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Friday 2 March 2012

Leg Spin Tips By Shane Warne

Shane Keith Warne 
(born September 13, 1969) is an Australian cricketer, born in Victoria.

Shane Warne is regarded by many as the best leg spin bowler ever to play cricket. Despite an undistinguished debut performance against India in 1991, he has since revolutionised cricket thinking with his mastery of what many cricket authorities regarded as a dying art. Combining the ability to turn the ball huge distances, even on unhelpful pitches, with unerring accuracy and a wide variation of deliveries (notably including the flipper), he has become Australia's greatest ever wicket taker, with 517 wickets at a bowling average of 25.42. Many of his most spectacular performances have occurred in Ashes series against England, whose inexperience against legspin bowling made their players particularly vulnerable, though with feats like the famous "Gatting Ball" which spun furiously to bowl a bemused Mike Gatting in the 1993 series most of the credit is Warne's. Warne has also been highly effective bowling in one-day cricket, something few other leg spin bowlers have managed. Warne is also noted for his exuberant (and sometimes effective) lower-order batting (once famously throwing away his wicket on 99 with a Test century beckoning), and on several occasions has captained Australia effectively.

Despite nearly universal recognition of Warne's talents, his reputation with fans and cricket authorities is mixed. In 1998, he was forced to admit that he had taken money to provide pitch and weather reports from a man later discovered to be operating with bookmakers. While such an offence was trivial compared to the likes of Hansie Cronje who took money to throw matches, the extreme naivete Warne avowed struck many observers as somewhat dubious. His exuberance and occasional intemperate remarks and actions on and off the field have also not endeared him to the more conservative parts of the cricketing public and officialdom. His private life has also been subjected to scrutiny by British tabloid newspapers.

Shane Warne King of Spin

Shane Warne King of Spin

Wasim Akram's comments about Seam & Swing Bowling

Wasim Akram's Tips

Wasim Akram's Tips

How To Do Carrom Ball


Carrom Ball

Learn Doosra And Off Spin From SAQLAIN MUSHTAQ

Saqlain Mushtaq  Biography 


Saqlain Mushtaq born December 29, 1976 in Lahore, Punjab) is a Pakistani cricketer, regarded as one of the finest off spin bowlers of all time.[1] He is best known for pioneering the \"doosra\", which he employed to great effect during his career. Saqlain has not been active in international cricket since 2004.

DOOSRA Explain By Saqlain Mushtaq

Cricket Wicket Keeping Tips Video

Cricket Wicket Keeping Tips Video

Spin Bowling Tips Videos

Spin Bowling Tips Video




Cricket Batting Tips Videos

Cricket Batting Tips Videos

Cricket Batting Tips Videos


Cricket Batting Tips Videos



6 Simple Fool-Proof Cricket Batting Tips

There are hundreds of different cricket batting tips in the game of cricket which can all potentially improve your batting and run scoring ability. Here is a selection of cricket batting tips that I’ve found useful to help improve your batting.
  • 1st Batting Tip – Keep your eyes level, it’s been shown that having your eyes level helps speed up your reaction time, as it makes it easier for the brain to process the incoming information.
  • 2nd Batting Tip – Your first movement should be from the shoulders towards the line of the ball. The rest of your body will follow naturally and will help ensure you get correctly inline with the ball.
  • 3rd Batting Tip – Play the delivery based on its length, if it’s short; even if it’s in line with the wickets it should be ‘tonked away’ (Andy Flintoff style) to the boundary. The same principle applies with full deliveries and half volleys.
  • 4th Batting Tip – One of the most important things is to watch the ball from bowlers hand in run up all the way to the bat. By watching the ball in the bowler’s hand you can see what the bowler may be trying to do with the ball. Try to identify which is the shiny side or rough side, so you can determine which way they may be trying to swing the ball. The same applies with spinners; but also make sure you closely watch the wrist movement to determine the type and direction of spin.
  • 5th Batting Tip – When batting against spinners, try doing an initial ‘forward press’, making an initial half-step on to the front foot as the bowler bowls. This will give you good base to play from and help give you quicker feet.
  • 6th Batting Tip – It is essential to maintain a solid base when batting and to be in a solid position when you play the ball. If you watch for example Brain Lara play a cover drive, he has a solid base from which he plays the stroke, he is perfectly balanced.

Square Cut

How To Effectively Execute The Square Cut For Maximum Runs Scoring Potential

The square cut is another shot which you should try to add to your batting ‘armoury’, as it will allow you to play aggressively to balls delivered shot outside your off stump which you wouldn’t be able to drive.
The square cut
Can you play the square cut?
It is an aggressive/attacking shot played off the back foot to a ball which has been pitched short of a good length (a short delivery) and is passing wide of off stump. You should aim to hit the ball square of the wicket ideally between point and gully, always aim to hit the ball between the fielders and into the gaps.
Main Points
  • To play the square cut start from your normal batting stance, stay nice and relaxed, with your head still and your eyes as level as possible.
  • As the bowler is about to bowl take your backswing, and as you see the delivery is going to be suitable for a square cut move your back foot, back and across towards the off stump.
  • Move your weight onto your back foot and establish your base of support over it. Bring your bat down and across the line of the ball towards the off side, increasing your bat speed into contact, from a high position to lower one. As you hit the ball ‘roll your wrists’ over the ball to keep it down.
  • Follow through the shot naturally and stay relaxed and balanced.
Common problems:
  • The most common problem is getting caught out at point or gully by not rolling the wrists or not playing from high to low. Like most shots, you need to isolate it in the nets and practice with throw downs hitting the ball down (low) and along the ground.
  • Another problem is lacking the ability to hit the ball in the gaps and instead hitting it to fielders, the best way to improve your shot placement is to use targets in practice to hit the ball between.
Advanced tips:
Try playing a ‘late’ cut. To do this you need excellent timing, as you need to wait a fraction of a second longer before hitting the ball. You should aim to hit the ball behind gully towards third man (be careful if there are slips in place).

