FBI Pre Season 2008/9

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FBI

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FBI Pre Season 2008/9

Hi,

I will try to keep this diary going to September, when the season ends, starting here in the pre-season. I don't think this should be in Your Cricket as it will be a tail of attempting to improve through fitness, swing and changes to the action as this is still the pre-season.

I have had three net sessions so far and with reasonable success. First session was actually a dream start. I was hitting that spot over and over without any sort of difficulty. The other two have been far more wayward, but last session I did bowl two good batsmen with balls which jagged quite sharply off the seam in to both the right and left hander.

On to the issue which I obsess with - pace. Well, the pace has been okay, but not fantastic. I don't know why I expect any improvement though as I haven't done my boxing for a few weeks (I'm so lazy, but take two starting today) nor have I changed my action and speeding up doesn't come naturally. I don't know where to start with the latter, I guess.
 
Re: FBI Pre Season 2008/9

Wow, I totally forgot about this thread as sC turned into Big Cricket - I assumed it was gone, I guess. Well, I have been steadily working on my fitness and strength. Been doing boxing daily for about 15 minutes of short sharp bursts intermittant with some light jabbing. Have also been using an exercise ball quite a lot, been pressing very light dumbells over my head while sitting on the ball and 'activating the core' for 30 reps, twice a day for shoulder strength and core strength. Saw a physio, last summer and she recommended bench presses while lying on the exercise ball for lower abdominal strength and I have been doing this 20 reps once per day. Have also been doing planks - I do feel that I am getting stronger, but my times stay constant at around 1 minute, perhaps 1 minute 20s on a very good day, perhaps that is down to concentration. Well, anyway, have been doing two a day. Keeping the workload to a minimum for the moment as too large a schedule and I fall into procrastination and end up not doing anything.
 
Re: FBI Pre Season 2008/9

Haven't bowled in a little while, with nets on the extended break. Probably going to bowl again at school nets which start in February. Before I ended it though, it was going quite well, with the timing in the action feeling good - sorta the feeling to be able to push the pace as high as the arm will swing through. I have kept it quite simple to run in with long, quite methodical strides and a high jump and it was feeling quite good. Haven't bowled for a very long time though, attended the session before the club nets broke up before Christmas but felt horribly under the weather so didn't bowl much at all after the first half hour. We had some horrendously slow mats which didn't stretch more than half way down the wicket, which was quite tedious.

The batting is going very well; apparently, I am looking moreso like a batsman and I am feeling quite good.
 
Re: FBI Pre Season 2008/9

Sounds like the batting may be your thing then.

Would be interested to hear how things go once you start back at nets, see if the exercise has made any difference.
 
Re: FBI Pre Season 2008/9

Batting won't be my thing regardless of how I look in the nets as I simply am always placed lower in the order. Hopefully, I could score a few more runs and hit my first fifty this season though.
 
Re: FBI Pre Season 2008/9

I've been listening to some of the Pitchvision miCoach cricket shows and they are very interesting, I am highly intent on being able to do clap pushups, but I cannot do a regular pressup and haven't yet been able to strengthen myself enough to do it - I just don't know how to go about it. Might start doing the high pulls (not precisely sure of the name) once I get a grasp of the precise technique, might PM miCoach with a video to see if my technique is correct.

Have had to take a break with the physical work over the past two days though as have been quite under the weather which often makes me physically very weak and so unable to do anything worthwhile.
 
Re: FBI Pre Season 2008/9

I know that it is all about the core rather than individual muscles and also movements not muscles but this is advice given by a physio who I have seen and who has assessed my body and so I think it is advice worth taking.
 
Re: FBI Pre Season 2008/9

There is no such thing as lower abdominals.

The rectus abdominus (the traditional six pack) is one muscle.

Even if there was a lower abdominal muscle, doing pressing on a ball will not strengthen it. Yes, it will help with developing the endurance of the stabilising muscles but that isn't what you were told.

I can't begin to say how wrong that comment is.

Hence, boiling blood.

Now I admit, maybe you got the wrong end of the stick, ot they meant something else. However why would a PT ever, ever, ever prescribe 20 reps of a seated upper body pushing exercise to strengthen any abdominal muscle?

For a start you are sitting down thus reducing the effectiveness of the exercise.

Surely if you wanted to work abs you would get people doing planks or yoga or even sit ups (and if you know me you know i hate sits ups more than "lower abdominals").
 
Re: FBI Pre Season 2008/9

Tbh, you're the authority on this sort of thing but I thought I'd just say that I wasn't just making up some exercises. I have also been doing a fair amount of planks which have been helping a bit. It was not prescribed by a PT though, a physio that I've been to for various issues who has noted that some spinal alignment and lack of core strength are probably main issues. Started doing some of those high pulls but had to lay off a few days ago when my right side started badly aching, must have slept funny because it was quite bad but is gone now...

Anywhoo, got school 'trials' (in inverted commas because the coach knows what First XI squad he wants) on Monday, should be interesting since I haven't bowled in a fair while but have been doing quite a bit of strength work.
 
Re: FBI Pre Season 2008/9

The lower portion of the rectus abdominus together with the transverse abdominus are often referred to as the 'lower abdominals'. Sometimes, this can also include the obliques. Exercises for this area are extremely important for spinal stability and injury prevention.

I have noted your issues from the videos I have seen and would concur with the physio. From a remedial aspect, it is vital you continue with this. However, you are quite right to include other, more specific exercises.

