BATTING
“The Sequences of Balance”
EFFECTIVE LEARNING MUST BE
SEQUENTIAL …
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Effective coaching must be able to identify
consequences and focus on causes
Effective coaches must be able to understand the
holistic sequential process of a skill
(e.g. why does the 7th domino in a line fall over?)
The SEQUENCES of the BAT SWING
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Set up
Step
Stop
Stabilise
Swing
Sir Donald Bradman …. Sequence ….
THE AIM OF BATSMEN …
To ‘access’ the ball and then hit it with the full
face of the bat.
Batsmen who consistently hit the ball with timing,
power and control, are those who are able to
control the transition from their NATURAL
BALANCE, to DYNAMIC BALANCE.
BALANCED batters have a very STABLE BASE
enabling them to respond to the ball and swing
their bat down the line. A strong base provides
greater CONTROL and generates more POWER
Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara
Brian Lara, Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Garfield Sobers
Stephen Waugh & Adam Gilchrist
WHAT are the COMPONENTS of
BATTING ?
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Closed skills
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Grip
Stance
Set-up
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Open skills
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Perception
Decision making
Movement execution
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Initial movement
Accessing ball
Bat swing
Ball striking/Timing
Follow through
IN RELATION to TECHNIQUE … WHAT
EFFECTS A BATSMANS’ DYNAMIC BALANCE ?
A.
B.
C.
Grip
Set up/Stance
Initial Movement
As coaches you must be able to look at batters
and notice things about them that will become
your coaching cues.
It is suggested you follow this sequence:
A. GRIP
The ‘GRIP’ initiates 85-90% of the sequences of a batters
movements …. WHY ?
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It must feel “natural”, and look comfortable
It must allow the batter to “cock” (break) his wrists so when
the bat is picked up it will lever towards the back shoulder
towards 1st/2nd slip with the hands in close to the body.
In this position, the face of the bat will be directed square
of the wicket, using the thumb and index finger as a cradle
Brian Lara
Yousuf Yohana
SRI LANKAN ‘BOY’, 9 years old
Martin Love & Ashley Noffke
Stephen Fleming (NZ)
A. GRIP
HOW TO FIND A NATURALLY EFFECTIVE BATTING GRIP?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Swing the bat with the TOP HAND ONLY through a range of
strokes until it feels strong and in total control of the bat
Feel the range of strokes this TOP HAND grip allows
Expand the range by small changes in your TOP HAND position and
make a final decision when you feel comfortable, strong and in
control of your bat
Using the TOP HAND only, lever the bat up until the toe points
towards the back shoulder [ between 1st/2nd slip] and the top hand
is close to the body resting on the front thigh
From this raised position, place the BOTTOM HAND on the handle
so when the bat swings down naturally toward the ball, it
compliments the TOP HAND and provides POWER and CONTROL
A. GRIP
The most important point to understand is there is
NO perfect grip. All batsmen are different.
“I refuse to be dogmatic about a batsmans’ grip
because I believe a variety can be satisfactory.
So much depends on the batsmans’ methods”.
Sir Donald Bradman
Sir Donald Bradman (grip)
Stuart Law
A. GRIP
….
the facts !
Most of the successful batsmen in world cricket have picked
up their bat this way, employing their “own” grip, with their
hands working together
This ‘CRADLE’ position allows batsmen to maintain their
DYNAMIC BALANCE when they swing the bat down the line
of the ball without losing CONTROL or sacrificing POWER
If batsmen maintain a constant firm grip on the bat with
their bottom hand as they try to access balls of varying
length, their DYNAMIC BALANCE will be effected
Sachin Tendulkar
Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar
Greg Chappell, Viv Richards and VVS Laxman
A. GRIP….every player is different…!
COMMON GRIP VARIATIONS:
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Hands apart [acceptable]
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Top hand facing mid off [bottom hand must compliment]
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Top hand behind the handle [very restrictive re. shot range]
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“V” of bottom hand pointing to inside edge of bat [inside out batswing]
As coaches you must understand where the ball will go if a batter swings
the bat down a direct plane with any of these variations …
… therefore, you must also understand what adjustments a batter must
make if the hands do not compliment one another.
A. GRIP
….
the facts !
Biomechanics has taught us that for every action,
there is an equal and opposite reaction
IMPORTANT COACHING TIP
In cricket, every player is different, as a study of past players
supports, it is the end result that counts, consistent runs !
Because every player is different, they will ‘use’ their hands in
their own way, which is why many batters may find it uncomfortable
and threatening when a grip change or adjustment is suggested,
particularly changing their BOTTOM HAND .
If you talk about the increased stroke range and control a TOP
HAND adjustment provides and follow the steps outlined, you could
have a desirable coaching outcome, as will the player.
Barry Richards, Ian Chappell and Javed Miandad
Ty Cobb
… ‘control’
Over 4000 ‘safe hits’
B. SET UP
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Batters should be aligned so they can “swing the bat
naturally” down a line towards the ball with a vertical or
horizontal bat.
The hands and arms should be kept close to the body
This is a personal position for batters.They must be
sufficiently relaxed and balanced to be able to lift their bat
and move forward or back quickly.
HOW IS THIS ACHIEVED ?
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Slightly open front shoulder….this is ‘natural’ for LH Batters
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Eyes level
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Relaxed posture….bat cannot be tucked in behind foot
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Natural width between feet, with even weight distribution
Kim Hughes, Don Bradman and Geoff Boycott
B. SET UP
SET UP’s TO AVOID
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Closed front shoulder
Chin tucked into shoulder
Straight arms
“Offset” / angled eyes
Feet wide apart
Feet close together
As coaches you must understand and be able to demonstrate
the ‘feel’, consequences and inhibitions of these set up
variations, in relation to movement
Graham Gooch, Gary Sobers and David Boon
C. INITIAL MOVEMENT
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This is the CONTROLLED movement of a batsman into his “set” position
prior to delivery .In most cases it coincides with the picking up of the bat.
This is another example of the principle of “Action/Reaction”
As players become more experienced, they may move their body slightly
before the ball is bowled to prepare themselves to respond to the delivery
eg. “forward” or “back and across”. This is not unlike the golfer who
initiates his takeaway with a “waggle” or a “forward press”.
When players commence their pickup (action) with their hands in close it is
a natural “reaction” for them to take a step forward/back to re-establish
their dynamic balance (centre of gravity) in relation to the weight of their
bat
The danger in performing an initial movement is when it becomes premeditated.Batsmen may move too far forward, back, or across. The
consequence is they place themselves into a fixed and unbalanced position
which seriously compromises their ability to access the ball and hit it with
a full face of the bat.
Sir Garfield Sobers
Ian Chappell
1.
4.
2.
5.
3.
6.
Greg Chappell and Gordon Greenidge
Gordon Greenidge
CONCLUSION
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Coaches must understand all players are different …
… PHYSICALLY, TECHNICALLY and TEMPERAMENTALLY.
As a coach you must understand this and all the consequences and
implications when you detect variations in their method and results
What hasn’t been touched on is the impact of how the batsman
manages his ‘ head’, because t least 90% of a players success is
determined ‘above the shoulders’
Playing cricket at a high level demands the most refined technical
competence. More importantly a player must understand his own
game and what happens if he executes skills poorly. He must
understand how cricket matches are played and how they fluctuate,
he must acknowledge he will have success as well as failure, and he
must be prepared as a batsman to accept the challenge of being
alone in a highly competitive environment where his decisions are
final and accountable
Sir Garfield Sobers (6 sixes in one over)