TROGON CRICKET ACADEMY | LEARN HOW TO PLAY THE BACK FOOT DRIVE

Cutting or pulling a pace bowler to the boundary is considered to be one of the best ways for a batter to stand up and ‘fight fire with fire’ when a quick is dishing out some short pitched stuff. However, there is an even more attractive shot which can be played off a length or short of a length delivery which can also see the ball speeding off to the boundary

The backfoot drive, also known as the ‘backfoot punch’ sees the batter hit through the line of the ball with a straight bat as opposed to the cross-bat approach in the cut or pull. Over the years, some of the greatest batters of all time, like Sachin Tendulkar and AB de Villiers, have made this shot look easy but in reality, it is one of the toughest to perfect.

Unlike many other attacking shots, the success of the backfoot drive relies less on power but far more on timing and placement. Finally, the shot is most associated with balls on or short of a length but it can also be played, deep in the crease, to a full ball.

Although an attacking shot, the setup also allows the batter to make a late decision not to play at the ball if, for example, there is movement off the pitch or unreliable bounce.

If the batter opts to not go through with the shot, they can also defend with soft hands or choose to move their bat inside the line of the ball and avoid an edge through to the wicket-keeper.

When perfected, the backfoot drive can leave a bowler scratching their head as they will see the ball seemingly effortlessly hit into a gap and racing to the fence.

The shot does come with risks though with the greatest being a potential of the ball going in the air to a fielder patrolling the covers.

The Technique for playing the back foot drive:

When playing the backfoot drive, the batter will make an early decision on the length of the ball and must then transfer their weight onto the backfoot, before moving back towards the stumps.

At this point, the batter needs to make a call on the line of the ball. If it’s too straight then they may choose to defend back up the pitch as they are cramped for room or may opt for a full-bloodied pull shot. Equally, if the ball is outside their eyeline moving away from off-stump, they may choose to play a cut shot.

As you can see in the image below, the batter has picked up the line and is starting to get into position. His back foot has moved back and accross towards the off stump and he has got his head inline with the ball, all while staying compossed and balanced.

If the line of the ball is sufficiently close for the batter to be able to get their head over the ball then the shot is on and should be able to played without sending the ball in the air.

In the below image you can see the next stage of movement. The batter has started to bring his left foot closer to his backfoot in preperation of hitting the ball.

The batter then brings the bat down in a straight line with the bottom hand providing the power and bodyweight coming through the shot. In the image below you can see the balance at the point of connection.

With the head in line with the ball, the batter should roll their wrists when hitting the ball to keep it down and minimize the chance of a catching opportunity for any fielders.

In the next image you can see the follow through and how the batter has moved his weight forwards towards the ball which increases the power through the shot. At the point of connection you can see the ball is hit below the batters eye line, he is balanced and in control of the shot.

If the shot has found the gap in the field, and the batter has followed through with the bat and the hands up at a high position, they may be tempted to hold the pose and not even bother to run as the ball crosses the boundary rope!

The next set of images show from a side-on perspective how the batter has moved back, where his weight is during each stage of the shot.

Image 1, shows the batter in his stance.

Image 2, shows the batter having moved his back foot back and accross.

Image 3, shows the batter connecting with the ball, playing the ball below his eye-line with the weight transfer starting to take place from his back foot to front foot.

Image 4, this shows the side on perspective of the follow through, with the follow through following the line of the ball, his weight is slightly over his front foot and he stays in a controlled and balance position.

Conclusion

Perfecting the backfoot drive could take hours of practice but it will be worth every minute as there are very few others which look so good on the eye. It can even mean the bowler then decides to pitch the next delivery up and allows you then to show off your front foot game as well.

So, spend as much time as you need to perfect this attacking shot as when you get it right in a game, even the opposition fielders and maybe even the bowler may give you an applause!

The pro player we have used for the videos and images uses a Trogon Cricket Grade 1+ English willow bat with our black and white sticker range.

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