone else said works if you can somehow do it...which i find is harder done than said...

So in the off season in trying to analyze what's wrong/ how to fix it i came across something, when the bowler releases the ball i used do the "watch the ball" which was ok but would still get out trying massive heaves...so now try watch the ball and watch the bounce....

atleast for me i would pick up the length very quickly and go for the shot a little early which would mean my head would be all over the place instead of looking at the ball...when you try and watch the ball bounce off the pitch you are more likely to really watch the ball...dunno if it makes sense to you but is starting to work for me..