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[felix]

Some interesting thoughts there guys.  Mind you I'm puzzled about the comments about my grip. I always thought it was pretty orthodox, my v's are between the splice and outside edge, and I've always been really conscious about the diamond and getting my right elbow away from my side. I watched @Buzz 's video again and I think I'm doing all that. Mind you I also deliberately try no to open the bat face too much on my back lift, a few years ago I wondered if by opening it, it was causing some of my problems, so reverted to what I do now.  Lots of very good players do this (think I first really noticed it on Kallis) so it can't be such a bad thing.  Mind you watching the vids again I can see why you said it, my bottom hand doesn't look far enough round... a mental check point for the future I think.

All that said, I'm conscious that I look stiff and tense in my stance. I've tried the balancing on the balls of my feet thing before and it didn't feel comfortable... and it was interesting that ramps said in that video that gatting tended to do the opposite to stop himself falling over, and IIRC I think I felt even more badly balanced when I tried it.

@cricketbadger I can see what you mean about my footwork looking a bit slow, gotta say I'm not sure how easily I can fix that and wonder if that's more to do with being 52 and not a natural athlete 

[felix]

Had another very encouraging coaching session on Friday. Sent the first half building on the work we did towards the end of the last session around my balance and front foot position when playing through the on side. We did some drills with underarm throw downs to try and get my toe pointing back to the bowler or even mid on.  Have to say it felt pretty unnatural and going back to the bowling machine I think I managed to get it pointing to straightish mid off, but that's progress. Most of all though, my balance felt miles better and I was middling most balls even if I wasn't playing a lot of big shots. That's a transformation compared with a session on the bowling machine at one of the CBF nets last autumn.

For the second half I wanted to work on my back foot attacking shots for slow short of a length balls outside off stump. When the ball's coming on I think I'm a decent cutter but always been rubbish at forcing the ball through cover/extra cover when there's not enough pace on the ball for the cut to be effective. So he wound the speed down to 55 like a proper dibbly-dobbly bowler. A first I was trying to cut, mostly pretty weakly, but with a bit of a tweak, getting me to bring my front foot back in line with my back foot to give me a stronger base I found I was able to hit some pretty good back foot drives, way better than I can usually manage.

Here's a longish video, as ever comments welcome...

https://youtu.be/FlzAZxGcU1M

There's a few shots through square leg in the first minute or two which I wondered if I'd played too square but the balls were missing leg and I think my balance was ok. Still fell over a few times (e.g. 1:40) but not too often.  The set from 3:05 was after doing the underarm drills on my foot position.  At 6:15 we started work on the back foot and up to 9:35 there's lots of pretty weak square cuts before he gave me any advice, mostly due to the lack of pace (I think).  After this he had me working on punching the ball more and I was pretty happy with this last set, felt like I was timing them well.

By the way, I talked to him about my bottom hand grip after the suggestions here. He thought it could possibly come round a little but he suggested not changing it, he didn't think it was causing me any real problems.

This is the last session I'm going to do for now. I've come away from the 2 sessions with a few mental check points I can use which hopefully mean I can make theses improvements stick. I think any more now would clutter my mind too much at this time of year, but I'd definitely do this again one day, definitely worth the price of some new kit 

[ppccopener]

Good stuff Felix there's a definite improvement on the CBF nets we were at. I think it's good to get some coaching sessions even thou personally I've never had any and am not a big fan of too many technical components creeping in (I'm not clever enough to think of two things at once!)

Of course.....I say that knowing full well I spent a year trying to correct the over balancing problem you had and are working on now. I did this myself and I'm still working on it. now when I practice all I'm think of is balance because that's my Achilles heel.

If I had gone to a proper coach it may of benefitted me, but I choose to do it myself.

@DorsetDan mentions the ramps videos on you tube I spent ages watching these myself and they def helped. I tried to copy the open stance and left foot pointing between mid on and the far stumps to give myself balance. Right foot comes across too

There's a def improvement in your leg  side play so the proper coaching is working,that's great.

Someone who plays a good standard told me(as was mentioned in another post) batting is mainly set up stance and grip. I firmly believe this.

Key for you is to take the coaching into games as old faults do creep in if you bat for a long time. You've seen timing improves with the right advice to start with from the coach.

i think the videos might help others too.

Keep it up.

[GeorgeB93]

By the way, I talked to him about my bottom hand grip after the suggestions here. He thought it could possibly come round a little but he suggested not changing it, he didn't think it was causing me any real problems.

That's fair enough! If he thought it was working for you then no real need to change it! Some good shots in there! Looking good.

