Print

[mav]

I'm 40 and been away from cricket for more than a decade however looking to make a comeback this summer
 I used to be decent middle order batsman in younger days. I played few games last year and they went well considering the gap.

I went down against a bowling machine few days back, speeds betwen 60-68 mph. It took me a while to adjust but I could feel muscle memory is there.

Would love to hear inputs based on the attached video. Any tips and suggestions which can help me get back to batting and becoming a better player.
https://youtu.be/yarX0PK6DZQ

PS: Apologies for the poor video quality

[Number4]

The thing that sticks out straight away for me is that your bottom hand is pushing through the shot every time. I can see you being caught regularly especially with varying pace balls. The toe is finishing in front of the handle every shot. Try keeping your elbow on your top hand up more and the toe finishing behind the handle, playing the ball a little later and more under your eyes.

Hey I'm no expert though. I'm sure there are others on here who can analyse your video and give you great advice

[mav]

I've been consciously trying to hold bottom hand with just two fingers however it seems I'm still choking the bottom hand. Thanks for pointing that out. Are there any drills which could help?
I didn't understand toe finishing in front of the handle? Does it mean I'm playing too forward or playing around the pads?

[Calzehbhoy]

Cut a squash ball on half and put it inside your bottom hand glov in the palm. Works really well.

Feels weird to start with but will stop a lot of your bottom hand usage

[Number4]

I've been consciously trying to hold bottom hand with just two fingers however it seems I'm still choking the bottom hand. Thanks for pointing that out. Are there any drills which could help?
I didn't understand toe finishing in front of the handle? Does it mean I'm playing too forward or playing around the pads?

Sorry... The toe of the bat not your toe

[mav]

The more knowledgeable can correct me but I think if you can play the ball under your eyes more (wait a touch longer/ head leading everything slightly more) then that will tighten everything up and you won't be reaching for the contact with you bottom hand. Doesn't look like you've had a ton of time off though!

I have never been able to actually see the ball hitting the blade for bowls bowled at decent pace. I just pick the length and trust the pace of the wicket. I will be going in nets again this weekend and will try to play everything a shade late.

[Northern monkey]

Crikey!
Looked pretty good to me
Nice to see someone give it a smack
Glad you've returned to the game, enjoy every minute

[roco]

If your struggling with bottom hand as I do there are a few things you can try

my preferred method is to thicken up bottom half of the handle with a half grip or 2 so it stops me squeezing handle as hard but its not for everyone

you can try muscle memory by playing shots 1 handed just with top hand until you get used to the top hand being dominant then re introduce bottom hand

its very hard to learn to play the ball later if you pick it up quickly and like to smash it like all cultured proper batsmen but for that I usually just take a step for so shorten the distance the ball travels and this helps me

I would say as long as your enjoying it don't worry as its all about fun and hitting ball hard

[northernboy1987]

#stillbetterthanmeafter10yrsoff

[mav]

#stillbetterthanmeafter10yrsoff

Actually it was not a complete 10 years off since I played few games last year with few friendly English Sunday sides 

[Seniorplayer]

Being away from the game what i would practice first is your defence  as all batsman need the abilty to hang in there get that right and the rest will naturally follow the more you play and with practice

[ABello1]

a right old rasspper on 7.27 nearly took the machine out

[mcgill123]

Hey Mav
Looks to me like there isn't too much to work on, the main thing I would concentrate on is the bottom hand dominance as mentioned previously
I'd imagine like the majority of rhb you are right hand dominant so naturally the bottom hand is going to be working too hard
To combat this there are a few things you can try that have been touched on already, squash ball etc
For me I think the way a batsmen grips the bat can influence whether or not the toe overtakes the handle on contact
When you place your hands on the handle try to align both v's so that they are lining up roughly halfway between the spine and the shoulder edge this should then allow you to keep a high elbow which in turn should help keep a positive angle of the bat on contact
Your bottom hand needs to be so loose that somebody should be able to tap it off of the handle without much resistance
Bottom hand grip needs to be either thumb and forefinger or thumb and first two fingers no more than that, use your digets only not the palm
The bottom hand on most front foot shots should be just a guide with the top hand doing most of the work
Another point that has been touched on already is the ability to play the ball as late as possible, this is an area that most batsmen struggle with and like yourself I struggle to see the ball right onto the blade and the last yard or so is just guesswork
There are some drills you can try to improve this
Set the machine up to half volleys on off stump and try to check block some balls so that you make contact right under your eyes and then hold the pose for a second or so
Next play the same shot but try to check drive the ball straight out of the net but don't move head to follow the ball hold your pose for an exaggerated period, your balance looks good so this shouldn't be a problem but emphasise the pose to help keep you in the right shape and then practice practice practice
You look to have a good eye and balance and there is a lot to be positive about the only thing I fear for is that bottom hand ruining your day spooning a drive straight back to the bowler
Good luck and keep us posted on your progress

[aman]

Yeah think that people above me have pointed out

1. Bottom hand needs to loosen up
2. Wait for the ball, play it under your eyes
3. Get your head into the shot eg. lean into your shots with your knees bent eg. sniff the ball
4. In your stance keep your eyes level, and head upright as it's slightly leaning towards point.

[mav]

Thank you all for such great advices! Will be posting another videos with few adjustments next week.