Category: batting

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batting coaching

What do elite batters do? Why not ask their coaches!

Fascinating article from Connor, Renshaw & Farrow on batting expertise from the perspective of elite coaches.

Rather than an analysis of the technical and physical actions, the paper looks at the mental process of batting, following the scheme I first encountered from Greg Chappell, of shifting focus from the broad before facing each delivery, to fierce as the bowler approaches, before relaxing again between deliveries.

In this paper, Connor, Renshaw & Farrow highlight the crucial contribution of what is described as “The Plus”, what goes on between deliveries, where the elite batter is able to reflect on what has just happened, recalibrate and revise expectations and intentions and then relax, before switching back to the intense focus needed to face the next ball.

So it’s not enough to be technically highly competent, tactically aware, physically fit, and to maintain that rolling focus for the duration of a long innings. Even in the “down time” between deliveries, the elite batter will be calculating the next challenge, the next advantage.

No wonder I sometimes struggle to hit the ball off the square…

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batting coaching coaching children cricket

Biomechanics — not for “kids’ coaches”…or is it?

Just been re-watching a couple of really interesting webinars from last week — biomechanics of bowling and batting, with Paul Felton and Stuart McErlain-Naylor.

Well presented, and clearly very relevant to anyone coaching in a development or performance environment.

So what was I doing on the call? I coach the U9s…

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batting coaching cricket Games based learning Games sense TGfU

360° Cricket…this time with words

I posted a Teesra Talks podcast on this topic a a couple of weeks ago, but I don’t think it had many listens, and the format doesn’t really invite any responses. If you have listened, there is not much new in this blog post. But for everyone else — some thoughts on making a game more relevant.

I have been experimenting with the 360 Challenge from Chance to Shine (see below), but with a couple of modifications intended to make the game more competitive and to try also to teach something about actually playing the game of cricket.

I do love playing games, but I worry that sometimes the skills developed don’t always transfer obviously to “the real thing”. And I want to enthuse youngsters (and anyone) to actually want to play cricket, in any of its formats.

Hence my attempts to tweak cricket-based games and gamified drills to make them more like cricket (or, at least, to teach skills, tactics, or general awareness, that might transfer to the game of cricket), and less like games for the sake of games.

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