Footwork my foot

Top Contributors
M

mas cambios

Active Member
Footwork my foot

In the light of Sehwag's latest blitzkrieg, it is worth asking: what value does technical correctness in general, and footwork in particular, hold these days?
Click to expand...

One of cricket's most enduring stories concerns a coach telling his ward who has just played a shot, "That's terrible. Look where your feet are." The immortal reply is, "Yes. But look where the ball is." While coaches deal in processes, players such as Sehwag deal in the product.

The basic tenets of batsmanship involve bringing the bat down straight, getting the foot to the pitch of the ball, playing with bat and pad close together, head over the ball, driving with the elbow high, following through to complete the drive - a whole accordion of dos and don'ts. Batsmen like Sehwag, and before him Sanath Jayasuriya, compressed that accordion to play a kind of music not heard from opening batsmen. Only one thing matters: balance.

There have been batsmen who followed their own rules. Garry Sobers wasn't much of a one for footwork - his 254 for the World XI in Australia, which Don Bradman considered the finest innings played in that country, was remarkable for the scant regard for footwork for the most part. The argument then was that Sobers could get away with it because he was a genius.

Such disregard for footwork is already the norm now. So what has thrown a bridge across the genius and the journeyman in just a couple of generations? The quality of bats, for one. Some of them seem to be one extended "sweet spot", capable of sending the ball screaming to the fence from the merest push. Smaller grounds, better wickets, lighter equipment, superior fitness, and better physical protection as provided by the helmet and body padding, have all made it easier for the batsman.
Click to expand...

Full article at Cricinfo

Found this quite interesting as it touches on a few topics, such as footwork, balance and the effects of too many cooks spoiling the broth (or over analysis to you and I) amongst others.

I guess the main summary is that the unorthodox is replacing the orthodox when it comes to batting - the question is whether this is a good thing for the game or not.
 
Re: Footwork my foot

The thing with having bad technique/footwork is that you don't have as much protection against the seaming ball. It is said that to get Sehwag out all you need is a good in-ducker, like Clark used in Perth. But someone with good technique will be able to keep that out. I think there should be a balance. Personally I think there is nothing better than watch a batsman with good technique/footwork play the perfect cover drive/cut/on drive.
But thats just me
 
Re: Footwork my foot

It has been coached that "Good Footwork" helps u in building Ur inngs and batting standard.
Whereas Swashbuckling batting is also important as per the demands of modern cricket.
For a team combination of both is vital to determine their cricketing success as every other team has mixture of it.
When it comes to individual;each one as to decide in which category he fits.
I was once a swashbuckling batsmen hitting the ball from the word "GO".
But off late changed my batting style as per team's demand and have started to enjoy it.
I remember once Sunil Gavaskar had commented during a Cricket Match that "it does not matter how u have played the ball; what matters is the score".
Would like to have more response on it.
 
Re: Footwork my foot

I am not a believer in batting coaching, per se. I feel that a youngster of approximately under 13 should be taught the basic technique (grip, stance, the textbook shots) but should be left to flourish from there and such technique should not be artifically enforced. I don't believe in drastically altering the technique of a successful batsman and feel that massive changes should only come as a responce to sudden or prolonged failure.
 
Re: Footwork my foot

All that matters is "timing" . Sehwag has his own way of finding his "timing". No coach has all the answers and in the end the player has to focus on middling the ball and not worry about footwork as taught by any coach. If you are looking to score the feet will move enough. Its the INTENT that is the key.
 
Re: Footwork my foot

I also think that it has something to do with hand-eye co-ordination. Players like Sehwag, Trescothick, Flintoff and others rely far more on having good hand-eye co-ordination when batting. Trescothick barely moves his feet and relys on getting his hands in the right place and relying on his excellent hand-eye co-ordination. Guys with normal hand-eye co-ordination rely on getting their feet moving and gettnig to the pitch of the ball.
 
Re: Footwork my foot

haven't there always been players who are unorthodox though? i reckon if you look back at the greats they will often be the ones who played the game there own way and not worried about the coaching book

there is a place for teaching the correct way to to things but people have to attempt to find there own method - like manee says
 
Re: Footwork my foot

If wickets became more bowler friendly i think you would find batting technique being more important. Would modern batsmen be able to bat on the uncovered wickets of old?

It seems if the pitch isnt flat batsmen will cry.
 
Re: Footwork my foot

Dismissing techinque just because Sehwag doesn't have any is crazy. Technique is still important. Sehwag often gets out on seaming tracks because of lack of footwork.
Batsmen with extraordinary hand-eye coordination but poor technique will still struggle in seaming contions. Thats why they edge the ball a lot. Hand eye coordination gets them close to the ball after it moves but not close enough.
 
Re: Footwork my foot

Coaching is very different at each level you achieve. At UKCC1 you concentrate on the 'right method' but as a coach and you progress you can develop players towards a result. Footwork, does it really matter (Sehwag, Tresco, even Freddie).
Against the seaming ball you have the traditional opener and then the 'hitters' come in, yes Sehwag/tresco get in early, but look at the stats, they haven't struggled too much have they???
We keep asking what about 'old-fashioned cricket', but lets get real, what do we want? Moderisation of the game, more runs, exciting cricket, that's why it's turned into a batsman's game and the bowlers have developed new methods of delivery and bowling techiniques (ABSAT).
How many openers are reall traditional? Smith, Gibbs, Gayle, Sehweg, Hayden, the list goes on. It seems only the English are really traditional with Cook, Vaughan, Strauss and look where they are in the stats...
 
Re: Footwork my foot

There are very few batsmen who average over 50 in Test cricket without having good footwork. Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, Michael Hussey etc are all good with their footwork. Sehwag only averages over 50 because he makes very big 100's when he gets in. He is not all that consistent. With poor technique you are sooner or later going to be found out and the bowlers will target you.
 
Re: Footwork my foot

Nearly all people need good footwork to succeed, the only batsmen that can do without are the ones that have an amazing eye. Sehwag has always struggled when playing on seaming/swinging wickets and this is for one reason only, his lack of footwork. If you have very good footwork you should be able to succeed on all types of pitches, not just dead ones.
 
Re: Footwork my foot

sehwag has done well at times on swinging wickets when he has taken his time to settle down instead of playing shots from the start but still most of his runs are on batsmen friendly tracks.
 
Re: Footwork my foot

kallis is known as a very good 'bad wicket' player and im sure good part of that is due to his technique and footwork.
 
Re: Footwork my foot

This thread seems to be all about Sehweg and not good footwork, look away from Sehweg and you will see very good players without good footwork.

How do you describe KP's, he is all over the place, but has excellent eye for ball and confidence. Just pin-pointing 1 aspect of a players ability, can sometimes distract you from the resulting product.

Even the good players with great footwork and talent are being found out. Kallis, Ponting, M Clarke aren't scoring too many runs lately at a consistent rate.

Doesn't this prove what a complex subject cricket coaching and playing is???
 
Re: Footwork my foot

Pietersen has a very interesting technique. If he didn't have such good reflexes and hand-eye co-ordination he'd be majorly ineffective. The massive stride he gets in allows him to combat swing and spin very well. He's also very strong both on and off side which helps. I love watching him bat, and am a big fan of his technique, but it certainly won't be found in any text-book.
 
Re: Footwork my foot

Very, very true. I think it's great him being in the game. It extends the coaching manual to 'real players' and not MCC coaching manual manufactured players.
The game must develop and keep being exciting.
 
Re: Footwork my foot

leggeb4 said:
This thread seems to be all about Sehweg and not good footwork, look away from Sehweg and you will see very good players without good footwork.

How do you describe KP's, he is all over the place, but has excellent eye for ball and confidence. Just pin-pointing 1 aspect of a players ability, can sometimes distract you from the resulting product
Click to expand...

KP's footwork is very good, and that is one of the reasons for his success. He gets a very big stride in and this allows him to get to the pitch of the ball and therefore be good against seam and swing bowling. Also, the batsmen you have mentioned that are out of form, just take a look at their averages and they speak volumes. Actually, you named Kallis, he is in sublime form so I don't know where you got that one from.
 
Re: Footwork my foot

kallis has got 6 100s in his last 18 innings.
 
Re: Footwork my foot

leggeb4 said:
This thread seems to be all about Sehweg and not good footwork, look away from Sehweg and you will see very good players without good footwork.

How do you describe KP's, he is all over the place, but has excellent eye for ball and confidence. Just pin-pointing 1 aspect of a players ability, can sometimes distract you from the resulting product.
Click to expand...

Well the article is about Sehwag and his lack of footwork. Well KP doesnt have textbook footwork but he still does move his foot more than Sehwag, Jayasuriya, Gayle or Trescothik who are stand and deliver kind of batsmen. Of all those batsmen only Sehwag averages in the 50's and thats because he gets big hundreds. His last ten 100's have been in excess of 150. It just shows that whether copy book or not you need to move your foot to combat movement. Batsmen such as KP and Lara do not have copy book technique but they still do move their feet in their own special way.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top