[felix]

Thanks Carlo, yes I was remembering the CBF session where you were loading the bowling machine aiming at middle and leg and pretty much every ball was hitting me on the pads, I was pretty despairing after that. I no longer felt I could work out fixes for my faults by myself. True enough most of my faults seem to have stemmed from set up. I really hope I can keep a clear enough head and carry over my mental check points into match play, we'll see, of course there's a world of difference between a bowling machine on a flat deck and match conditions.

[Seniorplayer]

First up get your coach to take a look at YOU batting and  let HIM make the suggestions re areas to work on then add your own input if needed ( but any coach worth there money should identify areas that need improving ) and between you devise a coaching action plan preferably written .
Good luck

[felix]

First up get your coach to take a look at YOU batting and  let HIM make the suggestions re areas to work on then add your own input if needed ( but any coach worth there money should identify areas that need improving ) and between you devise a coaching action plan preferably written .
Good luck

All good suggestions, however most of us are sufficiently self-aware to know where our weaknesses lie, and I think that you need to have some input into a coaching session yourself to get the most benefit from it. Where I think the coach helps is spotting the root cause for those faults and identifying the methods to fixing them.

[ProCricketer1982]

All good suggestions, however most of us are sufficiently self-aware to know where our weaknesses lie, and I think that you need to have some input into a coaching session yourself to get the most benefit from it. Where I think the coach helps is spotting the root cause for those faults and identifying the methods to fixing them.

And explaining the postivies and negatives to a method is important. Just saying 'do this' without explaining the pros and cons and the thinking behind why isn't helpful and doesn't allow the player to think for themselves.. players need to understand this to make informed decisions when it matters.. or you end up like a rabbit in the headlights when under pressure etc


Sounds like you enjoyed it which is always the key thing !

[ppccopener]

All good suggestions, however most of us are sufficiently self-aware to know where our weaknesses lie, and I think that you need to have some input into a coaching session yourself to get the most benefit from it. Where I think the coach helps is spotting the root cause for those faults and identifying the methods to fixing them.

Yes....exactly. It has to be this way because responsibility for your game lies with you(us). i personally choose to work it out myself and fully aware having played for thirty years I will have to continue working on it.

Really basic advice I have found is best to keep the game as simple as possible. The set up, grip and stance are basics we can get right.

Reading this thread actually having said what I've said about doing it myself.....I'm probably more open now to having some proper coaching sessions than ever before....

Certainly something to think about.

[felix]

And explaining the postivies and negatives to a method is important. Just saying 'do this' without explaining the pros and cons and the thinking behind why isn't helpful and doesn't allow the player to think for themselves.. players need to understand this to make informed decisions when it matters.. or you end up like a rabbit in the headlights when under pressure

Precisely. I think I learned why the tips I was given should (and did) work for me. For example I should have figured out for myself why the direction of my front foot when playing to leg is so important, and hadn't worked out that this was simply stopping me getting my bat through the line, but I know now.

[ProCricketer1982]

Precisely. I think I learned why the tips I was given should (and did) work for me. For example I should have figured out for myself why the direction of my front foot when playing to leg is so important, and hadn't worked out that this was simply stopping me getting my bat through the line, but I know now.

Some of the stuff 'coaches' coach at club level is truely shocking so I wouldn't be so harsh on yourself to know.

The amount of youth who come and say their club coaches are teaching x or y and it's scarily bad technically.

[Northern monkey]

Id love to have a bit of coaching
I'm sure there's shedloads I could improve on

Never too old,,old dog new tricks etc

[felix]

Id love to have a bit of coaching
I'm sure there's shedloads I could improve on

Never too old,,old dog new tricks etc

Well what's stopping you? If I can do it at the ripe old age of 52 and 10 months anyone can  I put off doing it for ages and now just wish I'd done it sooner

[Seniorplayer]

Yes....exactly. It has to be this way because responsibility for your game lies with you(us). i personally choose to work it out myself and fully aware having played for thirty years I will have to continue working on it.

Really basic advice I have found is best to keep the game as simple as possible. The set up, grip and stance are basics we can get right.

Reading this thread actually having said what I've said about doing it myself.....I'm probably more open now to having some proper coaching sessions than ever before....

Certainly something to think about.

Can't beat keeping it simple head still eyes level watch the ball out of the  bowlers  hand keep your shape  hit ball.

[Seniorplayer]

Well what's stopping you? If I can do it at the ripe old age of 52 and 10 months anyone can  I put off doing it for ages and now just wish I'd done it sooner

52  you still have years left if my club is anything to go by  that's the average age  of our  players.