Balance, Footwork and Head Position

In this lesson you will learn what balance really means at the crease. A balanced batter can hold the finishing position of a shot for a second or two without wobbling or taking an extra step. Balance comes from a stable base, with your feet a sensible distance apart, your knees flexed and your head over your base. When you lose balance, your head usually moves first, falling to the off side or back towards the stumps, and your bat follows it off line. You will see that balance is not about standing still; it is about moving and arriving in control. A simple check after every practice shot is to freeze and ask yourself whether you could stay there comfortably.

• Balance means arriving in control
• Hold your finish for two seconds
• Head over a stable base
• Freeze after practice shots to check

In this lesson you will learn how length decides your footwork. A full ball, one that pitches close to you, should usually be played on the front foot, getting close to where it bounces. A short ball, one that pitches further from you, gives you time to go back and play it off the back foot. A good length ball sits in between and is the hardest to judge, which is exactly why bowlers aim for it. You will practise watching the ball from the bowler's hand and making your decision early. The key message is to pick a foot and commit to it. Being caught halfway, neither forward nor back, is one of the most common reasons batters get out.

• Full ball: usually go forward
• Short ball: usually go back
• Good length is hardest to judge
• Decide early and commit

In this lesson you will practise moving onto the front foot. From your stance, let your head lead and take a comfortable step towards the line of the ball with your front foot, bending the front knee so your weight transfers onto it. The stride should be long enough to get your head close to the pitch of the ball, but not so long that you overbalance. Your back leg stays fairly straight and the back toe stays in contact with the ground behind the crease, which keeps you balanced and helps protect you from being stumped. You will learn that the head and front shoulder move first and the foot follows, so your eyes stay over the line of the ball.

• Head and front shoulder lead the step
• Step towards the line of the ball
• Bend the front knee and transfer weight
• Keep the back toe grounded behind the crease

In this lesson you will practise moving onto the back foot. When the ball is short, take your back foot back and across towards the stumps, keeping it roughly parallel to the crease so you stay side on, then bring the front foot back to join it for balance. Moving back gives you more time to see the ball and to rise with it if it bounces. You will learn to stay tall and keep your head still and over your back foot, rather than leaning away from the ball. Be careful not to go so far back that you tread on your stumps, which would be out hit wicket under the Laws of Cricket. Use a marker behind the crease in practice to judge your movement.

• Back and across towards the stumps
• Back foot parallel to the crease
• Stay tall, head over the back foot
• Avoid treading on the stumps

In this lesson you will focus on the head, which coaches often call the steering wheel of batting. Wherever your head goes, your body and bat tend to follow. If your head falls away to the off side, the bat will swing across the line. If it stays still and moves towards the ball, your bat can come down straight. You will learn to keep your head still at the moment of contact, with your eyes level and looking at the ball as it meets the bat. A useful image is to imagine a glass of water balanced on your head that you do not want to spill. You will also practise playing the ball under your eyes, rather than reaching for it.

• The head steers the body and bat
• Head still and eyes level at contact
• Play the ball under your eyes
• Do not reach away from your body

In this lesson you will look at the movement faults that most often cost batters their wicket. Getting stuck on the crease, neither forward nor back, leaves you playing at the ball with no stable base. Planting the front foot down the pitch before the ball is bowled commits you early and makes the short ball dangerous. Falling over to the off side brings your pads into line and creates leg before wicket chances. Stepping away to leg opens up the stumps. You will learn to diagnose each fault from video or from where the ball goes, and to fix it with the simple front and back movements from earlier lessons. Patience and repetition are the cure for most movement problems.

• Stuck on the crease means no base
• Pre-planting commits you too early
• Falling over invites leg before wicket
• Backing away to leg exposes the stumps

In this lesson you will learn simple drills to build good movement. In the mirror drill, take your stance in front of a mirror and practise forward and back steps, checking that your head stays level. In the call drill, a partner calls front or back as you start a shadow shot so you learn to react quickly. In the hold drill, a partner gives you gentle underarm feeds and you freeze in your finishing position after every shot. Cones or markers on the floor help you see the length and direction of your stride. Warm up before any practice, keep sessions short and focused, and stop if you feel pain. These drills are a guide, not a substitute for a session with a qualified coach.

• Mirror drill for head position
• Call drill for quick decisions
• Hold drill to test balance
• Use markers to check your stride