Keeping Cover Drive on the Ground

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Boris

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Keeping Cover Drive on the Ground

you've probably heard of stuff like this over and over again, but i'm gonna ask anyway.

i have a really good lofted cover drive, hit a few sixes using it, but the problem lies with keeping the ball on the ground. my straight driving is fine, hit a good four in the final with a perfectly straight drive along the ground. my cover drive though seems to either go straight into the ground and go nowhere or at catchable height, often very hard after being middled.

probably very simple to answer, but thanks anyway. is it just my timing or am i playing it completely wrong?
 
Re: Keeping Cover Drive on the Ground

thanks for that, i tried it in the nets today and i found i have much more accuracy to where i hit the ball, but the ball is still in the air for a considerable amount of time, not as much as before though.
i think it is a problem with my grip and hand movement. do you know what should be happening with my hands?
 
Re: Keeping Cover Drive on the Ground

Virendersingh.berthwal;353982 said:
Boris,

Can u post ur batting video for analysis...
Shoot it from the Umpire's end..

Virender
Click to expand...

i'd love to... but i probably wont be able to until the start of next season.

nets are hard to get to with soccer going on and i dont have access to a camera right now... i will try though.
 
Re: Keeping Cover Drive on the Ground

Boris it is simple, you seem to be strong in the bottom hand hence when you drive you scoop the ball.
Gilchrist when he is not at his best hits the ball in the air at catching height, he puts a squash ball into the glove of his bottom hand.
This will lessen the strength in that bottom hand meaning you will drive with the top hand keeping your elbow up.
What i encourage the kids to do is were alot of inners so it's comfortable and you can still grip the bat.
 
Re: Keeping Cover Drive on the Ground

brett;354151 said:
Boris it is simple, you seem to be strong in the bottom hand hence when you drive you scoop the ball.
Gilchrist when he is not at his best hits the ball in the air at catching height, he puts a squash ball into the glove of his bottom hand.
This will lessen the strength in that bottom hand meaning you will drive with the top hand keeping your elbow up.
What i encourage the kids to do is were alot of inners so it's comfortable and you can still grip the bat.
Click to expand...

when i have access to the nets i will try that.

i have sorted out my hitting it in the air now, but its lacking power because i'm barely using my bottom hand at all. i shall see if this helps me bring back that power as well as keeping it on the ground.
the guys are having a go at me because of it... i have a reputation as a big hitter and pushing the ball through the covers isnt my 'style' so this will hopefully help heaps.
 
Re: Keeping Cover Drive on the Ground

brett;354151 said:
Boris it is simple, you seem to be strong in the bottom hand hence when you drive you scoop the ball.
Gilchrist when he is not at his best hits the ball in the air at catching height, he puts a squash ball into the glove of his bottom hand.
This will lessen the strength in that bottom hand meaning you will drive with the top hand keeping your elbow up.
What i encourage the kids to do is were alot of inners so it's comfortable and you can still grip the bat.
Click to expand...
Hi Brett.. I have one query regarding the use of inners...
I used inners early but then off late...i observed that my bat slips from my hand or there is no tight grip with bat while executing a shot...
so i stopped using it and find better control...But i still feel that batting inners are good....can u help me in understanding my concern...What do u suggest???
I am not a big hitter of the ball and my batting is generally building on partnerships and hitting the ball on its merit.

Virender
 
Re: Keeping Cover Drive on the Ground

Virendersingh.berthwal;354278 said:
Hi Brett.. I have one query regarding the use of inners...
I used inners early but then off late...i observed that my bat slips from my hand or there is no tight grip with bat while executing a shot...
so i stopped using it and find better control...But i still feel that batting inners are good....can u help me in understanding my concern...What do u suggest???
I am not a big hitter of the ball and my batting is generally building on partnerships and hitting the ball on its merit.

Virender
Click to expand...

Virender.

Inners are used to absorb sweat, so your sweat does not get to the palms on your gloves making your gloves stiff and hard on the palms.

Q's

Do you use the thick wicket keeping inners that have the strap on them or do you use the inners that are T.Shirt thin that are cut to the 1st Knuckle.

It sounds like you may use the Keeping inners.

But at the end of the day you need to do what makes you comfortable, we can't have the bat slipping out. I have batted with both sized inners and different times and no inners at other times.
But i do find i go through 2 pairs of gloves a season with out inners & with inners.

So i need to know the answer to my question.
 
Re: Keeping Cover Drive on the Ground

About 3 years ago I was working with an 11 year-old. He was a prolific driver of the ball and had good cut strokes. Even though he did the correct movements and positioned himself correctly he was not getting much power; he would rarely hit a ball that went to boundary.

Then somebody suggested that he should concentrate more on pushing and gettiong more power from his bottom hand. I took this advice and pushed him to use the bottom hand more. True - his power increased over time and he started to hit boundaries. However, whereas he used to always drive along the ground before, now he struggled to keep the ball down. Every dive shot he played was going in air.

I am now working with him to keep the ball down. Maybe I will try stuffing some soft stuff into his bottom glove.
 
