Print

[leeroy]

I have recently started having to work on the days when my club trains, meaning I cant train with them any more. Most weeks I try to practice for at least 1 hour with the bowling machine but I cant afford to go more often than that. I also go to the gym but I'm wondering what other people here do to train for cricket when your on your own without a bowling machine? Especially batting drills that you can do without assistance. I feel like the batting area of my game is letting me down so any help would be really appreciated.  

[Number 11]

Imagination plus full length mirror equals air cricket. Just run through all your shots in front on the mirror, pick a spot where the imaginary ball will be and play the shot to the spot.

[Vitas Cricket]

The mirror thing is quite good for technical issues. As your perceived image of your body shape during certain shots is probably different to reality (most people fall into this category)

So practising in the mirror can help you to make small adjustments to your technique, eg higher elbow, head not falling off to the side etc.

Bowling machine is good, as is general fitness to be honest. Nets are not the be all and end all. My club regard pre season nets as more of a social get together than genuine practice. Lets face it, come April, how many pitches are going to be like the sort of surface we all practice on indoors all winter?

[WalkingWicket37]

Brick wall & a beach ball for batting practice!

[Jason_Yuan]

i personally would just work on my fitness if cant use a bowling machine, maybe get someone to chuck you some tennis ball work?

[compstallcc]

if you dont feel youre batting is great, get a new bat?

[Steveo1000]

Get one of those mini leather footballs and let the air out a fraction.
Take your normal batting stance then place the ball in variety of positions to practice certain shots. So place it one a 4th stump line to practice extra cover drives, full and straight to practice straight drives and full and on a leg stump line to practice hitting between mid on and mid wicket. Then just whack it against a wall over and over again. Builds good technique and muscle memory.

[leeroy]

Thanks for all the suggestions I think I will spend some time in the mirror doing some shadow batting and also hitting the mini football every week now.

[leeroy]

if you dont feel youre batting is great, get a new bat?

Hahaha thats a given isnt it.... Along with rewarding your good form with a new bat too

[Chewbacca]

As well as just batting in front of the mirror, you could film yourself, so you can get a side on view. Don't try to stand side on to the mirror because you'll lose your head position and then your balance. It also means you can review it in slow-mo if you have the software.

[GarrettJ]

Kinovea

Free slow mo and bells and whistles program for bio-metric analysis. You can do side by side video analysis and even flip right handers to left and vice versa

[Vitas Cricket]

Kinovea

Free slow mo and bells and whistles program for bio-metric analysis. You can do side by side video analysis and even flip right handers to left and vice versa

Ubersense Coach does most/all of that i think, but is available on ios devices for the convinience freaks out there.

Not saying Kinovea isn't good by the way, i've used it. I find Ubersense so easy on the Iphone / Ipad though.

[Kez]

Kinovea

Free slow mo and bells and whistles program for bio-metric mechanical analysis. You can do side by side video analysis and even flip right handers to left and vice versa

Other than that I agree but isn't the league of some other systems. However, can produce very effective results for a free piece of software.