Backfoot Defence

The back foot drive is an attacking shot which is played to a ball which has pitched short of a good length and which will probably bounce around stump high. You should try to hit the ball between mid on and cover and along the ground.
Main Points
  • Take your normal batting stance with your eyes level and remember to always stay relaxed to help you react quicker to the delivery. Once you’ve judged that the ball/delivery is suitable for a back foot drive, take your backswing and step backwards simultaneously.
  • You should now have an established and well balanced base with your weight fairly evenly distributed over both feet, ideally it should be slightly forward on the front foot.
  • Initiate your down swing ensuring that you bring your bat down straight (remember the drill with the two stumps?) and move your front leg backwards at the same time.
  • Increase your bat speed into contact with the ball and swing it down and through the line of the delivery, keeping your elbow high and keeping control of the bat with your top hand. Try to follow through naturally, stay relaxed and well balanced at all times during the shot. Don’t try to hit the ball too hard, use the pace of the delivery to maximise the shots power.
The back foot defensive
Make sure you're behind the ball when playing the back foot defensive
The Back-footed Defensive
The back foot defence is a defensive shot, which is played in response to a ball of a good length or slightly shorter which is most likely to bounce and hit your stumps or come close to hitting them. You want to aim to just block the delivery and have it drop straight to the ground.
The main set up points are similar to those above so I won’t go through them again just for the sake of it!
The major differences are that you need to SLOW your bat speed into contact with the ball. You should swing your bat down and into the line of the delivery and aim to contact the ball beneath your eyes, remembering to always show the full bat face to the ball. Again try to stay relaxed and well balanced.
Having a relaxed grip with your bottom hand will help you drop the ball to the ground and not pop it up in the air.
Common problems:
The most common problems I see are that a batsmen is not getting into line with the ball and so might an edge to the wicket keeper or slips. A good tips to improve getting into line would be to initiate a trigger movement (a small foot movement) prior to delivery to help get the feet moving, which in turn should help you get into line.
Some batsmen have more than one trigger movement depending on their style and technique. I do two; I move my back foot about a few centimetres backwards and towards off stump and I move my front foot about a few cm’s forward, this helps me get into line and respond to a delivery quicker.
Another is playing with an overly strong bottom hand which can cause you to get caught. Try loosening your bottom hand or holding the bat with just your thumb and first two fingers in training to keep the ball on the ground (remember to keep your top and elbow high).

The Power of an Effective Cover Drive…



As a batsman and cricketer you primary aim is to score as many runs as possible to help your team set a high target for the opposition, or in order to beat the score which the opposition has set for you.
Cricket Batsmen  - The Cover Drive
A great cover drive is the hallmark of a refined cricketer...
To help you do this, this article will identify some common problems and teachyou how to play better cover drive. Hopefully you’ll find these tips useful and they will help you improve your cover drive and score more runs.
The cover drive is an aggressive and attacking shot which is played to a delivery which is pitched up or just a bit full of a good length, you are aiming to hit the ball along the ground between mid off and cover.
To play the shot, watch the ball out of the hand and correctly judge that the ball is going to be slightly full of a good length. From your stance, lead with your front shoulder in towards the line of the ball and into the shot. If you lead with your shoulder first and get it inline it will help the rest of your body come into line naturally and more fluently.
Step with your front foot out to the pitch of the delivery and bring your bat down and through the line of the delivery, ensuring that you keep your front elbow high and bat straight (not a crossed batted shot). Aim to place the ball between mid of and cover, maintaining a firm base and follow through the shot in a relaxed manner.
Key points:
  • Watch the ball out of the hand all the way onto the bat
  • Lead with your front shoulder into the shot
  • Get your foot to the pitch of the ball
  • Keep you elbow high and bat straight
  • Hit the ball along the ground
  • Keep a solid base of support
  • Follow through naturally
Common Problems:
Are you getting caught at mid-off or cover when you play the off/cover drive, is it caused by the follow through?
Getting caught at mid-off or cover is a very common problem and is not usually caused by an exaggerated follow through, but more likely to be with the timing of the shot or because the batsman is playing with too much bottom hand.
To solve this try loosening your grip with your bottom hand and practise just griping the bat with your thumb and first two fingers on your bottom hand. This should help you stop driving it in the air and getting caught.
Another technique is to try waiting a fraction of a second longer as if you’re playing the ball too early it will go in the air, if you are struggling getting the timing right this is the solution for you.
Also if you’re trying to drive a ball that is pitched short of a length you’ll hit it up in the air. If so try to judge the length better and drive the balls that are pitched fuller of a good length, you should also take into account the pace and condition of the wicket as this will affect the timing of the shot. For example on slow wickets you will have to wait longer and play the ball later to keep the ball in the ground.
In conclusion remember to accentuate your leading elbow, keeping it high, don’t use to much bottom hand as this will cause you to drop the elbow and hit the ball in the air. Practise in front of a mirror at home to watch and analyse your body position and always remember good footwork is the most essential part of any shot, so get your foot to the pitch of the ball.

How To Use Effective Foot Work To Score More Runs



Great footwork when batting will help you get in the correct position to deal with any delivery which gets bowled to you.
When batting in cricket it is essential to have excellent footwork. As good foot work is the basis for achieving excellence in cricket and is the foundation for good batting technique.
Foot work is absolutely necessary as all successful strokes start with effective footwork.
If you watch Brian Lara, Michael Vaughn, Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, all of these amazing batsmen have outstanding footwork, often when these types of players don’t perform it is simply due to lack of footwork.
Good footwork allows you to time the ball well and place the ball in gaps. It gets you in the optimum position to hit the ball, so you can hit it where you want and with ease.
If you have been struggling to play a particular shot for some reason it could be due to poor footwork causing bad timing and body positioning.
With faster bowlers it is even more essential to have excellent fast and precise footwork, so that you can get into a balanced position, in-line with the ball, so you can play the ball with control.
Getting quickly into position through footwork therefore is very important.
The more you practice your footwork against both fast and slow bowlers the easier you will gradually find it. Many players do what we call trigger movements just before the bowler releases the ball, this helps get the feet moving into position and into line much quicker and easier, especially against faster bowlers.
Next time you watch a game on TV watch the batsmen’s feet really closely as the bowler is about to deliver you’ll see these small ‘trigger movements’; small foot movements, which help the batsmen get in position and inline early.
As a batsman it is absolutely necessary to develop your foot work and foot movement, as all excellent strokes start with effective and efficient footwork.

