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Cricket coaching by online video


Cricket-blog gets a lot of reciprocal link requests (hence the insanely long blog roll in the right margin). Not long ago, I received a link request from wattacoach.com and was intrigued by the website. They sell video coaching lessons from a team of coaches who've all played or coached first class cricket. You upload a video of your own bowling or batting action and one of their coaches sends back a video lesson analysing your technique and providing drills to improve it.

I asked if they did a video lesson on my legspin action, could I post it on Cricket-blog. They agreed. Not having a video camera, Wendy and I took our digital camera (it takes short,  low-rez movies), went into the backyard and set up the Ricky Ponting beach cricket stumps. I bowled a few leggies which Wendy filmed from side-on and front-on. The front-on was a little tricky - I had to be sure I didn't accidentally strike Wendy or the camera. I then downloaded Windows Movie Maker and quickly edited together the following epic movie:

I uploaded the animation onto the Wattacoach website and a few days ago received a video lesson by David Freedman, a wrist spinner who played for and currently coaches NSW (I won't hold it against him that he lives south of the Tweed). Their two wrist spin coaches are Freedman and Beau Casson who seems to be busy at the moment playing for Australia or something. Here is the lesson in full YouTube glory:

Most interesting was the side-by-side comparison with Beau Casson's bowling action. I can see why Aussie cricketers have a plasma TV in the nets - it's very useful (and fun, bordering on narcissistic) to see a replay of your technique. Even better to compare it side by side with a Test legspinner. I can immediately see how my bowling stride is too long - fixing that has already improved my follow through.

Next is a series of drills explained by Freedman and Casson. I haven't had a chance to try them out - I'll have to give them a quick run through before the club's weekly net session tonight. Plenty of homework to work on anyway.

The cost for most of the lessons is $60 which seems pretty good value considering how useful and content rich the lessons are. The Freedman lesson is $70 but of course wrist spin is going to cost more - legspin after all is cricket's greatest and most difficult artform. Plus bowlers pay once to have their technique analysed - batsmen get 4 batting strokes analysed in a lesson. So if you're having trouble with a whole range of strokes, well, maybe you should consider becoming a bowler.

WattaCoach is an exciting idea - a sign of the post-Buchanan era where nerdy technology is another indispensable tool in our kitbags alongside thigh guards and linseed oil. Whether the tips in my video lesson will help me take more wickets on Saturday, well, we'll just have to wait and see. I may have to go back and ask for some help developing my googly.


Posted by JC on Wed 30 Jul 9 comments
Excellent stuff! Worth every cent I'd say.

Still can't imagine how to get a ball down the other end in one go from a standing start but!
Posted by virtualgaz on 2008-07-30 20:31:32
This is Amazing stuff. I owe you 35$ now :). Its only that I am no more involved in active cricket games. else I would have worked on the drills and used the pointers in my Game.

Its really good to see how technology is enabler of so many things in life. With access to right resources everyone can work on to improve their game.

Thanks for sharing
Posted by unsuidojo on 2008-08-01 00:54:48
I got bowled by a sharp inswinging yorker today for 1 run. I need a lesson on dealing with the swinging ball, stat!
Posted by JC on 2008-08-02 18:32:34
JC, there is no substitute for fitness and quick reflexes :(. Handling a toe crusher would require reading the ball, getting in line to block the ball, and bringing bat down to do so in split second. Off late Sachin tendulkar does a bow down mister,So age is critical no matter how much you train :p
Posted by unsuidojo on 2008-08-05 12:42:51
JC. Great post. Keep working on that follow through. Does your right arm flex by more than 15 degrees? ;-) On another matter, will you be in England for the Ashes - if so, are you man enough to accept a challenge?

http://thevillagecricketer.wordpress.com/2008/08/12/an-open-invitation-to-the-aussie-bloggers/
Posted by The Village Cricketer on 2008-08-12 20:28:40
I don't this this is going to be of any importance, unless you practice anything practically, you can't be perfect in that.
Posted by thecricketingleague.blogspot.c on 2008-08-26 21:45:53
The Village Cricketer, if I was in England at the time, I'd accept the challenge in a heartbeat. Mustering the cash to fly to England and spend a month or two watching cricket is unlikely. Even more unlikely, convincing my wife it's worth the expense.
Posted by JC on 2008-08-26 23:42:10
Hi,
Cricket coaching by online video is very usefull for cricket loving fans... They too can get practised like their international players... In this we can learn lots of tricks and many things. Real credit goes to JC. But we have to practise well to make the things perfect.

--------------
John


Wide Circles
Posted by john1 on 2008-09-18 18:59:45
Visiting Australians get into match-mode from Saturday

Australia begin their competitive cricket in their four-Tests tour of India with a two-day practice game against Rajasthan Cricket Association's Centre of Excellence team at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here on Saturday.
Since landing in India on Monday, the World Champions have been camping here to acclimatise with Indian conditions with the RCA generously opening doors of its state-of-the-art Future Cricket Academy, which has 24 different outdoor pitches of every kind, besides five artificial pitches.
After four days of practice, Ricky Ponting and his boys will gear up to competition mode against a team led by former India One-Day player Gagan Khoda. read more on www.cricketnirvana.com
Posted by swopnil on 2008-09-27 21:34:53

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