Please help, my batting has gone to pot

[Howzatone]

Hi there,

Last season, when I was only 14, playing for my club's senior 2nd XI, I averaged around 15, and in the last game of the season I scored 35.

However, this season it's been a completely different story. I average around 1 over 6 innings, with a top score of 4, which came with one swipe off the spinner.

This year, I seem to be playing across the line of anything on leg, and getting bowled most of the time, while last year when I was less powerful I was much more of a touch player than I am this year.

This year, I have also been trying moving across the crease and playing fine flicks and paddle sweeps, probably due to watching too much cricket on TV!

Last year, I batted around 7 or 8, while this year I have gone to 11 due to crap performances. I want to be able to salvage my season by getting some good scores for the 2nd XI, and I was wondering if any of you have any tips?

Cheers, and sorry for the long post! :P

Jake

 

[kevinpietersen]

Ask to go down into the 3rds for a game to get back into the mood of batting with slightly slower and less acurate bowlers. Then play a couple games for them and try to get into shape for the 2nds. Don't go playing stupids shots just play the basics. Drives, cuts and all those basic shots. Hope it helps.

 

[Jakester1288]

So it's a form thing?

You just have to bat and bat, or maybe you might respond to something like having a break for a bit, or something else. As little man said above, maybe you should ask to go down to thirds for a few weeks to get your form back. However, if this means you probably wont get your spot back, I don't really advise it.

 

[kevinpietersen]

Speak to yor coach and talk to him and see if you will loose your place. Even if you do still go down into the 3rds. Then improve your batting for next season when you will probably get moved back up. Hope that helps.

 

[knights12]

Definately sounds like a mental thing

I would advise getting at least 3-4 net sessions a week in. In those sessions you should decide on only a couple of shots that you are going to play, forward defence, straight drive, back defence to start with and only play those. Punish yourself (or get your coach to) by taking yourself out of the net for a few minutes (having 3 batters in one net, rotating is a good idea) if you play a shot outside this. Focus on playing in the V until you start to get back that 'natural' feel of batting and then let yourself play some more attacking shots. This is a process that most batsman (unless you are Sehwag or Afridi) should go through at the start of their innings...but you need to practise it in the nets first. Look at getting 1's to start with so you can get the guy at the other end (who has been in longer than you) on to strike. The other thing is to try and just relax (hard to do when you are out of form) and enjoy it. If you try too hard thats when things turn to crap. Good luck! We've all been there before...plenty of times!!!

 

[kevinpietersen]

When I am free I net up to 6 times a week for about 2-3 hours a session.

 

[mat]

When I am free I net up to 6 times a week for about 2-3 hours a session.

Is this batting or bowling. If bowling, be careful not to exert yourself too much as it may lead to injuries, as 12 hours a week bowling is an awful lot.

 

[micoach]

The problem you describe is usually because you have closed yourself off in some way. The advice above is sound but not if you have a technical fault that needs correcting.

To stop getting closed off you need to learn how to on drive (that's the short answer anyway!)

 

[kevinpietersen]

Just go and net to practice that is it really just get your old batting style back that is the only thing we can do it is all about practicing now.
This is my 100th post AWESOME

 

[knights12]

kevinpietersen

do you post just to boost the number of posts you make? Because most posts you write have very little use. Or is it that you don't realise that you have no idea?

 

[Smudge]

Generally the latter, one feels.

 

[kevinpietersen]

No I think I know a bit more cricket than you and I Have quite a lot more post than you.

 

[mat]

Quality not quantity, mate. Obviously can't always be 100% right though.

 

[knights12]

No I think I know a bit more cricket than you and I Have quite a lot more post than you.

Buddy, from what I have been reading you have not much idea at all. Maybe you should read a bit more than you write?

 

[Jakester1288]

Quality not quantity, mate. Obviously can't always be 100% right though.

Buddy, from what I have been reading you have not much idea at all. Maybe you should read a bit more than you write?

Completely agree. Stupid little up 'em selves 13 year olds.

 

[chyickenkeev]

u seem to have somehting called bopara syndrome, basicaly, ur neglecting technique.
seeing as your a number 11, u need to start at basics
forward defensive: wen the ball will hit your stumps, send your weight onto the fornt foot and jam your bat and pad together, wen u have mastered this, u can unlock loads more shots.
back foot defense: send your weight onto your back foot with your head forward, get your body behind the ball and make contact beneath the eyes

i dont care if you know it, but those shotsare the only shots you need.
to get runs, you need to develop a certain shot that will punish a bowler, kp has the leg glance, tim ambrose had the cut, but if you develop a certain area of your agressive batting u can punish a bowler whenever he bowls into your "optimum scoring area"

everyone should have one, mine is the sweep, sweep slog, reverse sweep, it punishes spin bowlers bowling down the leg side, and it punishes off spinners trying to ticle me into a cover drive and having me clean bowled.

check out these videos and master them at home, get a large room in your houyse and swing your bat down in correct fashion, i advice wearing your fornt pad as well so you can see any gaps that can be exploited.

http://www.videojug.com/tag/cricket?page=2

this video is the first of 8 in a series made by bob woolmer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktyP9QwCgFw

 

[Son Of Coco]

i dont care if you know it, but those shotsare the only shots you need.
to get runs, you need to develop a certain shot that will punish a bowler, kp has the leg glance, tim ambrose had the cut, but if you develop a certain area of your agressive batting u can punish a bowler whenever he bowls into your "optimum scoring area"

I don't think KP relies on the leg-glance to punish a bowler. If he did then it would be very easy to stop him scoring. His cover-drives on the up and his pullshots on the other hand are very handy. The reason KP punishes a bowler is because he has shots all around the ground.

