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[Buzz]

Morning all - have just got off the phone to Mr Stig, who is in Aus playing a little grade cricket - he kept hush about the big bash deal he signed as a replacement to Marlon Samuels - and he said he was having a few problems being caught behind on the higher bouncing Aussie wickets (WHAT NOT GETTING UNBEATEN HUNDREDS EVERY WEEK I HEAR YOU SAY? ... well he is partially human). This is something that has been pointed out before (thanks Mr Bulldog).

So the question is what can a batsman do to play with softer hands and what drills to practice the new techniques are there? This is more for play against faster bowling (well there aren't any decent spinners in Aus are there  )

No smart alec answers of: "do the washing up with mild green fairy liquid" or "moisturise" please.

The Stig needs your help!!
thanks

[no1northernbloke]

With the extra pace and bounce of the Aussie pitches nicks will obviously carry further than over here. Think that's getting nicked off is just part of playing there.... Perhaps he'd be better to look at leaving the ball more?

Having said that practice dead batting the ball so it stops somewhere very near you will help to educate the hands a little....

[manno]

Would a lower back swing mean less power mean softer hands?

Absolute novice here though!

[mad_abt_cricket]

Would a lower back swing mean less power mean softer hands?

Absolute novice here though!

I would think apart from softer hands, in Australian pitches, higher bat lift might help to counter the rising ball. The angle of the bat coming from the top to down on the ball might help.

[uknsaunders]

loosen your right hand on contact to avoid pushing the bat at the ball. This will deaden the contact and drop the ball downwards.

[The_Bird]

Yeah what Northernbloke has said Could he also be playing balls he doesn't need to be playing? Leaving the balls on length could help him maybe.

[SOULMAN1012]

The best drill I have found for this playing dead bat with tennis balls from about 15 yards. Does. Help if the tennis balls are new as well and the cheaper ones that have less fluff on them seem to bounce a bit more.

Leaving the ball is a bit hard in T20 so trying to play the upper cut over slips gully etc would be a good bet on the bouncy tracks of Aus I would have thought.

[tushar sehgal]

I am more a bowler than a batsman but last saturday was my best ever net. I walked in with my new RPC and was worried about damaging the bat so basically did not push at anything, instead let the ball come and hit a bat...

very little back-lift and almost no follow through, every time bat stopped exactly where the ball made impact...there were no edges it was perfect...

So bat like you are batting with the best bat you have and its brand new, so you are just playing it in...not sure stig would know that feeling though, all his bats are the best he's had 

[RossViper]

Is it the first time he's been to Aus?

Some thoughts:
On the back foot make sure sure the hands and arms are kept into the hip nice and tight, but relax the elbows - rock the baby, as my old coach would say to me!
Not sure how tall he is bit of he's having issues riding the bounce, dont stay too side on, squareing up let's the hands get higher.

On the front dog, make sure he's getting well forward, more forward then on slower pitches, play the ball higher off the front foot, maybe slightly earlier too...

Where is he Perth?

One other thought, might be the bottom hand taking control, if he pulling and cutting a lot? Squash ball trick?

Few games of one hand one boucue might help!

[Buzz]

Rock the baby? did we have the same coach?!! thanks Ross, I will pass this on and all the other comments,  thanks guys.


Any more thoughts? 

[tugga]

Softer hands pshhh. In Aus, get right forward or get right back, that's about it, leave plenty of balls early in the innings.

[justnotcricket86]

Buzz - who is the Stig?! I still don't know...

[19reading87]

Opening up an older topic here. I netted the other week as guy there told me I go at the ball with hard hands. I'm starting to think I'm over complicating things in my head thinking about it but any help would be great

Cheers

[Seniorplayer]

 Hi Reds  he means play with  a looser grip in  particular your bottom hand as this will  absorb the  impact Of the ball what he is stating is that  by having hard hands you are more likely to get caught by close fielders  with softer hands the ball wont come off the blade with as much velocity  this will  also allow you to steer the ball across the ground and into the gaps

[Buzz]

Softer hands pshhh. In Aus, get right forward or get right back, that's about it, leave plenty of balls early in the innings.

And snick off to some medium pace away swing.

The tennis ball drill works well. Especially if you put tennis balls into the bowling machine.