In another article we talked a bit about how PitchVision Academy courses can make you a better cricketer. But real improvement is not just about having the coaching advice; it's about acting on it: Action always trumps information.

Here are 2 simple ways you can start acting and start improving.

They said you couldn't succeed. Then you found world class coaching to make the most of your talent and proved them all wrong.

That has been the dream of players (and even their coaches). The problem is that world class coaches are hard to find and expensive to employ.

We are pleased to announce the world's most comprehensive online cricket coaching site: PitchVision Academy.

This PitchVision Academy members only article can be read as a standalone piece but if you really want to act on it, use it in conjunction with the "How to use mental training to boost your game" course.

There is a famous saying that doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is a sign of madness.

We are delighted to announce a brand new series on miCricketCoach: The Umpires Corner in association with the International Institute of Cricket Umpiring and Scoring.

As you can see from the picture, I went to my gym here in the UK to find it shut with a snowman in the carpark.

That put an end to my plans to train that day. Or did it?

In my experience, the leg side short positions are underused in club cricket.

Even at Test level a short leg is often left out, or when they are in place they are the first close catcher to be removed. Lower down the system, my team tends to play on soft, green and with a low bounce. You can see why many captains decide it's not worth putting a player 'under the lid'.

Regular contributor Ben Baruch brings another insight on batting. West Indian opener Chris Gayle gets the examination this time around.

We love getting questions on miCricketCoach. It helps us be more specific about what you want. Recently friend of the site Dhruv emailed in this one:

"I would like to know exactly what makes up the 'perfect practice' part in the phrase 'perfect practice makes for perfection'?"

There is a large mental side to cricket and it is often our thinking that gets us out or stops us bowling well.

There are a lot of distractions going on through the course of a game: In the middle, waiting to bat, waiting to field, taking lunch, tea or a drinks break. What is required is a set of routines or processes you can employ, almost without thinking, that will allow you more time and ‘brain space’ to focus on playing the game as well as possible.

This article is part of the miCricketCoach 2009 Case Study. To stay up to date with their progress get the free newsletter.

Things are going well for Geraint and Naz, the miCricketCoach case studies. We have started to make a few changes to both training and nutrition for the better.

Here are the current plans for both of them.