With the season soon approaching, our floodlit Thursday fielding sessions are used to increase our throwing volume and we have been looking at different ways to attack a ball in the deep.

Each player is experimenting with a variety of approach options with the intention of building awareness of their own performance levels in each method. This way they can develop a number of fielding tools which they choose to deploy according to the requirements of each ball.

Ultimately, we are looking to explore different lines of attack to the ball and then look at testing our decision making in different match situations.

The traditional way

Historically, we have been taught to approach the ball quickly, picking the ball up alongside the body and then throwing the ball in using your approach momentum to assist the velocity of the subsequent throw.

The challenge with this angle of approach is that it makes it very difficult for us to present an maximal hand area to the ball. This is why we see so many balls bounce out of the hands and in some cases, the ball is completely missed altogether when players approach the ball at speed.

However, when pick up is successful, this method can be appropriate and sometimes discourages an attempted second run.

The tiger line

Another method of discouraging a second run but also to create a run out opportunity is to run a “tiger-line” to the ball. This is the most direct line to the ball and often means that the fielder is picking the ball up whilst running at a rapid pace.

Whenever we introduce significant speed, multiple limbs moving rapidly whilst bending down to collect a moving ball we increase the likelihood of error at pick up. As a result the “tiger line” is a skill that has to be practiced over and over again.

It’s also an option that is best deployed on the flatter outfields as it’s made me look a bit of a clown on a couple of occasions on some rougher club outfields on the Isle of Wight or in South Africa.

However, in a match in South Africa on an rocky outfield I found myself hurtling to the ball trying to run a batter out last ball of a game when the 2nd run was the difference between a tie and a win for Hermanus, my team.

If I missed the ball completely then that potential Hermanus win would slip into a outright loss because of the speed of the incoming ball.

Should I take the easy option, limit risk and take the tie?

Nah. Not in my nature so let’s give it a red hot go and see what happens!

I bent down at full tilt, hand ready to scoop the ball up off the rough soil. The ball took a stoney hop, slammed into my wrist, looped up in front of me so I caught it, took on extra step and pinged the throw to the keeper to beat the batter by 2 yards. I’m a risk taker and I got away with it.

Just!

The “J”

The “J” is a method that is used on a very long throw such as when you are looking to run out the returning striking batter at the keepers end from deep mid on. A fielder will curve around the back of the slower moving ball so that their last couple of steps leading into ball contact place the ball directly in line with the target (keepers/bowlers end).

We can use this direct alignment, the momentum that we take into the pick up and our body rotation/torque (square pick up - sideways - to square at point of release) to generate significant ball velocity and carry the ball on the full or one bounce on the square back to the keeper.

It’s a fantastic move that with practice can be a partnership breaker or a victory-maker!

The “Traditional”, the “Tiger Line” and the “J” are three methods for ball approach on the boundary. Each can be used in different contexts to create something special.

Practice hard to work out your you best long throw tool for each deep fielding job.