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[Silver Bullet]

Would using a heavy bat in the off season help increase bat speed ?

Why would this not be a great idea ?

[Silver Bullet]

Pretty sure I already said that.

Didn't mean to insinuate that your response wasn't just as helpful.

[Stuey]

Force=mass x acceleration. Get stronger (not more pumped) and increase bat speed by practising with your match bat or same weight bat with good technique and hey presto.

[Silver Bullet]

Force=mass x acceleration. Get stronger (not more pumped) and increase bat speed by practising with your match bat or same weight bat with good technique and hey presto.

Thank You, but there are plenty of players who have strength and still cannot hit the ball long distances eg. Dravid, Pujara....

And then plenty of guys that don't seem that strong that can hit the ball Miles... eg. Gilchrist....

Examples may not be the best, but point is that the strongest players don't hit the ball the farthest.

We have a two guys on our team that bench 300 lbs, yet can't hit a 6 to save their life...

I would probably struggle to bench 150, yet can clear the boundary if I middle it on most grounds...

[Stuey]

Thank You, but there are plenty of players who have strength and still cannot hit the ball long distances eg. Dravid, Pujara....

And then plenty of guys that don't seem that strong that can hit the ball Miles... eg. Gilchrist....

Examples may not be the best, but point is that the strongest players don't hit the ball the farthest.

We have a two guys on our team that bench 300 lbs, yet can't hit a 6 to save their life...

I would probably struggle to bench 150, yet can clear the boundary if I middle it on most grounds...

if you increase your strength (mass) practise hitting the ball long (acceleration) with good technique you will hit the ball longer.

[TopShot]

In my experience big hitting is all about timing and intent. My style of run scoring used to be based mostly around nudging and nurdling and stealing quick singles. I would hit maybe one six all season. Then I spent the entire winter watching Gayle and friends in the IPL. Next season I decided to try to hit sixes more often. So I made a point To work on hitting aerially with proper timing. I'm a skinny lad and far too lazy to be a gym rat but now I'm hitting sixes regularly. I may not be hitting the ball 100 meters but on most grounds you don't have to.

Timing and transferring your body weight into the shot, generating power from the hips are really the key factors to six hitting. Getting the mechanics of that right just takes practice. So getting someone to chuck a few pies at you while you deliberately try to hit sixes will get you used to the proper flow of the shot. You'll soon realize the some of your biggest sixes will come from hits where you don't try to hit the cover off the ball.

[Northern monkey]

You also have to decide what balls you are looking to hit for six
Are you gonna drive straightish?
Can you pull for six
Are your boundaries short enough to cut a six
What sort of pace ball are you facing
Does the ball come onto the bat nicely,(decent wickets)

For certain shots, range hitting will definitely help
See how far you can hit a full toss

Walk the ground before a game,, I zig zag from the boundary to the wicket,, this gives me an idea of distance needed to clear the rope

There are lots of things to consider when trying to clear the rope

[GarrettJ]

It's all the timing and at what point you strike the ball.

You need to hit it a little earlier so your bat is coming underneath it.

Weight training etc is not an issue. I'm 5.10 and I hit a lot of 6's .... I'm talking over 40 a season.

I know o can hit a pull shot for 6 and a straight drive over mid on or mid off. I can not cover drive, sweep or cut for 6 so don't bother.

If you want more power in general. Stand on one leg in the nets and play your shots .... You'll be very surprised at the outcome

[Silver Bullet]

Guys just to make sure everyone understands... I bat no. 4 in T-20, so very often I need to walk in and immediately swing for the fences.
The problem is, when you don't have the confidence that you're going to be able to clear the fielder, you either end up overhitting the shot or you don't bother attempting.

[mad_abt_cricket]

Cocking of the wrist, and breaking it at the right time ( during the impact with the ball).
Great examples are Azharuddin, Ricky ponting, Gilchrist, Kohli, Sehwag and plenty more.
Try it at nets with throw downs and you will see a noticable difference in the speed the ball goes off the bat. Though difficult to incorporate in the technique, once done you will not need to use your shoulders to hit a six.

From my personal experience, handle thickness is important for wrist to come into play. Thinner round handles are perfect to develop such a technique.

[The Palmist]

If you want more power in general. Stand on one leg in the nets and play your shots .... You'll be very surprised at the outcome

Very intrigued, do elaborate, which leg for right handers

[mad_abt_cricket]

Very intrigued, do elaborate, which leg for right handers

I would say back leg for certain front foot shots ( charging down the wicket ) and front leg for back foot shots ( pulling and cutting). It is about transfer of momentum from base to the bat swing.

[edge]

Cocking of the wrist, and breaking it at the right time ( during the impact with the ball).

Definitely all about wrists and really getting your hands through the ball, not just to it. Also for me (I hit my fair share of sixes), if you're looking to get big, getting low lets you get under the ball and then put your weight through it, powering up from your legs. These are the two most important things for me, wrist power through the ball and using your whole body to hit through it, not just your hands.

[trypewriter]

I think it's mainly about picking the right delivery - as has been suggested - know which shots you can clear the ropes with - and which ones you can't.

[ProCricketer1982]

I think it's mainly about picking the right delivery - as has been suggested - know which shots you can clear the ropes with - and which ones you can't.

I'd go with this. I can hit it as far as I've ever needed quite comfortably. However, I know which shots I can hit big and which shots I can't. If I can't then tbh, unless the situation demands I take the low % chance I might actually hit the 6 I will just stick to my areas. No point trying to play a lofted extra cover drive for 6 if you simply can't do it.

Amateurs rarely have all round the ground strokes so stick to what you can do, learn to pick up 4's off the ones you can't. Bowlers aren't good enough to bowl to your weakness anyway unless it such a big flaw like 'can't pull a half tracker' or 'can't mince a half volley'