When we talk about beauty and class Cover Drive perfectly defines these two words, It is one of those shot in cricket which every player want to learn and master it. But many young cricket players who are about to enter or playing professional cricket find it difficult to execute it properly. Therefore today we are going to talk about How To Play Cover Drive Shot in detail.
Detailed Guide On How to Play Cover Drive Shot
Many players are in India want to play cover drive shot like virat kohli, as he is the one of the best cover drive player in the world. In order to reach that level of perfection you need to grind hard and dedicate yourself truly to cricket. If you want to become perfect in cover drive shot then you need to give your time and practice on these following points:
1. Taking The Guard Correctly
First of all, to play any shot in cricket you have to your appropriate guard.The main aim of taking Guard is to know where you are standing in the crease and how far are you from the outside the off stumps ball and to prevent from Leg before wicket. Many young cricketers take leg and middle stump guard which is not necessary unless until you want to reach 8th,9th stumps balls.Instead you can take the leg stump guard which will allow you to play in every area of the ground. Taking the leg stump guard is essential if you want to learn how to play cover drive shot.
2. Footwork and head position
You might have heard many times in international cricket saying, this player foot movement is inside the line of bowl, this player’s head position is amazing like that, because footwork and head position is one of those things in cricket if can use it properly it can make you a great batsman and if you use it in incorrect way it can literally make your playstyle and game worse.
So when it comes to play cover drive shot in cricket you should always make sure that your front foot is always slightly inside the line of the bowl. What I mean is, suppose if ball is delivered on the full length on off stump then your front foot should be in the line of middle stump and middle and off stump according to line of the ball. Placing your front foot in inside the bowl line makes your bat easy to swing with full flow. Just avoid placing your front foot into the exact line of the bowl otherwise the chances of your leg before the wicket increases.
Now let’s talk about head position, you might have noticed many times while batting, you aim for playing in the covers but it sometimes goes to the cover point or mid off, it happen due to the wrong head position while playing the shot. So what you have to do is just make sure your to align your head position to your left shoulder or look at the bowling end stumps to get perfect head position.
Another major issue which I noticed in many players is before playing the ball their head position looks good and perfect but the moment they play a shot their head falls forward.which is the main reason behind not able to play where you want.
3. Proper Bat Grip
Having the correct bat grip is also the another aspect which can make your cover drive shot better. You should always use the V- shape grip and not using the bottom hand as your dominant hand. Because if use your bottom hand to generate more power the ball can go in to air for caught out, So always make sure to hold your bottom hand in slight power and hold your bat with the top hand.
These days many cricket players try to follow the international cricketers technique like, holding the bat like steven smith or having copying their favorite player stance all these things it not going to make your game better instead it can destroy your own play style. Those international players are playing like that from the starting stage of their cricket carrier which allows them to play in their own style, it does not mean it will also suit your game. Just stick with the basics and practice, who knows you can even become better than them.
4. Body Weight Transfer
What does body weight transfer? It simple means while playing the cover drive make sure your body weight is completely on the front foont not on the back foot. Transferring your weight of body gives more power to your shot and makes your body balanced, and yes more important it looks stylish as well. If you want to play the cover drive like virat kohli which is treat to watch, then you must follow these basic steps.
5. Now, Play the cover drive shot
All these basic steps I mentioned above is the base for your cover drive shot in cricket. Now, Take the stance with high bat lift when the bowler is in run up, if the ball is close to your front foot like full length ball then swing your bat with full flow while holding your top hand tight and bottom hand slightly loose.
While playing the cover drive remember another thing, which is to bent your front knee for better timing of the ball and to generate some extra power in the shot. Make sure the ball is along the ground and going in the covers field.
Now I want to share some drills which can improve your cover drive shot little bit faster. The first drill is to play the ‘drop balls’. If you don’t know what drop balls is, just simple tell your friend or coach to stand beside your and drop the balls in front of your front foot. The moment ball drops at the ground you have to hit the balls in to the covers while following all the basic technique I mentioned above.
Another Drill to improve your cover drive is to playing the under arm thrown balls. Again you can do this with your friend or coach if available, just make sure whoever throwing the ball, it has to deliver on the off stump line and the full length. Practice it daily at least 500-1000 balls everyday for months to get perfect in cover drive.
Conclusion
The main and most important factor if you want to play the cover drive shot is practice, Practicing it daily sufficient amount of balls is going to improve your cover drive skills. I can tell you 10 different things but what’s important is that you have to be determined and passionate about cricket. This is the only way to improve your game. So keep doing the hard work and have patience soon you will be a great cricketer.
Read More : Who Scored Most Runs In IPL In One Season?
Contact me at : founder@criceye.com
- Exchmarket.net Review India: Safe & Legal Betting Site with Up to ₹15,000 Bonus - October 10, 2024
- BadshahCric Review | Get Up to ₹7000/- Welcome Bonus | Instant withdrawal Betting Sites - October 9, 2024
- Salary Of Indian Cricket Players In 2024 - August 27, 2024
2 thoughts on “How To Play Cover Drive Shot”