Have fun with the trials :)
 
Re: FBI Pre Season 2008/9

School was off on Monday because of snow so I missed the trials but had my first bowl in absolutely ages today in club nets. Tbh, it was as good as I could expect for my first net in three months. The run up was okay to start with, but as usual, I got very flat footed as I got tired. My attempt for longer strides did work well and it really does generate rhythm that I am not used to, when it is used over at least 8 strides. My action was feeling okay, however, I must note that when I try to get side on, the momentum seems to take me toward the right handers leg side (keeping in mind that I am left arm over the wicket). Towards the right end of the session, I started wrapping my bowling arm around my neck like the young Irfan Pathan used to do and it was really hindering my pace. However, my brother has pointed this out to me in the past and because I could recognize it, I could sort it. However, before long, I had to go to my driving lesson, which went quite well...
 
Re: FBI Pre Season 2008/9

Liz Ward;318123 said:
I have noted your issues from the videos I have seen and would concur with the physio. From a remedial aspect, it is vital you continue with this. However, you are quite right to include other, more specific exercises.
Click to expand...

May I ask how you have come to this conclusion from watching my bowling. It is not at all that I disagree, just that I am extremely curious in how the analysing process worked here.

Saw a physio, last summer and she recommended bench presses while lying on the exercise ball for lower abdominal strength and I have been doing this 20 reps once per day.
Click to expand...

May I ask the specific correct form for this exercise - the physio showed me it but I'm not too sure whether my neck should lie on the ball or should be straight, etc as I couldn't quite remember.

BTW Liz, would you be able to help me with throwing technique if I were to post a few videos? Bowling videos should be up in a few weeks but I might do some throwing in the garden. As I might have said, I did my right shoulder in while batting and it hasn't been quite right since, no matter how much rehabilitation exercises I do and my throwing has suffered. If I can perfect the technique, it might help hide the lack of power in that shoulder.
 
Re: FBI Pre Season 2008/9

FBI;323143 said:
May I ask how you have come to this conclusion from watching my bowling. It is not at all that I disagree, just that I am extremely curious in how the analysing process worked here.
Click to expand...

I shall address this in a PM.

FBI;323143 said:
May I ask the specific correct form for this exercise - the physio showed me it but I'm not too sure whether my neck should lie on the ball or should be straight, etc as I couldn't quite remember.
Click to expand...

You should rest the shoulders [above the scapula], neck and head on the ball. From the top of your head to your knees should be level as a plank; the hips must not dip.

FBI;323143 said:
BTW Liz, would you be able to help me with throwing technique if I were to post a few videos? Bowling videos should be up in a few weeks but I might do some throwing in the garden. As I might have said, I did my right shoulder in while batting and it hasn't been quite right since, no matter how much rehabilitation exercises I do and my throwing has suffered. If I can perfect the technique, it might help hide the lack of power in that shoulder.
Click to expand...

In some respects, throwing [properly] is more complicated than bowling :)

There are six phases of throwing and two [phases 4 and 5] would cause you issues. During 'acceleration' the velocity nears 7000 deg/sec with eccentric to concentric conversion during energy transfer and during 'deceleration', the contraction becomes eccentric again with approximate joint loads: posterior sheer 400N, inferior sheer 300N and compressive in excess of 1000N. I am afraid that although technique will help, it will not hide any lack of power. I am even more afraid to say that if you continue to throw without full rehabilitation, you are at risk of serious damage :(

However, if you post a video, I shall have a look but suspect that YouTube will not be able to give me a good idea of how your shoulder copes with the stress, considering your chronic injury. It may be more helpful if you describe your injury fully.
 
Re: FBI Pre Season 2008/9

That PM was fascinating, thanks for that.

The physio could not help with the shoulder injury as there appeared to be nothing wrong to her and so she could not fully understand the problem. Basically, the injury first happened when I was batting in the nets last January. The bowler bowled one and I was so early on it that the ball thudded into the bottom of the bat while I was playing a backfoot straight drive. This sent massive pain into my shoulder, feeling like it had popped out of place (though I doubt that is what actually happened). The pain went away after a few seconds but it was very sore and obviously, has never recovered. Moreover, this same thing has happened a few other times while batting since then, usually when I toe a ball that I have swung to hit. I have compensated by sensing the pressure before it comes and taking the bottom hand off the bat, but that is obviously just a quick fix.
 
Re: FBI Pre Season 2008/9

This is almost certainly a rotator cuff injury.

If you can imagine the vibration at the toe of your bat, it will send strong waves up through to your shoulder; getting larger the higher they go. By the time the waves reached your shoulder, the force was sufficient to significantly test the elastic capacity of these muscles. Unfortunately, this weakens the area which makes it almost definite to reoccur.

Go back to How to protect your shoulder from cricket injury | Cricket coaching, fitness and tips and work on some of the exercises. It is important to emphasise 'light' weights here. I should say that, although I mentioned them, I am not keen on using exercise bands for this issue.

If your shoulder is not recovered by the start of the season, I seriously recommend a MRI scan.

This also brings up another issue. I suspect [but don't know] that you are gripping the bat too tightly. This can cause medial epicondylitis; pain on the medial [radial] side of your elbow. If this is the case, you will need to strengthen the flexor muscles in your forearm too [bearing in mind my PM].
 
Re: FBI Pre Season 2008/9

Sorry if this is a silly question but it really should have been the first one I asked :

Do you throw right handed?
 
Re: FBI Pre Season 2008/9

Yes. Extremely unusual, I know but I simply cannot throw with my left arm, no matter how much practice I put in.
 
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