Sir Donald Bradman

[JBMAC]

Over the years I have participated in discussions on this forum,and a few others, I have been repeatedly asked questions about "The Don". So, before the mind and body goes completely I believe it could be time to share my thoughts.
To understand the enigma that is Bradman is somewhat difficult to youngsters today. I will relate the story of when I last saw him play. It was 1954. Six years after he officially retired. The game was the Lindsay Hassett Testimonial Game played at The Exhibition Oval in Brisbane. ( A Testimonial Game was played so retiring players could get some money to retire on). The ground was packed to capacity and the team Bradman was playing for was batting first. At first drop in he came to a standing ovation the likes of which I have never seen before or since.
He was a bit "scratchy" to say the least and only made 18. By the end of the day his team had been dismissed and the other team were 9 for something so the anticipation of the next days crowd was of seeing Bradman bat again. Packed out again on the Sunday. Sure enough out came '' the man" and he proceeded to give a batting master class. "The Don" still had what it takes. He never made a 100 in that innings being dismissed for 81(Think about it) As he left the field the crowd all started singing "Our Don Bradman". Very moving. It wasn't until the next day that one of the journalists reporting pointed out the fact his match aggregate was 99. Coincidence?? I don't know.

Bradman's career at Test level was an injection of "LIFE" into the Aussie pschye. Between him and the mighty race horse, Phar Lap, the average aussie battling through the worst depressions of all time had some heroes to take their minds off the worst of things. He was worshipped like no other sportsman before. We only had the wireless and the weekly Movietone news to " be in the action".Yes, we had newspapers but they didn't create the same excitement. It wasn't until Allan McGilvray started his "live" Test broadcasts and we would either gather around the wireless or as kids we would listen on our crystal sets(Google it) under the blankets when we were supposed to be asleep.

After WW2, he became our symbol of peace. I noted on here a film clip of the 1946 Test at The Gabba. I was there and saw him score his 187 and the aussies win the Test. I am somewhere in that crowd on the hill. By reputation, he was a hard man, a good skipper and would prove to be a very capable administrator. He was held in awe wherever he went in this country and definitely respected in others. He was a man of his time. We needed a hero and one came along. The most common question asked during a Test match was "How many did Bradman make"; not the team just him.

He was capable of playing all shots in the book and inventing some as well. He was the first to take a rising ball on the Off and put it on the square leg boundary. You can talk about your Sachins,Bothams,Richards, Dev etc etc but there will only ever be ONE Sir Donald Bradman.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-xDQ-D7DIc

^^^^^ listen to lyrics...They say it all

 

[JBMAC]

Here is another track showing some great film clips of the mans batting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeG8hqQw1U8

 

[stephen]

Even watching those videos you could tell how cleanly he was striking the ball. Incredible wrists.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Really lucky to have someone like you on the forum JBMAC

 

[GotSpin]

That pull shot from off stump while wearing a couple of rubber bands on his hands is so impressive

 

[GotSpin]

Every ABC postal address ends in 9994

 

[Furball]

The more I think about it the more I reckon Bradman's superiority was mental, not technical.

Nobody else has scored the volume of runs he has, I think it's telling that while his run and century tally has been obliterated by batsmen who have played loads more Tests, he's still well clear in the number of double hundreds he's scored.

 

[Red]

I've watched as much video footage of Bradman as I can, and one thing I have noticed is the swing speed he has between being completely still as the bowler bowls the ball and executing his shot. It looks soooo quick. His timing looks absolutely impeccable.

I know the golf stump/water tank story has been done to death, but there is something in the way he plays the ball that is quite unique, IMO, it is a very clean, short, sharp and precise movement, and that speed probably comes from all that muscle movement training as a kid.

 

[honestbharani]

Lots of great batsmen seem to have very unusual and yet precise training methods. I remember the story of Lara keeping bottles all around to indicate fielders and trying to get the ball between them as a kid. Its so interesting to think about.

