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The very best batters are fearless in their intent and confident in their mindset, talent, and training to score runs.
Even so, I’m sure at some stage of their careers they had their doubts and found runs hard to come by. They might also have experienced some level of FOGO (fear of getting out).
As a conversation starter and to assist others, if you have experienced FOGO, I'd like to know what strategies or plans you've implemented to help you overcome it.
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Batting successfully is making as many runs as possible while keeping your wicket intact, although today one might argue in T20 cricket the need to keep your wicket intact no longer applies in the same way.
As a youth coach it is our job to get players to explore scoring runs, to strike the ball and to take the fielder on. We all know, however, that this works well for those players with that personality type and not so good for some others.
On numerous occasions players have asked if they should keep playing a particular shot (let's say the cut shot for example's sake). My response was always, well you're going to go out somehow, how often do you go out cutting verses how many runs does the shot make for you? I'm trying to get the batter to understand and accept they will go out most times they bat. But that playing the cut shot may produce a good proportion of the runs they make so they need to accept that occasionally playing the cut shot they will go out. (Of course, they can practice their cut shot and in time reduce the errors they make).
We need to continually reduce the fear of going out by rewarding players who take the game on in the right way. The value is providing an environment where players are encouraged to explore their skills both at training and ultimately in games. Allow them to do this and encourage the exploration rather than bemoaning the failure. Becoming a successful batter is a long-term process, not a quick fix!
Another mantra that we have used successfully is getting the batter to understand the notion of keeping the numbers in their favour. By this we mean that every shot played is a risk. A simple defensive shot using the full face of the bat is less risk than a cross batted slog to the leg side. Playing the defensive shot would be keeping the numbers in your favour. However, it will most likely not score any runs. The improvement in skill comes from learning how to play a safe defensive style shot while still working a single. "Numbers in your favour"
Another layer of this is hitting the ball in the air. Perhaps a bowler is making it very difficult to score with a tight ring field. The batter needs to score and can use the "keeping the numbers in my favour" mantra. A solution may be to hit the ball back over the bowler's head, which allows a bat swing using the full-face through the line of the ball. Numbers in your favour.
As coaches, mentors, parents we need to help the players explore, experiment and learn in the full knowledge that it will be messy and include lots of failure. If those around the player embrace the failure as learning and being one step closure to success, the player will have a better chance in a world with no certainty.
Have a go, reflect on what happened - have another go. Enjoy!
I went back to training for a trigger word that allowed me to focus and enjoy playing one ball at a time.
My trigger word said in my head was NOW which meant watch the ball out of the hand, get in line and hit the middle of the bat (it’s a positive statement whether defending or being aggressive).
All 3 prompts can’t be mentally said while batting in the game but the term NOW was a trigger to mean all in a split second.
I have some experience with this question as my son has just turned 18 and after the 2022-23 season, we had a chat about his cricket, and said he got anxious and was worried about getting out. He would always defend well early in his innings but would get stuck between scoring runs and not losing his wicket.
During the off season he said he wanted coaching, so we arranged for a batting coach. We spoke to the coach and one of the first things he said about getting over the fear of getting out was to score singles and run hard between wickets.
They worked on a plan to identify what shots to play and how he could get singles. It worked for him as he was more focused in how he could score runs and had a good season.