WHAT ARE THE KEY BIOMECHANICAL PRINCIPLES OF THE FRONT-FOOT DRIVE IN CRICKET?

As with many games involving the striking of a ball with a bat, the key for cricket batting is to have “the intercepting implement in the right place at the right time.” (Stretch, Bartlett & Davids 2000, p.933) Cricket batting in particular has been called a very perceptive action, with the batter tracking the bowler and judging their movements as they run in and deliver to help them decipher the line, pitch, and speed of the upcoming delivery (p.934). Studies have shown that even skilled cricket batters are unable to respond to changes in ball movement in the last 180-200 milliseconds of flight, suggesting that a) the inertia of the cricket bat during its downswing makes it too hard to adjust shot direction or timing after this time, and b) this is minimal amount of time needed to make adjustments to shot direction and timing (McLeod 1987, p.57). Therefore, it is important for all professional cricket batters to have a fully developed technique which provides them with maximum opportunity to respond to the movement of the ball as it is delivered.

STANCE/BACKLIFT

Stretch et al (1998) conducted a thorough examination of cricketing technique and determined (through measuring the position of the feet, knees, hips and shoulders) that when the batter took their position to face the upcoming delivery, the batter’s overall centre of mass was positioned slightly (0.08m) forward of the midpoint of the feet (see Figure 1). Having the centre of mass slightly forward allows the batsman to more quickly get into a position to play a front-foot shot (which are more commonly played in cricket) whilst still allowing time to perform a back-foot shot if necessary.

Figure 1: Batsman stance. Note how the upper body is leaning forward, moving the batsman's centre of mass forward.

 

Another feature of any cricket shot which should be noted is the backlift. Similar to a golf swing, professional cricketers do not hold the bat at the top of their backswing; rather it remains one continuous motion (see Figure 2) (Gibson & Adams, 1989). Rather than lifting the bat during the backlift, the cricketers studied had an overwhelming tendency to rotate the wrist on the bottom hand more than the wrist on their top hand, suggesting the bat is used like a lever and not simply lifted (Stuelcken et al 2005, Penn & Spratford 2012).

Figure 2: Golfswing clubhead arc. The club, similar to the cricket bat, does not stop moving during the transition from backswing to front swing (Mann, 2014)

FORWARD STRIDE/IMPACT

The overall aim of the forward stride when playing a front-foot drive is to get the batter’s centre of mass “moving optimally; horizontally forward just before impact.” (Penn & Spratford 2012, p. 316). The forward stride generally occurs 0.5s before the ball reaches the bat, to allow the batter maximum chance to gather as much information about the ball trajectory as possible before committing to a shot (Abernathy & Russell 1984, p.5). The length of the forward stride varies depending on shot selection (Stretch et al 2000, p.940). The flexion angle of the forward knee stays between 147-152° during the stride, impact and follow-through stages, helping the batter’s centre of mass stay forward and towards the ball. Cricketers also raise their back heel, further assisting this weight transfer (Woolmer et al 2008, p.126).

Figure 3: Michael Vaughan performing a front foot drive. Note the angle of front knee flexion.

The downswing of the bat occurs approximately 0.3-0.4s before the ball reaches the bat, supporting previously mentioned theory about the maximum amount of time needed to make a decision regarding shot selection (Stretch et al 2000, p.940). The downswing leading up to and including impact represent a throw-like movement of the kinetic chain, with force generated in the shoulders being transferred through the arms and wrists and onto the bat (Blazevich 2007, p.186). As the proximal segments of the arm accelerate, that acceleration is increased as it is transferred to the distal segments of the hand and cricket bat (p.187). Further studies suggest that if the elbow is extended outward further forward during the shot, the culminating velocity of the hand increases, which in turn increase bat speed and ball speed post-impact (Hay & Reid 1988).

 

The timing of the impact is the critical part of the front-foot drive, as it must be powerful enough to score runs whilst still allowing the batter to maintain control of the ball (Stretch 1998, p.717). Perfect timing of the front-foot drive results in the ball being hit just after it has passed the front foot, with the position of the head over the line of the ball, and the ball impacting “just before the bat reaches the perpendicular” (Khan 1989, p.21). The top of the bat should be ahead of the toe of the bat, suggesting that the ball should be hit towards the very end of the downswing, just after the bat has reached its peak horizontal velocity (Tyson, 1985; Stretch et al., 1998). Playing the front-foot drive during the downswing also ensure that the ball is hit into the ground to avoid being caught out (Penn & Spratford, 2012). During the downswing, the back foot moves forwards to continue the forward movement of the batter’s centre of mass, in accordance with the theory of force summation (Stretch et al., 1998). 

Studies into the grip force applied by both hands during the front-foot drive indicate that grip levels are highest 0.02s before impact; slightly reducing on impact as the horizontal velocity of the bat slows and the batter prepares for the bat-ball impact (Glazier, Bartlett & Davis 2004). Grip forces vary between the top and bottom hand, with the top hand applying more pressure before, during and after the front-foot drive (p.314).

FOLLOW THROUGH

The main goal of the follow through to the front-foot drive is for the batter to maintain balance through the shot, and not interfere with the ball and its post-impact trajectory. To accomplish this, batters must ensure that the deceleration of the bat and limbs does not occur too quickly, to prevent injury and to prevent interference with the ball after it has impacted the bat (Penn & Stratford, 2012: Stretch et al., 2000). A helpful strategy for coaches and players is to follow the ‘Number 9’ rule during shot execution and follow through, where the angle of both arms and the bat form a shape similar to a number 9 (see Figure 4) (Penn & Spratford 2012, p.319)

Figure 4: The 'Number 9' technique