Coach Julian Proving A Big Hit
13 January 2013
Gloucestershire are employing specialist coach Julian Wood in an effort to improve the players’ power-hitting for one-day cricket in the coming season.
Director of Cricket John Bracewell believes that net sessions led by Julian are already showing positive results, which should help accumulate quick runs in 40-over and Twenty20 cricket.
John told this website: “We have been working on our power hitting this winter and have brought in a specialist coach in Julian Wood, who has spent a lot of time studying it in America with baseball.
“It is all about players putting themselves in the right position and using the right levers to clear the boundary. A small guy like Chris Taylor could hit a long ball and it is not all about muscle and strength.
“Dan Housego also hits a long ball, but he didn’t realise he could do it because of the type of cricket he had been restricted to before joining us.
“We provided him with two more formats than he was used to and he discovered that he could hit sixes over extra cover, which is a very difficult place to defend.
“We looked for a specialist coach who could teach the players the mechanics of hitting long balls and Julian has been coming in twice a week every second week to spend full morning sessions with the lads.
“You can see the benefit already with the cleanness and sound of their hitting. Young guys are more malleable to change and are not afraid to give something new a go.
“They have been very receptive to Julian’s ideas. He was with Hampshire as a player and he is now hoping to fill a gap in coaching.
“He is the only person we know of doing this job, so I’m delighted we have got hold of him.”
