PitchVision Academy

Cricket Show S4 Episode 20: Bamboozled by Spin

PitchVision — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:04:42 +0100

PitchVision goes to the bowling alley this week, and we also chat about Irfan Pathan's actual bowling (not the ten pin variety).

And the mailbag is stuffed, as usually with your questions. This time it's all about a new leg spin variation and a crunch decision about when to decide to cricket as your career. We get a deep insight into Burner's journey along the way.

How to Send in Your Questions

If you want to win a cricket coaching prize, you need to send in your burning questions to the show. If your question is the best one we give you a free online cricket coaching course!

Send in your questions via:

Or you can call and leave your question on the Academy voice mail:

UK +44 (0) 208 816 7691

AUST: +61 (02) 8005 7925

USA: +1 347 722 1981

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This is show number 213.

Stop the Insanity: Coach the 3 Patterns of Improved Running Between the Wickets

PitchVision — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:31:08 +0100

Can you imagine this at Manchester United's training ground:

Sir Alex Ferguson: "Robin! What are you doing?"

Robin van Persie: "Practicing my free-kicks Boss"

Sir Alex Ferguson: "Are you mad? You know that we don’t allow that! You're only allowed to take free kicks in matches. But make sure you don’t miss."

Of course no football coach (let alone the greatest ever) would stop a player from practicing something so important.

Yet this is precisely what cricket coaches all round the world do on a daily basis with running between the wickets.

Running requires several skills to be developed, all of which are significant in their own right and need to be developed in order to maximise individual and team performance:

judgement of ball pace, direction and angle
spatial awareness
fielder's mobility, pace, throwing accuracy and throwing power
verbal and non-verbal communication
line and speed of running
stopping, turning and restarting technique

To develop these skills, I have encouraged the development of 3 patterns every time that they execute a shot in nets.

We do this even if working 1 to 1 with only the bowling machine or my sidearm delivering the ball.

1. Motor Pattern

Hit and look to run always.

A couple of colleagues of mine are experts in body and mind connections in sport. They have a saying that we need to "move to think". Not only that, they can prove it too.

So, I have taken this on board and we now ask each batter to move after contact to aid their Judgement which informs their decision making.

This comes in the form of a step through after each shot (even defending) and goes all the way through to net sessions where full singles, 2s and 3s are run just as they would in the game.

2. Cognitive Pattern

Now, the players are combining their understanding of where fielders are with the development of their motor patterns post-strike with stunning results.

Decisions are made quicker, the incidence of the players making poor decisions is lessening and the connection between movement and decision making is highly evident in the number of times that "stolen single" is being hit on our match analysis system.

3. Verbal Pattern

Players are encouraged to call with the same tone and volume in nets as they do in matches.

Every ball.

They may feel silly the first time they do it yet as the culture develops, they start of feel the odd one out if they are not calling loudly.

Consequence training

In net sessions with 1 player (1 to 1) we have 60 ball practices.

Every time a batter fails to move post-strike or call effectively the balls remaining total number drops by 10. The session ends at 0 balls irrespective of time left in the session.

In scenarios or nets with 2 batters any failure to move and call means the loss of the strikers wicket.

This increases the chances of the scenario being lost. Scenarios always start with only 3 wickets remaining so the loss of a silly run out through lack of engagement is often fatal.

These consequence sessions train the brain and boy to work optimally on a part of the game that we all do, every time we bat.

What Fountains of Wayne Can Teach You About Fast Bowling

PitchVision — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:24:13 +0100

Being a rock n roll hero is a long way from ripping through batting orders, but the American band Fountains of Wayne seem to have found a link between the two.

Specifically the track All Kinds of Time, from their third album, gives an insight into the mind of a sportsman at the peak of his performance.

You should give it a listen

When you do, you understand what it's like to be perfectly in the moment and flowing with ease as if you are in complete control of the game:

"He seems so at ease/A strange inner peace/Is all that he's feeling somehow"

That sounds a heck of a lot like the right state of mind for bowling well.

Even under the extreme sporting pressure of time running out and opponents attacking, he knows exactly what he needs to do.

And that gives him all the time he needs. Some call it flow.

So what's the Fountain's of Wayne secret to this amazing state of mind?

They boil it down to one single line:

"Just as he planned"

In coaching terms, when everything comes together we know it's the result of hard work. Talent is the sum of all the practice and planning that you do.

The stuff that never appears in the song, the stuff that leads up to that moment of sporting bliss.

Because it turns out that to have all kinds of time, you have to spend all kinds of time just on planning.

But if you do that, suddenly the external world falls away, you feel in total control and free.

