Front-Foot Defence
Also known as: forward defensive
The front-foot defence is a defensive batting stroke where the batter strides forward and blocks a good-length ball with a straight, angled bat to keep it down and safe.
It is the cornerstone of orthodox batting technique: the front foot moves toward the pitch of the ball, the head stays over the ball, and soft hands present a vertical bat to smother the bounce. A sound forward defensive lets a batter survive good deliveries and bat for long periods — the foundation on which scoring strokes are built.
Example
To a good-length delivery on off stump, the batter strides forward and blocks it down with a straight bat, leaving no gap.
Why it matters
Solid defence is the platform for scoring. SwingVantage’s cricket analysis (in development) will read head position and bat path so technique is built on a sound base.
Related terms
- Cover DriveThe cover drive is an elegant front-foot stroke that sends a full ball outside off stump through the cover region, between point and mid-off.
- Pull ShotThe pull shot is a back-foot, cross-bat stroke played to a short-pitched ball, swinging it around to the leg side, typically between mid-wicket and square leg.
Put this into your swing
SwingVantage can spot this in your own swing — free to start.