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Cricket batting stance: check your form with your phone
Every shot starts from the stance, and the basics are the same in every coaching manual: feet about shoulder-width apart, a slight bend in the knees, weight balanced over both feet, the head still with the eyes level, and a body that is tall rather than hunched. The phone times how long you hold it and tells you when one of those basics slips.
No equipment needed. Practise at home. Just do the movement properly in front of your phone: a shadow swing for racquet sports, a rep for lifting. No court, ball, shuttle or weights needed, and a racket or a bar is optional.
What good looks like
- Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your weight balanced on the balls of your feet.
- Soften your knees: a slight bend, not a crouch.
- Keep your head still and your eyes level, looking toward the bowler.
- Stand tall with your shoulders relaxed, not hunched, and hold it still.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
Feet too narrow or too wide
A base that is too narrow is unstable and one that is too wide slows you. About shoulder width is the standard.
Locked knees or a deep crouch
Straight legs are slow to move and a deep crouch is tiring. A slight bend is enough.
A tilted or moving head
A head that tilts or drifts makes the ball hard to judge. Keep it level and still.
What Formanti checks on your batting stance
The clock starts when you have settled into position and stops when you leave it.
- Hold time: your goal (10, 20, 30 seconds), or open. the longer you stay in good form, the better; time out of form is shown separately
Your position
What is judged the whole time you hold it, side-on to the camera.
- Feet: hips no more than -80% of your body length below, or 180% above, the straight line. feet about shoulder-width apart
- Knees: 138–177°. a slight bend in the knees
- Head: 0–8°. head level, eyes level
- Back: 0–25°. upright, not hunched
What you hear and see when you are off
Widen your stance a little
The coach says: “Feet shoulder-width”
On screen: Widen your stance a little.
Drill: Stand with your feet in line with your shoulders and rock gently onto the balls of your feet, then hold still.
Bring your feet in a little
The coach says: “Feet shoulder-width”
On screen: Bring your feet in a little.
Drill: Set your feet in line with your shoulders and take a few shadow steps from there.
A little more knee bend
The coach says: “Soften your knees”
On screen: A little more knee bend.
Drill: Stand tall, then soften your knees a touch, weight on the balls of your feet, and hold.
Stand a little taller
The coach says: “Stand a little taller”
On screen: Stand a little taller.
Drill: Come up until your knees are only slightly bent, and hold.
Keep your head level
The coach says: “Keep your head level”
On screen: Keep your head level.
Drill: Take your stance in front of a mirror and check your eyes are level, then hold.
Drills you can do alone
- Mirror stances: take your stance in front of a mirror and check your feet, knees and head, holding for 20 seconds.
- Rock and settle: rock gently onto the balls of your feet, then settle and hold still for 10 seconds, three times.
How to set up your phone
Phone 2.5 to 4 metres away at hip to chest height, whole body in view, square of you or in front of you. Take your stance as you would for the bowler and hold it still. It all runs on your phone and nothing is uploaded.
Beta: It judges your stance as a still position: your feet's width, your knees, your head and your back. It cannot see your grip, your bat, or the line of your feet to the crease. Guide values, new and not yet checked against real people.
Frequently asked questions
Does the phone check my grip or where my bat is?
No. It judges your stance as a still body position: your feet, knees, head and back. It cannot see the grip or the bat.
What is a good time to hold a stance for?
10 to 20 seconds is a fine drill: the aim is to settle into the same stance every time and check it, not to endure it.
More cricket practice
Forward defence · Front-foot drive · Back-foot defence · Pull shot · Cut shot · Sweep shot