Sock Cricket

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Sock Cricket

An oldie but a classic coming up!

Basically this is a vertical bat drill, which literally means that the ball is suspended in the air.

All you need is a ball and some rope, washing line, string (well you get the picture!) and a sock\stocking.

All you need to do is place the ball in the sock, tie it up and hang it from a branch, beam or clothesline. The ball needs to hand around 10cm from the ground.

Then just hit the ball by playing straight. This is a good way to work on technique on your own. It's also a good way to get the feet moving.

For variation, play a shot, then defend, shot, then defend. Another option is to cut down an old bat so it's narrower, will help in finding the middle of the bat. No real aim to just, just treat it as practice!

I don't think that this warrants a diagram but if you want one, just say
 
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what are you on about?

Good drill, not something i have heard of, prefer to play for real with firends.
 
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yeah fun drill except once i had a short rope and had to do it with ball 1-2 feet above the ground. i hit the ball too hard and it came back and hit me right where it hurts. :embarrassed:
 
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rob84 said:
yeah fun drill except once i had a short rope and had to do it with ball 1-2 feet above the ground. i hit the ball too hard and it came back and hit me right where it hurts. :embarrassed:
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:laugh: Thats funny
I think this is good for practice and i used to do it a lot when I there was no one to play with.
 
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haha, this sounds like the perfect drill for those early mornings when no one else fancies it! Thanks! :D

Rob -perhaps you should wear a box in the future when doing this drill? :eek:
 
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Yep, i definately benift from this practise. I haven't had it all season and had some low scores then i got it back up and have been playing with it for ages and got a 24 (My highest) I usually do better after i've had a muck around with it.
 
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sock and ball is a good idea but the ball generally comes down at different angles so you have to change your stance around which isnt good from a technical point of view.

You could try getting a half bat which makes you keep your eye on the ball. At my Coaching Academy in Yorkshire/Derbyshire we use a product called 'Play in the V' which is a cricket bat that is only 4cm wide (but maintains it's weight as it is massive!) and tiny tennis balls, smaller than golf balls. This trains your hand/eye coordination to the limit and is a great way to make sure you are watching the ball and hitting straight. Their website more info is www.playinthevcricketbats.com
 
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The old golf ball and wall trick. A good way to get your foot moving as you say, and helps hand-eye co-ordination.
 
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Virendersingh.berthwal said:
Sock Cricket is good to practice at home and i have benefited with it.
I use a golf ball and a stump to practice :) (without wearing a box) ;)
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Wouldn't it be better to use your match bat?If your using a stump your match bat could feel very heavy and this could have a negative effect on your form.
 
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Dikon said:
Wouldn't it be better to use your match bat?If your using a stump your match bat could feel very heavy and this could have a negative effect on your form.
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It's no different from using the narrow width coaching bat (to a point). Until recently they never had the same weight, were just normal bats with the shoulders cut off.
 
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StanTheMan said:
It's no different from using the narrow width coaching bat (to a point). Until recently they never had the same weight, were just normal bats with the shoulders cut off.
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The narrow width coaching bats are made to be the same weight as your match bat so you don't feel a difference.The only difference is supposed to be it gets you to middle the ball more often and when you bat in a match the bat seems a lot wider than usual.
 
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The 'Play in the V' cricket bat is made to simulate the weight of your normal cricket bat so there are no bad habits developed. Sometimes, bats such as the 'Eye In' are far too light and this can have a detrimental effect on your batting technique.

For the sake of £30 and you can get it cheaper if you email them for sponsorship) it is something every cricketer serious about improving should have in their kit bag. I use them all the time with my cricket academy in Derbyshire and Yorkshire and it has really helped to improve my young cricketers between 7 and 17 years old.
 
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Possibly, however, Bradman's innovation was not designed to work on 'batting technique' but hand/eye coordination, reaction and foot proprioception. In fact, if it is used the Bradman way, with a golf ball against a 'wall', the weight of a normal bat, at the speed required would cause stresses on too many areas of the anatomy to mention, hence Bradman's/Virender's stump.
 
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Play in the V is taking it step further than Bradman's device though as it is aimed at improving hand/eye coordination but also trying to hit straight or in the V, the most important part of batting.

Think you are barking up the wrong tree saying a normal weight bat can cause too many stresses as the Play in the V doesnt use a golf ball but someone feeding mini tennis balls at you from 10metres with a 2 or 3 second break between each feed.
 
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