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[procricket]

last tip after you have practiced the shot do not chase the ball keep looking down the wicket that way you know you have watched it on to the bat

[johan95]

Yeah, I found that it got better as the short balls kept being bowled, so I was watching the ball. Thing is, that was focused short bowling, in a match it is unexpected. It is all about watching the ball out of the hand and as closely as possible thereafter...though I see what you mean about a T20 bat, I guess the same principle would apply for a middling bat...again less wood so more emphasis on watching the ball really closely!
OK Dave, I'll remember that one, cheers!

[pup12]

To be fair, if you're playing 2nds-5ths then i would imagine you wont face anyone lightning quick so you should be okay, you generally find that bowlers who are quick & good, dont need to bowl many short pitched deliveries. I play in the premier league and you get the odd bouncer but generally its on a good length attacking the stumps etc etc, you sometimes get the young lads thinking their express bowling 4 bouncers an over, but aslong as you keep your eye on it you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

[alexrickyponting]

when in playing in games, if you can manage to spot any difference in bowlers run up/action for his bouncer, even if he just runs in with more intent or something, then that will help prepare you for it next time he bowls one and could help you get in position quicker but obviously dont premeditate too much

[johan95]

Yeah exactly. I know the odd U17 bowler who can bowl a sharp bouncer, but I don't think I will be encountering many problems with it, more about practising the shot and the technique behind it so I can have it in my repertoire should I need it in a couple of years time, as I have been earmarked for my 1s soon, and almost played a match for them too last year, really couldn't be playing at such different standards every week, it's quite funny actually lol!
Thanks for the thoughts though, you make a valid point. Most of the bowling is pitched-up, but the odd bouncer can be mixed in I suppose, maybe I might encounter it in Sunday League cricket if the gun bowlers aren't too pissed from Saturdays lol
Yeah, another good point Alex, it is more of an effort ball, so there should be a noticeable difference. A really good bowler has no difference, which is a hard art to master.

[Buzz]

Frequently when I read through some of the advice on the forum I get a mini rage on saying no nonononononooooo that's terrible advice don't do/say that!!

However, not on this thread, there are loads of good tips. The use of a tennis ball/tape ball is important. I learned in a similar way to Dave - having tennis balls initially underarmed at my head then cricket balls underarmed at me and finally tennis balls bounced overarm in at me nice and short.

watch out for your grip, if you are too bottom handed you wont be able to play the short ball - just ask Phillip Hughes who is one of the worst players of the short ball i have seen in international cricket. He can't play it because his grip is terrible - shocking to say that about a test player.

This is from Sanjay Majrekar:
I believe that you can have the worst technique in the world, but if you have a sharp, disciplined mind you can still survive at the international level. Technique, though, does become very important, at times where the ball didn't behave as predictably as it does elsewhere nowadays.
The short ball is something Indian batsmen are generally, and naturally, not too good against. I used to envy young Australian batsmen during my playing days. A bouncer was a scoring opportunity for them. The moment somebody bowled short, they pounced on it. It's like when an Indian batsman sees a spinner bowl short. For Indian batsmen against bouncers, their first instinct is not positive. Then we sort of tell ourselves that we are going to be aggressive.
In the nineties India started to look at Australia as the team to be. The kids in that era grew up idolising Australian batsmen. Perhaps that's why a lot of them are playing the pull shot today, to make a statement, even if it doesn't come naturally to them. For the Australians the pull shot is like the drive or the flick is for the Indians.
There is a notion that in limited-overs cricket if you don't pull, you give the bowlers free dot-balls. And you can't keep ducking either. That's what the young Indian batsmen often say. Suresh Raina showed he played the short ball better in Tests, when he wasn't under pressure to score fast. In limited-overs cricket, though, they start pulling , but unconvincingly, thereby making it a high-risk shot.
Sachin Tendulkar doesn't play the pull anymore. Nor does Virender Sehwag. VVS Laxman doesn't play it as often as he used to. They are all still effective batsmen at the international level. You don't always need to always play the pull shot to prove something to someone. Why play a high-risk shot at a time when you don't want to lose wickets?
You don't need to hit a boundary every time the ball is bowled short. I remember when they bowled short to Sunil Gavaskar in limited-overs matches in Australia, he would glide it to third man for a single. And then the bowler had a different batsman to adjust to. How does Tendulkar take care of short balls in Twenty20? He does not play aggressive shots; he just takes singles to fine leg or taps it over where slips would be. More importantly, he shows he is comfortable against the short ball. That is the key.
If someone is bowling short in limited-overs cricket, he is not going to do so right through the innings. It's just a matter of maybe two overs. And it is impossible to keep bowling short in Twenty20. How many pitches will allow you to do that? At any rate, India's main problem is not that they are stuck for long periods without scoring runs. Their problem is that they are losing wickets. It's not like they are three down for 180 in 50 overs.
Fast bowlers keep bowling short at a batsman only when they see he is uncomfortable against it. What happens with a Raina or a Ravindra Jadeja is that they show they are uncomfortable. If Raina, even in Twenty20, ducks under one, and guides the next one for a single to fine leg, and shows he is comfortable, he won't get much more of it. It will only happen if it's clear to them that he is getting into strange positions while trying to pull. Being secure against the short ball is important. Even if you're not scoring off it, if you look reasonably comfortable against it without playing an attacking shot, you will be fine.
Therein lies the need for these young batsmen to discover their own game, what they are suited to do best.