As a coach, I’m always looking for ways to improve my methods. One of the best ways to do this is by sharing knowledge.

One of the great benefits of our current tour, “PitchVision Academy Live!” is that I get to share ideas with coaches I would otherwise be unlikely to meet.

Here are three of the ideas that we shared at the Birmingham event PitchVision Academy Live!

Gary Palmer has been coaching batting for over 20 years and he knows how to do it right. In this article he discusses why the on drive is the easier shot to learn first.

What was the first drive you learned, or taught to someone else?

There is a fair chance it was the front foot off drive. The great looking signature shot of many great Test players.

This is part of the specialist fielding series of articles, for the full list of fielding positions covered click here.

Since we stopped doing the weekly PitchVision Academy podcast I’ve been constantly asked when it’s coming back.

The great news is that we are planning the new series right now and all the PitchVision audioheads can get their fix again very soon.

In opposition to the traditionalist’s view of preparation, England’s bowlers prepare for the first Ashes Test of 2009-10 by skipping a warm up match.

Critics say that bowlers need competitive overs ‘under the belt’ rather than hours in the nets.

It’s a common quandary for those lower down the scale too.

As you know, we have been running a series of coaching events across England called PitchVision Academy Live!

Along the way I have met many club, school and University coaches/players and shown them how they can improve their game. Today I want to give you a flavour of what that is like by following my day at Chelmsford.

In the 2^nd date of the UK tour, a high intensity, high drama earthquake of cricket coaching hit Chelmsford in the form of PitchVision Academy Live!

The event picked up where Manchester left off, bringing the latest cricket technology to club, school and University cricketers in Chelmsford.

Purpose: A general team warm up that works on picking up and throwing in a competitive situation.

Description: The game is played with a tennis or cricket ball. Players are split into 2 teams with the aim of scoring by rolling the ball into the opposition’s goal (marked by cones 4m apart on a pitch 30-50m long).

This article is part of the “How to use fitness training to make better young cricketers” series. Click here to go to part 1.

Coaching kids under 9 is no different to herding unruly sheep. But a conscientious coach is laying important ground work that is about more than babysitting in a tracksuit.

This edition of Laws of Cricket, in association with the International Institute of Cricket Umpiring and Scoring, covers some more tricky questions of the Laws.