This is the last post in my series Introduction to Batting in Cricket: Mechanics, Visual Strategy and Psychology.

We saw in my previous post that a major problem for batsmen is internal distractibility – at the critical moment, when the ball is released, unwanted thoughts drift into your head, reducing your reaction time and diverting your attention. We also saw the solution, as Griffiths puts it:

“if you are going to be distracted, the distraction may as we be something which is deliberate and under your control.”

Thus, we develop a routine: a standard set of things to do and things to say to yourself before every ball. It doesn’t have to fill in all the time between one ball and the next – there is time for your thoughts to wander and relax. But there is a specific time where you say “this is the moment when I start to get ready for the next ball”. From that moment, every movement and every thought should be planned, controlled and rehearsed.

The routine might involve tapping the bat or bouncing on the balls of your feet. You might breathe deeply a set number of times, consciously tensing and relaxing your grip on the bat. You might have certain cue words as you assume your stance: “fast feet, strong hands, stand tall, eyes level.” You might pump your wrists, feeling the weight of the bat while thinking “sweet spot, trust your timing.” You might (I’ve seen some international players do this) look down to a spot on the pitch and then back up to the bowler, while saying to yourself “out of the bowler’s fingers, watch the seam, lock on, only the ball matters, quiet eye, etc.” Particularly important are words associated with physical feelings (loose, balanced, strong, nimble, smash) and psychological feelings (controlled, confident, commanding, focussed). Cue words can come under the categories of strength, power, speed, agility, balance and endurance.

An important ingredient in many routines (particularly routines for bowlers) is visualisation: the mind collects its thoughts on what it is about to do by imagining it. Griffiths tells us that there is a significant amount of scientific evidence that testifies to the effectiveness of visualisation.

The final stage of the routine might be a pre-stroke sequence. These are the final few words and images that flash through your head before the ball is released. They should be simple, and aim to produce the narrow external attention required. They might be as saying to yourself “zoom in”, while intensely focusing where the ball is about to be released from. Or it could be a very brief visualisation of an off-drive, imagining yourself confidently coming forward to meet the ball.

The final part of the routine will be a secret cue word. This is known as “switching up” – your attention is turned up to 100%, right at the crucial moment. This word could be a final instruction (e.g. wicketkeepers are very fond of the cue words “stay down”), or simply a voice in your head saying “now!!!” Most elite batsmen also have an initial foot movement.

Players may even have a number of routines. Griffiths gives the example of an opening batsman who has one routine for early in his innings, one for later on when he is in his comport zone, and another for when he becomes fatigued. There might be another routine for letting go of an error – whenever you play and miss, you take three steps off the wicket, slap your pads with you bat, say the cue words “I’m in control out here”, quickly visualise a perfect off-drive, and then move back into your usual routine saying “the next ball, the next ball.” You see tennis players do something similar after a terrible shot. You might even develop a pre-match routine.

The most important thing about routines is that they must be practiced. Mental skills are just like physical skills – you have to practice them until they become automatic. Remember the central idea: we rehearse a fixed sequence of thoughts, so that all other thoughts are excluded. If you get into a pressure situation and have to consciously strain to remember your routine, then you’re in big trouble. You don’t think about your routine when you’re at the crease – you just do it! The whole point is to simplify things by limiting the thoughts that you allow in your brain.

And above all, remember the words of South African Legend Graeme Pollock:

“Cricket is a see the ball, hit the ball game”.

Best of luck! Please leave comments!

Introduction to Batting in Cricket: Mechanics, Visual Strategy and Psychology
Other posts in this series: