60 SECS

BATTING TECH
CHECKLIST
The ’60 Second Batting Tech Check’ is designed to give you an understanding of the
basic fundamental required when bat-ting, as well as a tick and flick checklist to help
you identify what you’re doing well and what you need to work on.

Obviously not everyone’s technique is going to be the same, and we don’t want that.

We’ll also identify some of the most common errors we see while working with hun-
dreds of players and how to fix them.

How To Use The Tech Check

Go through the checklist and tick yes if you’re doing it correctly and no if you need to
work on it. If you’re unsure, get a teammate or coach to help and give you some
feedback.

SETUP

TECHNICAL KEYS
GRIP
Hands aligned and together. The V’s between your thumb Yes No
and forefinger should be aligned somewhere between the
mid-dle of the bat and the outside edge.

STABLE BASE
Your feet should be a comfortable width apart and you Yes No
should have a nice stable base. If they’re too close together
you’ll be less balanced. If they’re too far apart your footwork
will be slower.

FOOT ALIGNMENT
Your toes should be aligned either level to the bowler or Yes No
slightly open, meaning your front foot should be slightly
further to the leg side than your back foot.

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HANDS IN CLOSE
Your hands should be nice and relaxed and close to your Yes No
waist.

EYES LEVEL
Make sure your body is upright and your eyes are level in Yes No
your setup.

COMMON ERRORS
GRIP NOT ALIGNED
Hands separated on the handle, one high and one low. V’s not aligned, either the top
or bottom hand too far around on the handle.

CLOSED STANCE
Front foot is further to the off side than your back foot, making it very hard to
access the leg side.

HANDS AWAY FROM BODY

Hands too far away from you body in setup or back lift. This causes your weight to
go to the offside and makes you less bal-anced.

EYES NOT LEVEL

Weight leaning over to the offside which causes your head an eyes not to be level.

WAYS TO FIX THESE

A lot of the technical are basic but it’s good to have a teammate or coach to give
you feedback.

GRIP
Put the bat down on the ground, align your V’s and pick the bat up with your hands
close together.. It may take a while to get used to a correct grip if you have been
doing it incorrectly for a while.

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CLOSED STANCE
Be aware of you feet alignment. Check it every time you set up until it becomes
automatic. Get your teammates and coach to give you feedback when you’re bat-
ting.

HANDS AWAY FROM BODY

Again, be aware of your hands in set up. Even make sure they’re slightly brushing
your waist. In your backlight make sure they’re going behind you, not out away from
your body.

EYES NOT LEVEL

This can often because by your hands going away from your body, so make sure
your hands are in nice and tight first. The other thing that can cause it is leaning on
your bat, especially if your bat is a bit small. Make sure you’re upright and pushing
your head slightly to the bowler.

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FRONT FOOT

TECHNICAL KEYS
HEAD IN LINE WITH THE BALL
Always push your head to the ball and hit the ball inline with Yes No
your eyes. The ball is much easier to track if you’re making
con-tact inline with your eyes.

FOOT TO THE BALL

Take a decent step and make sure it’s going towards the Yes No
pitch of the ball. Often if your head is in the correct position
your feet will follow.

PLAY IT LATE
Play the ball late and make contact underneath your eyes. Yes No
You’ll keep the ball down and time it a lot better.

BALANCED AFTER SHOT

Can you hold your position after you play the shot? Or do you Yes No
lose your balance?

COMMON ERRORS
HEAD FALLS OVER TO THE OFFSIDE
This is very common and can be cause by your hands going away from your body
or committing to your front foot too early. Always push your head towards the ball.

FOOT STRAIGHT DOWN THE WICKET

A lot of batsmen step straight down the wicket rather than to the pitch of the ball. If
the ball is a bit wider you’ll be playing the ball outside your eye line and find yourself
knicking a lot of balls.

COMMITTING TOO EARLY

If you commit to your front foot too early, before you know where it’s pitching you’ll
get yourself into trouble. The big one is LBW when the ball is on middle or leg and
your front pad is in the way.

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EARLY CONTACT
If you’re making contact with the ball early and out in front of your body you will hit
a lot of balls in the air.

FALLING THROUGH SHOT

If you don’t have a stable base you will fall off balance after you play your shot.

WAYS TO FIX

HEAD FALLS OVER TO THE OFFSIDE

Identify why it’s happening, whether it’s your hands going away, committing to your
front foot to early or something else.
Start with underarms and tell yourself “push your head to the ball."

FOOT STRAIGHT DOWN THE WICKET

Work on a machine or underarms and practice getting your foot to the ball on differ-
ent lines. Often leading with your head can help. If you push your head to the ball
your foot will follow.

COMMITTING TOO EARLY

Work on delaying your press forward until the bowler has released the ball. You still
want the intent to get forward but as soon as you commit it’s very hard to move
your front foot if the ball is wider or straight.

EARLY CONTACT
Set up a circle around you with cones and challenge yourself to make the ball
bounce in the circle after you hit it. Hit the ball under your eyes.

FALLING THROUGH SHOT

This can often be a result of one of the previous errors. Take a bigger step so you’ve
got a more stable base. Also make sure your hands are in tight and your head is
inline with the ball.

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BACK FOOT

TECHNICAL KEYS
GET BACK IN YOUR CREASE
Using the depth of your crease gives you more time to play Yes No
the ball.

PLAY THE BALL INLINE WITH EYES

Make sure you’re inline with the ball and playing it inline with Yes No
your eyes.

LET THE BALL COME TO YOU

Play the ball close to your body, don’t push your hands at it. Yes No

EXTEND ARMS FOR CROSS BAT SHOTS

Fully extending your arms when you play a cut or pull shot Yes No
will give you maximum power.

COMMON ERRORS
PLAYING THE BALL FROM THE CREASE
If you don’t use the depth of your crease you will be rushed against faster bowlers.

PLAYING THE BALL AWAY FROM YOUR BODY

Exactly the same as front foot shots, if you play the ball away from your body, it’s
outside your eye line and you’re a lot more likely to miss or knick it.

PUSHING YOUR HANDS AT THE BALL

Wait for the ball to come to you when you’re playing with a straight bat on the back
foot. You still want to play it under your eyes.

CRAMPED ARMS
If you’re not fully extending your arms when cutting or pulling, you won’t generate
much power through the shot.

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WAYS TO FIX

PLAYING THE BALL FROM THE CREASE

Set a cone up deep in the crease and challenge yourself to get back to the cone
when you play off the back foot.

PLAYING THE BALL AWAY FROM YOUR BODY

Get a teammate or coach to feed a machine or throw to you and give you feedback
on where you’re making contact with the ball. Get back and across to your off
stump and leave balls that are outside your eye line.

PUSHING YOUR HANDS AT THE BALL

Give yourself a mental cue to ‘wait for the ball’.
Challenge yourself to make the ball hit the ground before it hits the side net.

CRAMPED ARMS
Firstly make sure you’re using the depth of your crease to give yourself more time
to get into a good position and play a cross bat shot.
Get a partner to throw you underarms from half way down the wicket and practice
extending your arms through the shot.

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