Batting Drill: Leading with the Head, Part 1 (Ball Pickup)

Here's a simple batting drill you can do with your young cricketer...

To help them learn to lead with their head, when they are playing a shot on the front foot.

It can be done in the nets, in your home, in the lounge, in the garden... Anywhere.

And it will help them greatly with learning how to lead with their head in the shot - which will in turn keep them balanced and in the correct body position.

A Simple (but important) Batting Drill for Parent Coaches to Use

Transcript:

Okay, so today we're just gonna do a quick little drill on getting your head to go to the ball. Skova, you're gonna drop, put your bat down for me. I want you to stand with your, with your bottom hand behind your back. Yeah. Okay. Right. You're gonna go, you're gonna step to each board and you're just gonna pick it up.

Go back to your stance and then put it back down again. Okay. Go for it. Put it back. Okay. Straight drive. And on drive.

Okay. Can you tell me why you think we are doing this? Get head in close. Get your head in line. Okay, good. So just make sure I've probably put this ball a little bit far forward.

Put a bit closer. Just make sure that when you're stepping next to the ball that, or when you're going to the ball, that your foot is going next to the ball. Okay. So when you're making contact with the bat, your eyes are over the ball. Okay. Most important thing you gotta think about here. Is getting your head to go first.

Okay. So while you're standing there, put your legs together, or your feet together. Okay? Okay. Now lean towards me. Okay. It's easy for me to push you over. Take a step with your head leaning forward. Okay. Much harder to push you over now. Okay. So that gives you a lot more strength in the shot, and that's where you're gonna get your timing from.

But the other other thing I want you to do quickly now is I want you to step first to the ball and leave your head in the middle. So go with your foot first. Okay? So your foot's gone, and your head's here. Okay. Your head is upright. Go back into your start. Okay. Now lead with your head first.

Okay. Big difference. Your head is now over the ball. Okay? So it's important that our head goes first and then everything will follow. Because if you go with your foot first, often we leave our heads behind and that's why you have the ball in the air. Okay? So let's just run through that once more. Don't, you don't have to go too fast.

Focus on getting your head done over the ball. Picking the ball, picking the ball up and stepping back. Okay? And the other reason that we do this slowly is for muscle memory. So when it comes to actually playing the shot, you're not thinking about what you're doing. It just happens naturally. Okay. Okay. I want you getting in a much bigger stride and stepping next to the ball.

There we go. Good. Good. Okay. Awesome. Take your bottom hand and put it behind your back. Okay. Go for it. Very good. And put it back. Okay. Nice. Simple movements. See where your head's going. Make sure you're leading with your head. Good. And back again. And good and good.

Okay, that last one, what you think you did wrong there, because you fell over and you had to stop yourself on your foot. Okay. Your foot went first, so you left your head behind and your head went outside the line. Okay? So that's why it's important that we go with our heads first.