TIPS TO IMPROVE CATCHING IN CRICKET

Everyone playing cricket knows how to take a catch. But most people fail to take a catch while playing with a real cricket ball. This due to lack of practice and lack of usage of proper technique. Everyone can easily take a catch if he/she is ready to spend enough time training and developing his /her fielding skills. If you wish to become a good fielder you should also make some corrections in the way you field. In this article, we will be discussing various things you should do to improve your catching ability:

1.WATCH THE BALL LIKE A PREDATOR

Every fielder should have an attitude of a predator you, should watch the ball like, how predators like lions and cheetahs are watching their prey. If you can watch the ball all the way from the bat to your hands then you can take a catch more easily.

It will also help you to understand the correct direction of the ball is and also help you to assess and understand its speed. which will help you to be in the perfect position where the ball will land.

If you are trying to implement this technique for the first time, it will be very difficult for you. But you must forcefully look at the ball like this while playing and training, as result within 1or 2 months you will naturally start looking at the ball like this. You must always remember that if there is no pain then there is no gain.

2.PRACTICE WITH A REAL CRICKET BALL

Most people fail to take a catch due to the fear of the hardness of the cricket ball. You can overcome it only through regular practice, with a real cricket ball. If you are a beginner then you must buy at least one real cricket ball for yourself so that you can practice using that in your home which will help you to overcome the fear. With practice, only you can overcome this. If you are very familiar with the cricket ball then you will be able to catch it like a tennis ball.

3.VISUALISATION

While fielding you must imagine what types of shots played by the batsman will make the ball come into your area in a way that you can catch it. If you can visualize such shots then you will be able to be alert when you see the batsman is preparing to play such a shot.

You should also think about what type of ball bowled by the bowler will make him play those shots. So you can get a clear idea about what the batsman is going to do, this will make you a good fielder and you will be able to take catches more easily.

4.TRAIN TO IMPROVE YOUR REACTION TIME

The time you take to react to is very important in all sports, especially in cricket. If you can reduce the time that you take to react to a shot played by the batsman then you can even take the hardest catches. Sport is all about how you react to a situation. Various drills can help you to improve your reaction time. There is nothing that you can not achieve through practice. For improving your reaction time you can do some close catching practice(eg: take a rubber ball and stand close to a wall then you can throw the ball to the wall and try to catch it, you should increase the speed of the ball and reduce the distance between the wall and you as you progress if you want to practice with real cricket ball then should buy a rebound net).

5.USE CORRECT CATCHING TECHNIQUE

There are mainly two catching techniques in cricket

1) AUSTRALIAN CUP TECHNIQUE

This technique is used to take high catches (When the ball is high in the air and coming over or towards your head and catching such balls is called a high catch). The Australian cup technique is also known as the reverse cup technique.

While taking catch using this technique you should point your fingers up and lock your thumbs and the top portion of your one hand should be placed above the top portion of your other hand and the hand should form a cup-like shape. while taking the catch make sure that your hands are relaxed and you should slightly move back your hand during the impact with the ball. so, that there is a reduced chance that the ball bounced off from your palm.

2) ORTHODOX CUP TECHNIQUE

This technique is used to take mid catches( When the ball is coming below the chest level and catching such balls are called mid catch)

In this technique, you should form a cup-like shape with hands and the ring finger and little finger of one hand should cross above the little finger and ring finger of the other. In this technique, you should lower your hands during the impact to reduce the effect of the impact and it also helps to avoid the ball bouncing off.

6.IF THE BALL IS VERY HIGH IN THE AIR, GET UNDER THE BALL QUICKLY

If the ball is very high in the air, then you need to understand where the ball will land and need to get their quickly as possible and be ready in the correct stance to take the catch. Having a perfectly balanced stance will help you to catch such high balls easily. If you are not in the correct position it will be very hard to make the catch because it is coming down from such a height and a small mistake will cause you to drop it because it is very fast compared to normal catches. If you can't reach there at the correct time then you can try to catch the ball by diving. If you wanna time for a dive you need huge skills than to take a normal catch.

7.USE SUNGLASSES AND CAPS

When it is sunny try to wear sunglasses and a cap, otherwise it will be difficult to watch the ball and there is a chance that you will miss the ball. While buying a sunglass buy the best quality one, because even if low-quality sunglasses can prevent sunlight from disturbing your eyes but they will not provide a clear vision of the field and environment, you will see things dusky.

8. PRACTICE REGULARLY

Every cricketer should spend enough time training fielding, especially catching. It is as important as bowling and batting because you will be out of the playing XI if a person who has the same bowling /batting capacity as you and can field better than you is in the team. I have seen many people spending hours training batting and bowling but only spend 20-30 minutes training fielding. It is not enough you must have at least 1 one-hour session for fielding in a week.

9.STAY IN A BALANCED POSITION

When you are fielding you should stay in a balanced position. Especially after the bowler has started his run-up. When you stand in the field your feet should be shoulder-width apart and your knee should be slightly bent and your head should be always straight like a leopard observing its prey.

Another thing you need to make sure of is that you don't rest your hands on your knees and don't put your hands inside your pocket. It will increase your reaction time and you may miss the catch. You should be standing in a balanced position while you are fielding inside the infield particularly when you are in the close infield. If you are in the outfield you can stand relaxed and you don't need to bent your knees.

10.USE THE CORRECT TECHNIQUE TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF THE BALL ON YOUR HAND.

Most beginner cricketers drop the ball due to the pain they feel while catching the ball. Using the correct technique can reduce the pain significantly. So to reduce the pain, you need to lower your hands when the ball makes contact with your hands while using the orthodox cup technique.

If you are using the Australian cup technique you should move back your hand when the ball makes contact with your hand and at the same time you should also slightly bend the knee and sit in the air.

SUMMARY

10 TIPS TO IMPROVE CATCHING

1)Watch the ball like a predator

2)Practice with a real cricket ball

3)Visualise

4)Train to improve your reaction time

5)Use correct catching technique

6)If the ball is high in the air get under the ball quickly

7)Use sunglasses and caps

8)Practice regularly

9)Stay in a balanced position while fielding

10)Use correct technique to reduce the impact of the ball on hand