Practice slogging (!)

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akkers

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Practice slogging (!)

How would you practice big hits? If you practice in the nets, you just cant judge elevation etc. If you practice out on the field, the how do you find the fielders or stop losing balls?

Whats the best way to practice this art? I am sure Chris Gayle, Owais Shah and Kevin Peitersons of this world must practice slog-hitting somewhere.
 
Re: Practice slogging (!)

Just practice it. Indoors or out, set yourself a challenge and go for it.

Use indoor for getting used to picking up the length etc, and outdoor for power, elevation and avoiding fielders.

Why not station fielders in one particular area and try to beat them, if you do great, if not then they get some decent catching practice.
 
Re: Practice slogging (!)

I would suggest using the net for getting tecnique right. If you hold your shape and find the middle most of the time you are on the right track.

However it's important to note that big hitting is not slogging. Look at the players you mentioned and none of them slog. The all play big shots with a decent technique: well balanced, aligned to the ball and holding their shape all the way through the shot, not just before impact.
 
Re: Practice slogging (!)

i would like to make a correction there... i consider those batsman sloggers, but not hackers.

hackers are players who go out of there way to hit a big one, step right across and open up, then play with a cross bat, generally over midwicket.
whereas sloggers can play the big hits with a straight bat with elevation, look at brad haddin for an example. they can also hack, but at a controlled level, like mike hussey with his slog over midwicket, he momentarily turns into a hacker.

for a slogger you have to make sure you are only playing your normal shots, but just with elevation where you hit the ball a little earlier with an angled bat.

thats what i have been told anyways... im not sure if thats proper terminology but thats the way i think of it. there arent many hackers in the aussie side to make an example of, but there are some fine sloggers, like symonds (kinda aussie).
 
Re: Practice slogging (!)

OK well we agree on the type, just the term. I would say a slogger is someone who does it without good technique.
 
Re: Practice slogging (!)

it takes more skill to pick the gaps and get fours than go over the top for sixes, puls less risk. You can't score runs from the pavillion and as Don
Bradman said, you cant get caught hitting along the ground.
 
Re: Practice slogging (!)

if you want to practice slogging its all pretty much premeditating your shot for example if its pitched up on off stump im going to slog through midwicket. just at the end of each net session say when you get told last 6 pretend you need 20 odd to win a game and have a dip. cant go out at training
 
Re: Practice slogging (!)

if you really want to slog, practice in the nets hitting balls into certain areas - ie midwicket, square, straight, fine - until you can middle them most of the time. That way when you play, you have the shots to clear the infield, or pick the gaps in the outfield if there are fielders on the boundary. Its better, and safer, to pick shots that are safe bets rather than taking on fielders, you can still do this with slogging, you just need to wait for the right balls.

Paul Collingwood does this a lot - he'll grind and grind and then when the opportunity is there, and the field is in, hoick it over midwicket.

Good luck mate
 
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