Can power hitting be improved and developed or is it a purely natural art?

[Savak]

Are there examples of players world wide who dramatically improved their power games by practicing certain drills and working very hard in the nuts. I remember reading an article where the ECB had hired a base ball coach to work with its limited overs players and the results showed a dramatic transformation of England's limited overs batting unit

To be very honest i am just fed up with our players having the same 90's strategy of trying to cross bat everything to deep point, mid off, mid on, straight down the ground or mid wicket. Other big 5 players have developed alternative strategies i.e. coming down the pitch to convert the yorker into full toss, ramp shot, glide or practice hitting yorkers in the net for 4's and 6's. Sadly our players it appears have not done enough work on this aspect. The amount of bowleds at the death was just pathetic.

Was shocked to see the lack of timing against the slower deliveries and no body trying something different, like actually hitting the slower delivery in some gap or trying a different shot.

As long as the PCB coaching staff, domestic coaches don't put in any work on this aspect, our limited overs team will always be behind the rest of the world.

 

[Tyler Durden]

KL Rahul is the best example of this! But sadly he is going through a terrible form and we might not see him again in India Colors. Rahul's power game has trasnformed so immensely in an year's time that never in m wildest dreams I imagined he would possess such strength to hit monster sixes in limited overs. Check out some of his IPL innings in 2017 and his T20 ton against England this year!

 

[Haroon786]

Can be developed - prime example being Sanga, look at his 6 hitting ability at the end of his career compared to just a few years before.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Timing + (Brute power or Bat speed). You need to have a good base to swing through the line. Yuvraj and Gilchrist two of my favorites in this area. Tall, long reach, grea bat speed, power, timing.

 

[babajee]

Babar has improved in this aspect since his debut but still needs to do some more work.

 

[Buffet]

Sure, it can be developed. Many players have done it.

 

[Barragan]

Put on some muscle.

Kohli the biggest example, he hardly hit sixes to pacers and was very conventional (like Babar), but he put on some meat and has been flat batting sixes against pacers.

He still plays the same way, but has way more power to his game and that 4 is turned into a 6.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Pakistan has their own template for six hitting lo

 

[YousafTheBeast]

Sunil Narine, from going to a mystery spinner to a mystery batsman, has to be the most improved power hitter considering he was never a power hitter to begin with.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

Pakistan has their own template for six hitting loView attachment 87615

Look at those forearms, Afridi had those arms since birth - as do all pathans.

Only player with the ability to flick a 94 metre boundary.

 

[QalandarFan]

It's certainly one aspect of batting that if you work hard you can improve.

 

[sunny85]

Are there examples of players world wide who dramatically improved their power games by practicing certain drills and working very hard in the nuts. I remember reading an article where the ECB had hired a base ball coach to work with its limited overs players and the results showed a dramatic transformation of England's limited overs batting unit

To be very honest i am just fed up with our players having the same 90's strategy of trying to cross bat everything to deep point, mid off, mid on, straight down the ground or mid wicket. Other big 5 players have developed alternative strategies i.e. coming down the pitch to convert the yorker into full toss, ramp shot, glide or practice hitting yorkers in the net for 4's and 6's. Sadly our players it appears have not done enough work on this aspect. The amount of bowleds at the death was just pathetic.

Was shocked to see the lack of timing against the slower deliveries and no body trying something different, like actually hitting the slower delivery in some gap or trying a different shot.

As long as the PCB coaching staff, domestic coaches don't put in any work on this aspect, our limited overs team will always be behind the rest of the world.

Virat, KL Rahul, Dilshan, Sanga, Faf , Sachin, Mahela, Raina, Hussey (Azmal one), Quinton have done it.

So can be done. Hard work. Commitment. Goal setting. Passion. Backing from coach and management, fitness and most imp Hunger are things required.

 

[Savak]

I just found it riddiculous that are so called power hitters had no answers to the full flooded yorkers, slower deliveries and slower bouncers. The Big 5 batsmen and even Batsmen from WI have answers to these deliveries. The no of bowleds and caught in the deep will tell you just how outdated our batsmen are with their stroke play. I think the PCB seriously needs to look at what the ECB did and hire a baseball coach to develop the hitting areas of these players. We cannot keep losing games on these margins.

 

[Savak]

Virat, KL Rahul, Dilshan, Sanga, Faf , Sachin, Mahela, Raina, Hussey (Azmal one), Quinton have done it.

So can be done. Hard work. Commitment. Goal setting. Passion. Backing from coach and management, fitness and most imp Hunger are things required.

This is what disturbs me the most, the PCB knows that the T-20 game has resulted in many improvements compared to before and that batsmen around the world have developed answers to previous traditional weapons but our players are still stuck in the same methods, techniques of the 80's and 90's and don't put any serious work in the nets to take their game to the next level.

The team definately needs a task master and players who don't show enough commitment or desire to improve should be shown the door. If Shan Masood can improve, if Babar Azam can improve, what excuse do the others have.

 

[sunny85]

I just found it riddiculous that are so called power hitters had no answers to the full flooded yorkers, slower deliveries and slower bouncers. The Big 5 batsmen and even Batsmen from WI have answers to these deliveries. The no of bowleds and caught in the deep will tell you just how outdated our batsmen are with their stroke play. I think the PCB seriously needs to look at what the ECB did and hire a baseball coach to develop the hitting areas of these players. We cannot keep losing games on these margins.

Finishing a game with mind and intent is different thing. Power hitters like Pollard, Klusner, Symonds, Cairns, Symcox are good but not finishers. T20 requires smart brains, aggressive runners, innovative shots. I can say I will select AB Delliviers, Bevan, Hussey, Raina and Dhoni over say Afridi, Maxwell, Klusner, Pollard and Miller to get me 10 an over for 5 overs.

Its possible by simply putting 1 good boundary and aggressive running that's 4 2 2 1 2 2.
See u got 13 by just taking 1 risk.
Look at other way. U try to hit everything out of park and chances are 6 4 6 out. That's it game over.

What Pakistan lacked today was smart finisher.

I am surprised with so much PSL exposure the young grp should deliver

 

[Suleiman]

Depends on how you mean it, it is an informal cricketing term. It can definitely be taught like anything in cricket, the laws of basic technique and batting principles still apply like hitting through the line.

At the same time, hand-eye coordination is a thing, and can be a natural gift for some people, and legends afridi) alike.

 

[Joseph Gomes]

Pakistan has their own template for six hitting loView attachment 87615

Afridi is the biggest anomaly in cricket in terms of strike rate, I saw on reddit his adjusted career SR is some 135. He was unlucky to debut in 90s.

 

[jeetu]

In early 80's Sidhu was labelled as Strokeless Wonder. After that he kept on practicing Sixes against spinners. By 1987 World Cup , he was hitting Spinners for fun.

 

[Specialkid]

Dilshan is prime example from stroke less to hard hitting. Guptil

 

[happydavy]

I think a power hitter has to be born with some level of talent, rest can be developed. But for any player to become a power hitter through just hard work or drills is not possible.

 

[jnaveen1980]

I think a power hitter has to be born with some level of talent, rest can be developed. But for any player to become a power hitter through just hard work or drills is not possible.

Somewhat true. That synchronization is natural. Sehwag hardly a muscle man. or even Rohit. Both rely on bat speed and timing. Sehwag and Rohit can be out of position still time it.