How To Play The Forward Defence

The Most Important Shot You’ll EVER Learn…


When you first start to learn how to play cricket one of the first shots you will learn is the forward defence, it’s a fundamental shot which is the foundation of your batting and should be mastered to help reach you potential, as you can’t score runs when you are out and sat in the pavilion.
Cricket Batting - The Forward Defence
What's not quite right with this forward defence?
The forward defence is the best way to protect your wicket from accurate deliveries which you can’t score off, as you need to remember your primary aim as a batsmen score runs of every delivery if possible.
The forward defence is simply a defensive shot which is played in response to a ball which you can’t score runs off or where it would be very risky to try and hit for runs. Usually it’ll be of a good line and length that will hit or come close to hitting the stumps.
Main Points
  • Take your backswing and step forward with your front leg to make a comfortable stride towards the pitch of the ball.
  • Try to establish a strong, well balanced and relaxed base/stance, over the leg which has stepped out towards pitch of ball and you should have a bent front knee.
  • Bring your bat down to ball using your top hand to control the movement, speed and direction of the bat. Slow down your bat speed into contact with the ball and keep your top elbow high.
  • Aim to contact the ball under your eyes and play the ball with the full face of the bat. Always remember to play the shot with your bat against pads (your front leg) so that there is no gap between the two which the ball could pass through.
Common problems:
There are a number of common problems, which with good practise can be easily solved e.g.
  • Having a gap between you pad and bat. To help solve this have a friend pr coach watch you play the shot to identify whether this is a problem for you. If it is, get in a net and have throw downs and consciously practice getting your bat next to your pad. Ensure that you try to get your foot out towards the pitch of the delivery.
  • Playing with a strong bottom hand, causing the ball to pop up in air. If you are doing this, try loosening your grip on your bottom hand and control the bat with your top hand. Practise with a tennis ball and try to make the ball drop dead and not bounce off more than a meter from the bat, this is quite hard with a bouncy tennis ball!
  • Not bringing the bat down straight from high position in backswing, so causing the bat to come down at an angle and not through the line of the ball, which will result in you missing the ball. To help solve this, put up a set of stumps as normal, then remove the middle stump. Now stand closer to the stumps than you would normally and practise your backswing, bringing up and down between off and leg stumps, you’ll quickly find out if you backswing is straight or not.
Advanced tips:
Try playing with soft hand, whereby you loosen you grip slightly with both hands, not so much that the ball will cause the bat to move in your hands, but just enough to ensure the ball drops straight to the floor. If you try the tennis ball drill above you’ll get the hang of it pretty quick. This also helps have the effect of causing the ball to drop quicker if you edge it and will often hit the floor before reaching the slips.
You can also try angling your bat to defect the ball away for a single to fine leg or third man, almost becoming a leg glance.

The Sweep Shot and Reverse Sweep

The sweep and the reverse sweep are two batting shots which are not commonly used, especially the reverse sweep which is rarely used. However both shots can be used in certain batting situations and are an effective way to score runs and keep the score board ticking over.
There is a high element of risk with the sweep shot, so good judgement and excellent timing is essential. Avoid playing the sweep and reverse sweep early on in your innings especially to straight deliveries, as it is not a good idea to play it until you have your eye in and know how the pitch is playing and what the bowler is doing. As for example, if the ball stayed low it would be quite easy to misjudge and get out LBW or bowled which you definitely want to avoid, so be patient and play yourself in first.
The sweep and reverse sweep are both cross batted shots and should ideally be played to slow deliveries which are of a good length and not too full. To play the orthodox sweep shot, first wait for the ball to be released before making any movement…
DON’T PREMEDITATE THE SHOT!
Once you have determined that the ball is there to play the sweep shot to, move your front foot as far down the wicket towards the pitch of the ball as you can. As you are moving forward bend both knees simultaneously so that you whole body is low down, let your back knee touch the ground to act as an extra base of support. Try to stay balanced and relaxed. Bring the bat down from the off side and across the ball towards the leg side and aim to hit it either in front of or behind square leg. You can roll your wrists over the ball as you hit to help keep it on the ground. Aim to have your arms fully extended when you contact the ball.
To play the reverse sweep, get in to the same position as for the orthodox sweep, however this time, bring you bat down and across from leg side towards the off side, so you are aiming to hit the ball through the gully area. This shot requires very good coordination and timing as you have to twist the bat round so that the bat face faces the off side at the point of contact without altering your grip.
Common problems:
  • Premeditating the shot- deciding to play the shot before the bowler has bowled the ball. Wait until the ball is released from the bowlers hand before deciding to play the shot.
  • Playing the sweep too early in the innings before getting your eye in. Wait until you are set and know how the pitch is playing and what the bowler is doing before attempting the shot.
  • Trying to hit the ball too hard. Good timing and technique is better and more effective as you need to reduce the risk as much as possible.
  • Playing the shot to deliveries which are either too full or too short, so good judgement of length is required.
Remember that the sweep and reverse sweep are quite hard shots to master and carry quite a lot of risk, so make sure that if you intend to use them, practice the shots in the nets and in training to get a feel for the shot and so you know when to play it; so that when you come to use them you are confident and skilled enough to do so.

The Back-Foot Drive

How To Play The Back-Foot Drive And Defense Properly…


From: Ian Canaway
www.CricketSecrets.com

The back foot drive is an attacking shot which is played to a ball which has pitched short of a good length and which will probably bounce around stump high. You should try to hit the ball between mid on and cover and along the ground.
Main Points
  • Take your normal batting stance with your eyes level and remember to always stay relaxed to help you react quicker to the delivery. Once you’ve judged that the ball/delivery is suitable for a back foot drive, take your backswing and step backwards simultaneously.
  • You should now have an established and well balanced base with your weight fairly evenly distributed over both feet, ideally it should be slightly forward on the front foot.
  • Initiate your down swing ensuring that you bring your bat down straight (remember the drill with the two stumps?) and move your front leg backwards at the same time.
  • Increase your bat speed into contact with the ball and swing it down and through the line of the delivery, keeping your elbow high and keeping control of the bat with your top hand. Try to follow through naturally, stay relaxed and well balanced at all times during the shot. Don’t try to hit the ball too hard, use the pace of the delivery to maximise the shots power.
The back foot defensive
Make sure you're behind the ball when playing the back foot defensive
The Back-footed Defensive
The back foot defence is a defensive shot, which is played in response to a ball of a good length or slightly shorter which is most likely to bounce and hit your stumps or come close to hitting them. You want to aim to just block the delivery and have it drop straight to the ground.
The main set up points are similar to those above so I won’t go through them again just for the sake of it!
The major differences are that you need to SLOW your bat speed into contact with the ball. You should swing your bat down and into the line of the delivery and aim to contact the ball beneath your eyes, remembering to always show the full bat face to the ball. Again try to stay relaxed and well balanced.
Having a relaxed grip with your bottom hand will help you drop the ball to the ground and not pop it up in the air.
Common problems:
The most common problems I see are that a batsmen is not getting into line with the ball and so might an edge to the wicket keeper or slips. A good tips to improve getting into line would be to initiate a trigger movement (a small foot movement) prior to delivery to help get the feet moving, which in turn should help you get into line.
Some batsmen have more than one trigger movement depending on their style and technique. I do two; I move my back foot about a few centimetres backwards and towards off stump and I move my front foot about a few cm’s forward, this helps me get into line and respond to a delivery quicker.
Another is playing with an overly strong bottom hand which can cause you to get caught. Try loosening your bottom hand or holding the bat with just your thumb and first two fingers in training to keep the ball on the ground (remember to keep your top and elbow high)

Throwing Skills

The pressure is on the advanced coach to build a highly skilled thrower and throwing team.
  • No player can make it to the top without a throwing arm which can:
  • Produce powerful accurate throws
  • Cope with the pressure (injury free)
Accurate throwing takes wickets and helps win matches
 
Your players must be skilled to throw in a variety of ways
 
Your players must be skilled to throw in a variety of ways
 
Develop the basics of skilled throwing:
  • Arm preparation
  • Proper mechanics
  • Power production
  • Alignment
What do you see in this clip?
 
