The Teesra

Month: December 2015

  • “To see ourselves as others see us” or “what do you look like?” Some thoughts on coaching demonstrations.

    I took some video footage last week – any thoughts on what this “young” bowler might want to work on?

    This wasn’t meant to be an exercise in self-analysis, however – rather, I wanted to try out a camera and techniques for filming a bowler in action, and then to generate some footage to practice video analysis.

    But perhaps the most interesting thing to come out of the exercise was the insight into what a player would see when I demonstrate a skill. I can’t say that I would want anyone to try to copy (all of) my bowling action, after seeing it in this clip!

    (more…)

  • What do you want to change?

    Interesting conversation with a couple of parents after our last coaching session before Christmas with one of their sons.

    “My son annoys me so much – his grip is so low on the bat handle, and he won’t change it.”

    [An acute, and accurate technical observation.]

    – can he hit the ball?

    “Yes”

    – consistently, and with reasonable power?

    “Yes”

    – what do you want to change, then?

  • Coaching the old-fashioned way…not so old-fashioned, after all!

    Coaching, Nursery Pavilion, Lord's

    I recently picked up a copy of The Oxford Pocket Book of Cricket Coaching, by D.C.H. Townsend (Oxford University & England), first published in 1953, with a second impression in 1955.

    Not surprisingly, the book, written after the first M.C.C. Coaching Conference, in December 1951, describes a fairly formal and traditional description of the key techniques of the game.

    Interesting as an historical document, but with a few ideas that would not look so out-of-place in the curriculum of the most maverick coaching programmes today.

    (more…)