This is a new feature that I’d like to put out monthly that will focus on skills for the basic backyard game. The strategy and drills are pretty common so experienced players probably won’t find much use in this series, but new players should find some value.
We’ll start with my favorite and most practical drill. This one is most likely to simulate that one chance that will should come up in the nine-wicket backyard game (one ball) for a big run. Ball color does not matter but for instructional purposes place the red ball between wickets one and two (off center is good). Place the black ball four to six feet past wicket two. Place the yellow ball somewhere in the vicinity of wicket number three. Placement of all three balls is not critical at all and you’ll want to vary it somewhat for each session (Figure 1).
Place your blue ball at the starting line and clear wicket one just as you would in a real game. The object here is to make a sixteen wicket run. You’ll contact red (Figure 2) between the wickets then send it roughly halfway between wickets two and three (Figure 3) with a stop shot (meaning blue ball stays between wickets one and two).
Score wicket two then contact the black ball (Figure 4). You’ll want to do a ¼ roll shot that sends black toward wicket four and the blue ball toward red between wickets two and three (Figure 5).
Contact red then, you’ll likely need a ½ or ¾ roll shot to get red out near wicket four and blue closer to wicket three or the yellow ball (Figure 6).
If the yellow is on the near side, you may want to contact it before clearing wicket three. You can then perform a roll shot that sets up an easy hoop shot on wicket three while placing yellow on the far side. If yellow was already on the far side you could skip that step and score wicket three if the shot is makeable (Figure 7).
Once wicket three is cleared, the pattern essentially repeats. Contact yellow (Figure 8), roll shot sending yellow toward five and blue toward red (Figure 9).
Contact red, roll shot sending red toward five and blue toward black (Figure 10).
Roll shot, black to other side of four, blue to set up hoop shot on wicket three (Figure 11). Score wicket three then repeat (Figure 12).
The four-ball break is the ideal situation that every player is looking for in a game, so practicing the sequence will get you experience with those critical roll shots. In practice, the fun part is trying to run all sixteen, but if you miss a shot replay it until you play it successfully. The idea is to ingrain the shots and strategy into your mindset – making it second nature. There’s always tomorrow to try to pull off that pure sixteen wicket run.
