Coach Education | Cricket coaching, fitness and tips

Video: Graham Gooch Answers Your Batting Questions

A while back I asked for your questions on batting for England hero, Graham Gooch. Here is the first installment of his answers for you.

Filmed at the County Ground in Chelmsford, home of Essex County Cricket Club, Goochie took the time to talk about a range of topics. Here is the video:

Wicketkeeper Standing Back Drill

This is a cracking drill for wicket keepers standing back using equipment that is becoming commonplace within coaching kitbags around the world.

We are presently in a "specific preparation phase" of the programme, so much of the aim of our sessions are build volume into both keepers "catch" and to free up the movement patterns to both right and left handed batters.

The session was for two keepers. They swapped every six balls to simulate overs. We ran the session in a confined net area so I ensured that we maximised the width of the area so the keepers could move freely for offside takes and for simulated outside edges. It's just as easy to run outdoors or in the open, or both.

You can use a Sidearm, bowling machine or bowlers for the drill.

You'll also need Fusion Multi-stumps

Move from Indoor Nets to Outdoor Skills with This Batting Drill

The transition from indoor - with the ball coming on to the bat, being able to hit on the up - to outdoor surfaces with slower decks, seam and variable bounce is a tricky one for any batter.

Here is an indoor drill (elements can also be used outdoors) to help batsmen build skill and a precise mental approach.

It really works.

Save Your Season By Making Your Culture Worth Catching

Malcolm Marshall coached a team I played in as a pro. We had played badly for the 3rd game in a row. The great man asked us if "our attitude was worth catching?"

We were being challenged because our professionalism and character had been lacking. It was a great question which made most of us reflect and - ultimately - turn our season around.

As coaches, we should have a good attitude. We are leaders whose role is to inspire and shape teams and environments.

So, the question that I ask of coaches is not about attitude: I ask "is your culture worth catching?"

Turn a Wicket into a Golden Coaching Moment

Last week we looked at the importance of "golden moments" in coaching. There are a heap of individual moments for a coach and a player in a game of cricket. I am going to focus on one such opportunity today: When a wicket falls.

The time when I see most coach-player interaction directly ahead of performance comes when a wicket falls. The incoming batter on puts on their helmet and gloves before standing up and walking to the wicket.

You may get 10 seconds to add value to a players performance.

What considerations should we take to shape our interactions?

Inspire Your Team by Using Golden Moment Speeches

How important is a speech to rally your players?

According to Jolyon Finck, it's crucial. Jol is the Director of Swimming at Millfield School and was the successful coach of the England Squad in the Commonwealth Games of 2014.

Recently Jol spoke about having to deliver those "Golden Moment" speeches to his athletes ahead of each heat, semi-final and final.

In total, Jolyon gave 57 speeches.

In these moments the coach aims to focus, relax, motivate or positively distract the athlete to help them get into their ideal performance state.

Develop Your Very Own "Runmakers" with England's Greatest Run-Machine: Graham Gooch

PitchVision Academy are delighted to announce today England record-breaker and batting coach Graham Gooch is sharing his knowledge by joining the online coaching panel.

Click here for full details.

More Spin With The Helesfay-Dewer Spin Bowling Drill

I know you love a drill, so here is one from one of our recent coaching additions at Millfield School, Dan Helesfay. Dan has recently been shortlisted for the ECB Young Coach of the Year and has made a really strong impact within our programme since joining us in the 1st week of the January.

Dan took the drill from another ex-work colleague of mine, Ross Dewar. Ross is the Strength and Conditioning Coach at Worcestershire. Dan adapted it and worked it into a session that was concentrating on the role of the hips within a spin bowling action.

You may recall a recent article which featured the research taken from the ECB's Spin bowling department. This drill is a good way of building a bowling action which promotes increased body rotation, increased revolutions on the ball and a more advanced release position: All good things for a spinner to have in their technical tool box.

Two Big Lessons from the Big Bash League to Create a Whole New Ball Game at Your Club

The Big Bash League has been magnificent from start to finish: The quality of the cricket, the size of the crowds and the production on the TV has made it a spectacle.

Here are some things we can learn and take back into our clubs, academies and cricketing associations.

EXCLUSIVE: First Class Fielding Course from Mark Garaway out Now, Buy Today on Pitchvision Academy

PitchVision Academy is delighted to announce that Mark Garaway's online coaching courses First Class Fielding is out now, exclusively on PitchVision Academy.

As you know, a few weeks ago we announced the ex-England Analyst and current Director of Coaching at Millfield School was revealing his methods in his first ever online coaching course. And since then it’s been a feast of fielding action on the site as a preview to the main event.

Now the wait is over, First Class Fielding available to purchase on PitchVision Academy. Get it now.

Click here to buy the online coaching course.