A front foot defense is a block where you don’t let the ball hit the stumps. You can play this shot on the balls that come under your waist.
Step by step technique:
Step 1:
Take your front foot ahead and toe pointing to the bowler.
Step 2:
Move your body forward and your head and your shoulder in the same line.
Step 3:
Take your bat downwards to your knee level.
Step 4:
Finish the shot by touching the ball slowly and steadily.
Key technical components:
Initial movement – start from a balanced stance, your front foot going towards the pitch of the ball, slowly land on your heel and put your wight forward.
Head position – keep your head and eye focused and make sures that you track the ball perfectly and keep your body weight moving in the right direction.
Bat and pad alignment – bring the bat down and close to the pad to make sure there is no gap which doesn’t let bowled dismissals. Your top hand should be close to your body with a high elbow.
Soft hands – lose your grip slightly and drop the ball safely onto the pitch and don’t let the gully or slip catch the ball.
Common mistakes to avoid:
Overcommitting – balance and ability to adjust to swing and spin
Playing away from the body – keep your bat tight to your pad. If you don’t keep the bat tight there are more chances of getting catch out in the slips.
Using hard hands – pushing at the ball rather than getting its pace will result in catch out or chipping the ball to the bowler or getting run out.
My Takeaway:
You should play this shot slowly because if you hit it too hard there are high chances of getting catch out.