What always amazes me, and correct me if I'm wrong, is that prior to the introduction of helmets batsmen didn't appear to be hit any more frequently than they do today. The bowling was just as quick, in fact quicker in some cases, therefore it had to be down to technique; I suppose it had to be! Players today can get themselves into vulnerable positions knowing that they have got the protection of a helmet.
Perhaps, as is often the case, I'm looking at things through 'rose tinted glasses' but I can always remember, as a child, the likes of Graveney, Cowdrey, Hutton etc. swaying gracefully out of the way of a short pitched delivery or, as I say, has time blurred my memory?