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[uknsaunders]

Was wondering how people do their backlift. Do many players swing the bat arc pretty much straight up ie. a wristy lift or do others actual swing the bat back ie. actually move the arms back and forwards. How many people stick the bat between their legs or slightly behind the back foot? Interested to know what everyone does and the benefits/drawbacks.

I was curious as it looks like I'm blocking my back (right) arm when I playing the shot ie. it starts off tucked behind my body when I bring the bat forwards. Less of a problem when I'm slogging as the body opens up but I do get cramped playing legside shots early doors.

[tim2000s]

I tend to back lift between straight and off. Causes a few issues with straight shots from time to time.

[jimba101]

my stance is quite open, therefore my backlift isnt particulary straight (points towards 4th slip) never have trouble playing straight/through the offside though. can never hit it off my legs!

[Buzz]

it doesn't really matter how you take you bat back, to gully like Chanderpaul or Goochie style over the top of off stump. What matters is how the bat comes down - i.e. straight.

Ideally you should have a nice diamond shape created by your arms/elbows and the feeling should be akin to "rocking a baby" on the way down.

[Simmy]

i never really thought about my back lift or how it comes down..

im gonna watch the vid of me bating and take a look

awfull technique
why do i crouch!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GOf-7TC9OY

[roco]

I just try to get a nice high back lift unless the bowler has a slingy action then lower it

[Simmy]

prowannabe seems to have a really high backlift

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAHKlDSS0bk&feature=related

[mdl_1979]

Have never really thought too much about my backlift before as the bat tends to come down straight.  However, I'm doing my Level 2 at the moment, and need to be able to demonstrate the model technique.  Has made me realise that I tend to have a very open face in backlift. 

In terms of sticking the bat between the legs or behind the back foot, that really is down to whatever feels comfortable.  There isn't necessarily a right and wrong.  The key is to have the bat in line at the top of the backswing, as then you've got a good chance that it can come down straight.  Think Shiv Chanderpaul - all sorts of movement but by the time he gets to the top of his backswing everything is nicely in line and he's pretty orthodox.  Or look at Jim Furyk in golf - ugly looking backswing, but just before and just after contact he is technically perfect.

[uknsaunders]

my backlift

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD-VjvHSApM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[Simmy]

nick your back lift and stance is very very simlimar to mine

[uknsaunders]

we both have problems then!. seriously something isn't right as I don't hit a high percentage of legside balls.

[Simmy]

me to mate!! i am (No Swearing Please) of my legs!

[Tumo]

Lots of people on here seem to struggle off their legs with fuller balls, myself included. I know that my problem is planting my foot too far across, and my front leg as a result gets in the way of the bat when I swing through to leg. Facing 1st XI Uni bowlers yesterday though, my problems were understandable, on more than one occasion I genuinely couldn't even see the ball as I got cleaned up playing across an away swinging yorker...

[tim2000s]

Do you find that your legside play improves as your innings extends? I know that I (like many people) have a bad habit of plonking my front foot down early in my innings. Anything legside is then a play around. Once my feet start moving it's a bit easier.

Against our left armers in the nets this was driving me crazy, so I started twisting my stance slightly to legside, and it opened me up wonderfully. It also means that when facing a right armer, the legside is much more open.

[Tumo]

Yeah when the left arm over lad was bowling last night I opened my stance up, and it helped me, but I have a very set-in-stone habit for right armers, which is stupid. I've never really played a long innings, so I wouldn't know. In the end I just opened my stance up, backed away from everything and tried to kill it through the covers. It worked half the time!