Kevin Pietersen's Batting Masterclass 🏏 Best batting tips, techniques and tutorials

Summary

Kevin Pietersen discusses his batting technique and how he developed from a spin bowler into a world-class batsman. He emphasizes keeping things simple, focusing on head position and watching the ball rather than the bowler's run-up. After struggling for 18 months, coach Graham Ford helped Pietersen get his head back in line with the ball, leading to a return to form. Pietersen credits simplicity, strong head position aligned with the ball, and not overcomplicating things as keys to his aggressive batting style.

Takeaways

• 😀 Kevin started as a spinner before realizing his batting talent later in his youth
• 👦 His batting took off after 6 months of gym work and training with a friend before the age of 17
• 🏏 Batting in England helped his batting really take over compared to bowling
• 🎯 Kevin focuses on keeping his head position right and eyes on the ball when batting
• 🥊 He compares correct batting head position to a winning boxer's head position
• 🤹‍♂️ Simplicity and consistently correct head position is key no matter the bowling style or pace
• 😖 He struggled for 18 months after losing captaincy by overcomplicating instead of simplifying
• 🧠 Graham Ford helped him realize he lost his original effective batting method
• 📈 After Ford's advice, Kevin scored big again by getting his head to the ball consistently
• 🎯 Keeping things simple and getting in proper head position remains his batting emphasis

Q & A

When did Kevin Pietersen realize he had batting talent?

Pietersen says he realized he had some batting talent in his last year of school, around age 17, when he started hitting sixes and progressing quickly with the bat.

What is Pietersen's main batting fundamental and key focus?

Pietersen believes head position is the most important fundamental in batting. His key focus is always getting his head in line with the ball.

What drill does Pietersen use to practice his batting technique?

Pietersen uses a simple drill with a friend throwing him full tosses so he can work on getting in good positions and lining up his head with the ball.

How did Pietersen fail against top bowlers early in his career?

Against bowlers like Allen Donald and Glenn McGrath early on, Pietersen got distracted by their run-ups and reputations instead of watching the ball.

When did Pietersen struggle with his batting and how did he fix it?

After losing the England captaincy, Pietersen struggled for 18 months before going back to Graham Ford, his mentor, who emphasized getting his head to the ball.

How does Pietersen keep his batting approach simple now?

In franchise cricket, Pietersen focuses on just hitting the ball, getting in a good position and launching shots without worrying about technique.

What advice did Greg Blewett give Pietersen about batting?

Blewett gave Pietersen the simple but key advice: "Watch the ball and only the ball. Don't worry about who's bowling."

How was Pietersen a late batting developer?

Pietersen only started playing representative cricket around age 17 and believes kids shouldn't worry much about their batting before age 17.

What changed physically for Pietersen at 17?

After deciding he wanted to be a professional cricketer, Pietersen trained hard in the gym for six months at 17 and started hitting sixes and progressing quickly.

Where did Pietersen gain confidence with the bat early on?

Pietersen gained confidence by scoring runs against the England team for his club as a teenager.