 

[TheJediBrah]

The more I think about it the more I reckon Bradman's superiority was mental, not technical.

Yeah I think most would agree

 

[the big bambino]

I forget whom, but one writer said the thing he noticed is Bradman's strokes were all swung not pressed. That tends to confirm the observation he saw the ball "early". When you are surprised by a delivery you tend to parry at it and swing at the ones you see well. Makes sense. And Bradman swung at deliveries others would block or evade.

 

[Daemon]

I've watched as much video footage of Bradman as I can, and one thing I have noticed is the swing speed he has between being completely still as the bowler bowls the ball and executing his shot. It looks soooo quick. His timing looks absolutely impeccable.

I know the golf stump/water tank story has been done to death, but there is something in the way he plays the ball that is quite unique, IMO, it is a very clean, short, sharp and precise movement, and that speed probably comes from all that muscle movement training as a kid.

Have you tried viewing them at 18fps? Agree with how precise his movements seem to be. Looks like he picked up the ball so early.

The 2nd video JBMAC has posted has so much great footage btw.

 

[the big bambino]

I've heard one bloke mention Bradman adjusted his grip on the bat according to the length of the ball. I'd never heard that before or since and the bloke who said it couldn't remember where he read about it. I'm skeptical, but if he did it would be quite a trick and could explain how Gilbert managed to knock the bat out of his hands in that famous over in Brisbane by catching him before completing his adjustment.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Over the years I have participated in discussions on this forum,and a few others, I have been repeatedly asked questions about "The Don". So, before the mind and body goes completely I believe it could be time to share my thoughts.
To understand the enigma that is Bradman is somewhat difficult to youngsters today. I will relate the story of when I last saw him play. It was 1954. Six years after he officially retired. The game was the Lindsay Hassett Testimonial Game played at The Exhibition Oval in Brisbane. ( A Testimonial Game was played so retiring players could get some money to retire on). The ground was packed to capacity and the team Bradman was playing for was batting first. At first drop in he came to a standing ovation the likes of which I have never seen before or since.
He was a bit "scratchy" to say the least and only made 18. By the end of the day his team had been dismissed and the other team were 9 for something so the anticipation of the next days crowd was of seeing Bradman bat again. Packed out again on the Sunday. Sure enough out came '' the man" and he proceeded to give a batting master class. "The Don" still had what it takes. He never made a 100 in that innings being dismissed for 81(Think about it) As he left the field the crowd all started singing "Our Don Bradman". Very moving. It wasn't until the next day that one of the journalists reporting pointed out the fact his match aggregate was 99. Coincidence?? I don't know.

Bradman's career at Test level was an injection of "LIFE" into the Aussie pschye. Between him and the mighty race horse, Phar Lap, the average aussie battling through the worst depressions of all time had some heroes to take their minds off the worst of things. He was worshipped like no other sportsman before. We only had the wireless and the weekly Movietone news to " be in the action".Yes, we had newspapers but they didn't create the same excitement. It wasn't until Allan McGilvray started his "live" Test broadcasts and we would either gather around the wireless or as kids we would listen on our crystal sets(Google it) under the blankets when we were supposed to be asleep.

After WW2, he became our symbol of peace. I noted on here a film clip of the 1946 Test at The Gabba. I was there and saw him score his 187 and the aussies win the Test. I am somewhere in that crowd on the hill. By reputation, he was a hard man, a good skipper and would prove to be a very capable administrator. He was held in awe wherever he went in this country and definitely respected in others. He was a man of his time. We needed a hero and one came along. The most common question asked during a Test match was "How many did Bradman make"; not the team just him.

He was capable of playing all shots in the book and inventing some as well. He was the first to take a rising ball on the Off and put it on the square leg boundary. You can talk about your Sachins,Bothams,Richards, Dev etc etc but there will only ever be ONE Sir Donald Bradman.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-xDQ-D7DIc

^^^^^ listen to lyrics...They say it all

Thanks for sharing - IMO the greatest sportsperson of all time, although such comparisons are pointless.

