Guide To Play A Hook Shot In Cricket

Cricket Hook shot using Cricket Bats - Khelmart.com

Cricket Hook shot

Apart from being trained in batting for various deliveries, a guide to play a hook shot in cricket is very necessary for every batsman. This shot is very dangerous to play but is considered to be the most spectacular in the game. If you hit it correctly you are sure to get a boundary, but if it is played too early then there are great changes of being caught.

A batsman can hit a ball in many different ways according to the way the ball is delivered. Mostly they have to use a good foot work while facing various types of deliveries. He can refresh his position by front foot strokes and back foot strokes. He will have to change this position depending on how the ball is thrown and where it is going.

How To Play A Hook Shot

If you are bowled short deliveries then the hook shot is ideal to hit the ball especially on the leg side in an attacking way. If a short pitch ball is bowled to you on the leg side between the waist and head height you can hook that ball. Remember you should have your eyes on the ball at all times. If you even wink you may get hit by the ball on your chest or your head.

You need to form the base for the shot. Move the front leg back and towards the leg side. Put your head slightly forward to judge the line and bounce on the ball correctly. You should swing the arms through the line of the ball fully extended when you connect with the ball.

Defensive Playing

There are times when you are batting; you need to be defensive in your cricketing shots. Footwork is the main key to all the cricketing shots.  A back foot defense is a shot that you play with a straight bat and soft hands that will allow you to bend down or up depending upon the bounce, and to pull your hands and bat inside the line if you choose to let the ball go.

When you intend to play a forward defensive shot unlike the back foot which is played against fast bowlers you go on the front foot and play against the spinners. You have to be very careful as you will have fielders surrounding you to catch you out.  You may even miss the ball and get out stumped.

The Bat And The Batsman

A cricketing batsman uses cricket bats, according to the convenience of playing various shots. There are certain batsmen who prefer to play with heavy bats as they find it comfortable to play cover drives. If you want to play a hook shot especially on bouncers, then a light bat would be more comfortable.

Whether it is a light or a heavy bat, your shots will also depend upon the quality of willow used in the manufacture of cricket bats. You may play any type of a cricketing shot that you are comfortable with, with the right bat. When you want to play a hook shot you should watch the classic batsmen play the same and consider them as the guide to play a hook shot in cricket.

How To Play Cover Drive In Cricket

COver Drive using Cricket Bats -Khelmart

Cover Drive -Suresh Raina

Cover Drive Using Cricket Bats - Khelmart.com

Cover Drive – Sachin

If you want to know how to play cover drive in cricket then watch the professional batsmen put their front foot forward towards the pitch at a good length ball. They just bring their bat down through the line of the delivery, with a gentle stroke, and play the ball between mid-off and cover to the ropes.

When you are watching a match, you will hear various terms that the commentator uses to praise cricketing strokes. He may utter words such as ‘what a lovely on-drive’ or use the term as ‘cover drive’. These terms are used depending upon the style and direction of the shot played.

Types Of Cricketing Shots

There are a number of cricketing batting terms used during a cricket match. When you are under training for as a batsman you are taught all these different shots such as switch hits and flicks, reverse sweeps, pulls, hooks, cuts and cover drive. There are many times which is quite normal in cricket that you get out if you do not play the shot in the correct manner.

A batsman may play a shot of the back foot or front foot which totally depends on which foot he prefers to transfer the weight of his body, depending upon the delivery of the ball to play the stroke.  To improve your ability to score runs and batting style, you will come across hundreds of different batting tips. You need to have knowledge about all these especially when you are in the stage of selection.

The Most Exciting Part Of Cricket

Batting is considered to be the most exciting part of cricket. To be a good batsman, apart from training and practice you need to use good cricket bats. You may want a short handle or a long handle bat, depending upon your style and cricketing strokes. Cricket bats are made of willow; if you search you can easily find the best quality bats.

Whatever cricketing shot you may play it is very necessary that you keep your eyes in level as it will help you to react in time as the ball is delivered. If you move your body from the shoulders toward the line of the ball, the rest of the body will automatically follow to get you in the right line with the ball.

The Run Getting Stroke

The cover drive is considered to be one of the most elegant stokes in cricket. You may have noticed during a test match, fast bowlers do not bowl a full length ball quite often. To get a good connected cover drive you should get the foot across the pitch of the ball so that you are in the correct length of the ball and can stroke the shot instead of hitting the ball too hard.

Playing this stroke at balls which are of good length, may be a medium pace,is more convenient to play. If the bowler is a spinner then you will have to make sufficient room for yourself to play this shot. Every batsman has his own way of judging the ball and making it convenient to play this shot, this is how to play cover drivein cricket as a good batsman.