The sweep shot is becoming increasingly important in cricket whatever level you play. The shot allows the batsman to manouevre the ball into gaps that are otherwise very difficult to score in.
The sweep is a shot I was told not to even think about as a young aspiring cricketer. If it was played it was deemed unnecessary and this was as close as two or three years ago. This is something I am attempting to revolutionise. Gone are the days when coaches would say "you're only 13 years old, you shouldnt be sweeping." Infact when I am coaching with my cricket coaching company Pro Coach Cricket Academy, I work on the sweep shot with children as young as 7 years old. My belief is that the sooner you learn what is a difficult shot to execute perfectly, the more opportunities it creates when batting.
The sweep shot is like any other shot in cricket, if you arent fully committed to the shot, you will not execute it as you would like. There are also three main reasons why I would play the sweep shot.
- To move fielders and play with the mind of the captain (If a batsman keeps hitting the sweep shot successfully for runs, the fielding captain must move a fielder from somewhere else on the field to block the sweep, thus opening another gap in the field for another shot.
- To upset the bowlers rhythm, line and length. (I believe any ball a spin bowler bowls can be swept. All spinners will tell you they hate been swept by a competent sweeper. They start to try different lines and lengths and you are always winning, again opening up other shots.)
- The majority of the time it is a shot that guarantees a run/runs. There is rarely a fielder in the ring immediately behind square on the leg side leaving a guaranteed single or more if a good connection is made.
Technically the sweep is a difficult shot to master, however when coaching juniors cricketers, it can be simplified by focusing on the key points. The main problem I find in juniors when coaching is the lack of commitment to the shot, i.e:- the young cricketer doesnt want to get their head too close to a hard cricket ball and thus lean back of the shot. This means there weight isnt over the ball allowing for the chance of the ball to go upwards, and also their eyes are a big distance away from the moving target of the ball. Here are some technical points I advise children on Pro Coach Cricket Academy when coaching them the sweep for the first few times:-
- Back knee on the ground is crucial. This allows the batsman to get low, eyes close to the ball and weight into the shot (not leaning back off the ball)
- Good alignment, both legs are straight in line so the batsman doesnt end up having to play around his front pad.
- Head forward over front knee as close to the moving ball as possible.
- Bat comes from high to low and arms must be extended so the ball is hit at arms length. If you hit the ball near to your front pad you can get the bat caught on the pad.
- Keep the eyes focused on the ball even until after you have hit the ball. When coaching I find the majority of children turn their head to look where the ball has gone before they have hit it. A good way to tell if you are doing this is if the ball keep hitting you on your right cheek (if right handed) and left cheek (if left handed).
As soon as the young cricket has begun to perfect the above points, I would then advance the shot and concentrate on some finer details of the sweep. These are listed below and include the ability to hit the ball exactly where you would like to, something that cricketers crave for when they enroll on our cricket coaching.
- Batsmen must make sure they don't commit too early to the shot, even when you know you are looking to sweep. If you stick your foot down the pitch too early with a huge stride you can become stuck in a position you dont' want to be in. It is better to wait and see the length of the ball and then move accordingly. I tend to have a small forward press (step) when facing spinners, watch the flight and intended length and then commit to the shot.
- It is possible to place the ball where a batsman wants by using the angle of the blade of the bat when making contact with the ball. By having a closed faced (rolling the wrists) the ball will more often than not go behind square. To hit the ball in front of square it is easier to hit the ball with a lightly open face. You must also be careful not to get a top edge on this shot. I would only talk about this when coaching a very competent sweeper.
In summary the sweep shot is extremely useful for all ages of cricketer. The sooner the shot is mastered (following the correct cricket coaching) the more opportunity and fun a young batsman can have when facing spinners.
Look out for the next cricket coaching article,
Chris Taylor (Ex-Yorkshire CCC 1st XI opening batsman)
