Cricket Coaching

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BATTING ESSENTIALS

TM

Cricket COACHING SYSTEM

LESSON PLAN 1

Setup, Concepts & Front Defence

OVERVIEW

00:00 / 00:52

LESSON Sequence

LESSON PLAN 1 introduces several key components:

Setup
Front Defence
Concept development

Duration: 30 minutes

AIM

of Lesson Plan 1

Introduce:

Grip establishment
Stance position
Setup routine
Back lift
Front Defence
Concepts

CONCEPTS

to be introduced & developed

Balance
Foot & knee bend relationship
Front foot step & turn
Stable base of support
Head to foot
Hitting zone
Timing

COACHING

Language

Lift / Step / Stop

KEY Points

to be discussed with player

The importance of the correct grip and setup position

The hitting zone for the FRONT DEFENCE is beside the front pad

Staying side on at impact and NOT rotating the hips or shoulders when playing the FRONT DEFENCE

When running each lesson, check the setup and setup routine for each ball

7 CONCEPTS are introduced and developed in LESSON PLAN 1 – only 4 to 5 sets of balls will be possible in 30 minutes due to the discussion time needed

BUCKET 1

Observe

SETUP &

SETUP ROUTINE

10 minutes

(1 bucket + discussion)

BUCKET 1

00:00 / 01:22

SETUP ROUTINE –

REAL TIME

SETUP ROUTINE–

REAL TIME

WATCH SLOW MO VIDEOS

AIM

Coach to OBSERVE only

Grip
Stance position
Setup routine
Back lift

METHOD

Start the session with activity! Deliver balls suitable for the FRONT DEFENCE

Coach to OBSERVE only

At this stage, shot correction is NOT required and shot quality is NOT important!

SETUP & SETUP ROUTINE

Observe how the player sets up for each delivery (bat grip / stance & position / consistency of set-up)

PLAYING THE BALL

Observe how the player moves their feet and body

Observe how the player swings the bat

Observe where the player makes contact with the ball (if they make contact at all)

END OF BUCKET Discussion

HANDEDNESS

Discuss the role of both hands – top hand for control, bottom hand for power (the top hand should lead the bottom hand).

GRIP

Show player how to properly grip the bat – player to copy! (if required, show player the Grip Establishment method as per Essential Skill 1 Part A).

STANCE

Show player how and where to stand with feet position at crease – player to copy! (if required, show player the Stance position as per Essential Skill 1 Part B).

BACK LIFT

Reinforce the role of the top hand in controlling the back lift – keep the bat to the off side of the body when lifted (do NOT allow bottom hand to lift the bat behind the body).

SETUP ROUTINE

Reinforce the need for a consistent setup routine.

Bucket 1

BUCKET 2

Introduce

SETUP &

SETUP ROUTINE

5 minutes

BUCKET 2

00:00 / 00:42

SETUP ROUTINE –

REAL TIME

SETUP ROUTINE –

REAL TIME

WATCH SLOW MO VIDEOS

AIM

To introduce, establish & develop:

Setup (grip and stance)
Setup routine
Back lift is top hand controlled

METHOD

Deliver balls suitable for the FRONT DEFENCE

Ensure the player sets up using a SETUP ROUTINE for each delivery

Ensure back lift is top hand controlled for each delivery – correct as required

COACH TO FOCUS ON:

At this stage, shot correction is NOT required and shot quality is NOT important!

Setup (grip and stance)
Setup routine
Back lift is top hand controlled

BUCKET 3

Introduce

7 CONCEPTS & FRONT DEFENCE

10 minutes

(discussion + 1 bucket)

Discuss the 7 CONCEPTS first!

BUCKET 3 – DISCUSS THE CONCEPTS

00:00 / 00:51

CONCEPTS VIDEO

CONCEPTS VIDEO

ABOUT THE CONCEPTS VIDEO

In the Concepts Video, I run through the CONCEPTS with the player ...

In no more than 2 minutes, a lot of information covering several important CONCEPTS can be delivered in a way that is easy for the player to understand and put into practice.

For the player, this creates the connection between theory and practical

The process, in the Concepts Video, also creates the consistent language base that can now be used to provide feedback and direct further coaching

CONCEPTS SUMMARY

Below is a SUMMARY of how I have explained the CONCEPTS in the Concepts Video ...

CONCEPT

|

Balance

I explain the concept of balance:

Our head over our feet feels balanced – our body feels off balance when it tips over!

I let the player experience this feeling by pushing the shoulder until the head tips over. I then draw the player's attention to notice how their feet move back under their head to regain balance.

