While many would disagree, I believe the coach has a vital role in improving your cricket. So why is it that most club players are not using coaches?

The problem seems to stem from the perception of what a coach does in the club game.

At elite level coaches are essential staff. All UK counties have them from youth sides to the first team squad. Many with a host of support staff like psychologists and strength coaches. They work with the captain to build a team and continue to make players better throughout their careers.

Anyone can improve his or her catching.

Catching is one of the least technical aspects of cricket, so it's all down to practice. But limited time means you still have to be smart if you want to improve.

Professional can practice catching every day and it shows. If Monty Panesar can turn himself into a safe pair of hands from the bumbling fool he was then anyone can.

What about the rest of us though? We have jobs and families and a small time window every week to practice our batting, bowling and fielding. T

Research into top batsmen has show they can predict a delivery from tiny clues in a bowler's run up and action. They can read his mind.

I'm pretty sure this ability has been around forever, but in these days of limited overs and Twenty20 cricket, the ability to do so quickly is even more relevant, even for club players.

It's not often you see something truly innovative in cricket, but Darren Talbot bucks the trend. Darren is a professional coach who doesn't work with county or elite players.

I had to talk to Darren to find out his secrets.

So how does Darren make a living from cricket?

As you probably already know, paid coaching positions have traditionally been filled by ex-professionals working in the elite system at a county clubs or private schools. Some club professionals coach on the side too. Both require a certain amount of cricketing talent and luck to get a break.

If you want to look better in the field and save more runs you can't beat the sliding stop.

Sliding is a skill that is rarely taught a club coaching sessions so any fielding side whose players can perform it automatically have an advantage. It's a far faster method of stopping the ball just short of the boundary and returning it quickly.

It's also the flashy cousin of fielding skills so you need the confidence of knowing the basics well first. Those include clean pick ups and accurate throwing as well as catching both high and flat.

My recent comments that wicketkeepers should take returns in front of the stumps caused a stir with Rob Sanderson:

Are you looking to improve your technique to play better cricket? You may be looking in the wrong place.

I get a lot of emails asking how I can improve players technique. I love them all, but often the answer is nothing to do with technique at all.

For me, good technique is not something you can learn by the copybook or by getting advice from a coach who has never seen you play. It's a natural consequence of other factors.

Take a listen to my latest cricket coaching podcast. This week I spoke to Pat Legge, senior coach at Devizes CC.

Pat's role as coach of the First XI rather than a youth or colts section is rare in the club game so I was keen to get his insight into the job. We spoke about coaching club players, how to warm up properly, the role of fitness training on performance and the future of coaching at club level.