You bowl your awesome game and the best part is that it feels easy. Like it's always supposed to feel.

So, next time you feel form escaping you, turn to the lessons of Fountains of Wayne, and make your bowling that much better by finding time to have all kinds of time.

Why Cricket is More than Batting, Bowling and Fielding

PitchVision — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:58:58 +0100

This is a guest article from Liz Ward.

Peter May once said, "the best preparation to batting, bowling and fielding was batting, bowling and fielding."

I am not going to disagree with him.

However, lifestyle today is alien to the rigours of the current game. Sitting at the computer, in cars, in front of the TV and communicating through technological wonders leave the body unprepared for cricket.

Performance is like a tunnel, the likes of Steffan Jones stand at one end.

You will find me and my therapist colleagues at the other.

We are the "go to" guys who will pick you up, dust you off and if you are lucky, send you back on the field of play.

Of course, it is possible to stick dogmatically to the views of Peter May, close your mind and walk past Steffan and his colleagues. But your time in the tunnel will be shortened as you come out to meet me and my colleagues at the other end.

I take no pleasure in seeing the physical and often psychological pain caused by rehabilitation, or telling young, unfulfilled potential that their playing days are over.

Reaching your potential has a great deal to do with training very hard. But it's not the full answer. If so, every dedicated player would be on top form.

In fact I see far more broken players than those who reach the highest level in their game.

That's why how you train is as important as how hard you train.

Smarter training for cricket

So, remember the cardinal rule to improving performance; be specific.

Performance gains are only achieved when your training closely mimics the actions necessary in your sport; when the body postures and neuromuscular patterns are specific.

Fortunately, Steffan has produced a really top Strength and Conditioning Online Course for you here at PitchVision Academy, eliminating the mystery.

His exercises are specific to the actions and forces encountered during pace bowling.

However if you do find you have picked up an injury you should not suffer in silence. The longer you hang on to any injury or niggle the harder and longer recovery will be.

"Overuse" injuries are not caused by doing something too much; they are caused by doing something incorrectly and without the necessary strength.

Sports injuries often fail traditional management with recreational players. Rest alone will not work.

In this instance the first port of call should be a therapist rather than popping anti-inflammatories. Masking an injury or niggle will not work either.

More often than not, these injuries involve muscle imbalances, tension, adhesions, myofascial trigger points and a whole gambit of issues that occur from incorrect training. You need to get specific issues identified and treated at the same time as eliminating the cause. Then you can undergo a specific strength and conditioning programme.

Why not go straight to the programme and pass all the pain and heartache?

Liz Ward is Director of Sport Injury Management working with elite, professional sportspeople and prospective Olympians/Paralympians as a biomechanist, soft tissue therapist and strength and conditioning practitioner.

Retaining Young Cricketers: When to Play Senior Cricket

PitchVision — Sat, 18 May 2013 09:23:17 +0100

This is a guest article from Darren Talbot of Darren Talbot Cricket Coaching and Head of Coach Mentoring at Surrey County Cricket Club.

It's never been more difficult to retain youngsters in cricket. The numbers leaving the game from ages 14-18 are increasing every year and club senior numbers are dwindling as a consequence.

Growing pressure on young people to pass exams is a factor, but clubs are often missing tricks to make that transition more attractive and keep some of these young players in the game.

So in this series of articles, I want to look at what we can do to help youngsters stay in the game.

And for me, that starts with deciding when is the best time to make the jump into senior cricket.

13 is the age when young cricketers are typically allowed to play in senior matches and it’s far from unusual to see players playing alongside their sons on a Sunday afternoon, or indeed on a Saturday when availability is tough!

But the big question to ask is; are they ready?

Too often young players pushed to play senior cricket too early due to over keen parents and coaches or - more likely - a need to get out 11 players on the park.

This is a very dangerous policy.

Just one game too early could end the chances of these young players playing in senior cricket for good. It's important the player is ready:

physically
emotionally
technically

When is a player ready?

Take a look at his or her fielding. They are mostly likely going to be doing a lot of running around in the field. They need to be confident of fielding the ball.

If the ball was hit high into the air straight down the throat of this young cricketer, would you be 100% sure they will stand their ground and make a good attempt at the catch?

If the ball was drilled as hard as possible straight at this young player, along the ground, how sure are you that they'll get down confidently behind the ball and try to make the stop.

If you're less than 100% sure, then you shouldn't play them in senior cricket.

It's not worth the risk for safety or development.

Before we've even looked at them holding a bat or bowling a ball, you are already well on the road to making the correct decision about playing. It's often better to play with 10 then to ruin a future prospect by putting them off the game.

For more advice on improving your club player retention, download a copy of Darren Talbot's eBook, Better Senior Net Session.

Cricket Show S4 Episode 19: Your Fast Bowling Questions

PitchVision — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:00:37 +0100

The team get together again to talk playing and coaching cricket. This week we look at IPL 2013 stats, and how the shape of an innings has changed.

And we answer your questions on fast bowling, from exercises for speed men through to whether a coach should adjust running style to prevent injury.

How to Send in Your Questions

If you want to win a cricket coaching prize, you need to send in your burning questions to the show. If your question is the best one we give you a free online cricket coaching course!

Send in your questions via:

Or you can call and leave your question on the Academy voice mail:

UK +44 (0) 208 816 7691

AUST: +61 (02) 8005 7925

USA: +1 347 722 1981

How to Listen to the Show

Just click the "play" button at the top of the article.

Or, the show comes out every Friday and you can listen to it on your computer, mp3 player, smart phone, iPad or other tablet every week automatically.

Download in iTunes

Click here to subscribe to the weekly show in iTunes

RSS Feed

If you don't use iTunes, you can get the show from the RSS feed. Click here

You can also download this show onto your computer by clicking the play button at the top of the article, or clicking on the mp3 to download.

This is show number 212.

How to Coach Single Awareness in 4 Simple Steps

PitchVision — Thu, 16 May 2013 07:00:54 +0100

Often we concentrate on the boundaries and pay scant regard to singles and developing the art of running between the wickets.

One of the reasons for this is the reliance on standardised nets to develop batting technique rather than incorporating innovative practice and facilitating brilliant cricket discussions to build run scoring awareness.

Here are a few easy ways to spice things up and develop cricketers who can be "run makers" without being boundary dependant.

1. Use your balcony wisely

You know I love a balcony or viewing area that works well.

Make note of each fielders throwing hand, who are the slow ones, who has a good arm, which fielders hang deeper and take that awareness into the middle when you walk into bat.

Great off-field watchers often find themselves on double-figures before the fielders can bat an eyelid.

Sounds simple, yet do you actually talk about this stuff in your viewing area?

2. Automated single areas

As the incoming batter, I used to love it when the established batter said "if I hit it to mid-on on the front foot we are going. If we drop it into cover we will go and if it goes to points left hand there's always one".

Such clarity is music to any incoming batter's ears. It takes the grey out of decision making and automates our decisions as batters.

3. Take the bowler out

Not literally!

But you will be amazed how many spin bowlers are put off by the thought of diving through a non striking gladiator who is backing up.

Stephen Fleming used to encourage his New Zealand players to make themselves as big and awkward when the ball was struck towards them and "create a single" by blocking the bowler.

This works perfectly when mid on is back on the fence or hugging the edge of the circle.

Train your batters to hit the ball to the non strikers side of the stumps by placing a cone down to simulate the batter's backing up position.

Precise placement of the ball will soon come in practice and and in matches you will see your team's single-count go through the roof.

4. G'dunkers

Ex-England All Rounder, Richard Ellison uses the term "G'dunk" whenever someone mistimes a boundary option and the ball dribbles only a few yards. He has a good giggle to himself about this!

We now use the "G'dunker" as an opportunity to pick up a "stolen single".

The lack of pace off of the bat coupled with the fielder stopping in his tracks when he sees big a backswing creates more than enough time to complete an easy single.

A combination of these 4 options can create up to 20 runs per game.

Can you afford not to invest time in developing your teams "stolen single" awareness?

Quick Tip: What Should a Fast Bowler Think About?

PitchVision — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:06:26 +0100

Mouseman asks,

"what should a fast bowler be thinking about before, during and after bowling the ball?"

There is a lot to think about, and no one answer to that question. However, there is a simple process you can follow to keep your mind clear of useless clutter than distracts you from bowling well.

It was told to me a while back by ace coach Stuart Barnes:

Clear your mind. Once the ball is dead, relax and think about anything but what just happened.
Review. As you get to the stumps on your walk back to your mark, think about what happened and if it went to plan or not.
Decide. About halfway back to your mark, based on your review, decide what ball you will try to bowl next.

Then when you run in, all you think about is the ball you are going to bowl based on your calm, rational decision made during your walk back.

After you deliver the ball, make sure you get your fielding right, whether it's catches or just getting back to the stumps for a run out. Only one the ball is dead should you go back to the process above.

You might identify other thoughts creeping in that are more emotional. Try to keep these out by refocusing on the three steps above. It's not always easy, it takes work but if you can you will have a much more rational approach to bowling.

