1. “The Sequences of Balance”
BATTING
“The Sequences of Balance”

2. EFFECTIVE LEARNING MUST BE SEQUENTIAL …
Effective coaching must be able to identify consequences and focus on causes
Effective coaches must be able to understand the holistic sequential process of a skill
(e.g. why does the 7th domino in a line fall over?)

3. The SEQUENCES of the BAT SWING
Set up
Step
Stop
Stabilise
Swing

4. Sir Donald Bradman …. Sequence ….

5. THE AIM OF BATSMEN …
To ‘access’ the ball and then hit it with the full face of the bat.
Batsmen who consistently hit the ball with timing, power and control, are those who are able to control the transition from their NATURAL BALANCE, to DYNAMIC BALANCE.
BALANCED batters have a very STABLE BASE enabling them to respond to the ball and swing their bat down the line. A strong base provides greater CONTROL and generates more POWER

6. Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara

7. Brian Lara, Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Garfield Sobers

8. Stephen Waugh & Adam Gilchrist

9. WHAT are the COMPONENTS of BATTING ?
Closed skills
Grip
Stance
Set-up
Open skills
Perception
Decision making
Movement execution
Initial movement
Accessing ball
Bat swing
Ball striking/Timing
Follow through

10. IN RELATION to TECHNIQUE … WHAT EFFECTS A BATSMANS’ DYNAMIC BALANCE ?
Grip
Set up/Stance
Initial Movement
As coaches you must be able to look at batters and notice things about them that will become your coaching cues.
It is suggested you follow this sequence:

11. A. GRIP
The ‘GRIP’ initiates 85-90% of the sequences of a batters movements …. WHY ?
It must feel “natural”, and look comfortable
It must allow the batter to “cock” (break) his wrists so when the bat is picked up it will lever towards the back shoulder towards 1st/2nd slip with the hands in close to the body.
In this position, the face of the bat will be directed square of the wicket, using the thumb and index finger as a cradle

12. Yousuf Yohana
Brian Lara

13. SRI LANKAN ‘BOY’, 9 years old

14. Martin Love & Ashley Noffke

15. Stephen Fleming (NZ)

16. A. GRIP HOW TO FIND A NATURALLY EFFECTIVE BATTING GRIP?
Swing the bat with the TOP HAND ONLY through a range of strokes until it feels strong and in total control of the bat
Feel the range of strokes this TOP HAND grip allows
Expand the range by small changes in your TOP HAND position and make a final decision when you feel comfortable, strong and in control of your bat
Using the TOP HAND only, lever the bat up until the toe points towards the back shoulder [ between 1st/2nd slip] and the top hand is close to the body resting on the front thigh
From this raised position, place the BOTTOM HAND on the handle so when the bat swings down naturally toward the ball, it compliments the TOP HAND and provides POWER and CONTROL

17. A. GRIP
The most important point to understand is there is NO perfect grip. All batsmen are different.
“I refuse to be dogmatic about a batsmans’ grip because I believe a variety can be satisfactory. So much depends on the batsmans’ methods”.
Sir Donald Bradman

18. Sir Donald Bradman (grip)

19. Stuart Law

20. A. GRIP …. the facts !
Most of the successful batsmen in world cricket have picked up their bat this way, employing their “own” grip, with their hands working together
This ‘CRADLE’ position allows batsmen to maintain their DYNAMIC BALANCE when they swing the bat down the line of the ball without losing CONTROL or sacrificing POWER
If batsmen maintain a constant firm grip on the bat with their bottom hand as they try to access balls of varying length, their DYNAMIC BALANCE will be effected

21. Sachin Tendulkar

22. Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar

23. Greg Chappell, Viv Richards and VVS Laxman

24. A. GRIP….every player is different…!
COMMON GRIP VARIATIONS:
Hands apart [acceptable]
Top hand facing mid off [bottom hand must compliment]
Top hand behind the handle [very restrictive re. shot range]
“V” of bottom hand pointing to inside edge of bat [inside out batswing]
As coaches you must understand where the ball will go if a batter swings the bat down a direct plane with any of these variations …
… therefore, you must also understand what adjustments a batter must make if the hands do not compliment one another.

25. A. GRIP …. the facts !
Biomechanics has taught us that for every action,
there is an equal and opposite reaction
IMPORTANT COACHING TIP
In cricket, every player is different, as a study of past players supports, it is the end result that counts, consistent runs !
Because every player is different, they will ‘use’ their hands in their own way, which is why many batters may find it uncomfortable and threatening when a grip change or adjustment is suggested, particularly changing their BOTTOM HAND .
If you talk about the increased stroke range and control a TOP HAND adjustment provides and follow the steps outlined, you could have a desirable coaching outcome, as will the player.

26. Barry Richards, Ian Chappell and Javed Miandad

27. Ty Cobb
… ‘control’
Over 4000 ‘safe hits’

28. B. SET UP
Batters should be aligned so they can “swing the bat naturally” down a line towards the ball with a vertical or horizontal bat.
The hands and arms should be kept close to the body
This is a personal position for batters.They must be sufficiently relaxed and balanced to be able to lift their bat and move forward or back quickly.
HOW IS THIS ACHIEVED ?
Slightly open front shoulder….this is ‘natural’ for LH Batters
Eyes level
Relaxed posture….bat cannot be tucked in behind foot
Natural width between feet, with even weight distribution

29. Kim Hughes, Don Bradman and Geoff Boycott

30. B. SET UP
SET UP’s TO AVOID
Closed front shoulder
Chin tucked into shoulder
Straight arms
“Offset” / angled eyes
Feet wide apart
Feet close together
As coaches you must understand and be able to demonstrate the ‘feel’, consequences and inhibitions of these set up variations, in relation to movement

31. Graham Gooch, Gary Sobers and David Boon

32. C. INITIAL MOVEMENT
This is the CONTROLLED movement of a batsman into his “set” position prior to delivery .In most cases it coincides with the picking up of the bat. This is another example of the principle of “Action/Reaction”
As players become more experienced, they may move their body slightly before the ball is bowled to prepare themselves to respond to the delivery eg. “forward” or “back and across”. This is not unlike the golfer who initiates his takeaway with a “waggle” or a “forward press”.
When players commence their pickup (action) with their hands in close it is a natural “reaction” for them to take a step forward/back to re-establish their dynamic balance (centre of gravity) in relation to the weight of their bat
The danger in performing an initial movement is when it becomes pre-meditated.Batsmen may move too far forward, back, or across. The consequence is they place themselves into a fixed and unbalanced position which seriously compromises their ability to access the ball and hit it with a full face of the bat.

33. Sir Garfield Sobers

34. Ian Chappell 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

35. Greg Chappell and Gordon Greenidge

36. Gordon Greenidge

37. CONCLUSION Coaches must understand all players are different …
… PHYSICALLY, TECHNICALLY and TEMPERAMENTALLY.
As a coach you must understand this and all the consequences and implications when you detect variations in their method and results
What hasn’t been touched on is the impact of how the batsman manages his ‘ head’, because t least 90% of a players success is determined ‘above the shoulders’
Playing cricket at a high level demands the most refined technical competence. More importantly a player must understand his own game and what happens if he executes skills poorly. He must understand how cricket matches are played and how they fluctuate, he must acknowledge he will have success as well as failure, and he must be prepared as a batsman to accept the challenge of being alone in a highly competitive environment where his decisions are final and accountable

38. Sir Garfield Sobers (6 sixes in one over)