Re: Keeping Cover Drive on the Ground

i went down to the nets a couple of days ago and used this and i managed to play the cover drive really well, i have pretty much not changed my technique at all but just lessened my bottom hand power. i am not sure as it was in the nets but my coach said they would have flown to the boundary so that has helped a lot. thanks for that.
i was playing a cover drive everytime i needed to in our no.2 net which is my favourite one, but our no.1 net was just resurfaced and extremely bouncy. i dont think i played one successful drive through the covers there, and i think it was mostly from picking the wrong length as a good length ball was getting up at chest level and i was playing cover drives when the ball was at the sticker level of the bat. any suggestions as to how to play on a bouncy pitch?
 
Re: Keeping Cover Drive on the Ground

no problems for the advice.

As to the bouncy wicket.

A. play with soft hands so if it gets up high on the blade then your bat will soften the compact taking pace of the ball making the difference from the ball carrying to the ring on the full.

B. Let the ball come to you, don't be so eager to get out to the ball. let it come to you.

C. work out the bounce consistantcy early, find the area were you know if the ball lands within that area then it will go over the stumps. once this is done look to play from the back foot.

D. if the wicket is as bouncy as you say then probably best not to drive at all, use a forward defense but don't look to attack.

Hope this helps.
 
Re: Keeping Cover Drive on the Ground

believe me... its damn bouncy and comes onto the bat so quickly i often dont even play the shot before the ball hits the back net. i hope it ages quickly and lessens this bounce because its not the best to practice on.
i can play defensively pretty well on it though, its just attacking thats the problem. we have a fairly bouncy pitch that we play on for games so it would help to get things going before i play on it again.
i am mainly having trouble with the full pitched ball perfect for the cover drive, half volley and everything and it pops up and through before i can swing or it hits the top of my bat.
i will try your suggestions next week... i have a three day winter cricket carnival this weekend to look forward to.
 
Re: Keeping Cover Drive on the Ground

brett;354292 said:
Virender.

Inners are used to absorb sweat, so your sweat does not get to the palms on your gloves making your gloves stiff and hard on the palms.

Q's

Do you use the thick wicket keeping inners that have the strap on them or do you use the inners that are T.Shirt thin that are cut to the 1st Knuckle.

It sounds like you may use the Keeping inners.

But at the end of the day you need to do what makes you comfortable, we can't have the bat slipping out. I have batted with both sized inners and different times and no inners at other times.
But i do find i go through 2 pairs of gloves a season with out inners & with inners.

So i need to know the answer to my question.
Click to expand...
I have the T-shirt type thin inners for batting.
 
Re: Keeping Cover Drive on the Ground

Well Virender maybe try the thicker inners, i personally don't like them but it might work for you.
Are your gloves old because with no inners and new gloves your bat should not be slipping.
 
Re: Keeping Cover Drive on the Ground

brett;355291 said:
Well Virender maybe try the thicker inners, i personally don't like them but it might work for you.
Are your gloves old because with no inners and new gloves your bat should not be slipping.
Click to expand...
Yes..brett i have been using old gloves from last 3 years...stitched as and when it is teared in between and last year i used a batting gloves given by my captain...but this coming season...i might use them only...as buying a new pair is not possible..So do u think using inners will be beneficial..

Virender
 
Re: Keeping Cover Drive on the Ground

Boris;355241 said:
believe me... its damn bouncy and comes onto the bat so quickly i often dont even play the shot before the ball hits the back net. i hope it ages quickly and lessens this bounce because its not the best to practice on.
Click to expand...

Haha, I feel your pain. My home ground for juniors is sooooo bouncy, and it sucks because the cover drive is my best shot. It's damn frustrating because I hardly get a bat in seniors on turf.
 
Re: Keeping Cover Drive on the Ground

Jonesy;355380 said:
Haha, I feel your pain. My home ground for juniors is sooooo bouncy, and it sucks because the cover drive is my best shot. It's damn frustrating because I hardly get a bat in seniors on turf.
Click to expand...

we play on a mixture of artificial pitches and turf ones, depending on whats available and the rotation we are going through, so it gets a little tricky when practicing in the nets. our bounciest pitch is actually one of our turf pitches... but only at one end! half way down it gets extremely hard and the other end is about normal, so the fast bowlers have fun bowling a bouncer that flies way above your head, then the next ball the bowl just a bit shorter and it flies into your ribs. then you think you get your eye in when batting at one end, then go to the other and play and miss everything. annoying but hilarious...
 
Re: Keeping Cover Drive on the Ground

I believe too many people think using your bottom hand is a sin. Cricket is a 2 handed game, not just top hand. You'll get a lot more power using your bottom hand on your drives but it needs to be used in conjunction with the top hand properly, both of them working together.

If your hitting the ball underneath your eyes (and you should be) when driving then unless you're breaking your wrists and not coming through with the diamond shape in your arms, then it's virtually impossible to loft the shot.

James P
 
Re: Keeping Cover Drive on the Ground

To keep the ball along the ground with the cover drive bend your front elbow more while playing the stroke.
 
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