Previously, we wrote about how to play a front foot defensive shot, as well as how to play a back foot defensive shot.
Now, we begin to look at more attacking shots, and in particular the Drive. There are many types of shots that go under the banner ‘drive’, but for this post, we’ll begin with the Off Drive and the On Drive.
Both the On and Off Drives are what is known as straight drives, in that they both are aimed straight down the pitch in what people call ‘the V’ – that is, the area between mid-off and mid-on, with you as the batter, being the point of the ‘V’.
Mastering Cricket Drives: Grip, Stance, Bat Swing and Shot Selection
We’ll begin by discussing the On and Off drive in conjunction, as there are a lot of similarities between the two. Where there are differences, we’ll point them out in the following sections.
Grip: The grip is fundamental to executing cricket drives effectively. You, as the batter, should hold the bat with a relaxed but firm grip. This ensures you have full control and manoeuvrability of the bat through the entirety of the shot.
For drives, the bottom hand plays a crucial role; it is the hand that guides the shot. But the top hand is the hand that provides the power and stability.
Make sure that the V between the thumb and index finger of both of your hands algin with the spine of the bat; this gives you optimal control and leverage.
Stance: It is essential that you are balanced and stable in your stance. You should use a slightly open stance with your feet shoulder-width apart. This allows for easy movement and weight transfer.
Get your body aligned parallel to the line of the ball, head position over your front knee for optimal balance and stability.
Footwork: Good footwork is what turns a drive from a risky shot to a consistent run-getter. Use small, controlled steps to move into position, ensuring you get close enough to the pitch of the ball to execute the shot effectively. The front foot should stride towards the ball, allowing your body weight to transfer to the front foot. This is where you get the power in to your shot.
Bat Swing: For drives, the bat swing involves a fluid and controlled motion. The bat comes down through the line of the ball with precision and timing. You should focus on keeping your head still and eyes level.
Watch the ball closely as it leaves the bowler’s hand, and if you need to make any late adjustments, do so – the footwork that got you into position for the drive will also help you to get into position for any adjustments you have to make.
Your bat should follow a straight path towards the ball. Your hands should lead the shot, with your elbows bent slightly to absorb the impact.
Shot selection: As mentioned earlier, there are a number of different types of drives. What we’ve mentioned in the prior sections gets you into a good position (with perhaps a few additional tweaks) for all the types of drives. But which drive do you perform?
There is the on drive, the off drive, the cover drive and the square drive (which we’ll include in a later post), and the main difference between them all is due to the line and length of the delivery coming your way. The field placements and match situation will also determine the best shot to play.
Let’s look at the differences between the On Drive and Off Drive shots.
On Drive vs. Off Drive: Understanding the Essentials
The primary distinction between the On Drive and the Off Drive lies in the direction of the shot, and the positioning of the body relative to the line of the ball.
The On-Drive, as the name might suggest, is hit slightly on the leg side of the pitch, usually between the stumps and the mid-on fielder. The Off-Drive is hit slightly on the off-side of the pitch, usually between the stumps and the mid-off fielder.
For the On-Drive, you will need to lean into the shot with the bat angled slightly towards the leg-side, using your bottom hand to control the direction and placement of the ball.
For the Off Drive, you will angle the bat towards the off side, using your top hand to guide the shot and generate power through the ball. How your body is positioned and the angle of your bat are crucial in ensuring the proper execution and placement of the shots.
When to use the On or Off Drive varies depending on the match scenario, pitch conditions and field placements. If the bowler is pitching the ball up and errs in direction by pitching it towards your middle or leg stump, this is the perfect time to play the on-drive.
If the line is on the off-stump or a little wider, the Off Drive might be the better option.
Practice all these steps, first in front of the mirror, and then in the nets. The On-Drive is known as one of the most difficult shots to get right, because to do it properly, requires great balance and technique. But if you get it right, it actually becomes easier to learn and perform the off-drive.
Perfecting the On Drive: A Step-by-Step Guide
We’re going to go through the steps again, this time specifically for the On Drive. Don’t worry if it seems a lot of things for you to have to remember in the split second during which the ball is being delivered.