Proper Mechanics
Use the correct throwing sequence  
Advanced throwing coaching requires you to:
  • Commit practice time and specialist staff
  • Utilize regularly a set of drills that develop and hone the skill
  • Be able to monitor your players to keep track of their throwing action and ability
Arm Preparation
  • Specific Conditioning – gym work to build the throwing musculature and daily flexibility exercises
  • Throwing conditioning – every training session should include a throwing routine (further builds up arm strength and maintains it over the whole season)
Example for a conditioning session:
Throwing to be done for at least 10 -15 minutes over various ranges
  • Start short 15 -20 metres
  • Mid range 30 -35metres
  • Longer range 40 – 50 metres
  • Start at around 50% capacity and don’t build over 70 – 80%.In the mid and long range drills throw a combination of full length and bounce throws
  • always ensure the players are throwing with proper mechanics
Wind Up
   
Power step...side on, under the body
Power Phase
  • Release with the arm in the best mechanical position
  • shoulder height
  • L shape
 
Problems affecting the ball reaching the target!
  • Poor Grip Position
  • Fingers under the ball
  • stress on the shoulder
  • no ‘whipping’ of wrist
  • Fingers down the seam
 
  • Poor alignment of feet
  • Lack of power platform and leg drive
  • Poor arm preparation
 

Learn Doosra And Off Spin

he key is for you and the spinner to identify where improvement may occur?
  • Getting more accurate
  • Getting more variation
  • Getting more speed, variation of speed
  • Getting more flight
  • Getting more turn
  • Better tactical awareness
  • Better mindset
With your ‘tool bag’ you will be better placed to:
  • Have an informed dialogue with your spinner’s because you can ‘talk their language’
  • Assist your spinner’s analyse their strengths and weaknesses and design any remediation program
  • Assist your spinner and captain with tactical planning
  • Better co-ordinate spin bowling experts to work with your spinner’s
What goes in the ‘tool bag’?
  • To be a top spin bowler you must be able to create doubt in the batsman’s mind to produce errors in execution.
  • It requires great control for the spin bowler to execute his plan and be on top
  • Spin bowlers with a well focused mindset are more likely to be successful
  • Successful spin bowling is a product of good team planning and implementation
Fundamentals of creating doubt:
Create doubt by…. Creating Angles
Spin doctrine: try to get the batsman to follow the drift and play against the spin
 
Batsman often reads it as being shorter than it really is, plays back…..lots of LBW’s
 
Batsman often reads it as being shorter than it really is, plays back…..lots of LBW’s

Advance Wicket Keeping

Key Elements of Wicket Keeping :
  • Technical
  • Tactical
  • Physical
  • Mental
  • Leadership
  • Batting
Strategies for Coaching :
  • Pace Bowlers
  • Spin Bowlers
  • Leadership
Past & Present :
Advanced Level ‘Keeping : Non-Negotiables
  • Must be able to Keep Well in all Forms of the Game
  • Is Now Considered an All Rounder
  • Is the Captain of the Fielding Team

FAST BOWLING An ART - With some help from science

What are we trying to teach :
  • Technique
  • Mechanics
  • Processes-Methods-Means-”How To”
  • Decision Making
  • THOUGHTS ie How to get your bowlers thinking of something, anything!
How are we teaching
  • Observation – getting the information
  • Video
  • Naked Eye
  • Different Angles
  • Record your observations & thoughts
  • Constant feedback
  • Learning as you coach
Interpreting - what we observe
  • Different strokes for different folks
  • If you ever see two identical bowlers make a note
  • Form ( technique ) v Form ( bowling figures )
  • The same symptom doesn’t mean same diagnosis
  • Specifics Explain EXACTLY what you mean. Don’t assume the player will know what you are talking about
  • Involve the player to help increase his/her understanding
FootWear
  • Most important piece of equipment
  • Artificial / turf
  • Spike number and length
  • Brett Lee has 13 spikes on left shoe
  • Toe protection
  • Laces / velcro
  • Multiple pairs
  • Clean !!!!! Love and affection
RUN UP
  • No Ball problems
  • Toe to line or heel ?
  • Short strides at the beginning
  • Accelerate
  • Balance in run up , balance at Release
  • Good net habits - r u angles, close to stumps, umpire
  • Marker is only a GUIDE
  • Breeze
  • Outfield
  • Slope
  • Using the Crease
  • Obstacles ( sprinkler heads, holes )
  • Flexibility
  • “Feel” Peripheral Awareness
THE COMMANDMANTS
WHERE Line and Length
WHAT & HOW Technique changes
WHY Set up / Dot / Out
WHAT FIELD A very important process
Making a Conscious Decision
  • Ask a player/bowler what, specifically they are doing at practice- “ nothing, just bowling
  • Make a decision EVERY time you bowl a ball
  • For some bowlers this is automatic.
  • A ‘Natural’ Length: They bowl a “ natural “ length ( Shaun Pollock,Glenn McGrath and Dennis Lillee had the perfect “ natural length, as do most outstanding bowlers.
  • Spinners have more complicated thought patterns so they tend to think through every or most deliveries and the field placements that go with them.
  • 50 over and now 20 over cricket has in one way simplified the thought process and at the same time made bowlers consciously think moreabout what type and where they bowl each ball ( 24 balls means you don’t have too think that hard )
  • Specific scenario work in the nets or centre wicket usually provokes decisions but coaches need to set exercises every time a ball is sent down. EVERY ball should have a purpose either technical, physical or tactical. Note reminders
  • There maybe a trigger point where a decision is made, eg top of the bowling mark, walking back past the stumps ( the next decision is largely based on what happened to the ball before ).
  • This varies somewhat when a batsmen moves around the crease so there also needs to be another option or three!
  • Practicing Yorkers and Bouncers ( which are several meters difference in length is essential.
  • Practicing late decision making is essential eg what are the options if a batsmen backs away or charges ? What can I do in delivery stride?
PHYSICAL
  • A lot of theories at the moment
  • Over use / repetitive strain ( cf Australia this week !!)
  • Building stamina and endurance
  • Gym versus Nets
  • Running???
  • Remember , you train to play cricket NOT to be a great trainer!!
  • Fitness programs determined by CRICKET Coach and Fitness expert ( Art ? Science? )
THINK ABOUT THIS
With All of our modern knowledge and training techniques WHY aren’t we producing more genuine FAST ( 145-155 kph ) bowlers. All other athletic fields keep getting higher, faster, stronger??

