Some technical advice needed! Videos included.

[mohammad16]

I play cricket in Canada locally, its not that established here but anyway finally because of a Camera we have been able to capture some footage.

The posters here seem to be pretty knowledgeable about the game so some technical advice would be beneficial.

Specifically I wanted to talk about my trigger movement, I raise my bat high and plant my front foot down the ground, so its not the textbook back and across movement, to the balls pitched up in the slot, i am in a excellent position to drive, but ones that seem to be going down leg, I have to play across my planted front leg.

Should I try to change my trigger movements and move back and across instead?

Also there is good footage there, so if you guys could mention other faults in the game etc

thanks

Here are two videos of my recent 2 games

Cricket Canada, OCA vs Ramblers - YouTube

Some shots - YouTube

thanks

[Dan]

Watching the video, you might want to take a look at the way you play the leg glance. The two times I saw you attempt it (1st video, ball down leg-side, flying 'keeper + 2nd video, lbw shout), your front elbow wasn't up at all, meaning when you connect the ball will be going uppish regardless of what you do.

Everything else looks pretty good. I mean, if you're scoring runs and comfortable with a forward press movement, don't change it. You can adjust back well enough, so you should be ok.

[Daemon]

2nd video at 1:01-1:10 is freaking hilarious

Nothing else to offer, you're right about planting your front foot early hampering your ability to play the leg glance.

[Hurricane]

I used to play in Canada and due to the length of the grass I had to hit the ball in the air a lot as well.

I don't have an issue with your trigger movement. I don't like your backlift however. I have never seen it before. You have the same full backlift for every delivery. If it is a forward defensive you do a full backlift - if it is a cover drive you do a full backlift. I would say this would give you less time to get your bat in front of your pad. and would also give you less control over your defensive system.

Great stance by the way.

You are a good player by the looks of it.

Final advice is that it will be hard to change your backlift - so for now just change your guard to leg stump and you will get less lbws.

[weeman27bob]

Originally Posted by Hurricane

I used to play in Canada and due to the length of the grass I had to hit the ball in the air a lot as well.

I don't have an issue with your trigger movement. I don't like your backlift however. I have never seen it before. You have the same full backlift for every delivery. If it is a forward defensive you do a full backlift - if it is a cover drive you do a full backlift. I would say this would give you less time to get your bat in front of your pad. and would also give you less control over your defensive system.

Great stance by the way.

You are a good player by the looks of it.

Final advice is that it will be hard to change your backlift - so for now just change your guard to leg stump and you will get less lbws.

I'm not expert a batting at all, but it does look like your backlift doesn't go up as straight as it could do. I don't know quite what benefit that has, but it's something I've always been told to do.

[Daemon]

If your bat comes in from an angle you tend to play cross batted shots or close the face too early at times.

[mohammad16]

Originally Posted by rvd619323

Watching the video, you might want to take a look at the way you play the leg glance. The two times I saw you attempt it (1st video, ball down leg-side, flying 'keeper + 2nd video, lbw shout), your front elbow wasn't up at all, meaning when you connect the ball will be going uppish regardless of what you do.

Everything else looks pretty good. I mean, if you're scoring runs and comfortable with a forward press movement, don't change it. You can adjust back well enough, so you should be ok.

Thanks for the input, hm I never realized the low elbow bit, I guess you are right, but I do flick the ball in the air, its intentional, I am trying to usually flick it for a six or a boundary, its one of my natural shots. If there is someone back however I should play it down, and the elbow might play a part, I will try to work on it. Thanks

Originally Posted by Daemon

2nd video at 1:01-1:10 is freaking hilarious

Nothing else to offer, you're right about planting your front foot early hampering your ability to play the leg glance.

I know and I cannot afford to miss those easy runs.

Originally Posted by Hurricane

I used to play in Canada and due to the length of the grass I had to hit the ball in the air a lot as well.

I don't have an issue with your trigger movement. I don't like your backlift however. I have never seen it before. You have the same full backlift for every delivery. If it is a forward defensive you do a full backlift - if it is a cover drive you do a full backlift. I would say this would give you less time to get your bat in front of your pad. and would also give you less control over your defensive system.

Great stance by the way.

You are a good player by the looks of it.

Final advice is that it will be hard to change your backlift - so for now just change your guard to leg stump and you will get less lbws.

Thanks bro, I cannot tamper too much with my backlift, its my strength, it is what allows me to naturally flow into attacking shots without having to slog or take risks.

You can see Lara also had a pronounced back lift, even higher than mine, even in defence, BRIAN LARA'S 176 VS SOUTHAFRICA AT BARBADOS 3RD TEST 2005 - YouTube . Mohammad Yousuf, Ponting and Sehwag also have high ones. I am no Lara, but I am not facing Brett Lee either.

