How Do You Train?

TonyM

Member
Lots on here about spinners training on their own in the nets, either with or often without a batter, but just wondered how many of you had this opportunity at your club?
http://spinscience.co.uk/technique-or-match-play/
I try to do something similar with my juniors a couple of times a year where we run a square practice and only let the spinners bowl, whilst the batters try to work out plans etc and the fielders get used to a different sort of fielding (and I usually incoporate high catching in there somewhere)
 
its a good idea. I like centre practice when there is a block (herd? twirl?) of spinners bowling together. Can be a real waste of time otherwise.
 
Lots on here about spinners training on their own in the nets, either with or often without a batter, but just wondered how many of you had this opportunity at your club?
http://spinscience.co.uk/technique-or-match-play/
I try to do something similar with my juniors a couple of times a year where we run a square practice and only let the spinners bowl, whilst the batters try to work out plans etc and the fielders get used to a different sort of fielding (and I usually incoporate high catching in there somewhere)
Shame his only interface to promote himself is Twitter.
 
Joe and I have just been in the paddock and we play Australia V England Ashes matches. The paddock for the most part has only 3 sides that are fenced and the open side goes out into a large open area on the off-side. So we bowl so that the ball has to be hit through the offside and we use lampposts and other street furniture to indicate where the fielders are. So we then bowl to our field and adjust the fielders dependent of what we're bowling and how we approach the bowling, we then bowl to the field and do things like if the ball is hit hard or is short and falls near the fielder we toss a coin to see if it's caught or dropped and we do this till we've bowled the whole team out (10 dismissals). It makes what would be a slog-fest into something where we have to think about how we bowl and bat.

(Keeps Joe really interested - as it has a competitive element to it and I'm not as good as him at batting).
 
Oh man!!! I had such a good bowl today. :) I was just messing around really, I've been practising from 2/3 distance, but I found I could send up a loopy thing with some extra legspin on it! I think I was getting close to the 60+ degree legspin which I haven't had control of before. Was loving twirling the bombs! I think my legbreaks are now turning more than the googlies.

I can't do this at match pace over the full strip yet but think I am making progress with that... I found I wasn't putting in enough chest drive and delivering the ball from too upright, with bigger chest drive and delayed arm release I can now 'sling' the ball in better than before from one pace than I was previously doing from a run up. In fact right now, I have no idea how to run up.

If this carries on, I could even become an asset to the team...

hope to do a video for you guys soon.
 
Oh man!!! I had such a good bowl today. :) I was just messing around really, I've been practising from 2/3 distance, but I found I could send up a loopy thing with some extra legspin on it! I think I was getting close to the 60+ degree legspin which I haven't had control of before. Was loving twirling the bombs! I think my legbreaks are now turning more than the googlies.

I can't do this at match pace over the full strip yet but think I am making progress with that... I found I wasn't putting in enough chest drive and delivering the ball from too upright, with bigger chest drive and delayed arm release I can now 'sling' the ball in better than before from one pace than I was previously doing from a run up. In fact right now, I have no idea how to run up.

If this carries on, I could even become an asset to the team...

hope to do a video for you guys soon.

I may have to get tips off you then, my Achilles is still weak, so I'm having to bowl off of one step and I'm having to adapt my bowling.
 
Not sure what you mean Dave but if you are talking about Gary, he replies very quickly on LinkedIn or you can email him via his contact form.
I'm just being a twitter luddite, I still cannot fathom why people use it. I emailed Gary and got an answer as you've said very quickly.
 
So none of you have tried this or something similar?

I'm quite surprised.

Fundamentally you are asking the bowler at training to consider their plan for their spell/batsman/situation, what to do after each and how you can use what has happened to your advantage (even if you've bowled a bad delivery!). There are many ways this can be done with the link provided by Tony being a good one.
 
So none of you have tried this or something similar?

I'm quite surprised.

Fundamentally you are asking the bowler at training to consider their plan for their spell/batsman/situation, what to do after each and how you can use what has happened to your advantage (even if you've bowled a bad delivery!). There are many ways this can be done with the link provided by Tony being a good one.

It's a brilliant idea, but the idea of setting that up to help out a specific group of kids especially spin bowlers at our club, seems a bit far fetched. There'd only be a couple of blokes at the club with the knowledge to facilitate it, I guess I could have a stab at it, but I carry very little in way of sway when it comes to these kind of things. The two blokes that do bowl spin (Finger spin - right arm offies) never have any dealings with the kids unless they play in their teams. Great idea - unlikely to ever happen.
 
It's a brilliant idea, but the idea of setting that up to help out a specific group of kids especially spin bowlers at our club, seems a bit far fetched. There'd only be a couple of blokes at the club with the knowledge to facilitate it, I guess I could have a stab at it, but I carry very little in way of sway when it comes to these kind of things. The two blokes that do bowl spin (Finger spin - right arm offies) never have any dealings with the kids unless they play in their teams. Great idea - unlikely to ever happen.
Fair enough, we all suffer from a lack of people and resources.

When working with spinners in the nets I make sure they are bowling to a plan and I ask them at points in the nets things like:
- "why did they batsman play that shot?"
- "what do you know about the batsman's technique and preferred shots?"
- "now that you know how the batsman plays, what are the best sets to get the batsman out?"