I reinforce that, to stay in balance, we MUST keep our head over our feet (this explanation takes less than 30 seconds).

CONCEPT

|

Step & turn

From the stance position, I ask the player to step (with the front foot) and turn the front toe towards the bowler (bowling machine) – this is the Step & turn movement concept.

CONCEPT

|

Foot & knee bend relationship

Once the foot has turned, I point out how the knee naturally bends in the direction that the toe is facing – Foot & knee bend relationship.

Therefore, if you want to play straight – turn your toe so that it points straight and the knee will naturally bend in the direction the toe is facing.

CONCEPT

|

Stable base of support

NOT mentioned in the video ...

The Step & turn provides a Stable base of support – the head is then properly supported and balanced above the feet.

CONCEPT

|

Head to foot

NOT mentioned in the video ...

As the player steps and turns the front toe, keep the head positioned above the front foot for balance

CONCEPT

|

Hitting zone

I explain the concept of a Hitting zone – each shot has its own hitting zone!

The step and turn with knee bend sets up the hitting zone which, for the Front Defence, is beside the front pad (from the pad extending to the front toe). For the Front Defence therefore, contact is made beside the front pad in the Hitting zone.

CONCEPT

|

Timing

I explain the concept of Timing – timing is getting the bat to contact the ball in the hitting zone.

Concepts video

Concepts summary

Now start the FRONT DEFENCE

BUCKET 3 – START THE FRONT DEFENCE

00:00 / 00:51

FRONT DEFENCE –

REAL TIME

FRONT DEFENCE –

REAL TIME

WATCH SLOW MO VIDEOS

AIM

To introduce & establish:

Movements associated with playing the FRONT DEFENCE

CONCEPTS appropriate for this phase of learning

Coaching Language

–

Lift / Step / Stop

METHOD

DISCUSSION

Explain that the delivery being received is suitable for a FRONT DEFENCE

Explain the CONCEPTS involved when playing the FRONT DEFENCE – refer to the Concepts Video for a demonstration of how to incorporate the CONCEPTS into the discussion

ESTABLISH

Establish the movements associated with playing the FRONT DEFENCE (refer to Essential Skill 2 if required)

If required, refer back to the CHECKLIST tab in this section

WATCH & REPEAT

Demonstrate the movements associated with playing the FRONT DEFENCE (or show Videos and Frame by Frame sequence in Essential Skill 2)

Player to repeat the movements WITHOUT hitting balls – correct as required

Introduce COACHING LANGUAGE

The Coaching Language of LIFT / STEP / STOP provides a summary of the key movements and concepts of the FRONT DEFENCE (and creates a common 'language' between player and coach):

LIFT: Lift the bat / Top hand control

STEP: Step and turn the front foot / Knee bend / Head over foot / Balance

STOP: Stop the bat in the hitting zone next to the front pad / High front elbow

BEGIN

Once the movements have been established (and practiced), the player is to begin hitting balls

Provide feedback and correction as required

CONCEPTS

BALANCE: To be balanced, a player must keep their head over their feet – balance allows the player to focus on the ball

STEP & TURN: Strong step towards the ball while turning the front toe towards the ball

HEAD TO FOOT: As the player steps and turns the front toe, keep the head positioned above the front foot for balance

FOOT & KNEE BEND RELATIONSHIP: The knee will bend in the direction the toe faces

STABLE BASE OF SUPPORT: The strong step and turn creates a stable base above which the player's head will feel balanced

HITTING ZONE: The hitting zone is the best place to make contact with the ball – every shot has an optimal hitting zone (example – for the FRONT DEFENCE, this is beside the front pad)

TIMING: Timing is getting the bat to meet the ball in the hitting zone – this applies to all shots

BUCKET 4

(& 5 time permitting)

FRONT DEFENCE

Develop

5 minutes

BUCKET 4

00:00 / 01:06

FRONT DEFENCE –

REAL TIME

FRONT DEFENCE –

REAL TIME

WATCH SLOW MO VIDEOS

AIM

To develop:

Movements associated with playing the FRONT DEFENCE

To reinforce:

CONCEPTS whilst playing the FRONT DEFENCE

Coaching Language

METHOD

CONTINUE

Continue to deliver balls for the FRONT DEFENCE

If required, refer back to the CHECKLIST tab in this section

Provide feedback and correction as required

COACH TO FOCUS ON

Back lift
Balance
Front foot step & turn
Hitting zone
Timing
Reinforcing Lift / Step / Stop

PROGRESSION

If the player is progressing well – for the final set of the session, increase the speed of the bowling machine slightly

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