Don't rely on memory to review your cricket performance
Your memory is a brilliant but flawed system. If you are using it to improve your game you may be working on the wrong things.
The problem lies in our ability to recall cricket performance. We think we remember things as they happened, but this is rarely the case. Nobody has the memory capacity to remember every ball of every game and practice. You may lose something important, especially around emotionally charged moments: a stunning victory or controversial umpiring decision.
When you are out of form, get back to batting basics
Ben Baruch takes the reins again today. This time his article is about going back to the basics of batting: Something we can easily forget about in the world of trigger moves and Twenty20 hitting.
When a batsman is out of form their coach will often tell them to 'go back to basics'. What are these basics?
Humble or humbling: The press up for cricket fitness
The press up divides cricketers of all ages and levels.
On one side it's the simple to do, no equipment required exercise of the super fit (or those aspiring to get fitter at least). On the other side it's a painful punishment that brings back memories of nasty PE teachers from school.
Great catching : It's in us all!
These catches should re-affirm in us the belief that you can make great catches too. It is within the capabilities of every fielder to change the course of a game with one piece of inspirational fielding.
How to take guard
PitchVision Academy batting coach Gary Palmer explains the basics of taking guard. For more technical tips try Gary's exclusive course: Improve your batting with simple changes to your setup.
You take guard so you know where your stumps are when you are in your stance. This is important because if you know where your stumps are, you know what balls to play and what balls to leave when you are defending.
Can indoor nets hurt your early season form?
When the weather is not so good the indoor net is a saviour to cricketers. The question is: do they do more harm than good?
I would be interested to see an experiment where 2 groups of players were split into those who netted in the winter and those who did not. I suspect at club level the difference in form might be less than we imagine.
Umpires Corner: Runs from a catch and slipping on delivery
Many times on the pitch (and after the game) we have come to discuss whether a controversial situation should be allowed or not. There are precious few players with a deep enough understanding of the laws for our arguments to be resolved, but many times it's the players who also act as umpires.
'The Map' Part 6: How to learn new skills from every match you play
Cricket is a great game in that you can learn from every game you play. The trick is organizing so that lessons learned can be identified and stored for future use.
Evaluating your game should be an ongoing feature of your map. By regularly assessing how your game is developing, you give yourself a better chance of picking up small flaws in your game before they develop into major problems. When developing evaluation routines try these techniques:
Is a cricket ball less important than you think for improving bowling speed and accuracy?
This PitchVision Academy exclusive article is a great fast bowling primer for coaches and players alike. To put it fully into action we recommend you look at Ian's fast bowling course to learn his drills and techniques.
If it wasn't for cricket balls, there would be a lot more fast and accurate bowlers playing cricket.
How to set a target batting first
Positive move as it is, batting first leads to some tricky problems for batsmen and captains alike.
Whether you play declaration cricket or limited overs (or even a hybrid of the two like the league I play in) there are two main problems:
