David Hinchliffe's Articles | Cricket coaching, fitness and tips

Now you can prove them wrong with PitchVision Academy coaching courses

They said you couldn't succeed. Then you found world class coaching to make the most of your talent and proved them all wrong.

That has been the dream of players (and even their coaches). The problem is that world class coaches are hard to find and expensive to employ.

Until now.

We are pleased to announce the world's most comprehensive online cricket coaching site: PitchVision Academy.

Cruise control: Building mental toughness is about more than hard work

This PitchVision Academy members only article can be read as a standalone piece but if you really want to act on it, use it in conjunction with the "How to use mental training to boost your game" course.

There is a famous saying that doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is a sign of madness.

Umpires Corner: Accidental hits and riotous running

We are delighted to announce a brand new series on miCricketCoach: The Umpires Corner in association with the International Institute of Cricket Umpiring and Scoring.

Snow day: 6 Ways to train when the weather puts a stop to things

As you can see from the picture, I went to my gym here in the UK to find it shut with a snowman in the carpark.

That put an end to my plans to train that day. Or did it?

Why bother with a short leg?

In my experience, the leg side short positions are underused in club cricket.

Even at Test level a short leg is often left out, or when they are in place they are the first close catcher to be removed. Lower down the system, my team tends to play on soft, green and with a low bounce. You can see why many captains decide it's not worth putting a player 'under the lid'.

How to bat like Chris Gayle

Regular contributor Ben Baruch brings another insight on batting. West Indian opener Chris Gayle gets the examination this time around.

What is perfect cricket practice?

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We love getting questions on miCricketCoach. It helps us be more specific about what you want. Recently friend of the site Dhruv emailed in this one:

"I would like to know exactly what makes up the 'perfect practice' part in the phrase 'perfect practice makes for perfection'?"

Case study update: The rules are in place

This article is part of the miCricketCoach 2009 Case Study. To stay up to date with their progress get the free newsletter.

Things are going well for Geraint and Naz, the miCricketCoach case studies. We have started to make a few changes to both training and nutrition for the better.

Here are the current plans for both of them.

Play the high percentage shots

13 year old Ben Baruch is back for another in depth look at batting strategy. This time he examines what we mean when we say 'Play the high percentage shots'.

What are high percentage shots?

If the ball goes in the air, does that make it a low percentage shot? Are shots the same percentage with different bowling or batting?

This will help you decide what shots are the safest early on.

Are you destroying your technique with fielding drills?

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Fielding drills can cause injury and hold back improvements in technique if players are not given enough rest. It's rest times that can make or break a good fielding drill session.

It's a delicate balance. Too much rest and waiting between drills can quickly make the activity boring. On the other hand, too little rest leads to fatigue building up and sloppy technique creeping in.