How to Hold a Cricket Bat

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Lay the bat on the ground.

   A cricket bat has a flat side for striking the ball, and the back has a ridge, or spine, running down the middle.
   
   The spine should be facing up., Hold your hands in front of you, palms down.
   
   Your fingers on both hands should be grouped together, but for your thumbs, which extend to the sides to form the ‘V’ shape.
   
   The ‘V’s should be upside down – i.e. open end towards the ground.
   
   Maintain this ‘V’ shape as you reach for the bat., As you grip the handle, keep your two ‘V’s facing downward (towards the bat handle), so that the inflection point of the ‘V’s (where the base of your thumb and forefinger meet) on both hands is in line with the spine along the backside of the bat blade.If you tilt your hands slightly so that the ‘V’s formed by your thumbs and forefingers are aligned with the part of the bat that lies between the spine and edge of the bat, this will give you more power when cutting or pulling the ball, and by changing the angle of the bat face, help to keep the ball on the ground.Both the cut and pull are cross-bat shots utilizing a horizontal swing to hit the ball on a trajectory perpendicular to the direction of the bowl.
   
   The cut shot uses a shorter swing to hit the ball in the direction the batter is facing (the off side).The pull uses a longer swing to hit the ball to the part of the field behind him as he faces the batter (the leg side)., Your dominant (top) hand should be closer to the top of the handle, and your other (bottom) hand should be closer to the bat blade.Putting your hands in the middle of handle gives the best combination of power and control.A high grip (hands towards the end of the handle) will generate more power.
   
   This is good for playing vertical shots (when the bat is swung upward at the ball on a vertical plane) that drive the ball.A low grip, or “choking” the bat (hands towards the blade of the bat) will give you more control.This is good for horizontal or cross-bat shots (when the bat is swung horizontally, as in baseball)., The closer you place your hands, the more power and less control you have.
   
   Moving them further apart will give you more control at the expense of power., Imagine you were holding a baby chick with your bottom hand; that is the amount of pressure to apply.
   
   You want your grip to be loose so that during your backswing, the bottom three fingers can come away from the bat, which is guided by only the thumb and forefinger of your bottom hand.
   
   This allows for a fuller swing., This grip allows you to hit cross-batted shots, while also keeping the face of the bat square to the ball when hitting vertical shots, thus minimizing the danger of edging the ball.
   
   Edging is when the ball is struck with the edge of the bat instead of the face.
   
   These glancing shots are often caught for an out by the wicket keeper or the slips – fielders who are positioned behind the batter.
2. 2

   Step 2: Make a ‘V’ shape defined by the thumb and forefinger of both hands.

3. 3

   Step 3: Line up your grip with the spine of the bat.

4. 4

   Step 4: Make sure your hands are in the middle of the handle.

5. 5

   Step 5: Keep a distance of about two fingers between your hands.

6. 6

   Step 6: Keep your top hand firm and your bottom hand relaxed.

7. 7

   Step 7: Hit a variety of shots with the orthodox grip.

Detailed Guide

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