The Art of Batting
Defensive Grip: With V of hand aligned with rib of bat. Line of ball and Grip+Rib of bat coincide.
Attacking Grip: With V of hand aligned to outer edge of bat. Gives more bat speed
"Great things don't come by Impulse, they happen when many small things come together"
- Vincent Van Gogh.
A good site to visit is TheChappellWay.com
Basics
Determining the final position of the ball:
Line:
This decides how far the ball is from the center line of your body. The X axis
Length (Bounce):
Full Toss: determines the Y coords of Final position.
Full Pitch: Won't cut/spin much after pitching so safer to play.
Short Pitch: The final position of the ball changes dramatically due to following factors
Bounciness of wicket:
Wicket is hard/Bouncy a fuller ball may bounce more.
Wicket is slow, a short pitched ball may barely rise to knee height.
Bounciness of Ball:
Tennis ball rises more when new and loses bounce once the fluff is gone.
Power of Ball Delivery:
You can still get a bouncy ball if bowler bangs in the ball hard.
Spin:
Wrist spin, finger spin
Cut:
Swing:
If he has a high action the ball will land closer to the batsman. If he releases the ball late the ball is short pitched. This will help you decide whether you need to go for straight shots OR cross-batted shots.
However you cannot determine the bounce that is generated. If the ball is pitched short and has very low bounce taking a very high backlift/crossbat shots may lead to a clean bowled.
A) Follow the ball with your eyes, from the moment the bowler starts his run-up, as he swings the ball, the moment before release, and afterwards as the ball is in the air. Track it all the way as it goes into the Keeper's gloves. Try to mentally draw the line of the ball and its length.
Notice the distance from the bowlers stump that he's bowling this will give you a fair idea of the line of the ball. Try to observe the ball, the bowling arm and the bowler as much as possible.
B) Transfer weight onto your toes and slightly on to back foot freeing the front foot to move.
C) Take backlift using the loading principle ie bottom hand acts as fulcrum with top hand pressing down on the top of the handle. (This makes the heaviest bats seem weightless.)
This is to be done just at the time the bowler delivers the ball.
The line of the bat must be parallel to the body (bat-toe pointing towards middle stump) and the bat should end-up near the ears. As the bat swings down it must just pass beside the ankle to ensure no gap. Do not tense the wrist prematurely by banging the bat or taking backlift before ball delivery.
Just stand as upright as possible with slight bend in the knees. Let the bang hang down to just touch the top of your backfoot shoe. This is just enough to totally cover the stump you take guard on. Also it reduces the bobbing of the head if you try to tap the bat on the ground behind your shoe.
Backlift differs for the type of shot:
D) Keep the eyes on the same level. Chin should be lightly pressing into the leading shoulder.
Leading elbow should point towards the bowler. This forces the arm to cover the entire space next to the leading foot in a straight line. It also allows for free swing of the bat without hitting the leading foot. The reason why people play cross-batted, swinging, slogs across the line of the ball is to not hit the leading foot apart from trying for more of power than precision.
E) First cover the distance to the line of the ball. Only once in position try to account for the length of the ball. The line of the ball is discernible moments after it is released (unless there is swing). Also note any tendency to slingshot/bowl diagonally instead of traditional side-on.
F) Now that you're in line with the ball, ascertain the length of the ball. This will tell you whether you need to go on the front-foot or the backfoot, whether you need to move to off-stump or leg-stump.
G) If the bowler is bowling round the wicket then you need to move the leading foot 2 inches towards leg-stump ie create room for the bat to swing through. Try to imagine the ball bowled very close to the left side of the stumps. Now try to cover this line. The first foot movement may be a half-sidestep towards offstump with leading foot followed by a full-step with the backfoot and another half-sidestep with the leadfoot. This will cover the angle from round the wicket.
H) Over the wicket both feet are parallel and one-behind the other. The leading foot may be slightly opened up by pointing toes toward cover.
I) When the bat makes contact with the ball adjust the vertical raising of the bat such that the ball always strikes the sweet-spot. This will cause the stroke to be both powerful and effortless.
J) In order to find the best way to play a particular delivery
a) Imagine the line of the ball as you track it from bowler's arm to keeper.
b)Now imagine that you're standing just beside the line of the ball and ready to hit the best stroke possible for that line.
c) Now the question is just to cover the distance from where you are to where you need to be to play the best stroke for this delivery.
K) In order to play the pull shot the bat-toe should point towards off-stump/3rd slip during the backlift. Typically you would choose this shot for the short delivery which doesn't rise too much over the solar-plexus, thus keeping the shot down.
L) To play the straight drive the bat-toe should point towards middle stump. To play the cover drive it should point toward leg stump. (This assumes you take a middle stump guard).
M) Pace your innings. Hit the bad balls, leave the good balls alone and defend your wicket at all costs. Esp. be wary of the 'laddoo' bowler who manages to entice you to swing/heave at bad deliveries. Invariably you hurry and get out.
[Building your innings]
Many good scores have died a premature death due to too much caution, or too little.
There are times when you feel a madrush of adrenaline leading to a heave at the ball.
At other times overcaution skips the easy singles to smother a good innings in its sleep.
The key is to realise that every ball is a fork in the road ie you get a dot-ball, single, boundary off it. The thing is decided in 2-3 seconds AS IT IS HAPPENING not before or after the event.
Watch yourself for those crucial seconds, relax otherwise.
The ability to choose and switch between extreme defense, quick singles, fast 2's, well-timed 4s, lusty blows over the rope is what matters when building a long innings. Giving the other batsman a chance to take up some of the load is Very important, esp. when you feel close to giving up your wicket.
