Cricket has changed. Coaching needs to change with it.

That’s exactly what Tom Scollay, cricket coach and former Middlesex cricketer, is doing with his Cricket Mentoring programme in Australia.

When PitchVision Academy caught up with Tom over Skype recently, he was quick to point out the game has changed from one dominated by technique to one dominated by mindset.

Or, to put it as Steve Waugh did, cricket is 90% mental.

This is not a new idea of course. What is new is that coaches are listening to the clarion call of the mind controlling the body.

Tom is leading the charge.

He explained that all his programmes have their foundations in mindset, game plans, energy and attention. In this way, he doesn’t even use the word “coach”, instead focusing on mentoring players to help them find a method that is effective in scoring runs in high pressure cricket situations.

Practically, of course, this still means hitting balls first.

Yet it also means discussing what happens when you play, what is most effective, reviewing how you handle situations and find ways to keep focused even when tired and feeling the pressure of the moment.

In fact, these discussions are so important that Tom has them away from nets where players can focus on getting their mindset right between sessions. His online mentoring programme is in place for any player to talk through their plans and approach to practice.

When was the last time you had a cricket mindset discussion that was not in nets?

Mentoring with PitchVision

Of course with this focus on the head, you might well ask why Tom has invested in PitchVision at his nets?

Tom didn’t hesitate when asked.

He said that PitchVision works for him because the video allows for players to build confidence in their techniques. They can use the video to watch what works. Then they can develop it further.

Even in this world of no perfect technique, every batsman still needs to trust their individual method. If you doubt your method, you can never give yourself the best chance of success. If you are confident in how you play, you will be clear in mind and much more likely to succeed.

Tom also praised the features of PV/VIDEO by talking about the instant replay option and way the videos don’t need any editing. Every ball is available during and after a session for review and confidence building.

To find out more about Tom Scollay and Cricket Mentoring, visit cricketmentoring.com and follow Cricket Mentoring here.