OVERHEAD BATTING

Key Points

• Adopt the ready position.
• Extend the hurley above the head sliding the non-dominant hand down the handle of the hurley to meet the stronger hand at the top of the handle.
• Both thumbs should be facing towards the bas of the hurley.
• The toe of the hurley should be pointed away from the body.
• Keep eyes on ball at all times.
• Tilt the hurley back as the ball approaches.
• If necessary, jump to meet the ball at the safest highest point.
• With a wristy action, swing the hurley forward to bat the ball with the bas of the hurley.

Technical Drills

Drill 1 – Basic - Bat to Partner

• This is a basic drill to practice the Batting a Ball Overhead technique.
• Mark out a distance approximately 5 meters wide using cones
• Divide the players into pairs, one ball per pair.
• Player A throws the ball underarm for Player B to bat overhead.
• Player A catches the batted ball from Player B.
• Reverse the roles after a set number of throws.
• Initially the players should bat the ball in a standing position.
• As they become more competent, the server throws the ball higher requiring the receiver to jump to bat the ball back.

Drill 2 – Intermediate -

• This is an intermediate drill to improve Batting a Ball Overhead.
• Mark out a distance approximately 10 meters wide using cones.
• Place a marker halfway between the outer cones.
• Divide the players into pairs, one ball per pair.
• Player A throws the ball underarm for Player B to run and bat at the centre marker.
• Player B attempts to bat the ball for Player A to catch.
• Reverse the roles after a set number of throws.
• As players become more competent, the server throws the ball higher so that the receiver needs to jump to bat the ball back.

Drill 3 Intermediate - Directional Batting

• This intermediate drill to practice overhead batting requires the player to turn and bat the ball coming from two different directions in a row.
• Divide the players into groups of 3.
• Mark out distances of 5m, 3m and 5m using cones.
• The players at either end in turn serve a ball for the middle player to attack and bat.
• Continue the drill for a set time before changing the player in the middle.

Drill 4 Intermediate  - Bat and Follow

• This is an intermediate drill to practice Batting a Ball Overhead.
• Divide the players into groups of 3.
• Mark out a distance of 5m and 3m using cones.
• Two players, A and C line up behind the first cone.
• Player B lines up behind the far cone
• Player A throws the ball for Player B to attack and bat at the 3m marker.
• Player A follows the throw to take up Player B’s position and Player B continues to the back of the line as Player C moves forward to catch the bat.
• Player C then throws the ball for Player A to bat, and so on in rotation to complete the drill.

Developing the Skill

Grid Game 1

• This is a grid game to practice Batting a Ball Overhead.
• Divide the players into groups of 5.
• Mark out a grid 15m by 15m using cones.
• Mark a further grid 2m x 2m in the middle of the larger grid.
• Position one player at each corner of the larger grid with a further player positioned in the smaller grid.
• The middle player throws the ball for each of the outer players to bat in turn.
• A score is awarded for each bat caught by the middle player within the small grid.
• The middle player rotates after every four throws.
• Count the total number of catches after all of the players have completed the drill.

Fun Game - Batting Tennis

• This is a court game to improve the players’ overhead batting.Divide the players into pairs.
• Mark a line between the players using cones.
• Player A throws the ball overhead and bats to B, who bats the ball back to A.
• The players continue batting as long as possible, counting the number of successful bats.
• To make the game more competitive, mark a court on each side of the centre line.
• Each player tries to ground the ball in the other’s court, as in volleyball.