by Akash Tripathi
(India)
Hi Coach,
when I stand up to the wicket for the spinners I get nervous and feel pressured.This has caused me to miss many stumpings. Please help me with a solution.
Hi Akash,
Check out the two posts below on cricket mental toughness, they will give you an insight of what is happening and some solutions.
Standing up to the stumps is how a wicket keeper gets defined, standing back to the seamers is pretty regulation for a good athlete. So its an area you need to work hard and smart at.
Some wicket keeping tips for you.
1. Focus Drill: When you are nervous you don’t pay attention properly. Your mind races off to think about the past, previous bad experiences, the future, ‘what if’s’, swiching backward and forwards.
This stops you getting into the present and focusing properly on the ball being bowled.
Have a spinner bowl to you in the nets, practice watching the ball bounce. Just you and the ball, not moving till the ball has bounced. Train yourself to be present with the ball that is being bowled.
2. Do the same drill but get your partner to bowl half volleys, both on the off and the leg side. Practice keeping the tips of your gloves on the ground and sweep your hands across and underneath the ball.
This drill forces you to stay down, keeping you from coming up with your head and allows the arms to stay long.
3. Do the previous two drills but put a chair with a pad in front of it to create a ‘blind spot’ and practice taking the ball down the leg side, keeping your weight inside and transfering it back to the stumps.
4. Develop a mantra that you can hum to yourself between balls to ‘park’ your mind and keep it quiet, it stops it interfering and thinking about negatives.
“Smooth and sweet” ( movements and gloving the ball, “Cool and Confident” (Mind)
“Watch the ball” (Focus), “Oily” for your movements.
Or a favourite “word’ or “song”.
Mental tougness Links below
Cricket Mental Toughness: Performance Anxiety
Cricket Mental Toughness: Overcoming Bowling Performance Anxiety
For wicket keeping tips check out the link.
Best wishes Coach
Join in and write your own page! It’s easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Ask Coach ? .
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.