With enough practice, most of this becomes muscle memory. You’ll see the ball, you’ll see the line, you’ll think ‘off-drive’ or ‘on-drive’, and your muscles will do the rest. Practice makes perfect, and it’s this muscle memory that practice is trying to perfect.
The foundation of a successful On Drive begins with the proper grip and stance. You should ensure that you have a firm but flexible grip on your bat. Your bottom hand will provide the control and direction, while your top hand offers stability and powers.
Adopt a slightly open stance, with your feet shoulder-width apart. This will help with your weight balance to the front foot. Your body should be aligned towards the line of the ball and your head is positioned over your front knee.
Your footwork and timing need to be precise. As the ball is delivered, you need to read the line and length of the ball. If the ball is looking like it will be pitched up, move your feet towards the pitch of the ball. You want to get as close enough to the delivery so that you can execute your shot effectively.
As this is happening, your weight should transfer to your front foot, and at the same time the bat comes through the line of the ball. Rotate your body slightly towards the leg side just as you strike the ball as this will give you additional power and will allow you to direct the ball on to the on side of the pitch.
At the time of ball strike, your arms should be full extended, and your wrists should roll over, turning the bat slightly to control the shot’s direction.
To incorporate this shot into your batting repertoire, you need to practice the shot again and again, as much as possible reflecting match situations.
Repetition is the key to developing muscle memory and timing. When the ball is coming towards you can’t be thinking: “Ok, have I got the perfect grip? Is my stance slightly open? How are my feet? Are they shoulder-width apart? Is my head positioned over my knee?”
By the time you get to the second thought, the middle stump is out of the ground and your opposing bowler is cheering your dismissal.
Much of this must come from muscle memory and instinct. You learn the basics, you practice them repeatedly, you improve and tweak things, adjusting your movement here and there, batting against dozens, hundreds, thousands of balls in the nets, until eventually, you are out in the middle, you see the ball pitched up, heading towards middle, maybe middle and leg, and your one-and-only thought is ‘Hit it’.
Perfecting the Off Drive: A Step-by-Step Guide
We’ll be more succinct with this section, as a lot of what sets you up for an On-Drive, also sets you up for an Off-Drive.
Your grip must be firm but flexible; your stance a little more open-faced than for the On-Drive, but feet still shoulder-width; body positioning adjusted a little bit to be slightly towards the off side, and shoulders aligned towards the line of the ball.
The Off-Drive needs a fluid back swing. As the bowler delivers the ball, step forward with your front foot towards the pitch of the ball, transfer your weight to the front foot as the bat comes through the line of the ball, arms fully extended to generate power and momentum. Meet the ball with a clear, vertical bat face, driving it through the off-side with controlled force.
Common Mistakes When Hitting the Drive Shot
Everyone makes mistakes. If batters didn’t make mistakes, test matches would only end in draws
But one of the most common errors with any shot, particularly the straight drives like the on and off drives, is improper footwork. If your feet aren’t in the best position to strike the ball, your bat won’t be in the proper position, and that means you don’t have control over where the ball goes.
Another common mistake is poor shot selection. Sometimes, the straight drive is not the right shot. If the ball is too short, or too wide, you will probably not be in the right position to hit the shot properly.
As a batter, you should always prioritize your footwork; in practice, work on how to move your feet into the proper position. Keep your head still, your front elbow high, and watch the ball all the way on to the bat.
Last Word on Drives
To be successful in cricket, you must be adaptable and versatile. Integrating drives into a comprehensive batting strategy involves knowing when to and when not to play the shot. You need to be prepared to switch from defensive to attacking mode whenever required, using drives to rotate the strike, build partnerships and put pressure on the bowling side.
Especially early in your innings, the straight drive is vitally important, as some of the cross bat shots that will be included in later posts, require you to have your eye in more than the straight drive.
In any case, thank you for making it this far. We hope you are enjoying this series; in the next post of this series we’ll going deeper into how to drive by learning how to play the back foot drive. If you have questions or want to tell a fun story about your cricketing exploits, please leave a comment below.