Shots
With the fundamentals correctly developed, a batsman can move onto increasing their arsenal of shots. The core shots to learn as a beginner batsman are the front-foot defensives and drives and the back-foot drives and cross-bat shots. Once these shots have been mastered, the player can look to develop aggressive or unique shots such as the sweep and the glance.
Front-foot shots
When playing forward, the batsman should take a full, comfortable stride towards the line of the ball. The front knee should be bent with the back leg straightened and on its toes to keep the body and head down. Do not take too large or too short a stride as this will reduce balance.The front foot defense is one of the key strokes in a batsman's arsenal. It should be played late with figure 9 elbows so the ball bounces under your eyes. The front-foot drives and lofts are an extension of this block. Front foot aggressive shots share all the same technical aspects as the defensive but they are played earlier and with more force. When playing a drive it is important to keep the figure 9 with the elbows and lead with the top hand. A couples drills to practice drives are:
To get a partner to drop a ball in between two stumps and drive through the stumps.
Place a ball on a cone, and practice stepping out to it and hitting the ball
Back-foot Shots
A batsman will play a backfoot shot when the ball is pitched short so it bounces above the batsman's hips. When playing on the backfoot, the player should look to make a back and across offstump movement. From here the batsman is in a position to play to the offside or the legside, straight-bat or cross-bat depending on the line and length of the ball. When playing drives, ensure the bat is lead by the top hand and the face of the bat angles down slightly. The key to playing backfoot strokes is to be confident, not worry about injury and watch the ball.