Topic: Advice for a one-to-one coaching session (Read 4648 times)

felix · « **on:** March 28, 2017, 04:54:25 AM »

At long last, I've finally managed to book myself 2 one-to-one coaching sessions at Eversley this week and next. If I feel I'm getting something out of them I'll probably do a couple more, I always said to myself I'd be better off spend �200 on coaching than on a new bat

. I wish I could have done this earlier in the off-season as just a few weeks before the season feels like a bad time to be tinkering with my game. But it was now or never. Quite excited, I've never had any proper coaching in all my decades in the game.

So my question to you all out there is, do you have any suggestions with the benefit of experience as to how to extract the most benefit out of my sessions? Given I'm much nearer the end of my batting career than the start I don't want to completely deconstruct my game, but I'd like to be able to strengthen a few of my worst weaknesses.

Over Gully · « **Reply #1 on:** March 28, 2017, 05:13:42 AM »

I'm thinking of doing the same next Australian season. I have 3 things I'd like to achieve in the off-season:

- Improve my play against spin bowling
- Learn how to play the sweep (probably refer to point #1 but never been able to play the shot before)
- Improve my play straight down the ground (very much a square of the wicket player)

I suppose as long as you have clear plans on what you want out of it, then it can only improve you. Also make sure you see the same person every time and not different people. If you listed to 3-4 coaches/teammates, everyone has a different opinion and getting too much advice can hinder you more than help.

felix · « **Reply #2 on:** March 28, 2017, 05:24:10 AM »

Quote from: Over Gully on March 28, 2017, 05:13:42 AM

I suppose as long as you have clear plans on what you want out of it, then it can only improve you. Also make sure you see the same person every time and not different people. If you listed to 3-4 coaches/teammates, everyone has a different opinion and getting too much advice can hinder you more than help.

I've got a good idea of the areas of my batting that most need improving - especially that I'm c**p off my legs and also have big problems turning my score over when there's no pace on the ball, so I'd be asking for help with these. It's one thing knowing your faults but fixing them is another thing altogether. I'm not sure if I'll get the same person each time, I hope so (unless the 1st session is a disaster), but yes you're right that it's easy to have your head cluttered with too many ideas.

FattusCattus · « **Reply #3 on:** March 28, 2017, 07:18:46 AM »

@felix - don't give the coach too much to work on. I would suggest he has a look at your basic set up first, to see if there is anything restricting your play. Once that is sorted, I would get him working on the 1 or 2 most pressing areas.

The time I worked with Dave Procricket, he recognised my sheer ineptitude off my legs and he went over and over the problem with me until it began to sink in - I'm still crap, but he diagnosed the problem and gave me some drills and a method to keep practising, even when netting with mates.

That's the sort of thing I reckon you want to come out of it with.

roco · « **Reply #4 on:** March 28, 2017, 08:02:55 AM »

Let the coach do there job is main thing

I would say to him where I think I'm weak then get him to assess for himself

key for me with to get out of 1 on 1 is not new shots but to help with technical points like balance and head position then go from there

if you have a stable base with good head position the rest can come

felix · « **Reply #5 on:** March 28, 2017, 08:41:39 AM »

All good suggestions. I don't doubt that I've got a fundamental set-up issue at the heart of my main 2 problems. I think I have a serious problem with overbalancing, not just when I'm trying to play off my legs, but I think it also afflicts me worse against slow bowling when I tend to lose my shape worse than when the ball's coming on. At its worse this has led to me digging embarrassing divots when trying to drive down the ground because I think my head's collapsing to the off side far too much.

bk · « **Reply #6 on:** March 28, 2017, 09:26:38 AM »

I've watched a lot of high level coaches this winter and their approach is fairly consistent. Check set-up, pick-up and grip. One of the easiest fixes is to make sure that you hold the bat up high at the beginning of your stance. It will help your head movements and reduce errors. Then look at what you do well, what you do OK'ish and what you do badly. Understand your best shots and use them as your bread and butter scoring opportunities. Work on the OK'ish stuff to make it better. If you're at the back end of your career you could consider what shots cause you most problems and just stop playing them.
Re problems with teh spinners one of the main problems is a planted front foot. If you get stuck on the front peg then you can end up playing the ball around your front pad, falling over or over extending, all of which will cause problems.

Final point is to focus on how you can get off strike. Where are your "get up the other end" opportunities. If you can get these shots working then you'll improve your strike rate, bat for longer and, hopefully, have more fun.
Best of luck.

HallamKeeper · « **Reply #7 on:** March 28, 2017, 11:39:37 AM »

One important thing is talking to your coach just generally about your game. I had built up a lot of ideas of how to play in my head that weren't helpful to me at all. Once I had a chat about them I realised I was thinking about stuff in completely the wrong way.

If your coach is able to bowl spin at you, it is a big help. My coach is a decent off spinner but can also bowl leggies and googlies which really helps when learning how to pick them and where you look to score off them.

GoldenArm · « **Reply #8 on:** March 28, 2017, 12:23:03 PM »

If he's any good he won't do much this close to the new season, you don't want to be going out to bat with lots of new ideas rattling around in your head. Work on something simple you can repeat a lot in a short time and then start afresh almost as soon as the season ends when you've got the time to bed it in.

ch1p · « **Reply #9 on:** March 28, 2017, 12:34:19 PM »

Whatever the coach helps you with make sure you continue practicing it before the next session. Even if its just shadow batting the new technique at home.