I think as long as the backlift is smooth it wouldnt trouble my defence much, I know for a fact that if I had to lessen my backlift, I wouldnt be able to play half the shots I play now. I should straighten the back lift I think. Thanks.

Originally Posted by weeman27bob

I'm not expert a batting at all, but it does look like your backlift doesn't go up as straight as it could do. I don't know quite what benefit that has, but it's something I've always been told to do.

Originally Posted by Daemon

If your bat comes in from an angle you tend to play cross batted shots or close the face too early at times.

Yes the bat should come down straight, if it is angled from the slips then you are more likely to generate more power through the leg side, but it also makes you play across the line. If it is angled towards fine leg, then it opens up your offside game. Straight is best, I have tried to work on that, I am not there yet but hopefully soon.

Thanks

[Neil Pickup]

Nothing wrong with that backlift, at all. As long as you're not finding yourself short on time to dig out yorkers (which doesn't look like it's the case), I love to see expansive, off-stump backlifts - there's a lot of Lara in this technique, and he made it work alright. Off-stump backlifts make an unbelievable amount of difference to the quality of strike you can get on the drive, and it's one of the things I give most attention to at base-level coaching.

Straight backswings mean you cannot play through the legside without playing around your pads or opening your body out dramatically. Off stump means you can get the bat down straight with a natural angle into the leg side, or by tensing the front elbow you can hold the shape of the downswing and hit through extra cover and straight: it's one of the things I have to credit with the recent huge improvements in my own game (and I love writing that sentence).

I've also found myself in a similar position regarding the leg-glance: the English/ECB lower levels coaching system is set up heavily (too heavily in my opinion) in favour of the cover drive, and consequently this leads to players planting across the line. The way I have generally looked to work it is to slightly adjust the weight balance to the leg side in the stance - fractionally more open hips - to allow that front foot (i) more time to get into position by virtue of (ii) the shorter distance it has to travel.

Of course, these are all the sorts of things that need hours of playing around with in the nets and with throwdowns (one of the great blessings of coaching at a school with zealously keen kids - after school nets where the kids will happily give you 10 mins of throwdowns in return for 20 mins of coaching).

[Woodster]

Yes like a couple of the other guys have said, I don't necessarily have a problem with the backlift, providing your shots are not rushed, maybe against bowlers quicker than you're used to, they may look to expose the expansive backlift, but it seems fine to me.

The front foot would be more of a worry to me. It's not quite a front foot press as you're generally slamming the front foot down and so having to play around that front pad to anything straight or on leg stump. There is no problem in pushing onto that front foot but you have to still remain balanced and not camp out on that front foot. Rather than planting it heel first, try and get into position where you can where you can move further forward to the pitch of the ball or push off onto the back foot. To me it just looks too firmly planted at the moment. Your dismissal in the first video could have been predicted as I see this kind of dismissal happening to you too frequently.

There was some excellent shots in there though, you can clearly strike the ball cleanly and have some talent.

[mohammad16]

Originally Posted by Woodster

Yes like a couple of the other guys have said, I don't necessarily have a problem with the backlift, providing your shots are not rushed, maybe against bowlers quicker than you're used to, they may look to expose the expansive backlift, but it seems fine to me.

The front foot would be more of a worry to me. It's not quite a front foot press as you're generally slamming the front foot down and so having to play around that front pad to anything straight or on leg stump. There is no problem in pushing onto that front foot but you have to still remain balanced and not camp out on that front foot. Rather than planting it heel first, try and get into position where you can where you can move further forward to the pitch of the ball or push off onto the back foot. To me it just looks too firmly planted at the moment. Your dismissal in the first video could have been predicted as I see this kind of dismissal happening to you too frequently.

There was some excellent shots in there though, you can clearly strike the ball cleanly and have some talent.

Thanks a lot for the comments bro, I totally agree with you, that is exactly how I feel about the front foot issue, I plant it very firmly.

What I have done though to resolve the issue temporary is that I stand outside leg stump, so usually even after I plant that front foot, I am not well across covering the stumps, so I am still able to offer a straight bat to all deliveries on the stumps. Sometimes I do fail, even that first video dismissal, the bat came down straight.

I do not want to resort to that though, I totally agree that after my trigger movements, I should be in a good position to move back or forward at will.

I am thinking that I will try a firm back and across movement which will allow the weight to shift back initially, and then when I press forward, it wouldn't be so pronounced. I am going to experiment with this and hopefully I will work out.

I was also caught twice this season, trying to hook deliveries that were head high and I popped them straight into the air. I think it was because I was already press forward and I couldnt go back far enough on the backfoot to play the hook. I am good with the pull shot because the delivery doesnt rise as high and I can still control the bounce.

Thanks for your tips, I will work on these things in the few net sessions we have and hopefully post another video of the adjustments.

[keeper]

For what it's worth (and most of it has been said)...

