Did you know, in cricket, there is science behind a proper batting stance as well? You know I got you😏
How does the stance of a particular batsman have an effect on his/ her game? Moreover each batsman find success with their own unique stance. So how can we decide which type of batting stance will be perfect for us?
Proper batting stance helps the batsmen to stay balanced and execute good cricket shots.
Thus, the batsman needs to be aware about his/ her batting stance before going into a match. Slightest of errors in the stance of the batsman could effect the balance while playing a shot.
I know, each batsman has his/ her own stance. But, each of them need to maintain body alignment irrespective of whether the batsman has a wider stance or a narrow stance.
Importance of the head position to have a proper batting stance:
Our head position gives the direction to our body, which is the body alignment I’m speaking off.
Since our head movement/ position decides the balance of our body, the idea is to keep our head still. Once you get a proper batting stance, let your eyes judge the line, length etc… of the ball.
After picking the line and length, while keeping a balanced head position, well timed shot is the obvious result.
What happens if head is not kept aligned with our body?
The head falls, which destabilising the batsman when playing a shot. This in turn results in a mistimed shot or might even result in the batter getting out. This is the reason why, when the batsman is facing a bowler or playing a shot their head must be in a great position to view the ball.
Example scenario:
For example, imagine someone batting in the nets and you are analysing their batting.
Just for the purpose of this example let’s say the batsman has a weak head position where the batsman’s head is falling or moving away from the body when the bowler is about to release the ball or while the batter is playing a stroke.
In such cases, if observed closely, you would see that even the batsman’s eyes are not aligned with the body. This makes it difficult for the batsman to judge the line, length and even the pace on the ball.
And if the ball is swinging or spinning, the batsman’s feet will follow their head which will not be inline with the ball. If this is to happen two situations are possible:
- The batsman would be trapped LBW or the batsman is bowled through the gap of bat and pad, if the ball is swinging or spinning into the batsman.
- If the ball is swinging or spinning away from the batsman, chances are that the ball would catch the edge of the bat and the batsman would be caught out in the slip region.
I’m absolutely certain that you cannot name a batsman who found success with a weak head position or a bad batting stance. On the other hand, we have batsmen who has a perfect batting stance and incredible head position. Can you name a batsman who has worked on his/ her batting stance and head position to find success over time? Do share your thoughts!!