A confidence issue?

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Sean

Sean

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A confidence issue?

As you saw from this question, I am a slow batsman.

I think it may be a confidence issue and a fear of getting hurt for batting so slowly.

He said that I need to go out not looking to block, but looking to attack.


You could probably say that I basically soil myself when I face real fast bowlers thinking I might get hurt.

That's why I hate the short ball.

What do you guys think?
 
Re: A confidence issue?

Sean said:
I think it may be a confidence issue and a fear of getting hurt for batting so slowly.
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From experience, if you are diffident, for fear of getting hurt, you will get hurt!
 
Re: A confidence issue?

I am a great believer of playing oneself in, however, this should start long before you stand at the crease!

So many batsmen sit in the changing rooms, chat to their mates, eat, drink etc and pay little attention to the bowlers until they face them. You should be studying them closely, looking for weaknesses and strengths from the offset.

Then when you walk in, off, on and straight drives are safe shots to play as the bat is behind the ball for the longest amount of time, compared to other shots. Play a straight bat with good technique whilst judging the correct length of the drive and you will not get out. Try to stroke the ball; not hit it hard at the beginning.

The flick off the legs is a safe shot for good batsmen to accumulate runs. The ball is outside the leg stump so you cannot get bowled or LBW. Again, stroke the ball.

Similarly, leg glances are safe against a fast bowler; use the pace of the ball to steer it towards fine leg.

If you are confident with the cut, it is useful to put away a bad ball against a fast bowler but do not use it early, on a wicket with uneven bounce.

Only use the pull to put away a bad ball from a spin bowler on a wicket with true bounce.

Leave the cover drives until you get your eye in and you are used to the pace and bounce of the pitch.

If you are only accumulating 5-10 runs from 10-20 overs anyway, you do not have anything to lose. Get your first run, if you wish, then go for it.
 
Re: A confidence issue?

Sean said:
You could probably say that I basically shit myself when I face real fast bowlers thinking I might get hurt.
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There are two things you need to bare in mind.

1. Watch Ganguly bat, he is very weak against the short ball but watch how he swallows his fears...

2. And gets inside the line of the ball, this is key to play fast bowling as you just need a nick to get it for four and later on, it is ideal to get inside the line of the ball to hook it (but you are a while from that).
 
Re: A confidence issue?

If you are confident with the cut, it is useful to put away a bad ball against a fast bowler but do not use it early, on a wicket with uneven bounce.
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We play on the artificial pitches.
 
Re: A confidence issue?

i think you may have to just get out there and face ur fear haed on. get in the nets, all the kit on (helmet, chest and arm guards plus leg pads etc), crank the bowling machine up and go for it.

maybe not nice but hey, the ball only hurts so much as 75mph plus, plus bruises are badges
 
Re: A confidence issue?

i have the same problem. my coach says that i have good technique and has reccomended me to play for the fremantle district team but i feel i just aren't getting the runs on the board. my scores have been 14,0,4*,0,29* and 10. i feel in very good touch, the best for me ever, but i feel I'm letting the team down. is there any advice someone can offer me?? :confused: :confused:
 
 
Re: A confidence issue?

there are two issues here:
1) confidence against difficult balls
2) slow scoring rate


practise the former by bouncing tennis balls off a wall onto the ground in front of you and then defending against them or attacking them or evading and ducking out of their way. Try to bounce them so that they really challenge you on the rebound. Tennis balls won't hurt you.

practise the latter by deciding that you are going out there to hit the ball. As previously stated by others above, if you are scoring slowly anyway then you have full licence and nothing to lose and if you decide to go for it your reactions will speed up and you will improve just from a change of mental attitiude which will go on to generate itself
 
Re: A confidence issue?

I wouldn't be recommending the tennis-ball-against-a-wall plan. Great little test for hand eye coordination, but not for technique training for a very simple reason - it doesn't mimic the natural batting process. It's very similar to why dropping a ball in front of you and playing a drive, or practicing hitting off a cone isn't particularly useful for any advanced batsman- it's simply not how batting works.

There's only really a couple of way to combat fear against fast bowling...
1) Stomach it. And practice facing as much fast bowling as you can.
2) Adjust your technique - maximise your efficiency and visualise plans for each type of delivery.
3) Stomach it. Bruises go away. They also get you sympathy. In fact, get hit- LOTS- and tell everybody about how fast it was.....
 
Re: A confidence issue?

All it takes is one innings. Speaking from personal experience, when you are not confident, it only takes one innings to play yourself in and bat a long time to see how its done.
 
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