by Darrell
(Northern Ireland)
Sachin Tendulkar: Simplicity
Dear Coach
I am a top order batsman and I am struggling with my technique.
I find myself getting out lbw or caught close in, I find myself not getting to the pitch of the ball and playing in the air quite a lot.
I have tried various trigger movements but none seem to be helping.Could you tell me a trigger movement that I could use that may help me with my batting, or if there is something I should be practicing to help improve this area of my batting.
Hi Darrell,
the only thing that a trigger movement gives you is to begin the movement of the body as you begin the process of playing a shot.
I am a fan of keeping your batting technique as simple as possible, this helps to keep your mind quiet and allows you to pay attention to the ball.
I have chosen Sachin Tendulkar for the picture for this post as an example of the total simplicity in his game. No trigger movements, just still at the crease, watching the ball.
I know in club cricket circles and in county cricket there can be a pre-occupation with small technical idiosyncrasies that ‘may’ be an aid to batting. Most of them are just a distraction, the game is about a simple technique, play with positive intent and good concentration.
My advice is to forget about trigger movements, they are a distraction, you end up thinking about where your feet are going instead of watching the ball.
If a trigger movement is a big part of your batting and you feel you can’t get by without it, then try to keep it as small as possible, whether you move your front foot or back foot you need to keep your weight forward and evenly balanced, on the balls of your feet like a dancer or dancer. Not your toes ! This makes you fall across the crease.
Firstly, make sure your head is still and slightly forward in your stance when you finish your trigger movement. Secondly, you are sideways on when you finish your trigger movement so the bat is coming down straight from the top of your batswing.
The pattern of your dismissals, LBW and caught close in ( behind ? ) and hitting the ball in the air suggests poor focus and balance.
Here’s the plan:
1. Keep your head still in your stance and watch the ball, this is the most important thing in batting, this leads to good judgement of length, which leads to better stroke selection.
2. Practice watching the ball, as the bowler begins his run up, zone in on the ball in the bowlers hand, as the bowler enters the crease make sure your eyes are glued to the ball.
3. If you can get by without them, give them up – I think they are too much of a distraction to your game. If you can’t follow the advice above.
4. In the nets with a partner, practice doing throw downs and work on playing straight. Get your partner to throw a full length – straight, work on driving up the ground between mid on and off. This will help with your head and body position and allow you to hit straight through the line of the ball rather than across it.
This should remedy the LBW dismissal, the issue of getting caught close in is probably to do with the triggers, judgement and poor balance. The work on stillness, practicing watching the ball and better balance should resolve this.
Best wishes Coach
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About Richard Pybus
I'm Richard Pybus, I've coached Pakistan, Bangladesh, Middlesex, Titans and the Cape Cobras in South Africa and the goal of this site is to help you to play winning cricket.