As an explosive batter in his own right, Herschelle Gibbs truly embodies the meaning of pursuing a career as a cricketer in the highest form. He has represented South Africa in all formats of the game and is a perfect example of how practise and consistency play an important role in becoming great at batting, bowling and fielding. In this blog series, you will learn from his experience and expertise, having played the game on the international stage for over 25 years.

This blog will be all about how to grip the handle of the bat and how to perfect the right batting stance. Although it might be challenging for people picking up the cricket bat for the first time, the secret lies in practising more and becoming as good as you thought you were.

Let’s start with learning how to grip the bat and master the ideal batting stance. After reading this blog, you will have a clear understanding of how to grip the bat along with the best stance. Time to learn from the greats!

Executing the right technique

As a sport, cricket offers immense possibilities. You can become great as a batter, master the perfect bowling technique or become the next Jonty Rhodes. In today’s blog, we discuss how to grip the bat along with the right stance as a left and right-handed batter.

V Grip

To start with, place the bat on the ground with the top part of the bat facing towards you. Now, using the traditional V-shape technique, place your thumb and the index finger around the grip, however, not too firm. Try different positions until you get the hang of it. If you’re a right-handed batter, using the similar technique, place both your hands on the bat with your thumb and index finger gripping the handle.

Note: Your top hand – the hand that grips the top part of the handle is your dominant hand. On the other hand, the bottom hand is close to the face of the bat and should grip the handle rather loose. This is because the bottom hand is mostly used to guide the ball to any part of the field.

Batting stance

It doesn’t look classy when your balance as a batter is all over the place. To look stylish as a batter, it is imperative that your stance is on point. However, before practising the right stance technique, mark your crease. This helps you get familiar with the position before you face the delivery. An ideal batting stance is not too stiff but relaxed and balanced. Keep your feet around 40 centimetres apart and parallel to each other. Before facing the ball, make sure your posture is side-on for the best technique.

The distance between your feet should be ideally shoulder width. It’s important not to lean on either foot. Bend a little but don’t exert any extra weight on either foot. The idea is to stay relaxed and not lean on the front or the back foot. Another tip is to keep your head still and before you face the bowler, look straight at the bowler with both your eyes levelled. For the best stance, before the release of the delivery, tap the bat between your legs or behind your back foot.

Always remember to position your bat in such a way that the blade of the bat is facing the first slip fielder. This is how you master the batting grip and stance. As for the next blog post, we learn all about the front-foot defence or the forward defence.