Attacking Grip: With V of hand aligned to outer edge of bat. Gives more bat speed
"Great things don't come by Impulse, they happen when many small things come together"
- Vincent Van Gogh.
A good site to visit is TheChappellWay.com
Basics
Determining the final position of the ball:
Line:
This decides how far the ball is from the center line of your body. The X axis
Length (Bounce):
Full Toss: determines the Y coords of Final position.
Full Pitch: Won't cut/spin much after pitching so safer to play.
Short Pitch: The final position of the ball changes dramatically due to following factors
Bounciness of wicket:
Wicket is hard/Bouncy a fuller ball may bounce more.
Wicket is slow, a short pitched ball may barely rise to knee height.
Bounciness of Ball:
Tennis ball rises more when new and loses bounce once the fluff is gone.
Power of Ball Delivery:
You can still get a bouncy ball if bowler bangs in the ball hard.
Spin:
Wrist spin, finger spin
Cut:
Swing:
If he has a high action the ball will land closer to the batsman. If he releases the ball late the ball is short pitched. This will help you decide whether you need to go for straight shots OR cross-batted shots.
However you cannot determine the bounce that is generated. If the ball is pitched short and has very low bounce taking a very high backlift/crossbat shots may lead to a clean bowled.
A) Follow the ball with your eyes, from the moment the bowler starts his run-up, as he swings the ball, the moment before release, and afterwards as the ball is in the air. Track it all the way as it goes into the Keeper's gloves. Try to mentally draw the line of the ball and its length.
Notice the distance from the bowlers stump that he's bowling this will give you a fair idea of the line of the ball. Try to observe the ball, the bowling arm and the bowler as much as possible.
B) Transfer weight onto your toes and slightly on to back foot freeing the front foot to move.
C) Take backlift using the loading principle ie bottom hand acts as fulcrum with top hand pressing down on the top of the handle. (This makes the heaviest bats seem weightless.)
This is to be done just at the time the bowler delivers the ball.
The line of the bat must be parallel to the body (bat-toe pointing towards middle stump) and the bat should end-up near the ears. As the bat swings down it must just pass beside the ankle to ensure no gap. Do not tense the wrist prematurely by banging the bat or taking backlift before ball delivery.
Just stand as upright as possible with slight bend in the knees. Let the bang hang down to just touch the top of your backfoot shoe. This is just enough to totally cover the stump you take guard on. Also it reduces the bobbing of the head if you try to tap the bat on the ground behind your shoe.
Backlift differs for the type of shot:
D) Keep the eyes on the same level. Chin should be lightly pressing into the leading shoulder.
Leading elbow should point towards the bowler. This forces the arm to cover the entire space next to the leading foot in a straight line. It also allows for free swing of the bat without hitting the leading foot. The reason why people play cross-batted, swinging, slogs across the line of the ball is to not hit the leading foot apart from trying for more of power than precision.
E) First cover the distance to the line of the ball. Only once in position try to account for the length of the ball. The line of the ball is discernible moments after it is released (unless there is swing). Also note any tendency to slingshot/bowl diagonally instead of traditional side-on.
F) Now that you're in line with the ball, ascertain the length of the ball. This will tell you whether you need to go on the front-foot or the backfoot, whether you need to move to off-stump or leg-stump.
G) If the bowler is bowling round the wicket then you need to move the leading foot 2 inches towards leg-stump ie create room for the bat to swing through. Try to imagine the ball bowled very close to the left side of the stumps. Now try to cover this line. The first foot movement may be a half-sidestep towards offstump with leading foot followed by a full-step with the backfoot and another half-sidestep with the leadfoot. This will cover the angle from round the wicket.
H) Over the wicket both feet are parallel and one-behind the other. The leading foot may be slightly opened up by pointing toes toward cover.
I) When the bat makes contact with the ball adjust the vertical raising of the bat such that the ball always strikes the sweet-spot. This will cause the stroke to be both powerful and effortless.
J) In order to find the best way to play a particular delivery
a) Imagine the line of the ball as you track it from bowler's arm to keeper.
b)Now imagine that you're standing just beside the line of the ball and ready to hit the best stroke possible for that line.
c) Now the question is just to cover the distance from where you are to where you need to be to play the best stroke for this delivery.
K) In order to play the pull shot the bat-toe should point towards off-stump/3rd slip during the backlift. Typically you would choose this shot for the short delivery which doesn't rise too much over the solar-plexus, thus keeping the shot down.
L) To play the straight drive the bat-toe should point towards middle stump. To play the cover drive it should point toward leg stump. (This assumes you take a middle stump guard).
M) Pace your innings. Hit the bad balls, leave the good balls alone and defend your wicket at all costs. Esp. be wary of the 'laddoo' bowler who manages to entice you to swing/heave at bad deliveries. Invariably you hurry and get out.
[Building your innings]
Many good scores have died a premature death due to too much caution, or too little.
There are times when you feel a madrush of adrenaline leading to a heave at the ball.
At other times overcaution skips the easy singles to smother a good innings in its sleep.
The key is to realise that every ball is a fork in the road ie you get a dot-ball, single, boundary off it. The thing is decided in 2-3 seconds AS IT IS HAPPENING not before or after the event.
Watch yourself for those crucial seconds, relax otherwise.
The ability to choose and switch between extreme defense, quick singles, fast 2's, well-timed 4s, lusty blows over the rope is what matters when building a long innings. Giving the other batsman a chance to take up some of the load is Very important, esp. when you feel close to giving up your wicket.
posted by Gurudutt Mallapur | 6:41 AM
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