How to Play Front Foot Straight Drive in Cricket

Cricket is a game of a batsman and a bowler and the fielders as well. A batsman can play different types of shots depending on the ball that the bowler delivers. Straight drive is a classic shot that every batsman dreams of making it perfect. Straight drive is one the most beautiful shots in cricket played by a batsman. Some players struggle to play this graceful shot. This article will help play this shot better with more confident and ease.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Mastering the Stance

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1
Turn your non-dominant side towards the bowler.
- If you are right-handed, turn your left side towards the bowler. If you are left-handed, do the opposite.
2
Hold the bat.
- Put the bat face down on the ground between your legs, the handle of the bat should be facing you.
- Hold the bat handle with your hands and keep the dominant hand on the bottom, close to the blade of the bat, an inch further from the blade.
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3
Lift the bat up.
- Hold the bat out to the side so that it's parallel with the ground, or keep it pointed up or down at a slight angle. Keep your wrists close to your waist line.
- The handle of the bat should be facing the bowler. The face of the bat (the flat side of the bat) should be facing the ground.
4
Position your feet.
- Place your feet apart from one another to the point you feel comfortable.
- Do not put your feet too wide from one another or you won't be able to play the shot.
- Keep your body weight on the middle of two legs.
- Bend your knees slightly, and keep your chest parallel to your knees, so that you are not standing stiff and ready to move.
- Make sure you are always bouncing your knees a little for better balance.
- If you are right-handed slide your left foot slightly behind and turn your body slightly to the left side.
5
Position of your head.
- The most important part of the stance is positioning your head because your body will go that way where your head goes.
- Your head should be close to your left shoulder facing the bowler.
- Your eyes should be on the ball.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

When Ready to Face the Ball

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1
Hit the bat on the ground two-three times and keep your arms moving.
- This will help you keep your body balanced and your arms moving.
- Do not hit the bat on the ground too hard - just a little touch on the ground is okay.
2
Watch the ball.
- Watch the ball as much as possible when the bowler releases the ball from their hand.
3
Move your left foot to the front.
- Right before the bowler ready to release the ball from his hand, move your front foot to the front.
- Make sure your head parallel to your knees.
- Do not move your head further than that or you will lose balance.
- Keep your arms at the same position like they were.
- If you are a right-handed batsman your front foot will be your left foot. If you are a left-handed batsman, simply the opposite foot.
4
Shift your body weight to the front foot.
- Wait for the ball to come to you.
- When you shift your body weight to the front foot, your right foot should be on the toe and your right leg should be straight.
- When the ball comes to you, get ready to play the straight drive shot.
- When the ball reaches you, move your arms forward in the line of the ball. Try to hit the ball when the ball is right under your head.
5
Swing your arms toward the ball.
- Swing your arms forward in the line of the ball and hit the ball.
6
Follow through with the shot.
- There are two types of follow through. One is check drive and the other one is full swing.
- Check drive helps you stay balanced and get a good contact of the ball with the bat. Batsman plays full swing when they hit the ball with power. Check drive is more basic however.
- We will stick to check drive as shown above.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Practicing at Home

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1
Get a bat and ball as well as a rope.
2
Hang the ball using the rope.
3
Get into your comfortable stance as mentioned above.
- Master the stance before hitting the ball.
- Keep moving from your front foot back to your original stance several times to get comfortable with it.
4
Hit the ball.
- Hit the ball with the middle part of the bat.
- Do this everyday for 30 minutes to an hour. You will finally master the straight drive shot.
- When you are ready, play on the field and show off your skills when playing this classic shot.

Community Q&A

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Question
I always make it fly in the air. How can I make this shot grounded?
Henry Richards
Community Answer
Do not try to hit with power. Just try to push the ball. Move your front foot in the direction of the ball and make contact. Your bat should be pointing towards ground while make a contact with the ball.
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