Square Cut

Intermediatebatting

Balanced and ready.

A back-foot attacking shot to a short, wide ball. Transfer weight back and slash through square of the wicket.

Key points

•Rock back onto the back foot
•Get on top of the ball
•Arms extend wide through the cut
•Roll the wrists to keep it down

Practice with Coach Rohan

Camera setup tips

· Place the camera side-on to you, 2 to 3 metres away.
· Keep your whole body in frame, head to feet.
· Phone on a tripod or a laptop webcam both work.
· Perform the movement, pause, repeat. Your coach speaks every 15 seconds.

Theory & Technique

The square cut is one of the most exciting shots in batting. It is played to a short ball that is wide of off stump — too short to drive and too wide to pull. The batter rocks back and across, transferring weight onto the back foot. The arms extend out wide, and the bat comes down on top of the ball at an angle, sending it square of the wicket on the off side. The key is to get on top of the bounce and roll the wrists at contact to keep the ball along the ground. Standing tall at the point of contact helps you control the shot.

Fun Fact

Mark Waugh was so elegant playing the square cut that commentators called him 'Junior Picasso'. His cuts were so perfectly timed that fielders would barely move as the ball raced past them.

Watch the real thing

Learn from real coaches first. Your live scoring compares you to the reference figure above; these videos are for learning, and stay with their creators on YouTube.