Batting
- The biomechanics of batting research at Loughborough has been conducted in conjunction with elite ECB batting coaches, and has focused on techniques associated with straight drive power hitting in both male and female elite batters.
- The research has demonstrated that carry distance in male batters is related to faster bat speeds at impact, impacts within the 4.5 x 2 cm sweet spot, separation between the pelvis and thorax in the transverse plane at the initiation of the downswing, lead elbow extension during the downswing, and wrist uncocking during the downswing.
- Our research has also demonstrated that male batters have greater separation between the pelvis and thorax in the transverse plane at the initiation of the downswing, and extended their elbows more during the downswing than female batters. This contributes to the greater bat speed, ball launch speeds and ball carry distance observed in male batters.
- The batting research conducted has also focused on methods of coaching batters, where movements of a batter facing bowlers, bowling machine and a Sidearm training aid were compared. Significantly earlier timing of front foot initiation and completion were found in the sidearm condition when compared with the bowler and bowling machine conditions. Batters also had a greater backswing when facing the bowling machine compared with facing the side arm or a bowler, lower bat speeds when facing the bowling machine, and moved their centre of mass further forwards during the front foot stride when facing the sidearm.
Papers
- Peploe, C., McErlain-Naylor, S.A., Harland, A.R. and King, M.A., 2019. Relationships between technique and bat speed, post-impact ball speed, and carry distance during a range hitting task in cricket. Human Movement Science, 63, 34-44. DOI:
- Peploe, C., McErlain-Naylor, A.A., Harland, A.R. and King, M.A., 2018. Relationships between impact location and post-impact ball speed, bat torsion, and ball direction in cricket batting. Journal of Sports Sciences, 36(12), 1407-1414. DOI:
- Peploe, C., King, M. and Harland, A., 2014. The effects of different delivery methods on the movement kinematics of elite cricket batsmen in repeated front foot drives. Procedia Engineering, 72, 220-225. DOI:
- McErlain-Naylor, S.A., Peploe, C., Grimley, J., Deshpande, Y., Felton, P.J. and King, M.A., 2021. Comparing power hitting kinematics between skilled male and female cricket batters. Journal of Sports Sciences. DOI: