Julian Wood is a world-class batting coach who specializes in the principles of Cricket Coaching using Overweight – Underweight Training Programs. He is the current batting coach of the England T-20 and ODI Cricket Squads. He is also the mastermind behind the highly advanced and futuristic Power Hitting Batting Programs that are now being used by Cricket Coaching Academies and Coaching Centers based in England, Scotland, Ireland, South Africa, India, Pakistan, USA and Australia.
The game of cricket is changing.
Gone are the days when all young players aspire to play Test Level Cricket. While achieving Test Status is still a high priority the youngsters of today see T-20 and One-Day Cricket as the ultimate aim. In the current climate young players and players in general need to develop their game and skill sets so that they can succeed in the multi formats of cricket. The requirements for playing Test Cricket as against T – 20 and One-Day Cricket are vastly different. A lot of young players are attracted to the fast paced hard hitting T-20 game.Julian Wood‘s Power Hitting Programs are geared toward improving a player’s Power Hitting Game. His programs and methodology are centered around strength building, muscle toning and muscle conditioning. However; it is not all about sheer power. Bulking up and becoming stronger is just one aspect of his programs. Strange as it may seem a lot of the exercises that Julian puts his players through involve the use of light weight training aids that are design to increase “speed in motion”.
Speed and fast twitch muscle action is every bit as important as strength. To much bulk without speed or agility slows a player’s movements down. So while strength might be there; without “fast muscle twitch” players would become cumbersome and slow. If you look at action sports such as AFL Football you will see that AFL footballers bulk up; but they also speed up. Julian Woods Power Hitting Programs employ the use of Overweight Underweight exercise sessions. The overweight side of things is about building strength while the underweight programs allow players to improve speed which is critical in the area of footwork; body motion and in the development of a players ability to maximize bat head speed.
Taking it one step further; fast body movement, good bat head speed and quick footwork coupled with good body strength creates resistance and when it comes to helping you hit the ball harder and further; resistance is vital. In fact resistance is the most important aspect of Power Hitting. Overweight and underweight training programs are used in most sports. In cricket, world renowned bowling coaches such as Steffan Jones of England use overweight underweight programs to help with the development of fast bowlers. Force Train Better has developed a range of overweight and underweight cricket bats and cricket training balls that coaches such as Julian Wood are now using with some the worlds leading elite players. Click here to view the range of Force Training Aids available on this website: