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[revboy]

I used to think timing was hitting the ball off the middle of the bat. Now I understand its synchronising body position, hands etc to hit the ball, which may explain why some players can hit boundries with little effort

This may sound silly but are there any drills I can do to improve timing?

[WalkingWicket37]

Bat?

[Chewbacca]

You could try batting against throwdowns with just your top hand on the bat, it means you will play the ball under your eyes so you're balanced and getting the maximum power from the shot.

Making sure you pick the line and length of the ball is key as well so you can get into position quickly and give yourself time.

[Cys1]

Like you said, timing is as much about playing late as about getting the body into the best position in order to get your full weight into the shot. What I've found helps me when I sometimes lean back on drives when trying tO hit it too hard is to have some throw downs on the front foot and lift your back leg up on or just before impact to ensure that your full weight goes into the shot. You will end up on one leg after playing the shot but this really helps me to get the timing going.

[Simmy]

my timing sucks i have loads of power and no timing i never hit the ball on the floor because im allways to early

[revboy]

Useful tips here I will try and work on my timing batting against throwdowns this evening

Simmy perhaps you are coming up on the shot, which will throw out your timing

[ajmw89]

I find timing comes more naturally when I'm not trying to hit the cover off the ball.  Soon as I try to force things and hit the ball
hard, everything goes to pot!

This is what the last coach I had told me, and I find it has helped me a lot:

Relax each time you go to bat, and try not to think about what shots you are going to play.  Take a few balls just to feel bat on ball and get your eye in. Then start to play your shots but not at full force.  Soon as you get the confidence from timing and middling a few, you naturally start hitting the ball harder without thinking about it, but with the same timing and movement as when you were taking it easy.

Dunno whether it sounds a load of hokum or not, and I don't mind if the coaches on here shoot it down, but I find it has helped me

[Danny1870]

i find its always a case of not trying to hit the ball to hard and playing the ball under my eyes means i time and hit the ball harder than trying to hit the cover off it. when i get out of form i try to go back to these basics and go from there.

[Jagminder]

try to get your body weight into the ball. Bat weight and bat speed is good but body weight (170 pounds) can make a big difference.

hold kettle bell like a bat and shadow practice.

Let me know if it helps.

Jag.

[123*]

Read something the other day, think it might of been Phil Mustard said that when he warms up and has throwdowns or some nets before hand he really tries to hit the ball straight into the floor, especially on back foot shots, this he say's meant that he had to play the ball as late as possible and right under the eye's, maybe give it a try?

[Manormanic]

Think about how a good golf swing works - yes, there is a lot of "power" involved, but the guys who hit the ball the furthest rarely seem to be the ones who are trying the hardest.  Instead, it is the ones who steadily accumulate speed through the swing, who time their release into the shot etc.  It is also the guys who think about striking the ball as being part of the swing rather than the end of it...

The same applies to cricket, just with a moving ball - you don't need massive backlifts or Mahendra Singh Dhoni type windmills to generate power, you need an economical movement through the ball.

[The_Bird]

Ernie Els looks like he could fall asleep when he's swinging a club.

[procricket]

Like you said, timing is as much about playing late as about getting the body into the best position in order to get your full weight into the shot. What I've found helps me when I sometimes lean back on drives when trying tO hit it too hard is to have some throw downs on the front foot and lift your back leg up on or just before impact to ensure that your full weight goes into the shot. You will end up on one leg after playing the shot but this really helps me to get the timing going.

That's is a very very good tip indeed about the one leg if you watch kp a technique he has used widely

[kouservice]

As mentioned by most of the members, practicing in nets(throwdowns etc) will be the best solution. Another old school excercise or drill is to use Ball tied with cord. It helps improve your hand eye cordination and for me its one of the best excercise which helps you play straight.

 Check out this youtube video for some drills,

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GntOMeGJyA

[GarrettJ]

For me .........

I have a 3lb 6 bat that i like to use in the warm up. When i go out to bat my 2lb 10 or 2lb 11 bat feels like a twig and it feels great in the hands from ball 1.