I don't have a problem with your backlift. I think it's confusing because you have an initial false backlift before returning your hands to the correct position and taking a second backlift which is pretty straight. It is high but I like that - you may just need to temper it if you meet someone of real pace.

The right foot is a problem though. Not a problem to look to get forward but it's got to be in the line of the ball and not pre-empted outside off-stump.

The front foot has to effectively rotate towards the ball and not just move forwards in a sideways motion. In my experience the weight of your body movement is more important than the size of the step forward. For leg-side glances your body weight really needs to be over the ball. If it is you don't need much of a touch to score runs down there - hard shot though the leg glance.

i think it is easy to become obsessed with trigger movements. A movement back and across isn't going to help if you still have the instinct to shift your weight to the right.

I would drill and practice around moving that front foot towards and in line with the ball.

Good luck, you clearly have talent and a refreshing attacking attitude in your batting.

EDIT - this vid shows what I mean quite well...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITUjC...eature=related

Agree that a slightly open stance can help.

[Son Of Coco]

I don't like the backlift either...it seems like there's a second movement that takes the bat out and away from your body.

How do you go driving through cover to mid-off? The backlift seems to set you up well for pull-shots etc, but not so well to play drives on the off-side.

Just looking at the video I'd imagine a bowler who can zero in around off-stump and not give you much short would cause you a few issues.

[mohammad16]

Originally Posted by keeper

For what it's worth (and most of it has been said)...

I don't have a problem with your backlift. I think it's confusing because you have an initial false backlift before returning your hands to the correct position and taking a second backlift which is pretty straight. It is high but I like that - you may just need to temper it if you meet someone of real pace.

The right foot is a problem though. Not a problem to look to get forward but it's got to be in the line of the ball and not pre-empted outside off-stump.

The front foot has to effectively rotate towards the ball and not just move forwards in a sideways motion. In my experience the weight of your body movement is more important than the size of the step forward. For leg-side glances your body weight really needs to be over the ball. If it is you don't need much of a touch to score runs down there - hard shot though the leg glance.

i think it is easy to become obsessed with trigger movements. A movement back and across isn't going to help if you still have the instinct to shift your weight to the right.

I would drill and practice around moving that front foot towards and in line with the ball.

Good luck, you clearly have talent and a refreshing attacking attitude in your batting.

EDIT - this vid shows what I mean quite well...

Cricket Batting Tips - How to play all the cricket shots using the best technique - YouTube

Agree that a slightly open stance can help.

Thanks bro, I agree I have to fix the front foot issue, I tried experimenting with the back and across movement, what it does is that it makes sure that even if I make a slight movement across with my front foot, I am not planting it too hard, so I can adjust as the ball comes in. I am going to try and work on this in the nets and hopefully record some more net video to see how I am progressing, thanks for your input.

[mohammad16]

Originally Posted by Son Of Coco

I don't like the backlift either...it seems like there's a second movement that takes the bat out and away from your body.

How do you go driving through cover to mid-off? The backlift seems to set you up well for pull-shots etc, but not so well to play drives on the off-side.

Just looking at the video I'd imagine a bowler who can zero in around off-stump and not give you much short would cause you a few issues.

It used to be a lot worse, very angled bat, a lot like Saeed Anwar if you watch his clips. It comes down pretty straight now on straight shots so its an improvement and I dont think its that much of a concern. I can drive the ball well through the off side, my strength obviously being the leg side. Off side shots arent very productive on the grounds we play because the outfields are so heavy and slow, you can time a perfect drive and the ball would stop before it reaches point etc. Instead we have to rely on lofted shots straight or through the leg side, it is a tad bit harder trying to go over the infield on the off side.

[Outswinger@Pace]

Originally Posted by mohammad16

It used to be a lot worse, very angled bat, a lot like Saeed Anwar if you watch his clips. It comes down pretty straight now on straight shots so its an improvement and I dont think its that much of a concern. I can drive the ball well through the off side, my strength obviously being the leg side. Off side shots arent very productive on the grounds we play because the outfields are so heavy and slow, you can time a perfect drive and the ball would stop before it reaches point etc. Instead we have to rely on lofted shots straight or through the leg side, it is a tad bit harder trying to go over the infield on the off side.

Stick to it if it works for you, bro. SOC's and some others' rightful concern is that a quick, well pitched up, incoming delivery could find you wanting.

If you don't face pace which bothers you on a regular basis, then stick with this method. From your post it is also clear that for your conditions, the classical grasscutting off-drives and the cover-drives are not the most productive strokes. In that case, be content with this method (especially if you are successful as a good strokeplayer) and work on keeping the backlift straight.

For what it's worth, I did enjoy some pull shots that you played. A lot of crunch and panache in the way you sent them packing.


EDIT: Woodster's comment on the front foot press is spot on. A good back and across shuffle will help you out with that. Practice very well in the nets before trying it out in a game though.