MWC:SPORTS presents the first in the Skill School series – A monthly set of training tips from ECB Performance Coach and England LD Wicket Keeping Coach Mark Costin.
The drills on here are aimed at players who are unsure of how to train or just looking for different ideas. #1 is the first in our wicket keeping series.
The single most important thing a wicket keeper needs to do in training is catch a lot of balls. After that everything else is just icing on the cake. The video below gives a few ideas for a skills warm up before a training session or a starting point for warming up before a game. This would take place after your physical warm up.
The drills covered in the video are (feeder is aprox 8 yards away):
For all the drills below there is no recommended number of repetitions. Do in blocks of 6, but keep going until you are happy with the volume and quality of your takes, stance and footwork.
- Underarm Regulation Takes – Stood up to the stumps the feeder throws the ball underarm on the full alternating between a right and left handed batter each ball. It is important for alignment practice and ball tracking that ‘keepers spend as much time set up behind a left handed batter as they do behind a right hander.
- Footwork – Move stump forward and use crease lines to ensure that feet are moving straight along the line rather than crossing over.
- Overarm Regulation Takes – Feeder stands up and throws the ball seam up, overarm. Full pitched the odd ball might hit the seam and deviate.
- Yorkers – Feeder throws ball underarm at yorker (or fuller) length. Keeper has to stay very low and has very little time to react to any deviation off the seam.
- Inside Hand Catch – Feeder throws the ball underarm and keeper takes the ball with inside hand making sure ball is taken right under eyes.
MWC:SPORTS is supported by DP Cricket
Check out www.dpcricket.com and use code #Costin13 for discounted prices when ordering via phone or email.
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