Catching Tips

[Ill Chicken]

Anyone? My hand eye is way off on a Saturday night.

 

[Tassieboy]

Only slightly related, but does anyone else find that their batting is good when their catching is?

 

[Bucking Beads]

Only slightly related, but does anyone else find that their batting is good when their catching is?

I do, when I was 15kgs lighter I was catching everything at short cover and making big runs now the only thing I catch is crumbs on my shirt and can't score runs lol

 

[Ill Chicken]

Not too many things better in cricket than taking a good catch. I've caught some crackers in my time but dropped some absolute stinkers as well.

 

[joshhem]

Most important tip I can give is that you have to want to catch it. If you're uncertain, you will drop it...

 

[Kyptastic]

When in doubt, catch with your fingers pointing up.

 

[Tassieboy]

Now finger positioning is an interesting debate.

 

[Tassieboy]

I do, when I was 15kgs lighter I was catching everything at short cover and making big runs now the only thing I catch is crumbs on my shirt and can't score runs lol

LOL! When out of form with the bat, to break up the batting practice, get someone to give you a good working over in regards to catching.

 

[Bucking Beads]

When in doubt, catch with your fingers pointing up.

Are you talking about the idiotic view that no matter what height the ball is coming at you, you try and catch it with your fingers pointing up.?? FFS makes me mad, Punter was nearly sitting down trying to take slips catches this way.

 

[imadodgyumpire]

For mine, the less tense you are, the better your anticipation will be, the better you react to the ball coming to you. The feeling of dropping a catch is much worse than getting knocked over for a duck!

 

[Langford4FBOTC]

Pretty simple really. Practice and more practice. And not that stupid stand in a semi circle stuff.

 

[Ill Chicken]

Pretty simple really. Practice and more practice. And not that stupid stand in a semi circle stuff.

But that's how you set fields in a game?

 

[Langford4FBOTC]

But that's how you set fields in a game?

It's not how the catches come to you in a game.

 

[Tassieboy]

You rarely drop a catch that you'd not expect to catch in training where you're expecting catches. So really, concentration is key. Switching off between balls is necessary, as with batting.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Not too many things better in cricket than taking a good catch. I've caught some crackers in my time but dropped some absolute stinkers as well.

I can relate to that. Well, the second part of the second sentence. My speciality in the field was dropping sitters off the captain's bowling.

 

[Tassieboy]

I can relate to that. Well, the second part of the second sentence. My speciality in the field was dropping sitters off the captain's bowling.

Poor bloke - get sent down to Fine Leg?

 

[skilts]

You rarely drop a catch that you'd not expect to catch in training where you're expecting catches. So really, concentration is key. Switching off between balls is necessary, as with batting.

Agree that concentration is the key. So many seem surprised when the ball comes to them.

As for the bolded bit, this used to be called a vasectomy in my day.

 

[Tassieboy]

Agree that concentration is the key. So many seem surprised when the ball comes to them.

As for the bolded bit, this used to be called a vasectomy in my day.

Very nice

 

[Teffy]

Slips

Crouch in a comfortable position.
Watch the ball closely.
Allow the ball to come to you.
Expect every delivery to come to you.

Outfield

Get under the ball as quickly as possible.
Fingers up allows you to keep your head still and watch the ball all the way in to your hands.
Expect every delivery to come to you.

 

[Tassieboy]

I prefer gully to slip fielding - a lot easier. Others the same?

 

[Teffy]

I prefer gully to slip fielding - a lot easier. Others the same?

IMO, Gully is the hardest position to field in cricket.

 

[estibador]

Most important tip I can give is that you have to want to catch it. If you're uncertain, you will drop it...

This. For me anyway.

I find once you get to the level where you're technically sound most of it is mental (except for genuinely difficult chances anyway).

There's days where I feel like I own my part of the field (whether as an outfielder or part time keeper) and on those confident days I can't remember ever dropping a catch.

It's always the days when I'm feeling 'timid' or uncertain, for whatever reason (wish I knew), that I drop catches.

It's like that old saying - if you start thinking you might fail, you've already failed. If you start worrying you'll drop that skied ball, you probably will.


Actually I dropped a ball behind the stumps tonight in a friendly - though to be fair to me it was only the 3rd ball of the innings and I hadn't touched a cricket ball in 2 months (including not even a warm up before the game).

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Poor bloke - get sent down to Fine Leg?

Yeah, dropped a few skied hooks down there off his bowling too.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

If you're an average catch, tell everyone you're a gun first slip fieldsman.

Then hide behind the keeper all season. The finer the better.

 

[Simple Jack]

If you're an average catch, tell everyone you're a gun first slip fieldsman.

Then hide behind the keeper all season. The finer the better.

I'd always tell the first slip to piss off if they were standing too close to me. I think a competent keeper should be able to get anything to the on side of first slip so I always got mine to start at about 1.5 slip and 1m behind.

Also in the slips, go for everything. The cordon should be staggered so you won't crash into anyone and should be far enough apart that if you can get it, you need to go for it. It is so much better to have a catch dropped at full stretch rather than one go in between 2 who don't try.

Imo the most important thing for the keeper to do (apart from actually keeping) is make sure the cordon is set up properly and at the right depth. Takes a huge amount of work away from the captain.


Tbh all my catching is with gloves so I can't really provide much to this thread.