mas cambios
Active Member
Losing form and how to find it again
Judging by the way that Paul Collingwood has been batting of late, if you weren’t in the know then you’d probably ask what he was doing playing for his country. The bat looks foreign to him, almost as though he was plucked from the crowd, had it shoved in his hands and sent out to the middle. His problem is that he’s suffering from a poor run of form, something which can affect all of us, from the Sunday slogger to 35 test veteran.
The question is ‘what can I do to get myself out of a slump?' and to be honest there is no easy answer, especially as the drop in form may be caused by many things. It may be mental or a technique flaw through to downright bad luck. However, there are some
things you can try, which we’ll take a look at here.
It’s good to talk
The first thing to do is to talk, talk to your coach, captain, team mates or whoever. Ask them is they have spotted anything which may be contributing to your undoing. Often it’s hard to be truly critical of ourselves, but others tend to have no problems! They may spot something that you’re missing or just be able to give your ego a boost, which is no bad thing!
The next approach is to simply get time at the crease, scratch around but no matter what try to stay there! Some people believe that it only takes one blazing shot to pull themselves out of the doldrums and fins form again, others swear by just being out there. I would say that it’s best to try this approach in game with little riding on it, if possible. Though you may be chuffed with your 34 not out off 50 overs, others may not be!
If time in the middle isn’t working out then it’s going to be a trip to the nets. Get some nice juicy half volleys chucked at you and hit away or get the coach in and work on some flaws. The act of hitting balls away from the pressure of a game can work wonders and if nothing else will help to increase your confidence. It may be that you need to re-learn your focus or get used to watching the ball from the bowlers hand once more, whatever it is the nets are perfect for this.
The next solution is a cousin of where we started and that is more talking. You’ve worked through the steps above and it’s still not coming together. Hang in there and talk some more. Think about your game, what is going wrong and what you can do about it. Sometimes, it may even help to look at others and how they are playing – analysing others can help sharpen the mind and may just snap you out of it.
A rest and hopefully some change
Lastly, and this is the most radical of the lot (or maybe it isn’t?) and that is to do nothing. Walk away from the game for a week or two and have a break. Clear the mind and think about everything except your game. Wash the car, take the other half away for a weekend or catch up on your paperwork, no matter what it is, make sure it’s not cricket! It’s the approach that Collingwood has attempted to take (as much as an international can) and though it still has to work for him, there is no reason why it won’t for you.
The key throughout all of this is to try to remain positive. Don’t lose your love of the game and remember that it’s just that, a game! Try to enjoy it and with a bit of work and some luck, your form will snap back.
So, there you have it, some thoughts on how to overcome a slump in form with the willow, or ball for that matter. You’ve heard my thoughts and I’d love to hear yours, so if you’ve anything to add, please do!
Judging by the way that Paul Collingwood has been batting of late, if you weren’t in the know then you’d probably ask what he was doing playing for his country. The bat looks foreign to him, almost as though he was plucked from the crowd, had it shoved in his hands and sent out to the middle. His problem is that he’s suffering from a poor run of form, something which can affect all of us, from the Sunday slogger to 35 test veteran.
The question is ‘what can I do to get myself out of a slump?' and to be honest there is no easy answer, especially as the drop in form may be caused by many things. It may be mental or a technique flaw through to downright bad luck. However, there are some
things you can try, which we’ll take a look at here.
It’s good to talk
The first thing to do is to talk, talk to your coach, captain, team mates or whoever. Ask them is they have spotted anything which may be contributing to your undoing. Often it’s hard to be truly critical of ourselves, but others tend to have no problems! They may spot something that you’re missing or just be able to give your ego a boost, which is no bad thing!
The next approach is to simply get time at the crease, scratch around but no matter what try to stay there! Some people believe that it only takes one blazing shot to pull themselves out of the doldrums and fins form again, others swear by just being out there. I would say that it’s best to try this approach in game with little riding on it, if possible. Though you may be chuffed with your 34 not out off 50 overs, others may not be!
If time in the middle isn’t working out then it’s going to be a trip to the nets. Get some nice juicy half volleys chucked at you and hit away or get the coach in and work on some flaws. The act of hitting balls away from the pressure of a game can work wonders and if nothing else will help to increase your confidence. It may be that you need to re-learn your focus or get used to watching the ball from the bowlers hand once more, whatever it is the nets are perfect for this.
The next solution is a cousin of where we started and that is more talking. You’ve worked through the steps above and it’s still not coming together. Hang in there and talk some more. Think about your game, what is going wrong and what you can do about it. Sometimes, it may even help to look at others and how they are playing – analysing others can help sharpen the mind and may just snap you out of it.
A rest and hopefully some change
Lastly, and this is the most radical of the lot (or maybe it isn’t?) and that is to do nothing. Walk away from the game for a week or two and have a break. Clear the mind and think about everything except your game. Wash the car, take the other half away for a weekend or catch up on your paperwork, no matter what it is, make sure it’s not cricket! It’s the approach that Collingwood has attempted to take (as much as an international can) and though it still has to work for him, there is no reason why it won’t for you.
The key throughout all of this is to try to remain positive. Don’t lose your love of the game and remember that it’s just that, a game! Try to enjoy it and with a bit of work and some luck, your form will snap back.
So, there you have it, some thoughts on how to overcome a slump in form with the willow, or ball for that matter. You’ve heard my thoughts and I’d love to hear yours, so if you’ve anything to add, please do!
think my actual innings are as follows 
