Teaching cricket batting technique using representative design can be tricky: We don’t have a template or an exemplar because ideal technique from a template is not representative.
Yet we also know the more you practice something the better you get. So to keep the practice as much like the game as possible while also “getting in reps” we can apply constraints instead.
Here’s an example.
This game can be played in nets, in a middle practice or - as shown in the picture - in a sports hall with a windball. The feed can be anything from underarms to bowlers, depending on how representative you want the challenge to be.
The aim of this game is to demonstrate to young players the power of a “step and swing” without forcing it as the only option (repetition without repetition). Cricket coaches know that transferring weight and staying balanced give batters a better chance of making an effective contact with the ball.
The batsman is trying to achieve a points value to “level up”.
Face 6 balls, score 6 points. Underarm feeds.
Face 6 balls, score 12 points. Overarm feeds.
Face 6 balls, score 12 points. Bowling machine or sidearm feeds.
Boss Level: Face 6 balls, score 20 points. Bowlers, machine or sidearm feed.
If the batter completes the level they move up. If they don’t, they try again. If they have time they can try the challenge again and increase total points scored across the whole challenge.
Naturally levels can be adjusted based on the ability of the players and the time you have.
How do you score points?
In the picture you can see two boxes (green and orange) and a blue line made from cones. These have points values:
+2 for either putting front foot in the orange box, or back foot in the green box
-1 for breaking the blue line
The batter can gain or lose additional points:
-1 Play and miss, edge behind.
+1 Thick edge attacking shot, good contact defensive shot.
+2 Good contact attacking shot.
You can see a perfect score (24 points in 6 balls) requires effective foot placement and a good contact from an attacking shot. Yet players are not locked in to any particular shot. Decision-making is still a part of the game.
This game shows you can get the reps in and guide players towards effective methods while still not locking them into an “ideal” technique that is not robust in different circumstances.
It’s also a lot of fun.