Batting Tips On How to Become a Better Batsman: If you’re a cricket fanatic and want to improve your batting performance, you’ll need to learn the right technique to do so. Once you know how to bat, you can improve your hitting technique by knowing how much the ball will bounce and how you should hit it. If you practice and work hard to improve your technique, you can improve your average and become a better batsman such as Sachin Tendulkar and Joe Root.
Proper Bat Stance
1
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and angled toward the bowler. Stand facing the wickets, making sure your knees are slightly bent and your head is pointed toward the bowler. Keep your back straight but your hips slightly bent. Your weak elbow should point toward the bowler as you hold the bat. Don’t slouch. Keep them as straight as possible when batting. Stand straight on your feet when you’re batting. Your eyes and shoulders should be level. Your eyes should always be on the ball.
2
Hold the bat tightly with both hands. Your weaker hand should be firmly at the end of the bat’s grip. Your stronger hand, on the other hand, should be just below it, with a loose grip between your thumb and two fingers. Your hands should be close together, and the paddle of the bat should not cause any discomfort in your hands.
The finger joints of your weaker hand should point towards the bowler and the finger joints of your stronger hand should point towards the catcher.
Read More
3
Mark a line in the grass where the middle wicket is: Marking a line in the grass in the middle of the middle wicket is also known as making a guard and it helps you know where the wickets are while batting. Place the tip of your bat in the grass and create a line that’s parallel to the middle wicket.
If you’re practicing indoors, you can use tape to create your own guard lines.
Hitting the Ball
1
Tap the bat on the guard line: When you tap the bat on the ground, it signals to the bowler that you’re ready to play. Don’t tap the ground too hard, and keep the bat as straight as possible to maintain good form.
2
Swing your lead foot forward and put the bat back: Swing your bat back so that it goes over your back shoulder and faces straight up in the air. When you bring it back, keep your bat straight. As you swing forward, bend your lead foot so that your toes point toward the bowler.
As you bring the bat back, your wrist should be level with your shoulder.
Note that if the ball bounces high, you’ll need to back up. Only move forward if the ball bounces low.
3
Keep your eye on the ball. Try to follow the ball as it bounces toward you. If you can see its path from the time it leaves the bowler’s hand, you’ll know how you need to position your bat to hit it forward. When the ball comes toward you, decide what kind of contact you want to make with your bat. If you think the ball will bounce in the right place, get ready to hit it forward. If the ball is short, get ready to hit a defensive shot.
4
Swing the bat down after the ball bounces. Hit it: Step forward with your lead leg, and swing the bat down so that the elbow of your other arm is pointed toward the bowler, this is one of the most useful batting tips to use. This is the oldest shot in cricket and is called a straight drive. Then hit the ball so that it goes as far as possible.
5
Swing the bat to one side if the pitch is short: If the ball bounces quickly, or is a short ball, you should get your back foot further back to prepare for a high defensive shot. Instead of bringing the bat straight down, swing it to one side like a baseball bat.[8]
This is usually called a pull shot and will send the ball to the side.
6
Try to make contact if the bowler is bowling towards the wicket: If the ball is coming in slowly but steadily, the bowler is probably trying to hit your wicket. Your main goal is to make contact with the ball in a way that will allow for a defensive hit. Use the same swing as you used for your straight drive, but focus on making contact with the ball, not on sending it far.
The goal is to hit the ball and keep it away from the wicket, not to hit it far enough to score more points.
Improving your batting skills
1
Follow through on your swing: A good follow-through is important, especially if you want to hit the ball far. Even if you miss the ball, keep track of the entire swing. This will get you in the habit of keeping track of your swings.
If you don’t follow through, you may miss the ball or hit it in the air and be dismissed easily.
2
Keep a calm mind while batting: Even a little nervousness can ruin your game and make you commit mistakes. Get into the habit of controlling your breathing and thinking about the journey of the ball as it leaves the bowler’s hands. Focus on the ball to block out any distractions or excitement from the crowd or other teammates.
3
Try swinging a cricket bat in a mirror to improve your swing. Before you practice with a ball, you may want to practice your swing in front of a mirror, also known as shadow cricket. Watching yourself will help you figure out what adjustments you need to make to improve your stance and swing.
Make immediate adjustments if you notice mistakes in your stance.
4
Practice on your own with a tennis ball. Throw a tennis ball on the ground and hit it with the bat when it bounces. This will give you an idea of a full pitch, as well as a pitch where the ball lands right in front of you. This is a great way to learn to swing if you don’t have anyone to practice with. If you’re practicing alone, keep your dominant hand on the bat. This will strengthen your lower hand grip.
5
Practice as much as you can with your team. Regular practice with your team is a must to become a good batsman. Try to attend practice as much as you can. Practice by imagining different game situations and hitting opportunities so that when the time comes, you are fully prepared. Take the advice of your coach and listen carefully to what the team members are saying.
Batting Tips
Whenever you practice or play cricket with a hard ball, you should have gloves, shin pads, thigh guards, abdominal guards, and a helmet with a facemask. If you are playing with a softball, you will only need gloves and a bat.
