Struggling on the front foot.

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Jonesy

Jonesy

Active Member
Struggling on the front foot.

Okay, I'm pretty good on the back foot, pretty good puller and an awesome back foot driver (my best shot), but on the front foot it isn't the same. I can hit a few good drives with power and they go pretty far, but I'm struggling to step out to the ball far enough and whenever the ball is full on the leg side I can't fit it because my foot goes out straight or too the off side, leaving me with he only option to leg glance it, which I get quite a few runs off it, but it has got me out a few times.

1) How can I improve the distance I step out? At the moment I am not stepping out far enough.
2) How can I make sure I drive the ball on the leg side instead of leg glancing it?
3) How can I learn to put my foot out to the ball when it is on the leg side?
 
Re: Struggling on the front foot.

Now im not the perfect player, but im resonobly proficient on my front foot.
1)Maybe you just need to practise, get someone to give you throwdowns and just practise getting to the pitch of the ball, also remember to stretch your hamstrings!
2)isnt it quite tough to drive a full ball on the leg side, maybe you should practise to leg glance onto the ground :D
3)i do almost a skip step to full deleveries outside leg and then play them off my toes through square

i hope that helped. even just a little ;)
 
Re: Struggling on the front foot.

Well we have a video camera somewhere but it's probably locked away in dad's filing cabinet so I probably won't be able to get to it, but I'll look around.
 
Re: Struggling on the front foot.

1) The distance you step out is going to be based on how balanced you are. There is no point in stepping out as far as you can and toppling over because you feet are 2 metres apart!

Perhaps you could try batting out of your crease where possible to get closer to the bowler, effectively shortening the distance you need to extend your front foot to drive the ball.

2 & 3) I belive the key to an effective on drive is to not plant your front foot too early. If you do plant it before knowing the exact line of the ball, it makes it nearly impossible to move it again against quicker bowlers.

You could try opening up your stance a bit. This will give your front foot a little more room to move. The key to driving on the on side is to place your foot to the left of the ball (providing you are a right hand batsman), and point your toes toward wide mid-on.
 
Re: Struggling on the front foot.

Thank for that, a very useful post. Yeh I think I might bat out of my crease a bit, and yeh, I can't step out really far without almost falling over after I play the shot. Thanks a heap.
 
Re: Struggling on the front foot.

jonesy do u have an eye in???

i have found that if u practice front foot shots (straight drive, forward defence etc) only.... it almost becomes muscle memory.... i can now play both front foot and back foot shots...

just a thought :)
 
Re: Struggling on the front foot.

Yeh I don't, but I have a cricket ball on a rope hanging from a tree so I can do the same but with a bigger bat.

I drove well today, no boundaries off the off drive but 8 or so runs off it, 4 2s or something. I made 17 no off like 2 overs in a 25/25 so I'm pretty damn happy.
 
Re: Struggling on the front foot.

good stuff m8.. i would b happy 2.... one thing ive noticed with driving... the more u practice the harder u hit it... alot of net / crease time should help ya out

good stuff but m8
 
Re: Struggling on the front foot.

played 2day... made 20 (top score :() played well on the front foot.. just thought i would tell u that as i put my current front foot playing down to using the eye in and alot of net time :)
 
Re: Struggling on the front foot.

this is what i do to practice-
i have a big driveway
i stand at the end with a couple of balls and a bat i let them bounce once then i play a shot to get my eye in it helps a fair bit
 
Re: Struggling on the front foot.

yeah pretty much anything that gets you consistantly playing that shot.. in this case getting you on the front foot can do u no harm..
 
Re: Struggling on the front foot.

yeh exatctly
AUSSIE BOY-
random question what club do you play for and do you play for a school team?
 
Re: Struggling on the front foot.

yeah m8 mounties is the club i play for...

and i captained my school cricket team (ashcroft) lol dnt hold the ashcroft thing against me but m8 ;)
 
Re: Struggling on the front foot.

lol bit hard 2 see.... but it looks like u play it great m8....

if it brings you runs and u rarely get out playing it.. u shouldnt have a problem ;)
 
Re: Struggling on the front foot.

It's my favorite shot, but it is also my downfall....

Since I am a very dominant front foot player, i sometimes mis fudge and come forward to balls that I should've driven off the back foot, so at the moment I am just working on judging the ball abit better.

I don't really get out playing playing forward to shorter balls but it costs me some runs so it is a cause for concern.
 
Re: Struggling on the front foot.

It doesn't look like you full-blooded drove that hard, look like you just poked at it, is that a one of or what?

Also you back foot moved after the ball had been bowled I think, I mean, it's fine before the ball is bowled but it wastes time planting it after the ball has been bowed, and I think that's why you misjudge the shorter balls, because you don't have enough time.
 
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