Learn how to play the on Drive

In cricket, there are defensive shots, attacking strokes, entertaining shots and pleasing-on-the-eye strokes. They all come with varying levels of difficulty, but the one which many coaches and experts describe as the hardest to perfect is the on-drive!

But why is that so? Well, many other shots can be successful even if a small part of the technique isn’t spot on whereas the on-drive requires balance, head position, footwork, transfer of weight, hand movement and pretty much everything else to work. Maybe that’s why England international, left-handed opener Keaton Jennings, describes the on-drive as his favourite shot! According to Jennings, who hit a century in Chennai during his first-ever Test innings, “I don’t hit many on drives, but when I do, there’s no better feeling in cricket.”

When batting, we are always encouraged to concentrate on timing and the placement of the shot rather than looking to hit the ball as hard as possible. This is very much the case with the on drive as if you get it wrong then any of the following - LBW, bowled, caught & bowled, or caught at mid-on - could be in play.

With it being such a tough shot to play - we are talking about batters of the level of Virat Kohli and Ricky Ponting who can execute the on-drive on a regular basis successfully.

But don’t let names like that put you off. With a strong base, good judgement and timing, you could be doing the same!

The shot can be played against all speeds of bowlers from fast through to medium pacers and spinners.

The ON-Drive Technique

The On-drive is played on the front foot and sends the ball in the arc from the non-striker’s stumps but not as far wide as the mid-wicket fielder. A mid-on is best placed to stop an on-drive going to the boundary.

Whereas some shots require an exaggerated movement backwards or forwards, the on-drive is usually played with more of a lean onto the front foot, lots of players talk about just 'opening up' their front foot, so not really taking a full stride towards the ball.

In the below image you can see the batter in their stance. He has picked up the line of the ball and is getting ready to make his first movement.

Transfer of weight is very important during this shot, as is the head position. Too far towards the offside and it will prove tough to get power into the ball.

To play the on-drive correctly, the ball is likely to be on a middle or leg-stump line. If the line is on off-stump or further outside then an off drive or a cover drive could be attempted. Likewise, more on the pads and a leg glance would be more appropriate.

In the below image you can see the batter has turned his front foot 'open' so his toes are pointing down the pitch, you can compare this against his stance image above to see the front foot movement. And for if you check out our page on how to play the off-drive, you will see the difference in front-foot position

If looking to play the off drive along the ground, the batter’s head should be over the ball at the point of impact. If the aim is to play the shot in the air then the head should be more upright.

After leaning into the shot on the front foot, the batter should still be facing the bowler side-on but with a slight body rotation of the back hip on impact.

In the below image our pro batter is looking to hit the ball through the infeild along the ground, so is hitting the ball in the 'hitting zone' below his eye-line with the face of the bat facing slightly towards the ground.

The head of the batter should remain in line with the ball and be facing forward into the shot, thus allowing them to see where the ball has gone and making a decision on a run.

Whether driving along the ground or in the air, it is key to retain the ‘shape of the shot’. This is done by not trying to hit the ball too hard, but rather concentrating on the timing and follow-through.

The above image demonstrates nicely how to keep your balance and following through with the shot, your arms leading into the ball and weight and momentum going towards the ball and where the shot has been played.

Conclusion

Have a quick google of images of on drives to see your favourite player in action performing this shot and notice that it is a controlled but attacking way of playing a straight ball.

Get practising the shot and don’t worry if you find your stumps knocked over or your front pad being struck the first few times you attempt the on-drive. Gradually you will find the movements and balance feel more natural and you can go on to take the shot into a game with plenty of confidence.

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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Learn how to play the on Drive

The ON-Drive Technique

Conclusion

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