Improve Footwork in Cricket
Cricket is mainly about scoring runs. Runs are scored by batsmen. Batting requires coordination between eyes, hand, legs and the rest of the body. This how-to manual will hopefully help you to improve that coordination, especially the eye, hand and leg combination.
Steps
Exercise 1
- Stand erect with hands on hips.
- Jump, spread legs wide apart landing with the feet apart.
- Jump again and return to start position, i.e body erect and feet together.
- Jump again with right leg forward and left leg backward landing with one foot in front and the other behind, as though you took a step forward.
- Jump and return to the erect standing position.
- Repeat 2-5 ensuring at Step 4 you alternate left and right legs movements.
Exercise 2
You will need a few cricket balls, your bat and gloves.
- Get a friend, teammate or a family member
- Put your gloves on, grab your bat and take stance
- Get the other person to under arm balls to an outside off-stump line, concentrate on your foot movement, stride forward as if playing an offside drive/ defensive shot and play at the ball
- Make sure you pay attention at getting you front foot to the line of the ball and play through it as you would on match day.
Tips
- If the fast bowler come to bowl don't try to hit hard to fast ball just give it direction for gaps and boundaries.
- Watch the ball from the hand of the bowler and get your feet into position as quickly as you can.
- A good grip of bat can make a good timing short every time you play a stroke or defence.
- To help get your feet moving at the crease, when the bowler is at the height of his action, take a small step forward (at a right angle to the line of the ball) with your back foot - all the exercise in the world won't help if you remain standing still - This should act as a trigger movement; from which, dependent on your personal style and preference, you are given good base to press forward to the bowler or step back into your crease
- Increase speed as you get fitter and are more comfortable with the exercises.
- skipping is a great way of getting fit and helping with your footwork, try skipping on one foot at a time, then two feet and then double jumps
- Just keep your head still, focus on the ball and keep your mind cool.
- Spend time thinking about how you should ideally be moving your feet to play certain shots. Don't premeditate your shots at the crease just know that to play a beefy cut shot you will need to 1. move your front foot a half step towards off. 2. Take a larger step in the same direction with your back foot and 3. Lean back slightly and commence clouting the ball. For a full pitched leg glance: 1. take a small step across with your back foot 2. take another step down the line of the ball with your front foot and whip the ball off of your pads.
- If you are not stepping forward to the pitch of the ball then take an extra mini step while the bowler is running up to bowl and if it is short take a big step back
- Always focus on one ball at a time. Concentrate on the bowler's hand and move your leg near to the ball with your bat.
- Timing and patience are more important than power.
Warnings
- Do not jump too high. Height is just enough to move the feet off the ground.
