Sweep Shot

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Sweep Shot

I am going to start looking at individual batting skills and thought a nice place to start would be with the sweep shot.

This drill is a two part drill in that it can also be used as fielding practice as well.

For this exercise you will need the following:

1. Ball
2. Bat
3. Watcher (coach\friend)
4. Batting tee (for beginners or to help build up confidence)

The aim of the drill is to practice the sweep shot, firstly with no pressure to allow for the technique to be honed. Start off using the batting tee but as confidence grows move on to the ball being thrown.

The key elements to remember are:

  • Slightly raise the hands to allow the ball to be hit downwards. Of course there are times when you want to loft the ball but for a starter I feel it's better to play safe!
  • The foot movement is forward, towards the ball. Always get slightly inside the line.
  • Get your head over the front knee; bring the bat down and across from a high backswing.
  • Roll the wrists on the shot. This will ensure a smooth follow through as well as a steady bat speed.

To increase variety in the drill you can place a number of 'fielders' to cover target points. This way the batsman will also learn to control and place the ball.

To increase competitiveness you can turn the exercise into a team event where points are scored by hitting targets, highest number of points takes the prize.
 
Re: Sweep Shot

Thanks mate. I struggle with the sweep shot sometimes so hopefully I can follow this to improve my game.
 
Re: Sweep Shot

Just to add on to Tom's magnificent drill, two tips to anyone who want to play the sweep:

1. Get low, and get low early. If you are low, you can choose to play it in the air or on the ground but if you are chopping down, you are likely to top edge it.

2. Practise, practise, practise! You have to keep playing this shot in the nets to be good at it. This shot will not come overnight.
 
Re: Sweep Shot

Thanks heaps! This is a shot I need to master - as in my league almost all teams have a spinner or two. I an sorta scared to go on the one knee and give it a good flogging in case I top edge it and it flies into me gob :confused:
 
Re: Sweep Shot

When i first started, and even now early on in my innings im "afriad," to get down to one knee, and its more mental than anything else.

All you need to do is in the nets, dont go down on one knee, get the strength to just "get low," that way if your scared of not being able to manouver quickly when down on one knee, atleast if your low to the ground, so you toes are taking the wieght of your bent leg, then you can assess the situation.

Later on in an innings, get down to that knee, and start to open your arms a bit and give it a good spank, thing is, i love the reverse sweep later on in an innings because i know the ball is a little softer and the chances of a spinner making me top edge to a keep not up to the stumps is slim, its all about confidence is Cricket :p be confident, you'll play like Ponting. (Without the elegant On-Drive i must admit)
 
Re: Sweep Shot

Yeah, excellent tutorial. In the beginning even I couldn't get the hang of the sweep shot until a guy mentored me.
The mistake I was making was my balance.
After, that I found this shot extremely easy and I also got the hang of the reverse-sweep.
 
Re: Sweep Shot

Simbazz said:
When i first started, and even now early on in my innings im "afriad," to get down to one knee, and its more mental than anything else.

All you need to do is in the nets, dont go down on one knee, get the strength to just "get low," that way if your scared of not being able to manouver quickly when down on one knee, atleast if your low to the ground, so you toes are taking the wieght of your bent leg, then you can assess the situation.

Later on in an innings, get down to that knee, and start to open your arms a bit and give it a good spank, thing is, i love the reverse sweep later on in an innings because i know the ball is a little softer and the chances of a spinner making me top edge to a keep not up to the stumps is slim, its all about confidence is Cricket :p be confident, you'll play like Ponting. (Without the elegant On-Drive i must admit)
Click to expand...

Good post! I will try that tomorrow, get down low :D
 
Re: Sweep Shot

Thanks for that Ramzz, I guess how much you play it will depend on what sort of wickets you play on but it's great for having up your sleeve if you ever need a scoring shot.
 
Re: Sweep Shot

I used to play this a lot but got put off after top edging a ball into my forehead, cause a nasty cut.

I only sweep now if I'm wearing a helmet and happy that the pitch is playing true.
 
Re: Sweep Shot

i play this a lot against spinners. but we hardly get any spinners bowling at us and most of them are part time ones.
 
Re: Sweep Shot

swghayward79 said:
I used to play this a lot but got put off after top edging a ball into my forehead, cause a nasty cut.

I only sweep now if I'm wearing a helmet and happy that the pitch is playing true.
Click to expand...

Unlucky! :laugh:
 
Re: Sweep Shot

nonet101 said:
An ungainly stroke, why lower yourself to this when you can play a far more elegant drive or push.
Click to expand...
I think its very good shot to play when you dont know how the ball is going to spin. It can also be used to get easy fours if the fielder is in the wrong place.
 
Re: Sweep Shot

what matters is that it can fetch runs. i dont care how they come as long as they do. i cant think of a great player who never played the sweep shot, it can bring some easy runs.
 
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i dont know how good is the sweep shot....one coach told me never to play it....i struggle with my balance but i can play spinners well without sweeping..
 
Re: Sweep Shot

Rajan,

Best thing is, dont go onto one knee if you cant balance. Bend your knee so its almost on the turf, but just dont quite do it, i tend to find if im on a wobbler, it helps.

A good exercise you could do for balance is to go into the position of a sweep with you're knee almost on the floor, get two decentish sized wieghts and hold your arms out at full stretch trying to keep balanced. Its difficult at first but it helps your leg muscles get used to the position, also makes your arms stronger.

Its like a 2-for-1 meal :p
 
Re: Sweep Shot

One thing i would recommend that you try it in the nets with a cricket ball and have your fall gear on because play in shorts in different to playing in Pads and also gettting down too a cricket ball is alot harder than getting down to a soft ball.
 
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