I also doubt Ambrose relied solely on the cut to punish bowlers as that too is easy to avoid if you're a bowler.

If you're going to wait until a bowler bowls into your 'optimum scoring area' to score runs you're going to have to either hope you always play against players with no control over where they bowl it or assume all bowlers are idiots and won't pick up where you can and can't play shots after about an over (if that). Any bowler with a bit of control will give you practically nothing in the areas you want the ball pitched in to attack. Especially if you limit yourself to being either a front-foot or back-foot player.

As someone mentioned above (someone who has quite a few coaching credentials as far as I remember), the best thing to do is start working on the on-drive. I think it's a very difficult shot to play, but it's usually one of the things you can pick out that separates a good batsman from a club batsman with limitations.

And pack away the silly little shots you've seen on TV. The coach at my old club found this to be one of the most frustrating things with young players...trying things they've seen on TV but not having a firm grip on the basics (had young guys trying to play front foot pulls yet not being able to handle short stuff at their body). Once you understand that the guys you've seen on TV have spent years perfecting the basics BEFORE they improvised with certain shots you'll know it's time to give away 'paddle sweeps/, 'reverse cuts', 'front foot pulls' etc etc until you can play orthodox shots like the cut, cover drive, off drive, on drive, hit it through midwicket, pull, leg-glance. When you have those shots down then you can muck around with different things.

Trying to play shots you've seen on TV without the basic skills is a bit like me signing up for a Mozart piano concerto at the town hall after mastering the chopsticks. It's only going to be embarassing and you'll end up disappointed.

 

[vic_orthdox]

I'd say try and be supportive of your batting, and help it through this stage. After all, it is known a gateway drug...

 

[chyickenkeev]

ok ok, i admit kp doesnt ONLY punish bowlers off his pads, but he is very strong in that area. and in his final tour of new zealand, tim ambrose did perform poorly with the bat, because the bowlers stopped giving him wide deliveries to see if he would nic it to the slips.

so yeah, keep to the basics in defence....
you can also drop it at your feet and get a few quick singles

a good defence is vital, one of my first matches as captain...first ball was full at the stumps, "right il drive him" and it just got through the gap and hit the stumps...nothing can replace a solid defence.

 

[chyickenkeev]

I don't think KP relies on the leg-glance to punish a bowler. If he did then it would be very easy to stop him scoring. His cover-drives on the up and his pullshots on the other hand are very handy. The reason KP punishes a bowler is because he has shots all around the ground.

I also doubt Ambrose relied solely on the cut to punish bowlers as that too is easy to avoid if you're a bowler.

If you're going to wait until a bowler bowls into your 'optimum scoring area' to score runs you're going to have to either hope you always play against players with no control over where they bowl it or assume all bowlers are idiots and won't pick up where you can and can't play shots after about an over (if that). Any bowler with a bit of control will give you practically nothing in the areas you want the ball pitched in to attack. Especially if you limit yourself to being either a front-foot or back-foot player.

As someone mentioned above (someone who has quite a few coaching credentials as far as I remember), the best thing to do is start working on the on-drive. I think it's a very difficult shot to play, but it's usually one of the things you can pick out that separates a good batsman from a club batsman with limitations.

And pack away the silly little shots you've seen on TV. The coach at my old club found this to be one of the most frustrating things with young players...trying things they've seen on TV but not having a firm grip on the basics (had young guys trying to play front foot pulls yet not being able to handle short stuff at their body). Once you understand that the guys you've seen on TV have spent years perfecting the basics BEFORE they improvised with certain shots you'll know it's time to give away 'paddle sweeps/, 'reverse cuts', 'front foot pulls' etc etc until you can play orthodox shots like the cut, cover drive, off drive, on drive, hit it through midwicket, pull, leg-glance. When you have those shots down then you can muck around with different things.

Trying to play shots you've seen on TV without the basic skills is a bit like me signing up for a Mozart piano concerto at the town hall after mastering the chopsticks. It's only going to be embarassing and you'll end up disappointed.

you do have to bare in mind he is a number 11, and look at monty poanesar at cardiff with his cutting and what not.

and im sorry about being picky, but its my pet hate when a person say off, straight, on or cover drive. because its one shot with 4 different names, if your at the crease thinking "do i send that to mid off or cover" then you are wasting prescious time.

im such a saddo rnt i