How to Run a Cricket Club: Dealing with Changes

PitchVision — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:28:29 +0100

This is part of the How to Run a Cricket Club series on PitchVision Academy

Cricket is "English as tuppence, changing yet changeless as canal water". So as a club - in England, India or anywhere else - you know that change is going to happen.

The way you handle those changes are crucial to the success of your club.

Of course, change can come about because you make it happen (such as building new facilities) or because it is forced on you (such as the treasurer moving away).

Here is a simple process for predicting, managing and dealing with both kinds of change:

Step 1: Get Organised

Like taking a journey, it's a lot easier to get to where you are going if you know where you are beginning.

In the UK, the Clubmark process is great for clubs to find out exactly how well organised they are. Even if you can't go through Clubmark, you can gather together the paperwork, make sure it is relevant and find any gaps in your current structure. This includes:

Finances
Policies
Records
Constitution

We have covered the basics of what you need in place to run an efficient club in this series, so feel free to go back over it and line your club up with the best practices.

Step 2: Think Ahead

The next stage in the "change journey" is to decide where you want to end up. Some people call it a vision or mission statement. I just like to think of it as a guide.

Your aim might be large or very small, active or reactive, but the key element is to write down exactly what things will look like when you have completed everything.

This provides clarity for everyone involved, and reduces the chances of conflicts later on when people realise they were working at cross-purposes.

It's at this point you also need to think about the resources you have available to complete the changes. This will be highly specific to the size of the change, but it's always useful to know exactly what your limitations are going to be. No one has unlimited time and budget so decide as quickly as possible how much you have for your changes.

Step 4: Plan Ahead

Now it's time to get realistic. Given the resources you have, can you achieve your goal?

The way to work this out is through planning, but it doesn't need to be complex. In 90% of changes you can plan your action simply.

Start by brainstorming all the possible things you need to consider. Then organise these elements into tasks that you can complete as soon as possible.

You will end up with a very simple list that will probably be a phone call, email or a face to face conversation. Those simple, easy jobs make even the biggest change suddenly manageable.

Step 5: React and Respond

Of course, up until now this entire process has made everything seem smooth and simple. The truth is rarely that easy.

If you are reacting to sudden change even your best plans can fall apart quickly. That means you need to be ready to review, and adjust quickly to new information.

Often this tacking takes just 5 minutes of thought, but also its often missed out, meaning you are still driving towards a goal that is out of date.

So, take the time to review often and you can nip disasters in the bud before they get out of control.

Change is one of the hardest parts of running a club as there is no simple way to deal with all changes all the time, but if you keep this process in mind at all times you

The Reason your iPhone is Killing your Cricket

PitchVision — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:35:13 +0100

That harmless little iPhone in your pocket seems like a fun communication tool. In fact it's stopping you from achieving your cricket dreams.

How can that even be possible?

We live in an age of unprecedented access to data. With a tiny computer in your pocket that is connected to the internet you have huge information.

And information is power.

But that is also the problem.

Because while the right information used in the right way will help you improve, there is also a lot of "wrong" information.

That is information weakness.

And I'm not even talking about myths, lies and rumours. I'm talking about these three things:

Distraction

The iPhone is an amazing way to pass the time: Facebook, twitter and Google+ can throw you jokes, videos, articles and updates to your hearts content.

But it's a massive distraction from being in the moment.

Think about the last game where your team was batting. How many guys were heads buried in their phones? How much conversation was going on?

I'm willing to bet there are games happening where guys are even checking their phone at fine leg.

Instead of engaging in the match, we drift into a cyberworld. Perhaps it's silly cat pictures, maybe its reading the Times of India. High or low brow the important thing is that you are not present and mindful.

With every tap, you are training your brain to detach from the moment.

And we all know how important it is to stay in the moment as a batter, bowler or fielder.

How can we expect to keep a clear mind if we seek out distractions in the screen of a phone?

Reflection

An extension of this, is that the iPhone stops us reflecting after games and training.

Instead of thinking things through, as the professionals recommend, and adapting practice to what happened, we just sink back to YouTube.

We need space and time to analyse our performances. Without doing this our cricket is like a plane without an autopilot. There is nothing making the tiny adjustments needed to stay on course. You could end up anywhere.

So spending less time on your tech gives you more time to focus and reflect effectively.

Posture

There is also a physical reason to cut back on your phone use. It's hurting your neck and ruining your posture, which will cause injury.

No one can say it better than the insane but brilliant Kelly Starrett:

If that video doesn't motivate you to sit properly, use your phone less and make the most of your ability, there's nothing more I can do for you!

So, don't be an information weakling. Get your iPhone use under control and get back in the game.