Back Foot Drills

Catch Ball (Off Side):
This is a good way to encouraging a player to get into the correct positions when playing or leaving the ball when playing off the back foot particularly effective if the player is getting too side on to play the shot or if they are not getting in line with the ball as much as they ought to.

Catch Ball (On Side):
Exactly the same as above however the feed is from around the wicket, even off the crease. This feed becomes more appropriate for learning to play the ball when it is on the leg stump line where you have to open your body position slightly. (Particularly good practice for batters who are too side on and do not get behind the ball, it will automatically correct their body position).

Catch Ball/Duck/Sway:
As above but the progression is introducing the bouncer.

One Leg Back Foot Defence:
This is specifically to improve a batters overall balance when playing off the back foot. It helps the batter to understand the weight should be on the back foot but over the front foot. This drill stops the batter finishing the shot with weight finally on the front foot thus being lured into the shot too early.

Off Side Feed:
This is the first progression for building up the back foot defence or drive technique. By starting in the set position parallel to the crease as the shot is played the player should maintain that correct back foot position. This is a useful practice for batters where their back foot points down the wicket too much thus making them too chest on, hence making them vulnerable to being caught in the slips.

On Side Feed:
As above but in this case the back foot is planted so it is now in a slightly closed position thus opening the body more enabling the batter to play the ball more effectively.

Off Side Feed (Finish Position):
This is to help the batter exaggerate the finish position with high hands and high leading elbow so that a good shape is maintained and the full face of the bat is presented to the ball. (Additional tip: this is a good opportunity to place a squash ball or tennis ball in the bottom hand between the palm of the hand and the back of the handle of the bat. This is to make the bottom hand less functional during the shot allowing the hands to be high)

On Side Feed (Finish Position):
As above but with a more open body position. This time you may incorporate the back foot leg glance as a possible shot/practice with this type of feed.

Back Foot Off Side Leave (A):
This practice is to teach the batter how to leave the ball outside off stump. This is done by simply positioning a cone as shown. If the batter feels he is going to hit the ball wide of that cone, this is his cue to leave it. Balls which he can hit inside the line of the cones, he must play straight back up the pitch. (Encourages playing in the V, and presenting the full face of the bat)

Back Foot Off Side Leave (B):
This practice is to stop the batter trying to play back foot drives to square of the wicket. If he does so, he will hit the blue plastic stump with his bat. Hopefully next time he will realise the stump is there and this will groove him to hit the ball towards straight mid off. (The position of this stump is also a good guide for you to use when learning to leave the ball outside off stump).

Pace Off Side Leave/Ducking/Swaying:
This practice is a progression of the above two practices. Because the ball is being served at pace via a tennis racket this simulates a spell of hostile fast bowling. (Conditioning game can be utilsed with the way this practice is set up. Four players in net, 1 facing, 3 non-striking, set up a scoring system, i.e. two wickets in hand 30 runs needed. If ball is hit on off side wider than cones it is a wicket).

Off Wall (Away/Across):
This is to simulate playing against fast bowling and is a good practice for speeding up your reactions and improving your method of playing straight, leaving the ball outside off stump and ducking the short ball.

Off Wall (Into):
As above but this time the ball is being fed from the opposite side thus simulating the ball coming into you. Now you will adopt a more open body position as you will be playing more towards the on side. Position of cone for leaving the ball on the on side should be moved wider.

Tennis Racket Feed:
This practice is to simulate a hostile spell of quick bowling where the ball is served to the batsman at pace. This is a good practice for speeding up reactions, leaving the ball outside off stump playing in a narrow V and evading the bouncer.

Back Foot Condition Game V Pace:
This practice is set up in such a way that a tactical match situation against pace bowling can be replicated. Rotating the strike is a valid tactical point as is the game plan for scoring runs in this match situation.
Rules of Game:
1: Most effective against bowling machine.
2: 4/5 batters, eg. 30 runs to win 2 wickets remaining.
3: Striker facing, other batsman non-striking end.
4: Scoring system
a: Backfoot defence through red cones = 1 Run Batsmen rotate.
b: Backfoot drive through cones = 4 Runs (No rotation)
c: Ball goes on leg side, not through cones, batsman facing sprints to blue cone and back, no runs added.
d: If batsman hits ball wide of off side cone, hits stump positioned on off side, anywhere in the air along with all other conventional ways of getting out, the group lose a wicket. (This sort of practice, where batters in small groups chase various different types of targets, can be a useful conditioned game for front foot shots back foot shots or a mixture of both. eg. Against spin, pace or both)