Cricket Technique: Batting – Shot Selection

Shot Selection:

 

This part of your game again needs to be as instinctive as possible.  You will know that after a few years of batting that the more you think about the shot you need to play to the delivery being bowled the less likely your at too hit it properly.  As with the ball release, this area really needs to be practiced against bowlers as much as possible and a variety of game situations need to be practiced in and around this.  You need to have instinctive aggressive, defensive and game specific shots to play in all conditions to be the best cricketer you can be. As always, below are a few tips:

 

1. Think forward: The majority of the best batsmen are always thinking forward and research has shown that elite batsmen tend to place more weight through their front foot then their back during quiet stance.  This does not mean you only move forward, it means you are quicker to move forward then your are backward – which makes sense considering you have more time to play a short ball then a full delivery.  N.B: International cricket recently has scene a shift to how short defensive shots are played, this will be discussed in due time.
2. Quick to defend and quicker to attack: Most dismissals are a result of playing the wrong shot at an even worse time.  The key to scoring runs is to occupy the crease – if you get out, you can’t score any more runs.  Therefore don’t forget to defend your wicket.
3. Soft hands when defending and don’t try to over hit the ball when attacking: Timing is more important then power.  Everyone can recall seeing a batsmen seemingly block a ball and watching it race away for four runs – this occurs through timing the ball.  The key to effective timing is to not try and over hit the ball but let the ball come on to you and the middle of the bat right in the middle of the hitting zone.