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feet approx 2 foot apart with bat tucked behind the back leg

wide stance (3 feet?), bat tucked between

feet approx 2 foot apart with bat tucked between the feet

feet less than 2 foot apart bat tucked behind back foot

wide stance, bat tucked behind back foot

[uknsaunders]

Before we get into a series of arguments on the subject and eventually decide everyone is different, I'd like your views on the subject and any pros/cons.

[The_Bird]

I used to tap my bat behind my back foot but as I got older It felt a bit restrictive. Ever since I've tapped my bat between my legs as It feels alot comfier and negates getting pad and bat mixed up against quicker bowlers. Also only in the last 3 years I have picked up the bat prior to the bowler passing the umpire it gives me way more time against the quicks.

[Maverick79]

It would be interesting to see what position the stances are too - open, orthodox, closed as that is something I have experimented with in the past and have gone from orthodox to a more open stance.

I have my bat behind my back foot. Have tried it in between but it just feels odd and I feel my bat doesn't come down straight from that position.

[langer17]

I tap behind my back foot three times, then I get into my stance while the bolwer is around halfway through his run up.

[Simmy]

i tap my bat behind my back foot smashing the ground agressivly  saying to my self this is going out of the ground this is going out of the ground! woooooooooosh out lol

[19reading87]

I tap behind my back foot three times, then I get into my stance while the bolwer is around halfway through his run up.

Very Hussey like....

[100 not out]

i reckon Richie Richardson used to be the best tapper

[uknsaunders]

reason I was asking is for most of my cricket years it was a classical stance. However, I found  approx 2 seasons ago that putting my bat between my legs lowered by backswing and helped against the quicks. The last year or so my back has been playing up when batting, so I've widened my stance and tried to stand straighter but keep my bat touching the floor. Feel a little more balanced but my foot movement needs working on.

[Red Ink Cricket]

Mine is slightly open with feet approx shoulder width apart. Tap the bat on my boot and not the floor. Means I don't get it damp and also find myself taller, more upright and for me comfortable.

[tim2000s]

Feet shoulder width apart, tap ground behind feet once, bat held in the air, very upright with eyes level. Pretty closed.

Against left armers, open up my stance by moving front foot to the legside about 2 or 3 inches.

[Johnny]

....Tim bats with his eyes closed?!

[Joe]

I have a slightly open stance (shoulders pointing to mid on) and feet shoulder with apart. My bat will rest just outside my big toe and my backswing will come from gully. I tap a few times before the bowler runs up, and then my bat is held in the air dobbing up and down in a Trott-esque manner. I don't stand very tall, my back is quite arched.

[tim2000s]

....Tim bats with his eyes closed?!

Use the force, young paduwan.

[Colesy]

I have my bat between my feet and have done for the last few years but my stance is more than shoulder width and slightly open. I've been told my stance gets wider the longer my innings goes on, weird.

[Buzz]

hello - I have an issue with your idea of a wide stance - feet 2 ft apart is a pretty wide stance - 3 feet apart is bigger than most peoples forward movement for a forward defence.

If you look in the older text books, you feet should be shoulder width apart which is typically about 18 inches (assumung you are measuring the gap from instep to instep.

Having a wider stance and then a trigger into a more natural position is a very modern technique.

It is a bit like comparing Ian Bell to Kevin Pieterson really. Actually both can work, I watched a village game where there was a more experienced player with a classic old school technique, feet close together, playing the ball late and a youngster all kevin peitersen and it was great to watch and must have been very difficult to bowl at.

Stance is a comfort thing, although i would typically encourage a narrower stance than wider, but that doesn't make me right - I just think it looks more natural.