Priciples of coaching

Essential attributes of a Top Level Coach
  • They must understand everyone is different and have the ability to develop relationships with players
  • It is essential they have an intimate knowledge of cricket so they understand where to ‘start’ coach
  • Effective coaches must possess a ‘toolkit’ that allows them to plan and teach basic skills and prepare players to successfully play games.
 
Purpose
  • To Further Develop Candidates’ Coaching Philosophy
  • To Identify Key Elements for Building an Effective Team Environment
Cricket Environment
Cricket is a Game of Skill
  • Technical
  • Tactical
  • Physical
  • Mental
  • Individual & Team
 
Preamble of the Laws of Cricket
  • Spirit of Fair Play Rests with the Captain
Captain is the Principal Decision Maker

Biomechanics for Cricket Coaches

"Many people believe coaching is about ANALYSIS"
“often too much analysis causes PARALYSIS”

  • What is Biomechanics
  • Coaches need to understand
  • The Central Theme of Biomechanics
  • Balance and Stability
  • What is Balance
  • What is Stability
  • Balance or Unbalance
  • Stable or Unstable
  • Stability Principles
  • Static and Dynamic Balance
  • Stability Consequences
  • Stability
  • Stable Base
  • Dynamic Balance
  • Lever Alignment
  • Batting and Bowling
Paralysis By Analysis :


Communication is the key – K.I.S.S.
 

What is Biomechanics?:

BIOMECHANICS is the study of the scientific principles which contribute to human movement.

BIOMECHANICS studies the internal forces (generated by muscles, tendons) and the external forces (gravity, resistance) acting on a human body

   
 
Coaches need to understand:

  • When
  • How
  • Why
“Players with sound biomechanics are able to perform skills efficiently, with minimum fatigue or injury”


   

 
The Central Theme of Biomechanics
 
Balance and Stability












   

 
What Is Balance?

Is the feeling of being in total control of the body without having to move or think about readjustments. (Centre of Gravity)

What is Stability?

Is the feeling of being firmly fixed in a strong position which is not likely to move or change (Stable Base)



   
 
Balanced or Unbalanced ??


 
Stable or Unstable ??

   
  fdsads
Stability Principles
A body is balanced when its centre of gravity is vertically within its base of support

A body loses balance when its centre of gravity is vertically outside its
base of support
   
 
Static & Dynamic Balance
Balance can involve a fixed base (static balance),

or maintaining body control during movement (dynamic balance)
STABILITY – DYNAMIC BALANCE

Stability - Consequences
Balance is affected when any body part is moved away from the centre of gravity
When balance is lost or affected readjustments must occur

"ACTION Vs REACTION"
 
Stability
A STABLE BASE enables FULL FORCE GENERATION

The bat starts to move FORWARD only after the front FOOT has made CONTACT with the GROUND
The legs remain BRACED to ensure maximum force generation
Stable Base
A stable base ensures :
  • Eyes are still, so perception is enhanced
  • Resistance to work the body levers against
  • Body energy is transferred efficiently to the bat / ball
Dynamic Balance
Note the uncontrolled head position in this example, why?
Delivery stride forms a dynamic base of support – not aligning at target CAN be dangerous!
LEVER ALIGNMENT
To maximise POWER and CONTROL all body levers must move along the target line

“Direct the energy / core of the body at the target”
 
Batting
  • Step at target
  • Rotate shoulders in direction of target
  • Align front elbow with target

Bowling

  • Pump elbows up and down target line
  • Keep ball in close to body
  • Drag front elbow down target line
  • Rotate shoulders vertically towards target

Sport Psychology

Successful Athletes are motivated athletes :
  • Distinct patterns in behaviour
  • Behaviour performed more often
  • Continues and becomes “consistent character”
  • Doesn’t require rewards
Development of the motivated athlete :
  • Coach-dependent to coach independent (years)
  • Becomes educated re cricket knowledge and principles
  • Leadership qualities develop
  • Continually changing in performance levels & experiences
Coach role in maintaining motivation – recognise/foster achievement in :
  • Performance improvements
  • Sustained increases in effort levels
  • Increased skill proficiency (important)
  • Reward supportive roles & task execution (punctuality, assisting younger players etc.)
  • Sport as a social environment
  • Volume of work performed
Motivating Athletes Establish Important Behaviours :
  • Team & General – e.g. laws of cricket, coach & umpire respect etc.
  • Specific behaviour at specific times – e.g. appealing, momentum of game in balance etc.
  • At these times what are desirable, neutral and undesirable behaviours?
Mental Toughness :
  • Considered vital ingredient for cricket success
  • Be prepared – do your “homework”
  • Replicate match demands and scenarios in practice situations and practice mental processes and decision making
Outcome focus v Process focus :
  • “Aint no use worryin’ bout things beyond your control, cause if they’re beyond your control, aint no use worryin’ …”
  • “Aint no use worryin’ bout things within your control, cause if you got them under control, aint no use worryin’ …”
  • Write down a list of all the issues individual players have NO control over, as well as those they CAN control
Key to mental toughness and preparation is then to figure out what you can and can’t control :
Some uncontrollables Some controllables
  • Winning or losing
  • Team score
  • Dropped catches
  • Play and miss
  • Opposition talk
  • What others think
  • Concentration
  • What to think about
  • How to execute
  • What to look at
  • What to be aware of
  • Your effort level
Starting the mental toughness process :
  • Reduce situations to a simple form – e.g. “play the delivery not the bowler”
  • Develop a mental performance plan for competition
  • Divide competition into “segments”
  • Figure out what is necessary to focus on in each segment
  • Mental toughness is maintaining the correct focus for the segment you are involved in.
What does this mental performance plan do?
  • Makes you feel more in control because you have already considered various situations and how you will handle them
  • Acts as a “security blanket”
  • Provides a good basis for confidence
Segmenting :
  • Break the competitive situation up into segments or stages
  • Develop your mental “pilot checklist” at each stage
  • Example segments : Night before; Travel to game; Warm-up; Walking out to bat – taking guard; between deliveries; between overs; Just been hit for four or six etc.
Developing a mental performance plan :
Define important stages of your cricket