See far too many people pay or spend time with coaches, learn a new technique, try it for the next 30 mins in the session with the coach and then never do it again until next in nets or a game and then wonder why "I've had coaching on this but still cant do it".

Practice, practice, practice

felix · « **Reply #10 on:** March 28, 2017, 01:33:31 PM »

Quote from: GoldenArm on March 28, 2017, 12:23:03 PM

If he's any good he won't do much this close to the new season, you don't want to be going out to bat with lots of new ideas rattling around in your head. Work on something simple you can repeat a lot in a short time and then start afresh almost as soon as the season ends when you've got the time to bed it in.

Yes that's the big thing that worries me, I wanted to do this last autumn but other non-cricket stuff got in the way, so I'm really hoping that I can gain something from a bit of tinkering rather than completely deconstructing my game.

Quote from: ch1p on March 28, 2017, 12:34:19 PM

Whatever the coach helps you with make sure you continue practicing it before the next session. Even if its just shadow batting the new technique at home.

See far too many people pay or spend time with coaches, learn a new technique, try it for the next 30 mins in the session with the coach and then never do it again until next in nets or a game and then wonder why "I've had coaching on this but still cant do it".

Practice, practice, practice

I know, I know, easier said than done though, our club nets aren't very good unfortunately. So the bedroom mirror it is

felix · « **Reply #11 on:** March 31, 2017, 06:32:11 PM »

Had my first coaching session this afternoon and found it a really positive experience. It was with Leon, a personable young guy who I didn't recognise from any of the CBF net sessions, however we obviously wear our allegiance like a badge of honour as the first thing he asked was "are you from Custom Bats Forum?". I guess a pair of B&S pads, and brandishing 2 "boutique" bats, a Charlie French and H4L, marks you out as a bit "different"

So, I had an hour with the bowling machine on a steady 60mph and video camera. First I discussed with him what I thought were my main weaknesses (the being rubbish off my legs and falling over too much). I faced a few balls and he could see me counterbalancing by sliding my back foot across after several shots, so he moved my guard over from 2 legs to having my toes on the line of middle as he thought I was having to move too far across to cover off stump and maybe falling over in the process. Seemed to help a little, but then he spotted, when he stopped feeding the machine at the last moment, that my head was starting to fall over at the point of delivery, and I think this is the root cause of a lot of my problems. After a while he got me moving my head more forwards than across, and I was managing to stay much stiller with my back foot rooted when playing forward after a while. By the end of the session, with a bit of help with the way I was pointing my front foot (it was still pointing to cover rather than to the bowler) I was even playing proper on drives like I haven't for ages, and my balance was feeling a lot better.

So a lot of progress for a first session, and a few check points to figure out for myself - hold the shot for a few seconds and see if I can keep still. I think they are things I could easily carry into the season, though whether there'll be a miraculous transformation in my performance is too early to say. Looking forward to another session with Leon next week.

Oh by the way @tom line , the Charlie French feels Superb, think I've found my match bat for the start of he season.

Waiting for him to send edited video, I'll post it when I can...

felix · « **Reply #12 on:** April 04, 2017, 06:14:08 PM »

I've posted a few clips from my session, quality not great unfortunately and I could have cut out a bit more of the bits between balls, guess I should prepare myself for the critical gaze of the forum

First one was a bit of a warm up before I had any advice. At least felt in my comfort zone with a few cover drives though I think I can see that by taking a guard of 2 legs without a trigger movement, I'm having to take quite a bit move to cover off stump which probably has made my balance worse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBtQ6uJb-Sc&t=6s

Next, part way through the session, having moved my guard over, when I was desperately trying to stop my head falling over and not counterbalance by moving my back foot across the crease. Not very successfully at this point as can be seen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaDPawRSsmI&t=1s

Finally at the end of the session I think I started to get the hang of my front foot position and where my toe should point when trying to on drive and was pleased with the results given it's such a weak part of my game. Think my balance was getting better too. I wondered if the 2 I hit the best at 0:35 and 1:05 I was aiming too square but coach was happy with them as they were so much on the line of leg stump, tho after that he was trying to get me to aim at mid on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtuGqZzqVqY

GeorgeB93 · « **Reply #13 on:** April 04, 2017, 07:39:48 PM »

Some nice shots there!

I just wanna ask you if your hands feel comfortable holding the bat? It might just be me but it looks like your bottom hand is too far round on the handle. This might be another reason why you struggle playing off your legs.

cricketbadger · « **Reply #14 on:** April 04, 2017, 08:14:34 PM »

Good stuff buddy, for me watching those 3 videos, I'd think about just getting that foot in position quicker. Alot of the 4th stump stuff in first 2 videos, you got in position ok, but feet could be quicker, allowing you then more time to work the bat through the line and harder. Just looked a tiny bit late with the bat around 4th stump. Anything wider was better and the bat did more work. Maybe hitting loads of gentle throw downs, focusing on speeding the feet up getting into position. It will all come together nicely with lots of repetition and confidence.

Author Topic: Advice for a one-to-one coaching session (Read 4648 times)

felix

Advice for a one-to-one coaching session

Over Gully

Re: Advice for a one-to-one coaching session

felix

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FattusCattus

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roco

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felix

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bk

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HallamKeeper

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GoldenArm

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ch1p

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felix

Re: Advice for a one-to-one coaching session

felix

Re: Advice for a one-to-one coaching session

felix

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GeorgeB93

Re: Advice for a one-to-one coaching session

cricketbadger

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