Art Of Sliding While Fielding.....

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highesteem1

highesteem1

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Sliding while fielding generate big impetus to the game of cricket..
It is also an important armory for the better fielder's kitty. May be imported from soccer's sliding tackle or baseball!!
it is also important to understand how to learn or teach the nitty gritty of sliding without getting injured.I feel forums participation is necessary to understand:
· how to initiate sliding among youngstars particularly Side wise slide(On knee or leg) AND Front slide (on Upper Abdomen or lower chest) ? motivation, tackling inhibition, injuries, techniques etc..​
· Is it proven scientifically that by sliding a fielder can reach for the ball faster than the conventional fielding (better ground coverage)??​
· How to avoid injury while learning the technique ??​
Active participation is expected from the members. :)
 
I slide a lot, and think I do it pretty well. No idea what kind of technique is involved, I used to play football (soccer) so maybe I acquired it from that, I was a defender as well so it was part of my role. Its just something I've done since I started playing cricket a few years ago, and it comes naturally.

In terms of whether it is faster, there was actually an episode of Mythbusters where they tested it, they were looking at it from a Baseball perspective as to whether it was faster to slide in to the base when running, rather than just running and stopping on your feet. This actually has some merit in cricket terms as well. They determined that it was marginally faster to slide, because you didn't have to slow yourself down, the slide would do it for you (e.g. you couldn't overshoot the base, which would get you out). In cricket when you are trying to pick up a ball, if you are simply running then you also have to slow down at the ball, bend over to pick it up, get back up, then throw it back. Whereas a slide you can slide in for the last few metres which is always going to be faster, plus you have the added bonus of your hands being at ground level. If you perfect the method then you can perform the pickup whilst still sliding, and use the slide momentum to dig your feet in and pop back up to your feet in one smooth movement, then return the ball via a throw. And this is extremely fast and fluid. It buys me run out opportunities that simply wouldn't be there otherwise, plus it looks awesome!

When trying to stop balls, the slide has its place as well. If the ball is straight at you then obviously the long barrier is the way forwards generally. But if the ball is either side of you or you are on the run then the slide is better as you can get your whole body behind the ball. It is also fairly safe to use on bumpy outfields when the ball is bobbling around, as sometimes the long barrier can be jumped, whereas the slide tends to be more solid.

Stopping balls from crossing the boundary when chasing the slide is always better, as on your feet you can't reach for the ball, and diving at the last minute is harder to do. The belly slide works best as you can then use your outstretched arms to reach as well, but on dry outfields it is slower, the leg slide is generally faster I'd say. The belly slide works best on wet outfields, which in England are very common, but not so much in the other cricket nations I'd imagine.

Overall, as someone who slides very well and uses it all the time (even when it isn't necessary sometimes), I'd say the slide is the best method for just about every aspect of fielding. There aren't many occasions when I'm chasing a ball that I opt not to slide. The downside is that if you get it wrong you can do serious knee damage, and I often bruise my knees up (I have been meaning to buy some neoprene knee protectors for this). On hard dry outfields it is just straight up painful to do, and on soft outfields it is easy to dig a foot in to the ground and cause an injury. Also if you wear spikes then you have to make sure you keep your feet up. Personally I don't wear spikes, even on wet outfields, as I can't bowl my leg spin with them on (my feet dig in and I can't rotate properly), and I prefer to slide anyway.
 
Damp and early in the season it may be an option, once it's dry, I reckon I'd only ever be doing it if I was getting paid for it, not paying to tear my skin to shreds and or damage my knees. I witnessed a bloke do it on my behalf, the ground was generally fine and sliding was appropriate, but where the ball went was beneath an Oak Tree and the tree had drawn all the moisture out of the earth and the trees canopy ensured the ground was like concrete. This bloke had already done some decent slides and he launched himself into a full bloodied slide only to find that he just stuck straight into the ground. Ambulance and the rest of the season off and I think he was a self employed builder type.
 
You can really only slide when the outfield is in good condition. Otherwise there's little point in doing so as you'll just risk damage to feet, ankles and knees.

When I slide it's generally leg first and trying to scoop up the ball as quick as possible so I can get the return throw in quicker. Sliding does help though, it can be the difference between a run-out and the batsman safely making his crease.
 
I learnt to dive and fall properly through being a goalkeeper in football (soccer).
It really is about getting low and having horizontal not vertical motion. however, I am much more of a diver in the field than a slider!
 
i do think sliding helps you cover more ground esp when you are saving a 4 as the body surface area is of course way larger than if you try tn get to where the ball is - kneel down with a long barrier and put your palms there.
 
I've always slid on my knees, no one has ever suggested another way to do it, i just wonder sometimes if it may damage my knees in the long run?
 
Jim2109 said:
I slide a lot, and think I do it pretty well. No idea what kind of technique is involved, I used to play football (soccer) so maybe I acquired it from that, I was a defender as well so it was part of my role. Its just something I've done since I started playing cricket a few years ago, and it comes naturally.

In terms of whether it is faster, there was actually an episode of Mythbusters where they tested it, they were looking at it from a Baseball perspective as to whether it was faster to slide in to the base when running, rather than just running and stopping on your feet. This actually has some merit in cricket terms as well. They determined that it was marginally faster to slide, because you didn't have to slow yourself down, the slide would do it for you (e.g. you couldn't overshoot the base, which would get you out). In cricket when you are trying to pick up a ball, if you are simply running then you also have to slow down at the ball, bend over to pick it up, get back up, then throw it back. Whereas a slide you can slide in for the last few metres which is always going to be faster, plus you have the added bonus of your hands being at ground level. If you perfect the method then you can perform the pickup whilst still sliding, and use the slide momentum to dig your feet in and pop back up to your feet in one smooth movement, then return the ball via a throw. And this is extremely fast and fluid. It buys me run out opportunities that simply wouldn't be there otherwise, plus it looks awesome!

When trying to stop balls, the slide has its place as well. If the ball is straight at you then obviously the long barrier is the way forwards generally. But if the ball is either side of you or you are on the run then the slide is better as you can get your whole body behind the ball. It is also fairly safe to use on bumpy outfields when the ball is bobbling around, as sometimes the long barrier can be jumped, whereas the slide tends to be more solid.

Stopping balls from crossing the boundary when chasing the slide is always better, as on your feet you can't reach for the ball, and diving at the last minute is harder to do. The belly slide works best as you can then use your outstretched arms to reach as well, but on dry outfields it is slower, the leg slide is generally faster I'd say. The belly slide works best on wet outfields, which in England are very common, but not so much in the other cricket nations I'd imagine.

Overall, as someone who slides very well and uses it all the time (even when it isn't necessary sometimes), I'd say the slide is the best method for just about every aspect of fielding. There aren't many occasions when I'm chasing a ball that I opt not to slide. The downside is that if you get it wrong you can do serious knee damage, and I often bruise my knees up (I have been meaning to buy some neoprene knee protectors for this). On hard dry outfields it is just straight up painful to do, and on soft outfields it is easy to dig a foot in to the ground and cause an injury. Also if you wear spikes then you have to make sure you keep your feet up. Personally I don't wear spikes, even on wet outfields, as I can't bowl my leg spin with them on (my feet dig in and I can't rotate properly), and I prefer to slide anyway.
Click to expand...

I wonder if Jim still looks in on this or did his back finish him off forever?
 
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