PS Phar Lap was from TImaru. One of the many greats to come out of Timaru along with Bob Fitzsimmons, Richard Pearse and Jack Lovelock.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Thanks for sharing the video bro

 

[OverratedSanity]

Some great videos in here. Especially love the twinkle toes footwork against the spinners.

 

[Midwinter]

Thanks JBMac

It is much appreciated that you have taken the time to do this.

Please add anything else you put on the record, including those of other players.

 

[stephen]

It's a real shame that Bradman happened when the technology was not at the level to truly capture his greatness. Most of the other greats (from the WSC era and on) have copious amounts of quality video footage of their play. Gilchrist even has a first person video facing Shaun Tait!

I'd have loved comprehensive video archives of the greatest superman to ever have existed (auto correct on my phone changed "sportsman" to "superman" and I figured it was right).

 

[weldone]

Here is another track showing some great film clips of the mans batting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeG8hqQw1U8

This is just great. Thanks for sharing.

 

[watson]

Bradman had the necessary mental strength to be great batsman, but it seems that biomechanics had more to do with his ability to hit the ball more succesfully than anyone else. Plus the fact that he took his eyes OFF the ball for a split second so that he could focus more on the bounce of the ball. A couple of professors explain...

The Return of the Don

Tony Shillinglaw has spent a large part of his life researching just how Bradman scored so many more runs, and at a dramatically higher average, than any other batsman in the history of the game. It’s still not too late to make full use of his*legacy… here’s the fascinating tale of Don Bradman’s technique.

In researching Bradman over the years, Tony Shillinglaw became increasingly bemused as to why the Don’s batting methods went almost undiscussed. Everybody accepted that the Don’s success was down to a combination of mental and physical factors but tended to leave it there, believing him to be a one-off, a freak, whose genius we would never see the like of again.

Shillinglaw says: “All great batsmen must have enjoyed varying combinations of mental and physical strengths. It is difficult to see how they could have attained their status without. But I could not accept that Bradman could be so advanced in this area that this alone could explain his huge statistical superiority.”

When Shillinglaw found that the 5ft 8in, relatively slight Bradman’s eyesight was below average and that he was prone to illness, he knew he needed to focus on the method Bradman used to score his runs and to see what secrets that held.

“Bradman was no superman. He had none of the attributes we often associate with elite athletes,” he said. “Where he was so different from everyone else was in his style and approach. Technically, from the moment he adopted his closed-face grip and stance, and commenced lifting the bat, it was self-evident the batting mechanism would differ from the orthodox. After years of research, I have concluded that his method, which evolved from his boyhood game using a golf ball and stump, should be accepted and made available for the benefit of future generations of batsmen.”.....



Shilllinglaw gathered research from extensive experimentation and practice, during which two crucial and combined aspects of Bradman’s play began to emerge:

1. The development of an exceptional eye for a fast-moving ball. A study carried out by neuroscientists at the Universities of Oxford and Sussex found that the best batsmen would follow the ball as it left the bowler’s hand, then quickly shift their gaze to the predicted bounce point. Co-researcher professor Michael Land said: “I think batsmen will be horrified to hear they take their eyes off the ball. It certainly surprised us.” The batsman would fixate again on the ball as it bounced and follow its curve for a short time afterwards. The best of them had the shortest delay between the ball’s release and moving his eyes to where he calculated it would bounce, so enabling him to prepare for his shot. This fits perfectly with Bradman’s countless hours of purposeful practice when playing his stump and golf ball game.

2. The realisation that in order to promote and co-ordinate the faculties required to play and enjoy those boyhood games, Bradman discovered the rotation of the shoulders can induce the quick, synchronised and flexible means of doing so. Experimentation suggests it is not possible to gain the control necessary to perform such games when employing the more restrictive ‘orthodox’ sideways shoulder movement.

Return Of The Don | All Out Cricket | Tony Shillinglaw