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Great article, very good insight into the techniqualities of timing the ball!
I do think relaxation and not being tense has a lot to do with timing. I always find if i'm relaxed at the crease, everything just flows, I always seem to time the ball.
However, if i'm nervous and tense, my body movements are jolty and its harder to time the ball.
I think 'flow' is a great word Ty. When everything is working and you are not distracted by past or future events. How do you get yourself into that mental state? I think it's something that can be learned.
by dissident (not verified) | Fri, 01/02/2008 - 16:49
Timing is the essence of batting no doubt.
"According to Glamorgan strength coach Rob Ahmun, cricket sits somewhere between power and speed (the green and blue dots). This is called speed-strength. This speed strength, as we have discussed, requires a high ratio of fast to slow muscle fibres. It also requires good basic movement skills and a relatively low amount of body fat."
So can this Glamorgan Strength coach please explain how people with higher percentages of body fat like Ranatunga, David Boon, Mark Taylor, Steven Waugh, Shane Warne and many other tubby guys play the game so successfully?
Body Builders are the only ones who need a low percentage of body fat as their muscle definition is what wins them contests.
That said, a reasonably clean diet and strength training will be of use to a competitive cricketer. But I would not lose sleep over body fat percentage. If body fat affected speed strength ask a power lifter or sprint 30 yards against a strong power lifer, he will beat the body builder type every time when it comes to sporting performance because of the powerlifters functional strength.
Great points dissident. There will always be exceptions to the rule about body fat. As you say, it's not something to obsess about, but lower ratios of fat do give an advantage up to a point. No one is suggesting bodybuilding methods are right either though. It's all about creating better athletes. That's what we all want right?
You question about basics is interesting and deserves a full post. I would say the basics are strength and mobility. These are adaptable and transferable skills that can reduce the risk of injury and enhance performance in any sport. What would you say the basics are?
by dissident (not verified) | Tue, 05/02/2008 - 15:19
Agreed its about creating better athletes but the 'how' is important. I am afraid coaches are obsessing with body fat percentages and the emphasis has shifted to appearance which is actually causing a deterioration in performance. And the players I have cited are not exceptions, as there is no 'rule' here regarding low body fat percentages.
It depends on the individual/team you are setting the program up for. I would certainly start by finding out the essential details such as age, training age, experience, willingness to train, time of year, equipment available and time available. From there we can start to think about structuring a series of workouts.
You really think coaches are obsessed with bodyfat? I can't say I have seen that at club level. Perhaps you have experience at a higher level than me, in which case I defer to your knowledge.
While I agree body fat is just one factor in a skill based sport, I would say all cricketers should aim to keep their body fat in the 8-15% range. Any more is dead weight and slows you down. Any less is too difficult to maintain and has long term risks. That's just basic physics. Strap a 20lbweight vest on and compare your 40 yard dash times.
by dissident (not verified) | Fri, 14/03/2008 - 18:35
Basic physics also needs to take into consideration that this not the way the human body works. There are many variables and It also depends on how strong the cricketer is and if he can meet the normal demands of the game. It is only dead weight when you lack the power.
Body fat above that which is needed for healthy function (somewhere around the 6-8% mark in males) is dead weight whether you have power or not. Fat levels and power levels are not related.
Now, that is not so say all cricketers should have 6% bodyfat, that is too hard to maintain and very close to being unhealthy. However it is quite possible to be strong and have bodyfat in the 8-15% range. Anything above that is dead weight whether you are strong or weak.
Or have I misunderstood you dissident? If so I apologise. Please explain further.
Comments
Top article as always and a lot in information in there.
I think most of us are all too familiar with the scenario you described - timing, one of the great levellers in cricket!
Will have a proper read through later, a lot of information to digest but a very interesting topic area.
Tom
This is a cool site! Thanks and wish you better luck! Brilliant but simple idea.
Assissotom , thank you although I'm willing to bet you are spam so I have removed the link from your comment.
Great article, very good insight into the techniqualities of timing the ball!
I do think relaxation and not being tense has a lot to do with timing. I always find if i'm relaxed at the crease, everything just flows, I always seem to time the ball.
However, if i'm nervous and tense, my body movements are jolty and its harder to time the ball.
I think the key is relaxing at the crease.
I think 'flow' is a great word Ty. When everything is working and you are not distracted by past or future events. How do you get yourself into that mental state? I think it's something that can be learned.
Timing is the essence of batting no doubt.
"According to Glamorgan strength coach Rob Ahmun, cricket sits somewhere between power and speed (the green and blue dots). This is called speed-strength. This speed strength, as we have discussed, requires a high ratio of fast to slow muscle fibres. It also requires good basic movement skills and a relatively low amount of body fat."
So can this Glamorgan Strength coach please explain how people with higher percentages of body fat like Ranatunga, David Boon, Mark Taylor, Steven Waugh, Shane Warne and many other tubby guys play the game so successfully?
Body Builders are the only ones who need a low percentage of body fat as their muscle definition is what wins them contests.
That said, a reasonably clean diet and strength training will be of use to a competitive cricketer. But I would not lose sleep over body fat percentage. If body fat affected speed strength ask a power lifter or sprint 30 yards against a strong power lifer, he will beat the body builder type every time when it comes to sporting performance because of the powerlifters functional strength.
David, You say everything is back to the basics. What are these basics? Can you elaborate?
Great points dissident. There will always be exceptions to the rule about body fat. As you say, it's not something to obsess about, but lower ratios of fat do give an advantage up to a point. No one is suggesting bodybuilding methods are right either though. It's all about creating better athletes. That's what we all want right?
You question about basics is interesting and deserves a full post. I would say the basics are strength and mobility. These are adaptable and transferable skills that can reduce the risk of injury and enhance performance in any sport. What would you say the basics are?
Agreed its about creating better athletes but the 'how' is important. I am afraid coaches are obsessing with body fat percentages and the emphasis has shifted to appearance which is actually causing a deterioration in performance. And the players I have cited are not exceptions, as there is no 'rule' here regarding low body fat percentages.
Ok so how would you design a program to achieve increase strength and mobility as a coach?
It depends on the individual/team you are setting the program up for. I would certainly start by finding out the essential details such as age, training age, experience, willingness to train, time of year, equipment available and time available. From there we can start to think about structuring a series of workouts.
You really think coaches are obsessed with bodyfat? I can't say I have seen that at club level. Perhaps you have experience at a higher level than me, in which case I defer to your knowledge.
While I agree body fat is just one factor in a skill based sport, I would say all cricketers should aim to keep their body fat in the 8-15% range. Any more is dead weight and slows you down. Any less is too difficult to maintain and has long term risks. That's just basic physics. Strap a 20lbweight vest on and compare your 40 yard dash times.
Basic physics also needs to take into consideration that this not the way the human body works. There are many variables and It also depends on how strong the cricketer is and if he can meet the normal demands of the game. It is only dead weight when you lack the power.
Body fat above that which is needed for healthy function (somewhere around the 6-8% mark in males) is dead weight whether you have power or not. Fat levels and power levels are not related.
Now, that is not so say all cricketers should have 6% bodyfat, that is too hard to maintain and very close to being unhealthy. However it is quite possible to be strong and have bodyfat in the 8-15% range. Anything above that is dead weight whether you are strong or weak.
Or have I misunderstood you dissident? If so I apologise. Please explain further.
A Very impressive article.
Any information on retrieving batting confidence would be great!
All the best.
I want to know more about cricket plz any one if there is.
how to get vthe muscles wich improve our bat speed and able to hit the big boundaries\