The way we grip the cricket bat forms the foundation of a good batting technique! A good grip is a difference between sending a ball back past the bowler for FOUR or sending your bat flying in the air after attempting a classy wrist flick.
How do you find the perfect grip for your bat? Follow the video or the guided tutorial below and find the type of grip best suited for your game.
The Middle Hand Grip:
This grip is used by most cricketers, especially the new generation like Virat and Steve Smith - as it is one that gives you both balance & control when playing, particularly when driving, without compromising too much on power.
- Form a “V” between your fingers and your thumb on the top hand and place it slightly on the left of the edge of the spine.
- Then form the same “V” with the bottom hand & place it behind the top hand. Ideally your hands should be in the middle – equal space on top and bottom of the bat. Always remember your wrist need to be straight and firm – no wrist twisting when you’re playing a shot. If your wrists turn, you won’t be able to generate power
All in all, this balanced grip allows batsmen to manage the trade-off between control and power. From a “technical standpoint” this is really the best way to grip the bat.
The Bottom Hand Grip
While a “technically” inferior grip, many greats such as Sehwag & Sachin have utilized this style throughout their successful careers. The advantage of this grip is it makes the bat feel lighter and can be used to generate significantly more power
- It starts with the same 2 “V” method shown earlier, but the hands are just placed at the base of the grip.
- Remember to grip it with firm wrists so that the bat doesn't turn in your hand while batting.
This grip is great when it comes to increasing power but the close proximity of the hands to each other and to the base of the handle makes it difficult to play to control the ball and keep it grounded as there is little room to maneuver.
A bad grip can be the main reason why a batsman is unable to generate power or score runs. Also correcting a bad grip can be an uncomfortable process as it is one of the fundamentals of the game. But sometimes it is good to go back to the basics.
At Elevar we look at this a little differently. The innovation here is from top to bottom. The top of the handle - shaped like a sword, improves control and that helps you find the gaps in the field more easily, which is great for batsmen gripping the bat more technically. And at the bottom, you see rounded corners so that bat rests perfectly within the ridges of your hand to generate maximal power. The rounded corners also provide room for soft hand control, which is usually missing for batsmen who prefer a bottom-handed approach.