The off-season is a great and opportune time to reflect, recharge, strategize and make meaningful changes to your game. I used to get excited at the prospect of endless possibilities and the potential metamorphosis of my game during this phase and true to form, it became crucial for my continual development as a player. The one thing I looked forward to the most was the process of improving. Having met a lot of players, parents and coaches at similar stages, I got the idea to share some insights that I have found useful in my journey so far.
How do I improve my game?
How do I become a better player?
How can I play at a higher level next season?
How can I score more runs?
How can I take more wickets?
How can I reinvent myself as a player heading into next season?
My first recommendation is to ask these types of questions to initiate the first stage of critical thinking and analysis. This will ensure the big problems are broken down into smaller manageable chunks leading to more specific and actionable steps to solve them. As the adage goes, specific problems have specific solutions and general problems have general solutions. At the core, improving is closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be or closing the gap between your current state and your ideal future state.
Step 1: Define your why.
To find your motivation, it is important to recognise underlying motivations. Why do you want to improve, how will achieving this affect your performance and trajectory? Unfortunately, many athletes skip this part, only to find themselves experiencing an arrival fallacy.
Step 2: Take an audit of your current state.
It is important to delve into your arsenal and take stock of what you have against what you think you have. What are your current proven strengths? What have you done well, what would you like to keep and what would you like to discard? A season debrief is a great place to start for most players.
Step 3: Describe your ideal future state.
The clearer the vision, the more direct the pathway towards it. You must have a reasonable level of clarity and avoid general vague statements. What does the best version of you look like?
Step 4: Identify the specific skills and habits you need.
Fill in the gap by identifying the main barriers to your success. What are the non-negotiables, what are the specific strengths you will need to develop or enhance? What are some of the specific habits and skills you need to possess?
Step 5: Set parameters on how to measure progress.
To maintain focus, you’ll need some metrics. To be good at something, you must first know what good looks like and how you will measure it.
Step 6: Observe and learn from winners.
You can be time efficient by moving from trial and error to trial and refinement. Observe 3-5 players who are excellent at what you’re trying to do and deduce the common themes and patterns. Trial those and refine them to suit your style and capabilities.
Step 7: Practice and take risks.
Schedule dedicated time for deliberate practice to refine the skill and challenge the execution in varied environments and levels of discomfort. This will increase transferability to real-life scenarios.
Why: Learning to play off-spinners will complete my game and enable me to score freely. It will also help to change the belief that I cannot play them and reduce anxiety around facing them. Lastly, it will make me enjoy batting even more.
Audit: I can defend and rotate strike against leg spinners well. I can pick the ball out of the hand and defend well on the back foot. My favourite scoring zones are through extra cover and backward point. I got out to off-spinners playing the wrong line through the covers and getting bowled.
Future State: I’d like to develop 3 areas of my game against off-spin. Playing with the spin towards long on and midwicket, defending well on the back foot and attacking anything flighted by stepping out of the crease and hitting over the top of mid-off, long on and deep mid-wicket from ball one.
Specific Skills and Habits: Picking the ball out of the hand, playing with the spin, stepping out of the crease technique, hitting over the top, correct positions, and movements.
Habits: Batting session every Tuesday at 5.30 pm, positive affirmations before training, analysing footage and debriefing each session.
Observe and Learn: Watch Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara and Joe Root
Parameters and Practice:
Not getting hit on the pads while defending (reset every 30 balls).
Executing 100 % of under-arm throws.
Executing 100% x 6 deliveries in a row per skill against the machine and overarm throws.
Reach automatic response and trusting instincts against bowlers.
Challenges and Risks
Face new balls
Skiddy surface
Slow surface
Batting with no front pad
Consequences to dismissals
These steps are transferrable to almost anything you’d like to improve but I just thought I'd give a few examples of the most common mistakes I come across when it comes to being clear and specific.
Poor Statements
I struggle to play spin.
I am a terrible front-foot player.
I can run in all day.
Ideal Statements
I pick the ball late out of the bowler’s hand.
I am struggling with footwork and weight transfer onto the front foot.
I have a strong fitness base but must work on swinging and seaming the ball as additional skills.
"Specific problems get specific solutions".