got a young left hander with a few technical problems

[jonathanfs]

Ive got a young left hander who i coach hes got a very open stance and stays very legside but he struggles to hit full balls outside off his foot doesnt go across but goes forward down the line of leg stump when it outside off. I tried shifting him across but then got bowled round his legs leaving it so didnt know where he was. what would you do ? close his stance? or not ? or do something else. anyone got experience with similar problems.

 

[Son Of Coco]

If you're going to change something about his stance then I think he need to spend a bit of time practicing with the new set-up. If he gets bowled around his legs a few times then so be it, but there isn't really a miracle cure that will have him changing what he's doing now without causing a few issues first up as far as I can see.

Maybe get him in the nets practicing getting his foot to the ball from his new position for a while.

Does he bowl?

 

[jonathanfs]

yep does bowl right arm medium fast will be a really good player.

 

[jonathanfs]

not sure whether to put a trigger movement in still very young

 

[Neil Pickup]

Nothing wrong with having an open stance; we have a number of players in our younger county sides with open stances who are very successful bats and also drive well through the off side. You mention that he does not get his foot across to the off side: footwork does not usually initiate a good drive, but is the result of good upper-body movement, specifically dipping or loading the front shoulder - which gets the head over the line of the ball, gets the weight into shot, and forces the feet to follow in order to maintain the balance. I take it your lad is not backing away to leg? I'd be wary of putting a trigger in - a coach's job is to make a player the best he can be later in life, not get most runs in U11s

I'd suggest any of (i) getting him to step forward from his stance and catch tennis balls by his front knee with his head over the ball, (ii) hitting balls from the finish position to groove the shot and then reverse chaining it back to develop the full technique or (iii) the most extreme solution, playing in a net with an even more open stance to exaggerate the necessary lateral movement when it comes to playing the shots.

 

[jonathanfs]

whats (ii) I dont understand that properly youll have to explain it to me again

 

[jonathanfs]

what does groove the shot and reverse chain mean

 

[Son Of Coco]

I think he's saying get him in the position he should be in when he's playing his drive (the finish position) and then work him back to his starting position slowly from there (once the finish position becomes natural). He'd be playing a lot of balls having taken his stance in the position he should be in just before he hits the ball - not trying to move his feet from an open stance to get into the right position. Once he's doing this well and it becomes comfortable then work him back to his starting position so he understands the movements necessary to get into the right position to drive.

I think I've just said the same thing twice, and I'm sure Neil will elaborate and make it a lot clearer than I have.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Nah, that's pretty good. I'd just say the same thing a third time.

 

[Son Of Coco]