There was a time when the pull shot was considered unorthodox, and only certain batsmen played it. For Australia, Don Bradman and Doug Walters were once its greatest exponents, but it has now become part of the armoury of most modern-day batsmen. Have a look at Dougie’s pull for six off the last ball of the day to bring up his ton in Perth, 1974-75.  Our own Ricky Ponting was famous for his scintillating pull shot, as was England’s Michael Vaughan. The reason it is one of cricket’s more attractive sights is because it can only be an aggressive shot.

Played generally off the back foot, the pull shot resembles the hook shot, but is often played around waist height. Unlike a hook, which is often played “off the nose”, a pull shot can actually be played to a delivery that is on off stump. Hence the name. The shot is “pulled” around to leg.

The pull shot is an exciting and powerful shot and its main aim is to score. It is played through the leg-side anywhere from wide mid-on around to square leg. It can be played along the ground or aerial. No fast bowler in the world wanted to drop just short to Ricky Ponting as the ball would end up breaking the pickets at any ground in the world. Worth YouTubing!

Here are a few pointers on executing this shot well.

1. The pull shot is generally played off the back foot so the ball needs to be short and above the waist to be played effectively. I say “generally”, because some of the best exponents can execute the shot from the front foot. The key is ensuring your stance is balanced, on the balls of the feet, knees slightly bent for power, and ready for anything. The head should be absolutely still as the bowler lets the ball go, as this is the best way to allow you to quickly calculate line and length.

2. Being a back foot shot, at least for beginners, the initial movement should be the feet getting “back and across” – the back foot moving backwards and toward the off stump, the front foot sliding back to meet your back foot. This helps to get inside the line of the ball and allows your hands to swing across in front of you freely whilst playing the shot. Remember, head, shoulders and feet all move across in unison. Don’t have feet that retreat while your head stays where it is. Footwork is very important, as it needs to be swift and perfectly executed. You are generally playing this shot to fast-bowlers, so the feet need to be quick and decisive.

3. At the same time the feet are moving into position, you should be lifting the bat up above the line and height of the ball – this helps keep the ball on the ground.  If the bat was below the height of the ball, the bat would have to go from low to high, causing the ball to go in the air. The safest way to play this shot is along the ground, so getting the bat high, and quickly, is a must. “Hands to your ears” is a good cue.

4. The bat is brought from high to low as you look to hit the “back” of the ball (a hint I got from Ricky Ponting!).  Contact with the ball should be as soon as possible, so it can be controlled. This is an aggressive shot, especially if played in front of square leg, so swing hard but don’t swing yourself off your feet! You must be in control of this shot – otherwise you will be off balance increasing the risk of mistiming it.  Swing through the ball with the intention of getting it through the field. Note that the pull shot is generally played with straight arms. By the time you complete the shot, your weight should be transferred to the front foot. 

5. Keep your eye on the ball the whole time.  Your eyes should be level and still – you don’t want to have any movement, which will make you lose focus and vision of the ball.  This is hard when you are young.  You are trying to swing the bat and keep the head still – which takes a lot of practice.

6. On contact with the ball, you should look to roll your wrists to help keep the ball on the ground. This takes some work so your timing is right so practise it a lot to get the hang of it.

7. Finish the shot with the bat ending up over your lead shoulder. And hopefully, admire the ball screaming to the boundary!

TIP: The best way to practise this shot is to have someone kneel  in front of you and underarm full-toss balls  at about belly button level. You can hit over and over again into a net and start training your muscles to perform this shot balanced and in control. You can even start by hitting balls off a softball tee – you can do this by yourself for hours.

Good luck and practise hard!

Jason Krejza applies his vast experience working with the world’s best players and coaches to his own coaching. Jason had a history-making Test debut when his 12 wickets for the match against India in 2010 included eight wickets in the first innings. For more information visit www.elitecricket.com.au