Anya Hawkins's blog : How To Improve Your Batting Technique

Professional cricketers understand the importance of their gear, which is why they regularly upgrade it with quality equipment from the leading cricket brands like Gray-Nicolls, Kookaburra, Adidas, and of course, Gunn & Moore. However, just because you purchase a Gunn & Moore cricket bat doesn’t mean you limit the time spent in training. Yes, a high-quality bat will help, but you still have to improve how you use your blade.

In this post, we’ll share how to improve your batting technique and elevate your game to a whole new level.

4 Ways to Improve Your Batting technique

Stance

Have you noticed how batsmen stand while holding their bats waiting for a delivery? That position is called a stance and is one of the key aspects of batting improvement. The way you stand on the crease can impact not only the way your strike, footwork, and reflexes. For instance, many batsmen who like to play freely and find the gaps stand with an open stance. Meanwhile, traditional cricketers that rely on solid defense and select shots often stand with a close stance. Whatever your preference is, the idea is to bend your knew and get into the line of the all to play the shot. What you’re looking for is an ideal distance between the bat and your body – too close, and you’ll find it difficult to use your feet and react quickly. Too far, and you’ll likely miss, mistime, or edge the ball.

Cricket Bat

As mentioned above, choosing between two or more gunn and moore cricket bats requires more considerations than their price tags, size, willow type/grade, and cosmetic design. You also need to consider the different blade profiles, handle length and shape, and weight, among other factors, before purchasing one. For instance, if you consider yourself a back-foot player, you should opt for a high-profile blade (higher sweet spots) to enhance your horizontal or cross bat shots.

Similarly, low-profile bats are suited for players that like front-foot vertical shots like cover drives and lofts. All-around crickets choose a mid-profile that offers the best of both worlds. Moreover, if you’re short or like to crouch excessively, a short-handled bat will ensure you don’t hit the crease while facing deliveries. In contrast, long-handled bats will help taller batsmen protect their wicket or those who want to generate more momentum upon impact.

Grip

How you hold your bat impacts not only your technique but also your bat selection. It's a relatively small thing to learn but can turn you from a good batsman to a great one. Your grip depends on your dominant hand regardless of whether you're right or left-handed. Bottom-handed players who like to loft and drive the ball should grip the bat at the handle's end, while top-handed players who like slicing and cutting the ball should hold the bat higher. Whatever your preference is, you should know how to properly hold the bat in a "V" grip by positioning your thumb and index finger in a way that can be seen from the handle's down-top center.

Focus

Perhaps, the key to improving your technique depends on how good you are keeping your eye on the ball. Focus is the most difficult skill for an aspiring batsman to learn. It separates cricket legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Brian Lara, Graham Gooch, Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, Kane Williamson, Kumar Sangakara, and AB de Villiers from the rest.

By increasing your focus power, you don't have to rely on your blade or equipment to play powerful or beautiful shots since you can react faster and perfectly time even the fastest deliveries. The key to improving focus is to practice watching the ball after release from the bowler’s hand during training sessions. Over time, your enhanced focus will allow you to see the leather ball like a football coming at you in slow motion.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the best way to improve your batting technique is by playing regularly with an open mind. Edging the ball for a six will get you those runs, but a perfect cover drive spitting the inner-circle fielders will bring you more satisfaction, especially when you hold that position while posing a beautiful Gunn & Moore cricket bat.