Contact Help center
Cricket Cricket
HOME Cricket Answers Cricket COACHING Q&A

Afraid of the ball whilst batting

Afraid of the ball whilst batting

How can you encourage and develop confidence of boys who are scared of the ball?

Cricket CoachCoach
ANSWERS
Neville YoungCoach, Australia

Begin using tennis balls. Young players can easily have their confidence shattered by starting out using a hard ball. Get them very confident using a tennis ball and then introduce them to the hard ball. You can try one of the practice balls where a tennis ball is stitched inside a leather case as a transition ball. When you introduce the hard ball make sure you use a junior size ball. It is much easier to hold in a small hand.

Login or Join Now for FREE to post your answer

JOIN SPORTPLAN FOR FREE

  • search our library of 350+ cricket drills
  • create your own professional coaching plans
  • or access our tried and tested plans
LATEST COACHING TRENDS
Captaincy and Bowling Changes: Reading the Game and Making the Switch

Captaincy and Bowling Changes: Reading the Game and Making the Switch

A bowling change can dismantle a partnership, halt a run surge, or hand the match back to the batting side. This article explores how modern captains use match phases, matchup data, and rhythm signals to time their changes, with a practical framework coaches can use to develop tactical thinking in young captains at club and age-group level.

June 2026
|
Sportplan Coaching
Strike Rotation: Beating Dot-Ball Pressure in the Middle Overs

Strike Rotation: Beating Dot-Ball Pressure in the Middle Overs

T20 data shows that teams bowling 40 or more dot balls win more than 65 per cent of matches. Strike rotation is now the most undervalued skill in batting. This article breaks down why singles matter more than sixes, the soft-hands and crease-depth techniques behind elite rotators, and a coaching framework to train relentless ones and twos under pressure.

May 2026
|
Sportplan Coaching
Pre-Season Batting Foundations: Building Technique That Lasts All Summer

Pre-Season Batting Foundations: Building Technique That Lasts All Summer

Pre-season is the best time to rebuild and refine batting technique without the pressure of match results. This article covers the fundamental batting positions that underpin consistent run-scoring, provides a progressive session framework from shadow batting to live bowling, and highlights the common pre-season mistakes that coaches should avoid.

April 2026
|
Sportplan Coaching
VIEW ALL COACHING TRENDS

View more questions

TRANSFORM YOUR TEAM'S SEASON WITH PROFESSIONALLY PLANNED SESSIONS

Use our expert plans or build your own using our library of over 700+ drills, and easy-to-use tools.

JOIN NOW

VIEW MORE QUESTIONS

See the whole archive of questions.

QUESTIONS ARCHIVE

SIGN UP NOW FOR FREE

  • search our library of 350+ cricket drills
  • create professional cricket coaching plans
  • or access our tried and tested cricket plans

Sportplan App

Give it a try - it's better in the app

SPORTPLAN USES COOKIES

Sportspeople like cookies too! By continuing to browse, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. More info

Privacy Policy
We are committed to privacy and support current industry initiatives to preserve individual privacy rights on the Internet. Protecting your privacy on-line is an evolving area and this website will constantly evolve to meet these demands.


Cookies
Some of our web pages utilise "cookies". A "cookie" is a small text file that may be used, forexample, to collect information about web site activity. Some cookies and other technologies may serve to recallPersonal Information previously indicated by a web user. Most browsers allow you to control cookies, includingwhether or not to accept them and how to remove them.

Some cookies are necessary for the operation of our website, if you choose to block them some aspects of the site may not work for you. Non necessary cookies are only set when you have given your explicit consent to their use. Such cookies included those set by our statistics package Google Analytics.

We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.

More info
Cricket POPULAR SEARCH TERMS
batting batting drills bowling bowling drills catching catching drills cover drive cricket cut shot drills fielding fielding drills fitness forward defensive front foot drive how to take run up for bowling leg spin lesson plans long barrier off spin pull shot rounders running between wickets short barrier throwing underarm throw warm up warm up drills warm ups wicket keeping
YOUR SESSION IS STARTING SOON... Join the growing community of cricket coaches plus 350+ drills and pro tools to make coaching easy.
LET'S DO IT