What do you want to achieve in each stage and how should you
  • feel, act, think,
  • what should you look at,
  • who-what should you listen to,
  • how aroused should you be,
  • should you self talk or use cue words, etc.
Developing Performance Plan – Have a Go! :
  • Define important stages of your cricket day/match
  • What do you want to achieve in each stage
  • Write-Type out your performance plan
  • Learn your performance plan
  • Mentally rehearse
  • Use the plan in training
  • Refine and simplify with experience
  • Review in light of competition
Mental toughness research in English cricket :
  • 12 “Mentally Tough” English Test Cricketers from 1980’s and 1990’s
  • Interviewed at length re Family Background, Childhood, Cricket Development, Success qualities etc.
  • Team of psychologists analysed transcripts and produced themes and characteristics
Developmental factors :
  • Parental influence
  • Childhood background
Personal responsibility :
  • Exposure to foreign cricket
  • Independence
  • Self reflection
  • Competitiveness with self & others
  • Exploit learning opportunities
  • Belief in quality preparation
  • Self set challenging targets
Dedication and commitment :
  • Environment to overcome early setbacks
  • Need to “earn” success
  • “Never say die” mindset
  • “Go the extra mile” mindset
  • Determination to make the most of ability
Belief :
  • Resilient self confidence
  • Belief in making the difference
  • Overcome self doubts
  • Feeding of physical condition
  • Maintain self focus
Coping with pressure :
  • Thrive on competition
  • Willing to take risks
  • Good decision making
  • Keeping perspective
  • Honest self appraisal

Players Development

Qualities of Successful Players :
Being able to perform consistently under any conditions is the aim and goal of every sportsperson. They train, practice, prepare and think about competing.

Performing ‘in games’ is what they love, it sets players apart from the rest . It is how teams are selected, and champions recognised.

The secret to consistent performance is knowing your game ,and how you play.
  • What sort of a player are YOU
  • What are YOU like under pressure
  • When do YOU perform your best
Are there any similarities between all your best performance
Characteristics of ‘Game Tough Players’
  • They understand all games start even, despite what happens beforehand.
  • They have the common sense to understand games always ebb and flow, and changes in momentum can be controlled.
  • They have a natural ‘feel’ for when an important change is going to occur in a game.
  • They understand that ‘a’ player can quickly affect the outcome of a game by changing the momentum in favour of his team.
  • They instinctively know when to act in a game.
  • They are not always the most ‘brilliant’ player nor the ‘star’ player of the team.
  • They use their career averages etc, as motivation to improve and perform.
Personal Qualities of Game Tough Players
COMMITMENT
  • They are able to prioritise their training to practice the skills necessary to develop their game.
  • They can manage their relationships and interests outside of sport so they can lead a balanced life.
  • They always put the team before themselves and their performances.
  • They have a calm and positive manner.
  • They are reliable players and people
CONFIDENCE
  • They believe in their ability to play the game
  • They understand their own strengths/weaknesses
  • They enjoy ‘playing. Competition is natural
  • They don’t talk about themselves or the game
  • They are positive risk takers in matches
  • They are not intimidated by possible outcomes
  • The opposition is part of the game
They accept success is not automatic because they have worked hard. The outcome of the game is decided on the field.
FOCUS
  • They enjoy games more than practice
  • They are able to become mentally absorbed in the game
  • They know and understand what is happening at all times during matches
  • They are quick to sense shifts in momentum
  • They are very perceptive about opposition players moods and confidence
  • They enjoy responding to opposition plans and strategies….and doing something !
How do players develop ‘Game Toughness’
  • This is an extremely personal characteristic.
  • Common to them all is, they understand they can only
  • Not worrying about issues apart from their own preparation and their game plan
  • Not being diverted by other people or team members issues
  • Not feeling ‘obliged’ to be available to everyone
  • Not being concerned about selections / press etc
  • Not spending too much time second guessing the opposition
  • Not speculating about ‘what might happen’
  • Feeling very comfortable about their role and position in the team
  • All players are different and think and prepare very differently
  • What suits some players will not fit another
  • This is a personal decision, respect others
  • How you think and ‘feel’ before a match will directly affect your performances
  • A routine is essential for most play
Can YOU control what you think ?
List some of your Thoughts and Feelings relating to some good and disappointing performances in your career.

Some ways to prepare for matches..,
Rest : very important but don’t force it, rest must be natural.
Silence : enhances a naturally relaxed state.
Nature : very personal choice but calming for some people.
Energetic : good to spend time with, a positive
people : and active person who stimulates energy and optimism
Activity : being involved in unrelated projects and physical work is mentally relaxing

Some don’t’s …..,
  • Dream about desirable personal performances or your ‘starring’ role in matches
  • Visualise about match fluctuations and the role of members of opposition
  • Speculate about selectors’ decisions and performances of other members of your team
  • Anticipate how the opposition will play
  • Over analyse your past performance/s or the team’s in prior matches
  • Talk about what might happen in a game
  • How well do you know YOURSELF AS A PLAYER

Mental Approach

“Discipline is a part of the will,” Lombardi said. I would say that mental discipline is the umbrella that covers “the will” and just about everything else related to “the mental game.” An athlete can develop the ability to effectively and consistently direct his mind by disciplining it. Courage in battle takes discipline, concentration takes discipline, preparation, self-coaching, consistency, the breaking of bad habit through the development of good ones are all under the umbrella. Or, to use some athletes’ more palatable metaphor, mental discipline is “the whole enchilada.” An athlete who hopes to perform at his highest level of physical ability must develop an insistent discipline of the mind.

Scientist Louis Pasteur attributed his success not to his brain, but to his “tenacity.” It is this tenacious approach that truly distinguishes a great competitor from a mediocre one.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines discipline as “training that is expected to produce a specified character or pattern of behavior, especially that which is expected to produce moral or mental improvement.”

Mental discipline, for my purposes here, can be defined as the ability to sustain effective and consistent focus on task, regardless of potential external and internal distractions. This is accomplished through controlled attention to relevant information and cures, followed by appropriately controlled behavior.

The athlete knows what direction he wants to take and how to take it. Now he discipline himself to take it. He controls his mind; he disciplines it.

The cycle of control.
  • Control through awareness: The control of the ability to recognize and evaluate what the athlete is thinking, feeling, and doing – and what is happening to him. This control gives him the understanding of where his attention is directed and, if it’s not where he wants it to be, the reason it isn’t. He is then able to follow the cues he knows that help him concentration on task.

  • Control through thoughts: This control is exerted after concentration has broken down or has been “given a break.” These thoughts should be rational and relevant to the task of the moment. They redirect the athlete’s focus.
  • Control through self-coaching (self task): If the quality of the athlete’s thoughts has deteriorated, he controls the words he speaks to himself – internally or externally. These words are directives to get him back to a general positive attitude and to concentration on positive function.

  • Control through behavior: This control is of physical behavior, guided by rational, rather then emotional, directives; the “final instructions” provided by self-task. Examples: “See the ball.” “Be easy.” “Find the open man.” “Stay low.” Regardless of how he feels, the athlete acts out of what he knows, what he’s been reminded of. After that action, he’s assesses his body’s behavior – and the language that directed it. He comes full cycle and anticipates greater success in the next cycle.

Of course there will be many external and internal challengers. The extent of the discipline applied will determine the success the athlete has in executing his task effectively. Mental discipline requires great effort. It it’s worth having, it’s worth that effort. An unyielding persistence is part of the discipline. It will ultimately allow the athlete to focus on his task in the toughest of times.

In June 1998, en route to the Chicago Bulls second “three-peat” of the decade, Michael Jordan noted that fans and critics has expressed concern about the Bulls’ “physical tiredness” during the finals against Utah. “You don’t become champions five times without having some type of mental advantages. Right now, we are mentally strong enough to defend what we have . . . . The mental side counts for something.” It counted for plenty. It helped them become champions for the sixth time, though Jordan felt the Bulls “may not be a gifted [as Utah].” The discipline was in playing with focus on function, rather than on fatigue or the perceived “physical gifts” of the opposition. After all was said and done, that was playing “tough.”

After having played his final hole in the Andersen Consulting Match-Play Tournament in February 1999, Tiger Wood spoke of being “men=tally fried.” Said Woods, “I know what I have to do, I focus on that. But as soon as it is over, then you feel it. “Those who work on it, feel it. Feel what the poet Dante called ”tutta spenta” – entirely extinguished. And proud of the effort that kept the flame burning during competition.

The coach addresses the mental game by teaching the athlete to:
  • • Understanding that by developing effective mental discipline he is learning to control the emotions, thoughts, and behavior that would, if uncontrolled, be distraction during performance.
  • • Recognize that mental discipline addresses whatever distractions or behavior tendencies amy adversely affect him before, during, or after competition.
  • • Know that this identification is prerequisite for the process of self-improvement and includes eating habits, sleeping patterns, and conditioning.
  • • Be aware also of the more subtle “weaknesses” that inhibit performance, such as lax practice habits, being less attentive when his team is far ahead or far behind in score, not being mentally prepared for a game which seemingly has less or little importance.
  • • Understanding that the process of developing metal discipline is an ongoing and demanding ordeal, requiring mental energy and stamina, as well as the expression of will power.
  • • Set as a goal the mastery of individual mental skills he wishes to work on daily, knowing that a goal is a promise, but self – discipline is keeping it.

Concentration Level

Cricket Concentration Level


Cole Poter knew that concentration is prepotent. Tiger Woods knows it. Most athletes wish to have that kind of potency, that ability to concentrate so intensely that nothing ca distract them. Few work at it.

I have heard a sport psychologist refer to concentration as a fortress. I prefer to use “weapon” as a metaphor for effective concentration. A fortress, it seems to me, protects; a weapon challenges. One is reactive, the other active. The more aggressive a performer is, the more likely he is focused on the appropriate aspects of is performance.

The stronger and more sustained an athlete’s ability to concentrate, the better he’ll consistently execute his task aggressively and effectively. Athletes know what they should focus on, but don’t always know how to maintain that focus. It takes practice.

Being prepotent, concentration is the first and, arguably, the most essential skill of a performance. Because of that skill, no circumstance, no problem, no possible distraction comes into to an athlete’s highest level of awareness during his competition. Even words that wise men might have said. The athlete’s concentration leaves no room in his mind for any irrelevant, intrusive thought. That may seem to be an ideal, but it is an ideal truth – and attainable.

So the development of concentration skills should be at the top of the list of goals for every performer. And it require regular attention. The most skillful athletes can still improve. The more skilled an athlete is, the more likely he is to take his concentration for granted – until he begins to struggle, when his focus becomes broad and undisciplined.

A struggling athlete will think of all matters except the task at hand while he’s competing. That’s a loss of focus, due to a weakened mental discipline. Anyone who has ever sat through a boring lecture or read a dull book understand this perfectly. If it’s important to listen to the lecture, you must discipline yourself to concentrate. If it’s important to read and understand the book, you must discipline your eyes and mind to be attentive to the material. It can be a daunting task. But those who persist in attending to task can develop and intensity of concentration that has “a hunger to it.”

It’s very common for athletes to have several thoughts before and during their preparation to perform. But when they get to the “moment of truth,” they must limit their thoughts and change their focus to a narrow, external one. This is a habit to cultivate. It should be an important behavior goal.

The better an athlete is performing, the more naturally his concentration skills are able to serve him. And athlete who is “going good” will say to me, “My mind clear; I’m not thinking about concentrating.”

And that’s why he ‘s going good. He shouldn’t concentrate on concentrating; he should concentrate on task, which is simple and immediate. Hence the clear mid. (“Uncomplicated, “ he might have said.)

His highly effective behavior is more often that not rewarded by desired results. But when athletes begin to get poor results, they tend to change their approach. Their head fills with distracting thoughts. Their attention becomes divided. Their thinking becomes too braod, very often thinking about results – consequences. The future, rather than the moment. Too complicated.

When a child is behaving well, a parent doesn’t have to discipline that child. The discipline must be applied when the behavior is unacceptable. The same is true with an athlete. His “parent” – his rational mind – must step in and assert itself, disciplining the hitter, so as to stop him from operating out of his feelings (frustration, self-doubt, etc.) and get him back to focusing on the execution of task. How the performer responds to adversity – whether it’s the boos of a crowd or the burden of his responsibility – will say a lot about his concentration skills.

The more disciplined an athlete is, meaning the more able he is to focus on the task exclusively the more successful he’ll be over time. This doesn’t always come “naturally.” A persistent effort must be made. A concentrated effort, so to speak.

An athlete must understand a few basic things if he’s going to improve his concentration skills. First, he should understand what is possible to control one’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior. We can’t control external events. Other people’s thoughts and deeds, and consequences beyond our behavior.
  • The athlete can tell himself what to do in positive terms.
  • The athlete can focus on the immediate, rather than past or future. (The next task – “the now” – is all that can be acted upon.)
  • The athlete can focus on his approach, instead of results – past or future.
These simple understandings should be reiterated regularly, so they become a working philosophy for concentration. Athletes practice physical skills on a daily basis, but they usually just expect mental skills to develop themselves. They don’t. The athlete must practice effectively to perform effectively – physically and mentally.

It’s often easier for an athlete to practice mental skills than physical. He doesn’t need a physical environment. He can work on some concentration skills away from the field or arena, sometimes just by sitting in a chair at home.

A few suggestion and practice activities will help the athlete to develop hi ability to concentrate effectively and consistently. They can be varied or improve upon as the athlete becomes a more skilled practitioner.

But first consider this: mental toughness is the term uses as an ultimate compliment to an athlete. The degree to which you are able to fully and intensely concentrate on your task is a major component of that “toughness .” If it’s worth having, it’s worth the effort it takes to develop it. The persistent effort to improve is also part of the toughness. It will enhance the athlete’s ability to concentrate on the task during the toughest of time.

