Bowlers hate to see batsmen present the full face of the bat as the ball races to the boundary through the offside.
The straight drive is usually played to an overpitched delivery on or outside off stump.
Overpitched means when the ball is not quite on a good length, but not quite a yorker.
This is the perfect length to get on the front foot and ease the ball through the covers or mid-off.
One of the most important points to remember about this particular shot is getting your front foot as close to the pitch of the ball as possible.
You often see batsmen driving the ball in the air with their feet nowhere near the pitch of the delivery.
To stop this from happening, make sure you get your head over the ball as you play the stroke.
This means your weight is leaning forward, rather than back, which is often when the ball travels dangerously in the air.
The straight drive is about timing and placement rather than power.
So most of the work is done by the top hand, with the bottom hand lending support.
You might often hear the phrase "showing the maker's name" from commentators when a batsman has played a glorious drive.
This means the batsman has presented a very straight bat on their follow through, so straight you can see the name of the company that made it.
If you want to see the perfect example of a straight drive, watch India's Sachin Tendulkar in action.
The Little Master almost always hits the ball with little effort with a classic
 Sachin shows the maker's name  Step One As your eyes remain fixed on the ball, lead with the front shoulder. The front foot and a bent front knee form the base for the shot.  Step TwoThe head should at least be level or in advance of the front knee, with the backfoot up on the inside of the big toe. The bat accelerates vertically and contact with the ball is made with the eyes directly above.  Step Three The bat then accelerates through a straight path, with wrists relaxing to enable the bat to finish over the front shoulder with the face of the bat facing the sky.  |
