The Otago spinner's action was ruled illegal earlier this month and the 25-year-old will spend the rest of the summer working on remodelling it.
But it is also an opportunity for him to bust out the cut shot and the cover drive.
Should Beard emerge as a specialist batsman during the next few years, he would not be the first Otago spinner to make the transition.
Mark Richardson is the most obvious example. He got the yips but responded by turning himself into a stodgy but successful international opening batsman.
Aaron Redmond beat a similar path. A useful legspinner and lower-order batsman for Canterbury, he transferred to Otago 10 years ago and reinvented himself as a top-order batsman.
Beard has some of that same potential. Two seasons ago, he came in as a nightwatchman and stunned everybody by batting for more than seven hours and scoring 188.
Whatever he lacked in technique, he more than compensated for with focus, good decision-making, discipline and determination.
By the end of his stay at the crease, even the most seasoned observer would have laboured to find fault with his innings.
He certainly has ability and now he has every incentive to spend a bit more time down the other end of the nets.
While he will be working closely with former New Zealand spinner Paul Wiseman on correcting his bowling action, he is very keen to develop his batting.
''I've started doing some work with Paul Wiseman,'' he said.
''It is baby steps. I've started by just standing and bowling and then I'm going to try and develop it back to running in.
''I understand it is going to take some patience and a lot of hard work. But I've sort of tried to look at the positives as well. I can improve my batting and play as a batter only now. So I'm going to look to try to improve that and hopefully I can come back a better bowler with a new action.''
Beard hopes to play for Otago A as a specialist batsman and will look to push for inclusion in Otago's Plunket Shield team through the A tournament.
On his action, Beard felt he started out with a round arm but the flex in his elbow had crept in through the pressure of limited-overs cricket.
''It developed a lot through playing a lot of short-form cricket and trying to bowl quicker and quicker and darting it in. I certainly know when I was going through the age groups I was able to turn the ball and give it a bit of flight.
''There was no real kink there and there was no worries. It is something which has definitely developed in the last couple of years with the amount of short-form cricket and lack of long-form cricket. I haven't really bowled a lot in four-day cricket.
''When you are trying to bowl flat and not let guys get under it, I guess I opened up my action a little bit and that is something I'm trying to work on - staying side on. As soon as you open it up, that is when the kink comes in.''
Beard said the first indication of any trouble came after Otago's opening Plunket Shield match in October.
His action was noted by the umpires as being dubious.
''You need three mentions before you get reported. I only had one mention, so really it is off my own bat that I got it tested. I won't get to play again this summer but risking getting reported is not something I want.''
Beard has drawn inspiration from Black Caps part-time spinner Kane Williamson, who recently worked with Wiseman to correct his action.
Williamson is back bowling and Beard is hoping for similar success.