The coach can address the mental game by addressing with the athlete the material discussed above. The coach should also encourage the athlete to do work on his own enhance hi ability to concentrate effectively. Following are some concentration exercise. The athlete should:
  • Be an observe. Notice everything, especially detail. This will bring him to be attentive to things he’d never paid attention to before. It is constant exercise in disciplining your mind and his eyes.
  • Look at picture hanging on the wall (or advertisement billboards at the ballpark). Start by talking in the entire image, then keep narrowing his focus until he’s centered on a very particular part of the picture/ad. See it completely, noticing every detail. Stay on it with his eyes until he has committed the detail to memory.
  • Play the old kid’s game (abbreviated version) of concentration, using just a few cards from a deck of playing cards. Include one card for each number from two or ten. Have someone place the nine cards face down in random order. Then turn them up and view them quickly. Turn then face down again. Distract himself for one minute. Then attempt to turn the cards over in order, starting with the deuce. As he becomes better able to this – and decrease the time required to do it – add numbers from different suites, so he then has to turn two number 2s over, and so on. Be patient with himself. He’ll get better if his discipline it stronger than his frustration. (And that should be one of his goals during competition, as well!)

  • Make up a grid of 100 squares on a sheet of paper. (Make a bunch of photocopies.) Have someone else fill in the blanks of a grid randomly with number 00, 01, 02 . . . through 99. The athlete takes the grid and goes through it, using pen or pencil to cross out the number in consecutive order. When he becomes stuck – seemingly unable to “find” the next number, he stays wit it. No quitting ! He works through to completion. He repeats this exercise as many time as he wishes, having the person fill in the numbers in different spaces, of course. He will see improvement.

  • Using the same exercise, he times himself, keeping a record of his times. He doesn’t expect a continuous improvement. He’ll have good days, and not-so-good days, just as he will on the field. The key is to be persistent, rather than giving in to bad attempt. To stay the course. To focus on task, not on difficulty. (A terrific exercise, because it serves many purposes.)

  • Using the same exercise, the athlete turns on a talk radio program while he’s working on the grid. He raises the volume as he becomes more skillful. This provides still another possible intrusion and distraction.

  • The athlete or the coach can invent his own exercise. Diligence is always a requirement.

Basic Skills

Multi skill activities :
One of the advantages of teaching through games is this capacity to design single activities that include a number of skills.

It allows the coach to involve more players in active learning experiences at the same time.
Cricket task :
How to measure the following skills in a 6 ball over
  • The on drive
  • The off drive
  • Back foot play
  • Running between the wickets
  • Bowling accuracy
  • Attacking fielding and throwing
  • Wicket keeping
What other match conditions would you change to measure :
  • fielding
  • wicket keeping
  • number of runs per 6 all over
Knowledge of ‘the’ Game is essential to..
..design an effective multi skill activity…..

WHERE the game scenario ‘STARTS’ from will provide a more realistic learning experience for the players
Eg ; what could you teach and measure here
  • Final 9 overs of one day match
  • Taking second new ball
  • Kickoff restart from half way [rugby]
  • Defensive scrum 10 metres out [rugby]
  • Hitting a shot 65m over water to a fast sloping green on a par 5. [golf]
  • Getting a turnover 90 m from goal [AFL]
  • Two spinners operating on a turning wicket
Multi skill workshop example
In rugby, design one [1] activity that challenges and evaluates the following skills :

Starting the game from ? …………………..
  • Line out throwing
  • Line out organisation and jumping
  • Half back passing on weak side
  • Number 10 kicking ability
  • Fitness
  • Game pressure
Coaching activity plan
  • Start from a lineout anywhere on field
  • Hooker throws in to unopposed lineout
  • Half back passes on’ weak’ side to 5/8
  • 5/8 kicks for touch [measure distance]
  • Forwards run to lineout and restart activity
  • Repeat for 10 line outs….then :
Increase intensity by introducing :
  • Opposition – lineout and defenders
  • Wet ball
  • Distances for 5/8 to kick 
  • Effective coaching is about providing a reason ‘why’, and then a strategy ,‘how’, a player learns a skill…. and then ‘how’ that skill ‘fits’ into a ‘game’ to produce a result.
    Pre –requisites for Coaches :
  • A clear and achievable goal and outcome
  • An Intimate knowledge of ‘the’ skill
  • A well developed knowledge of ‘the’ game
  • Imaginative planning
  • Patience and Flexibility
What is your strategy when coaching a new skill,….. do you :
  • Tell players what to do
  • Show players what to do
  • Or……..
….do you….. :
  • Use your imagination to design and introduce the muscle memory activities necessary to learn the skill that relates to ‘the’ game
  • Begin graduated / hierarchical activities with relevant games to measure achievement levels wherever possible.
  • Start at the bottom of the ladder !
  • Always be mindful of the effects of ‘competition’ on skill execution
When coaching…
Being able to measure the various levels of skill acquisition is vital for coaches planning and implementation of activities….

This is why ‘games’ activities are so useful
COACHING CRICKET
Cricket is a unique game because rarely do we practise and prepare as we play !

Most time is spent perfecting technique and mental skills independently through :
  • Instruction
  • Demonstration
  • Drills
  • Repetition and volume [nets]
  • Meetings and Lectures etc.,
Because many coaching strategies and programs are designed like this……..
..the skill is often isolated skill from the ‘game’
what cricket skill is being taught here ?
Coaching Ladder
Skill : Moving down the wicket to drive
  • Underarm ball to stationary player to catch
  • Vary length and ask ‘how’ can they access ball ?
  • Use markers to reinforce movement / distance
  • Repeat activities with over arm throws
  • Introduce a bat – repeat activities
  • Go to nets – introduce bowlers
  • Challenge batter with field placings..then runs
  • Centre wicket batting v spin bowlers
  • Competition challenge – balls / runs / field placing
Q What other skills could I coach at the same time ?
Workshop
Using your knowledge of these ‘games’, and your imagination as a Coach, design a number of Game Sense activities to teach young players some of the basic skills necessary to play…
  • Australian Rules
  • Hockey
  • Golf
  • Soccer
  • Rugby Union
Workshop example
In rugby, design an activity that teaches the basic skills of :
  • catch and pass
  • setting up support
  • space awareness
  • speed and evasion
  • defence
  • communication
Session plan and game rules
  • 2 attackers v 1 defender [ tag tackle]
  • restricted area 8 metres wide
  • attackers cannot run backwards to avoid contact or tackle [tag]
  • support players must call out before receiving ball
  • attackers have 3 attempts to score a try
  • change sides
  •