Pull Shot and Hook Shot

In this lesson you will begin with safety. Short-pitched bowling with a hard ball can cause serious injury, so you must always wear a helmet with a faceguard that meets the current British Standard, along with gloves, pads, a box and ideally arm and chest guards. Check that your helmet fits snugly and that the grille is not cracked or bent. Under the Laws of Cricket, umpires can act against short-pitched bowling that is dangerous, and T20 playing conditions usually limit how many short balls can be bowled each over; check the WFA competition regulations for the exact rule. Any blow to the head must be treated seriously, and you should follow the WFA head injury guidance and stop batting if in doubt.

• Always wear a helmet with faceguard
• Check your helmet fits and is undamaged
• Umpires can act on dangerous short bowling
• Treat any blow to the head seriously

In this lesson you will learn the difference between the two shots. The pull is played to a short ball that arrives at roughly waist to chest height, and it is hit in front of square on the leg side, towards mid-wicket or square leg. The hook is played to a ball at shoulder height or above, and it is usually hit behind square, towards fine leg or deep square leg, often in the air. The pull is the safer of the two, because you can see the ball below your eye line and keep it down. The hook carries more risk of a top edge and of being hit. You will learn to judge the height early and to choose the right option.

• Pull: waist to chest height, in front of square
• Hook: shoulder height or above, behind square
• The pull is generally safer
• Judge height early, then choose

In this lesson you will learn that the short ball is won or lost in the first fraction of a second. Watch the bowler's hand and pick up the length as early as you can. A ball dropped short gives you time, but only if you see it early. You will learn to keep your head still and your eyes level, so that you can judge how high the ball will bounce. If you are late seeing the ball, the safest option is not to play an attacking shot at all. Practise with tennis balls thrown short from a safe distance, calling out pull, hook or leave as early as you can, before progressing to harder balls with full protective equipment.

• Pick up the length from the hand
• Head still, eyes level
• If you are late, do not attack
• Practise calling pull, hook or leave

In this lesson you will learn the pull. As you read the short ball, move your back foot back and across, often towards off stump, so your head is inside the line of the ball. Rise tall and let your body rotate, with your chest opening towards the bowler. Swing the bat through a horizontal arc, meeting the ball at arm's length in front of your body, and roll your wrists over the ball to keep it down. Your weight transfers from back foot to front foot as you rotate. You will learn that the shot is played on top of the ball, not under it. Practise slowly with gentle short feeds until the rotation feels smooth and balanced.

• Back and across, head inside the line
• Rise tall and rotate the body
• Meet the ball in front at arm's length
• Roll the wrists to keep it down

In this lesson you will learn the hook, which is a higher-risk shot. Move back and across so that your head is inside the line of the ball, which means if you miss, the ball goes past your shoulder rather than hitting you. Keep your eyes on the ball and rotate, swinging the bat through and up to meet the ball around shoulder height, helping it on its way behind square. Many batters hook in the air deliberately towards an open fine leg or deep square leg, so you must know where the fielders are. You will learn that if the ball is too quick, too high or you have lost sight of it, the safest choice is to duck or sway rather than hook.

• Head inside the line of the ball
• Swing through and up behind square
• Know where the deep fielders are
• Too quick or too high: duck or sway

In this lesson you will learn that the most important short-ball skill is often not playing a shot at all. Ducking means dropping your head and body underneath the ball, keeping your eyes on it until the last moment. Swaying means moving your head and upper body out of the line, often towards the off side, while keeping your feet in place. Leaving with the bat held down and away avoids a glove or edge. You will learn never to turn your back on the ball or take your eyes off it, because that is when injuries happen. Decide early, commit to your choice, and let the ball go if it is not one you can control. There is no shame in a well-judged duck.

• Ducking: drop under the ball, eyes on it
• Swaying: move head and body out of the line
• Keep the bat down and out of the way
• Never turn your back or close your eyes

In this lesson you will look at why the pull and hook go wrong. Getting stuck on the crease leaves you without balance and late on the ball. Moving outside the line of the ball, towards leg, means a miss may hit you. Hitting under the ball rather than on top of it produces top edges and catches. Taking your eyes off the ball, or turning your head away, is the biggest cause of injury. Trying to pull balls that are not short enough, or that are wide of off stump, leads to mistimed shots and edges. You will learn to spot these faults on video and to fix them with slow, supervised practice and soft balls before returning to hard-ball bowling.

• Stuck on the crease means late and unbalanced
• Moving outside the line is dangerous
• Hitting under the ball gives top edges
• Eyes off the ball causes injuries

In this lesson you will see how the pull and hook fit into a T20 innings. Bowlers often use the short ball as a surprise or to push you back before bowling full, and fields may include a deep square leg and fine leg for the top edge. If those positions are filled, a controlled pull along the ground for one or two may be smarter than a big hook. If the deep fielders are inside the circle, you may have a boundary option. You will learn to read the field and the bowler's plan, and to decide in advance whether you will take on the short ball. Remember that a dot ball from a well-judged leave is often the best result.

• Short balls set up full deliveries
• Watch for deep square leg and fine leg
• A controlled pull for one or two is smart
• A well-judged leave is often best