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I have been coaching and playing cricket for decades. Every year I come across the same frustrating attitudes that stop people reaching their potential.
It all happens long before the season starts. People mess up their pre-season training and simply never recover when the weather improves.
If only they realised what they were saying and took positive action. It’s time we changed things for the better and started giving you the summer you deserve by giving you a preseason to be proud of.
These myths drive me mad, yet I hear them every preseason nets.
Let’s stamp them out once and for all.
1. You have to be a talented professional to train preseason
Anyone can benefit from preseason training no matter how bad they are. In fact, the worse you are to start with, the more important and effective winter preparation.
Many people say to themselves that they are not good enough to bother. These people would rather fail and have the handy excuse ready; ‘what do you expect? I didn’t prepare.’
That’s fear talking.
They fear that if they failed after taking the winter seriously by training hard they would reveal their true lack of talent.
But the truth is that we always do better if we prepare better. Anything else is just rationalising our fears.
2. The Internationals don’t bother with preseason
Technically, this is true. But it’s not the whole story.
English cricketers rarely have time for an off season of more than a couple of weeks. They go from summer to tour, to another tour, and back to summer. They are playing all year round and have no time for preseason.
But they are surrounded by coaching staff who know how to make the most of limited breaks they have. It’s not as good as being able to focus for four months without a match, but they make it work.
And I guarantee if they had a big block break they would be pushed hard in preseason by those coaches.
So you, with your months of winter nets to get through have no excuses.
3. All that fitness is not relevant to cricket
Doing squats and press ups in the depth of winter seems a long way from bowling and batting. It is no wonder some people still think badly of fitness training.
But a well tuned body is the foundation of good cricket.
Do this right and you will hit harder, bowl faster, last longer before technique fails under fatigue and be less likely to become injured.
Yes, fitness training will never replace a good technique, but it’s not an either-or situation. They complement each other perfectly.
4. It takes a lot of time to do preseason properly
The more you can do the better, but you don’t need to commit your life to preseason training to get an improvement effect.
You can net once or twice a week, hit the gym two or three times and make noticeable improvements over a few months.
Everyone has more time than they think; it’s just a matter of priority. You may have higher priorities than cricket, but you can still make time to improve your skill and fitness in the winter months with careful planning and good knowledge of what works fast.
5. You need to have an expert to guide you through preseason
Most players are not lucky enough to have access to a strength trainer and personalised coaching. If you are in that boat there is still plenty you can do without experts on hand.
You can start by buying and digesting the PitchVision Academy Preseason Bundle. Its 3 complete eBooks, an audio training guide for nets and a Preseason fitness programme all rolled into one money-saving bundle.
Click here to buy it now.
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When it comes to personal fitness, there are two schools of thought within the coaching industry.
