Coaching: Confidence

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Confidence

Printed From: Cricket World
Category: Let's Talk Cricket
Forum Name: Coaching
Forum Discription: How to improve your Game
URL: http://www.cricketworld.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3685
Printed Date: 24 May 2013 at 12:19am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.71 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Confidence

Posted By: Smack
Subject: Confidence
Date Posted: 10 May 2007 at 4:58pm

In cricket your mental approach is vital. Confidence is a big part of this.

I find sometimes that i lack confidence. You could even call it "moods", sometimes im in the mood to play well and other times im in a zombie type mood. What this leads that dreaded thing called inconsistency.

I've made plenty of runs in matches and i generally play well in the nets too and for brief moments i feel on top of the world but by the time the next match comes round i seem to be back to square one.

What techniques do you guys use to boost your confidence? And how do you keep that confidence?

Replies:

Posted By: -JP-
Date Posted: 10 May 2007 at 5:08pm

Visualisation can help. If you imagine yourself beforehand bowling/batting well, then it puts you in the right frame of mind to go out there and do it.

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Posted By: Bennos
Date Posted: 10 May 2007 at 6:02pm

remember that life is short so you should use it as best u can :)

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Zapp

Posted By: I_CANT_BAT
Date Posted: 10 May 2007 at 6:07pm

You may be releasing adrenaline at the wrong times. I know thats what happened with me but i am diabetic lol

Posted By: TCA123
Date Posted: 10 May 2007 at 9:03pm

i agree very much with J.P

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Offspinner,
Right Arm Bat

Posted By: Pietersen Fan
Date Posted: 10 May 2007 at 10:18pm

i have the same problem on occasions, i think that its fear of failure that does it to me.

when bowling i sometimes pretend to be bowling to one of my heros (or an ozzie) and that makes me bowl with more confidence

also just remember that if you mess up, in the whole grand sceme of things WHO CARES???!?! sounds stupid but it will help you to relax

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check out the ultimate spinners guide - spinny.co.nr

Posted By: W.G.
Date Posted: 10 May 2007 at 10:43pm

Only one ball will get you out. May be the first ball you face, may be the 101st or 250th. Getting out does not make you a bad player - your job is to minimise the 1st ball exits and maximise scoring between that and the ball that does for you, even though you don't know when it is coming. If you are not up to that challenge, stop playing.

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When you win the toss - bat.
If you are in doubt, think about it - then bat. If you have very big doubts, consult a colleague - then bat.

Posted By: bondy
Date Posted: 11 May 2007 at 1:12am

I've always thought, and Shane Warne will agree with me that being a batsman is much harder than being a bowler. One stuff up for a batsman and your generally out. For a bowler a loose ball can often be followed up with a wicket, thus allowing for a greater margin of error.

In terms of confidence it makes it harder for a batsman knowing that at any time you can get out. Take each ball in its merit. By doing this your focus is in tune and will allow you to keep out the good balls and take care of the bad balls. Begin by doing this in the nets and build upon it in a game. Once you've mastered this you'll be sure to have a ton of confidence and runs should flow.

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Good one Graham!

Posted By: Sledger
Date Posted: 11 May 2007 at 6:28am

In my playing days I always found that I just got better and better, the more beer I had!

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Mental disintegration works for me !!

Posted By: Clobber
Date Posted: 11 May 2007 at 8:59am

better looking too I expect!

Posted By: RightHandBat
Date Posted: 11 May 2007 at 9:20am

You should try using mental rehearsal. I use it a lot, I gather up shots that I have hit in previous games that have gone for four or six, then I come up with a new place, isolated from the rest of the world, with just me and whoever else I want there. I make up a stadium, weather conditions, pitch type, the type of bowler and look at the bowler running in, then imagining myself playing those shots that I've hit for four or six.

I sometimes just make up shots that I haven't played, until it feels really real. You should try it.

Mental Rehearsal has been proven to improve physical performance.

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"His classical hits down the ground, met with a checked drive, were Tendulkar at his best. It was though he had a new lease of life." - Sachin Tendulkar's return to cricket with a 91-Ball century.

Posted By: Sledger
Date Posted: 11 May 2007 at 10:13am

Originally posted by Clobber

better looking too I expect!

That too mate !!

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Mental disintegration works for me !!

Posted By: Sledger
Date Posted: 11 May 2007 at 10:18am

Originally posted by RightHandBat

I come up with a new place, isolated from the rest of the world, with just me and whoever else I want there.....

I did that too ! Raquel Welsh was usually my choice , but I sometimes invited Sophia Loren for a change.

You'll get out of it though lad , growing up is such a drag !!

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Mental disintegration works for me !!

Posted By: harrowdrive
Date Posted: 11 May 2007 at 12:02pm

Take a look here for a few tips:

http://www.harrowdrive.com/index.php?tag=confidence - http://www.harrowdrive.com/index.php?tag=confidence

The stuff from James Hamilton is very good.

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Play better cricket. Get tips from http://www.harrowdrive.com - www.harrowdrive.com

Posted By: Smack
Date Posted: 12 May 2007 at 3:55pm

thanks guys some interesting thoughts there.

Posted By: scuudz
Date Posted: 16 May 2007 at 2:07am

Something that works for me is reminding myself that I dont have to score of every ball. A solid defensive stroke to the first ball I face gives me a whole lot of confidence.

Posted By: bondy
Date Posted: 16 May 2007 at 5:46am

To be honest that depends where you bat. I've always felt that batsman 1-3 have to be a special time of person- usually an introverted individual that bats within themselves. When they bat nothing else in the world matters, like being in their own little world.

That's why I've always batted 4-5-6 :p

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Good one Graham!

Posted By: scuudz
Date Posted: 16 May 2007 at 6:09am

Hmm....thats interesting because I think its the exact opposite in ODIs at least.....top order batsman usually seem to be the extrovert, chatty types......Hayden, Smith, Afridi-like

Posted By: bondy
Date Posted: 16 May 2007 at 6:24am

Your right- I meant test-cricket only. To me ODI's are arbitrary anyway.

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Good one Graham!

Posted By: scuudz
Date Posted: 16 May 2007 at 6:26am

Yea it must be hard to adapt mentally from one form of the game to another. I want to say something funny about Smith being mindless but its too late and im too tired to think of anything.

Posted By: W.G.
Date Posted: 16 May 2007 at 6:58am

Originally posted by scuudz

Yea it must be hard to adapt mentally from one form of the game to another. I want to say something funny about Smith being mindless but its too late and im too tired to think of anything.

At least you have the excuse of being tired, Smith can't think full stop.

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When you win the toss - bat.
If you are in doubt, think about it - then bat. If you have very big doubts, consult a colleague - then bat.

Posted By: Sledger
Date Posted: 16 May 2007 at 7:25am

Smith's classic was when responding to a scribe's question uttered the immortal words ," It's a catch 21 situation" ..............brilliant huh.

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Mental disintegration works for me !!

Posted By: bondy
Date Posted: 16 May 2007 at 7:33am

hahahaha, very funny!

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Good one Graham!

Posted By: scuudz
Date Posted: 16 May 2007 at 4:16pm

UGGHHH