Your Cricket How do you pick yourself up after a dropped catch?

[Insomniac]

Particularly, a catch that should've been taken but wasn't.

Everybody comes up around you and says don't worry about it, koi baat nahi hai, but in your heart and mind you know that you may have just dropped the game.

How do you get back into concentrating for the next ball, instead of invariably thinking about the dropped chance?

 

[angryangy]

It's a good question. I think if you start to think "DON'T DROP IT!" then every time the ball comes near, it can make you tense up and even worse at catching. However, if you "don't worry about it", you might not care enough to stop dropping catches (but at least you'll be able to deal with it ).

You need to clear your head, but not too much. As much as you should care, it's no good dwelling on the failure, or what it cost, because you can't rectify it. You can only attempt to field better next time and moping about is only a hindrance to that.

If you think about a past or practice example of the catch, you can start to understand why you failed and hopefully remember that you actually are capable of taking the catch correctly. Were you slow on your feet? Did you watch it all the way? Are you grabbing at the ball with hard hands? It's usually simple enough, but as simple and easy as it all is, it's even simpler to not do something. By imagining yourself doing it the right way, it can help you to concentrate for the next one, as well as possibly helping to understand your mistakes and weaknesses.

But to "get yourself up", you should find something to be determined about (ideally, something that you can't really fail on until after the match. ).

You can not only think about how you practice, but also think about how you're going to do a few more catches next time. If you resolve to practice harder, then you're committing yourself to catching better. Setting a flexible goal like this will help to be positive and confident rather than frozen with fear every time the ball comes by.

 

[Manly]

I've shelled 4 catches in the past 2 seasons, which isn't a bad rate, given in Club alone I've snagged 35, and that doesn't even count school catches.

The ones I did drop: One of them was high over my shoulder, and I simply overran it. For that one I just thought "Right, that's not gonna happen again; and I'm gonna take the next half chance I get." Which I did. Made the paper.
2) Simply had too long to think about it, went in and out. But I actually ran the bloke out with my anger throw, so that wasn't too bad.
Other two were really tough, so I wasn't too disheartened by them.

 

[rosewt02]

Im fourteen and I was playing in a third team game when I was thirteen and it was my debut and we needed one wicket to win the match and this batsman hit the ball at me like a rocket and it hit my foot and flicked up and i caught and unbeliveably the umpire gave it not out. I thought Id lost us the game even though i'd caught it. Two balls to go however we got an odd run out to win the game so it was all good.

And now after that story which had nothing to do with anything i will add that youuve got to just forget about it and take the next one.

 

[harrisb]

I've dropped plenty of catches playing for my club. A few hard ones, but mostly ones that i should've taken. However...

I get used to doing the same thing every ball, walking in as the bowler runs in, looking to see where the batsmen is looking to hit it, and if it's aimed at me (or near me), get ready to try and stop it.

If it's in the air and i drop it, i put it to the back of my mind and do the same thing again. If it's in the air and i catch it, the team celebrate and then i'll put it to the back of my mind and do the same thing again.

I think it's all about gettting into a routine of what you're going to do every ball, so if you drop a catch, you forget about it and do the routine again.

Hope this helps.

 

[MUFC1987]

Personally, I just try to put it out of my mind. Everyone makes mistakes, you just need to remember that. I also find that thinking of a good catch that you've taken, makes you more confident. Kind of like 'Yeah, I dropped the sitter, but I can take stunners like that.' Just gets me feeling confident and not thinking about the drop.

It's horrible when you're not confident though. I was at slip all season, to quicker bowlers than I was used too, and just didn't feel confident thinking about if the ball came to me. Then, half way through the season or so, I took a pretty decent chance, low, one handed at ankle height and it just reminded me what I could do. All about confidence and feeling good about yourself.

 

[TumTum]

I just hope they don't come at me fast, I am more worried about it hitting me than catching it. If they smash a ball at you, you have to attempt to catch it, but if you don't do it properly you can get seriously injured. Those are the hard ones because you have to risk your body to catch 'em. Anyways I wouldn't be too worried if I dropped one, because there are plenty of dropped catches that happen in my level.

 

[-D-S-B-]

I rate my catching above anything else so I get pretty dark with myself when I drop one and just want to crawl into a hole and hide.

I'm usually still swearing at myself the next day so I'm probably not the best for advice on this one mate. Maybe this thread's for me too

 

[Manly]

I rate my catching above anything else so I get pretty dark with myself when I drop one and just want to crawl into a hole and hide.

I'm usually still swearing at myself the next day so I'm probably not the best for advice on this one mate. Maybe this thread's for me too

Everyone's allowed to swear. I'll be going for overs and overs after I've shelled one, but you've got to be ready for the next half chance. Always alert.

 

[Themer]

I weep uncontrollably and ask them to not hit it as hard next time.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

I forget about it and move on. It's just a game. You have more important things in life to worry about rather than dropping a catch or bowling a wide or bowling in the death in a tight runchase.

 

[McLOVIN]

What angry said.

And it's hard not to think about it. I take all my catches in practice. But in few games, here and there I will drop the easiest catches. It doesn't make me upset, it freaking pisses me off. I hate dropping catches.

You shouldn't feel upset. Use that to motivate you to take the next one, or half chances. After you drop one, you should want the next ball to come to you. Don't wish for it to not to come to you. That's when the ball follows you even more. So just want it more.

McLOVIN added 3 Minutes and 37 Seconds later...

I just hope they don't come at me fast, I am more worried about it hitting me than catching it. If they smash a ball at you, you have to attempt to catch it, but if you don't do it properly you can get seriously injured. Those are the hard ones because you have to risk your body to catch 'em. Anyways I wouldn't be too worried if I dropped one, because there are plenty of dropped catches that happen in my level.

Reminds me of certain "P" word

 

[ZoraxDoom]

I love having to risk my body for catches. Drop or miss, the fact that you attempted is worth brownie points on it's own.
You always regret the chances you don't try and take. Atleast this way you've given it a shot. And if you missed, well, atleast you tried. Not many would have the courage to go for a catch on a ball belted right at them.


I firmly believe my fielding drills as a youngster in hard ball coaching has helped me immensely in my general fielding, because my coach used to literally hammer the ball at us, or give us massive skiers to catch. I got hit on quite a few occasions. But once you attempt those and wear a few hits, you have no fear anymore. And fear is the biggest obstacle to becoming a good fielder.

 

[riz7khan12]

And fear is the biggest obstacle to becoming a good fielder.

so true, a few years ago i probably fielded like a Pakistani player but now I pride myself in my fielding thanks to me getting over the fear of getting hit. (Mainly because i get hit alot in the thighs when i bat)

 

[khalek]

I don't drop catches but I misfield a lot. I find it very difficult to judge the bounce sometimes. May be because I play in the unrolled/rough outfields or maybe its just lack of concentration.