Stopping on a shot

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Little Big Kahuna

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Stopping on a shot

Hi all

Hope its all going well for you. I posted sometime ago and you helped me with some footwork problems, so am hoping you can help on this problem as well.

You may remember I haven't played for some 25yrs plus and am hoping to play for the club team 2nds this season but obviously I need to practise alot (and am doing so!). In a nets session recently, one of the guys noticed that I was stopping on the follow through and I have myself recognised this.

I have no problems (at the mo) with cutting or flicking of the pads but if I'm driving I lead with with my left shoulder and keep my elbow high on the follow through but I notice that some of the guys really swing the bat at the ball and the bat finishes almost over their head. My bat finishes at ninety degrees to ground. Am I too left hand dominant?

Cheers
 
Re: Stopping on a shot

Seems they might be in the wrong not you! I've always been taught that the bat should finish in front of the eyes/around eye height when driving, like so:


100752.jpg

Generally, a full rotation (with the bat finishing like the picture below) is used when trying to hit over the top or 'slogging', or when extra power is needed. A well timed shot, on the ground is fine to finish at eye level.

113101.jpg

Check out the video here (YouTube - Michael Vaughan Natwest Cricket Masterclass - Cover Drive) - it's Vaughan giving a masterclass on the cover drive. They talk about follow through around the 2.40 mark. Although they mention the bat ending up with a 'flourish around the shoulder', note that Vaughan actually ends up with the bat as an extension of his eyes (2.09 and around 3.10).

Also, some of it is personal. Some people have a showy finish to their shots, others are more conservative. I wouldn't worry too much as long as it is working for you.
 
Re: Stopping on a shot

Thanks MC.

I think on a number of shots the suggestion was that I didn't follow through to even eye height. I've got another net session this weekend so will focus on my follow through.

At what point should your right hand come through the shot?
 
Re: Stopping on a shot

Absolutely agree with mc. After all, the aim of both ff and bf drive is to hit towards straight mid on with the full face of the bat. The posture would be lower for off and straight drives but if we are talking on drive, the posture is standing tall so the toe of the bat will not be as level as mc's first photo... the toe will be in the same place, the arms will be higher as the batsman is taller, so it would appear that the bat is not at eye level.

I doubt you are 'too left hand dominant' [assuming you are a RH], it is more often than not the other way. It sounds like you are hunky dory, although, don't lead with your left shoulder; keep your shoulders relaxed. Lead with your left elbow and keep that lovely diamond shape happening.

Like mc, I am not in favour of clones and do like to see some flair but the only shots I like to see the bat over the head are front and back foot flick off the legs. However, moving out to drive is a little different and although the bat is not 'swung' around the head, it does end up quite high. Basically, the slower you swing the bat in this scenario, the longer you will maintain your technique and so time your shot. The bat should be kept straight and you really should [read that as 'must'] not hit across the line of the ball. Open stance with off spinners and side ways with leg spinners and lefties.

This relies on your mental skills... back yourself and believe in your shot selection ;).
 
Re: Stopping on a shot

I echo the idea that the checked drive is the way to go. There less risk of bringing in the bottom hand too early and closing the face or hitting across the line.
 
Re: Stopping on a shot

Thanks Micoach. Concentrated on this in the nets at the weekend and hit some lovely off drives and had no problems on a full ball but................


maybe I should enter this as a separate thread but...........

we used a bowing machine and the balls does tend to bounce higher than I'm told it would when I start playing outdoors, but I had some real problems defending the bouncing ball.

Being of shorter stature, the ball constantly came towards chest height and when I tried to defend on the back foot, I constantly ot hit on the gloves and topped edged it in to my grill. It just seemed I couldn't get my bat high enough.

Do you think this was just a matter of timing? I haven't had this problem when facing bowling, just with the bowling machine.

Any thoughts welcome..

Thanks
 
Re: Stopping on a shot

I have to say, before I'm shouted at, I do like bowling machines and feel they have an important role to play. However, this role is in facilitating the practise of particular shots. What shot was this working?

For a bowling machine session to be worth while, the batsman needs to know where the ball is going to be pitched and the height of the bounce. The machine should be calibrated with this in mind. The idea is not just point and shoot, it is quite a skilled task running a machine session.

I take on board that you are not six foot and also take into consideration that if indoor training is on the wrong kind of surface, bounce will be high. Unfortunately, the person organising the session does not appear to have taken all this into consideration. If the bounce was too high for you, the person in charge of the machine should have changed the goal of the session; perhaps aiming for bouncers, pitching shorter, to allow you to practise the hook shot which is used against chest and head height. Or you could have practised ducking and swaying ;).

I honestly believe the bounce was too high for bf defence which should be played to a short ball pitching in line with the stumps and bounces between the batsman's waist and chest height.

I really do not think this session did you any good at all and you would probably have been better off not attending or getting into a free net with a bowler.

However, if I have read this incorrectly and the bounce was below chest height, we can work on the bf defence. It may be due to mobility. If I am right, don't worry about it... erase the memory :).
 
Re: Stopping on a shot

Hi Liz

I do agree with you that it wasn't the best session and the bruises prove the difficulty I had with it.

Unfortunately my colleague changed the length of each ball, so didn't have any idea until it came out of the machine. Some of the balls were a good length and I had no problem on the front foot at all but when they were unexpectedly short and bounced in to my chest, I tried to firstly move inside them to hook (caught two top edge into my grill) so then decided to defend but just got hit on gloves a number of times. In the end I realised that I had started backing away on the final few.

Also had someone bowling in the same session and didnt have one problem, hitting some nice drives. I appreciate that you're not going to necessarily be able to see a bouncer coming until it comes out of the hand but I did feel that the net session was a bit comical and hasn't left me feeling too positive about playing a hook shot from a ball that follows me.
 
Re: Stopping on a shot

OK... in some perverse way, this is good :).

However, do bear in mind that a bowling machine is not a bowler substitute and use it to your advantage.

It sounds like you need to get back in front of the machine to practise your hook shots. Next time, ask your colleague to set it at 'bouncer' and do not change it. It is the repetition that seals the shot! This is why you use a machine; bowlers are hopeless at getting the ball to do the same thing, at the same height, at the same speed, over and over again :D.

If you have difficulty, don't panic into defence. Ask your colleague to slow the speed. When you can consistently hook, up the speed again.

To be honest, your last session is a classic example of how not to use a bowling machine... try not to have too many nightmares about it ;).
 
Re: Stopping on a shot

Thanks Liz. I know my post sounds whimpish, its not intended, its more frustration esp after trying to move inside the line and top edging in to the grill.

I know I'm just getting back in to the game (whats 25 yrs eh) but really, I should be able to put bat on ball! Well net session tonight without the machine, so looking forward to getting on with it.

Cheers
 
Re: Stopping on a shot

Little Big Kahuna;395538 said:
... I know my post sounds whimpish...
Click to expand...

Absolutely not! I don't think people maximise the potential a bowling machine has to improve skills. Or realise what damage they can do with it; technically or psychologically. I guess it is not their fault, they just have not really got into the mindset. This is where good coaches come in but, unfortunately, seniors are rarely coached.

To my mind, you were put in an unnecessarily dangerous situation. More than anything, I sensed that it had put you off the hook shot a little and quite understandably. So the bowling machine session had no possitive purpose. Not really what I like to hear but you need to turn it around and make it work for you.

I understand your frustration and with a little skill from your colleague, you could have had the hook in the bag at the weekend :(.
 
Re: Stopping on a shot

O... just in case you were wondering... save the pull shot for spinners, preferably leg spinners, pitching short. :D
 
Re: Stopping on a shot

Well there's another story!

Faced the first team spin bowler the other day in the nets and this was the first time since school I had faced a fast spinner, so that was interesting. Tried to play him legside with the spin but struggled so then changed to taking guard on leg and tried to hit him on the offside aainst the spin.

Really enjoyed the experience but boy do I need some practice, quite surprised how fast he bowled, have played aainst slow spin and not a prob.

Its just great getting back in to the game.
 
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