I also take them out and bowl in the middle, with a keeper and a batsman (who just plays defensively). Obviously the batsman isn't planing any shots but I ask the bowler to use plans and bowl logical 6 ball sets. For every delivery I get them to ask themselves what shot would the batsman have played in a game and how you can use that to your advantage (planning sets, setting fields etc.).
 
It's a brilliant idea, but the idea of setting that up to help out a specific group of kids especially spin bowlers at our club, seems a bit far fetched. There'd only be a couple of blokes at the club with the knowledge to facilitate it, I guess I could have a stab at it, but I carry very little in way of sway when it comes to these kind of things. The two blokes that do bowl spin (Finger spin - right arm offies) never have any dealings with the kids unless they play in their teams. Great idea - unlikely to ever happen.

You have just listed all the reasons why it is a good idea Dave. The specialist nature shouldn't be a reason not to do it, the exact opposite, its great opportunity to get adults who are not usually involved to give a small commitment to the juniors and where their specific knowledge and experience will be most valuable and appreciated. Timing is always an issue, but if you are like me, with our junior sides now winding down their league seasons this means pitches are under a bit less pressure and with the better weather middle practices becomes a more viable option. Also, don't assume this is just for the bowlers - lots of opportunity to work with batters looking at plans/shot selection/technique and still plenty of the season left for those playing adult cricket or (in the case of my juniors) friendlies.

I would thoroughly recommend it, even if it had to run as an 'additional' training night because the junior coaches don't want to disrupt their existing plans. All you need is:
* permission to use the square (agree with coaches/groundsman which strip to use - it might be that the previous weekends strip is a good bet if the groundsman is happy to defer working on it for a day or two)
* enough adults for the kids to benefit, I would say the minimum is one coach, one experienced spinner, one batter (can be two from three but better if the coach runs the 'session', freeing the 'specialists' to focus on their roles, also allows the coach to look at the fielding/keeping)
* enough kids - need enough to make fielding plans realistic allowing for batters padding up etc
* I would suggest at least two and no more than four spinners
 
Fair enough, we all suffer from a lack of people and resources.

When working with spinners in the nets I make sure they are bowling to a plan and I ask them at points in the nets things like:
- "why did they batsman play that shot?"
- "what do you know about the batsman's technique and preferred shots?"
- "now that you know how the batsman plays, what are the best sets to get the batsman out?"

I also take them out and bowl in the middle, with a keeper and a batsman (who just plays defensively). Obviously the batsman isn't planing any shots but I ask the bowler to use plans and bowl logical 6 ball sets. For every delivery I get them to ask themselves what shot would the batsman have played in a game and how you can use that to your advantage (planning sets, setting fields etc.).

I like this as a 'light' version and good to see you are taking the keeper out there, so often keepers get left out of the equation
 
There may be some chance once the kids are off school. The club let the kids if they've got parents with them have the code to the locks for the lock up where we've got a portable net on wheels. Last year they cut an extra strip for this use and the kids were allowed to use the net. I think I might be able to muster up half a side and if I could access some netting (The club has it) set up an Off-side only game, with the net positioned along the legside of the strip and dis-allowing legside shots? Thinking about it, I've done this before with my own nets and set up, but could only muster up a few kids.
 
Portable net is useful if you are low on numbers (as you say can be the whole of the leg/off side field). What I would say is that rather than disallowing leg side shots try to run as a full pitch practice with cones (or bags) to indicate where the missing fielders would be. Bit more onus on the coach running the session to adjudicate on the outcome (runs, catches) of balls that are hit into the net but still worthwhile I think. Encourages the bowler has to think 360 degrees, so more like match conditions and the batter can still have consequences for all shots, all you are really doing is saving the reduced number of fielders from having to go fetch the ball.
 
Portable net is useful if you are low on numbers (as you say can be the whole of the leg/off side field). What I would say is that rather than disallowing leg side shots try to run as a full pitch practice with cones (or bags) to indicate where the missing fielders would be. Bit more onus on the coach running the session to adjudicate on the outcome (runs, catches) of balls that are hit into the net but still worthwhile I think. Encourages the bowler has to think 360 degrees, so more like match conditions and the batter can still have consequences for all shots, all you are really doing is saving the reduced number of fielders from having to go fetch the ball.
Yeah good Idea or a variation would be, if the bat hits the ball legside - sweeping give him runs based on how cleanly he hits it, encouraging the bowlers to bowl an off-stump line?
 
Yes, Stef & Ross from CricketStrength.com are fantastic, really know their stuff and are incredibly open and willing to share that knowledge. I wouldn't have thought the weighted balls would be that great for spinners personally as there is just too much else going on with the release point etc but would thoroughly recommend their general S&C programmes - probably the OCD one for you Dave between now and Christmas and then either the regen or just medi balls after that. Juniors one would be good for Joe/Ben (worked for Ollie)
 
Yes, Stef & Ross from CricketStrength.com are fantastic, really know their stuff and are incredibly open and willing to share that knowledge. I wouldn't have thought the weighted balls would be that great for spinners personally as there is just too much else going on with the release point etc but would thoroughly recommend their general S&C programmes - probably the OCD one for you Dave between now and Christmas and then either the regen or just medi balls after that. Juniors one would be good for Joe/Ben (worked for Ollie)
Tony what's the OCD one?
 
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