Gio Colussi of The Cricket Academy posted some excellent insight for batters looking for more bat speed – which should be the Holy Grail for every batter.
Once again, Gio offers brilliant insight for batters: it’s all about the technique, not the muscle power. Bat speed is so important when it comes to playing attacking strokes in whiteball cricket as well as redball cricket.
My own lack of bat speed when I played cricket seriously impacted my ability to score runs at a faster rate… because the ball wasn’t coming off the face of my bat fast enough. When you score at a slower rate you naturally give the bowlers more power during that passage of play.
The minor tweaks Gio is highlighting in his video allow batters to hit with more power which will help them to beat the field (on the ground or in the air) with greater regularity while playing normal strokes – no need to be slashing wildly at the bowler to score faster, you can score quick playing sensible, normal strokes. Trick is bat speed as well as, obviously, effective shot selection and placement. Virat Kohli is brilliant in this regard in whiteball cricket – he often talks about playing with a redball technique in ODIs.
It’s quite terrifying to contemplate the impact that poor coaching and incorrect practice drills in any sport can have on a player’s development. Gio sums it up perfectly: “It deprives players reaching their full potential.”