Hello Everyone!

Countless times I have seen young batsmen attempt front foot drives only to hit the ball early and get caught out. This breaks my heart because the fix is so simple! 

Firstly, let’s look at why this happens. The young cricketers have grown up watching T20 cricket. For instance, this format of the game rewards batsmen for big shots and “power hitting”. What our young cricketers do not see is the technical training that these T20 star players undergo behind the scenes. This results in the young players hitting the ball too early (or overhitting the ball), which is very tempting. In simple terms, the young players are dominating all their shots with their bottom hand.

Considering the above, we need to instill a mindset shift in the young cricketer. To clarify, this means showing the benefits of playing their front foot shots with a dominating top hand. For example, an opportunity for the young cricketer to bat for longer durations, dominate the bowlers and achieve their target runs. Consequently, the young cricketer should start to change their behavior to a more top hand approach to their front foot shots.

Last but not least, in the video above I go through some drills / challenges that can be used as part of the young cricketers training sessions to develop the top hand dominance. This type of training is best started with young cricketers who are 8 to 9 years so that they absorb these good habits early!

All the Best!

Love to Play! – Ankit