Cricket Bat Care and Maintenance Tips

Written by Ian Canaway


You should oil your new cricket bat using linseed oil before you begin to it knock-in.

Firstly lightly sandrepparttar surfaces ofrepparttar 150803 cricket bat with a fine grade of sand paper. Then apply 2-3 light coats of oil to all exposed surfaces ofrepparttar 150804 bat, allowing sufficient time forrepparttar 150805 bat to dry between coats, usually overnight.

It’s best to avoid oiling your cricket bat if it already has an artificial coating. Also don’t standrepparttar 150806 bat in oil as this can causerepparttar 150807 bat to soften and be more prone to damage.

Once you have oiled your bat and it has dried out, you can then begin to knock-in your new cricket bat.

After a match always check over your bat for signs of damage, such as cracking or splitting ofrepparttar 150808 wood. You can repair damage by sanding and cleaningrepparttar 150809 damaged area, then using super glue or cricket bat tape to repair any small surface cracks.

Duringrepparttar 150810 off season, avoid storing your new cricket bat in a dry/warm location. Particularly avoid storing your bat in direct sunlight or rooms in your house where there are artificially high temperatures, as this will causerepparttar 150811 bat to dry out.

Atrepparttar 150812 end ofrepparttar 150813 season if is often worth applying another light coat of linseed oil and again atrepparttar 150814 start ofrepparttar 150815 next season. But don’t over oil as you may end up weakeningrepparttar 150816 willow.

Cricket Tips: Visualisation: The Key to Cricket Success?

Written by Ian Canaway


An excellent cricket tip I picked up isrepparttar power of visualisation. It is a skill which is often neglected by cricketers. For batsmen, bowlers and fielders at any level ofrepparttar 150802 game it is an important skill that should be mastered.

Visualisation or guided imagery is a very powerful technique that can help increase both your efficiency and effectiveness in achieving your cricket goals, whether it would be scoring one hundred runs, playing a perfect cover drive or taking that vital wicket or catch.

“You must see your goals clearly and specifically before you can set out for them. Hold them in your mind until they become second nature.” --Les Brown--

All top class athletes utilise visualisation to mentally rehearse what they have to do and how they are going to achieve it. By doing this they train their minds and bodies to actually performrepparttar 150803 skill as effectively and efficiently as possible.

For example, before batting Ricky Ponting will have visualised every stroke and shot in his many inning’s this season which have netted him an average of over one hundred so far this season.

When you begin to use visualisation techniques, you want to mentally create a vivid scene in you mind of your wanted outcome. You want this scene to be as detailed and clear as possible, you need to be able to see, feel and smell your success.

Actually visualise your success, picture yourself taking that critical wicket or scoring that winning run. Visualise whatever you want your desired situation to be, how it feels, what your emotions are, imagine being inrepparttar 150804 situation and succeeding.

Cont'd on page 2 ==>
 
ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005
Terms of Use