An area I am really focussing on with all my coaching this year is to train players to practice better. One way I am doing this is by scheduling sessions, another is by spending time on drills to help players help themselves and teammates how to practice better.
The session will be structured as ‘normal’:
11am Intro & Safety, Warm Up & Fielding Drill
- we will start promptly at 11am, so please be there and ready to start, with 100% concentration.
11.30am We will then use the three nets as below:
Net 1: will focus on drills for using a dog thrower, feeds and throw downs so we can get more players capable of giving batters good practise sessions. Everyone will be involved but primarily non bowlers, or bowlers who struggle with Net 2. Will use a Coach or Senior Pro with a baseball mitt behind the stumps. The aim is to get players skilled at feeds from 10 yards, throw downs from 16 yards and dog thrower from 22 yards. We need to have the ability to be consistent with accuracy and pace, which has to replicate what a batter may face in a game.
- we will utilise Net 2 as well for the above drills until those involved in the batting and bowling are ready to start.
Net 2: will focus on bowling skills, specifically line and length, with a Wicket Keeper as part of the ‘measure of success’ ie how much do they have to move. We will be looking to achieve a consistent line, and a good thud into the keepers gloves. The scenario here is to bowl to an agreed line so the captain can set a specific field eg 7/2 offside.
Net 3: will focus on batting skills. Want to work on hitting down the ground as this is usually the ‘safest area’, and hitting with a straight bat is less risky than a cross bat shot. We will be looking at drives along the floor to rotate the strike, and power hitting to clear the infield, and for those that can, clear the fence.
XX will look after Net 1, XX Net 2 and XX Net 3
Chris will demonstrate each net before we break into the groups below:
Net 1 (Drills)
- XX Behind Stumps in Net 1
- XX Behind Stumps in Net 2
Their role to monitor the accuracy …. and return the balls.
XX (Net 1)
XX (Net 2)
XX (1)
XX (2)
XX
XX
XX
XX - everyone will have a go, and we will utilise Net 2 until we are ready to use it. Overall the objective is to be consistently accurate so batters can concentrate on their drills and benefit from repetition but additionally this week we need to focus on the pace of the throw downs (dog catcher), for the drills in Net 3 to be challenging, and effective.
Net 2 (Bowlers)
- *XX WK
XX
XX
XX
*XX WK
XX
XX - Bowlers will do three variant of each drill: delivering from a stationary position, half run up, full run up (space permitting). One drill will focus on line, the second on line and length so each bowler will do 6 drills.
- XX will keep wicket and then will be replaced by XX
Net 3 (Batters)
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
Feeders
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
. we will be looking at hitting down the ground, with a straight bat along the ground and in the air off both front and back foot.
- more advanced batters can try advancing down the wicket, and moving across the crease.
If you are in any doubt please talk to your captain’s about the suitability of your skills and development needs to each session, but from a Coaches perspective the priority will always be on ensuring the sessions deliver a relevant and challenging structure aligned to the Squad the net is aligned to.