Power Hitting (Six Hitting)
Also known as: six hitting, hitting sixes, range hitting, clearing the boundary, hitting for six, power hitting in cricket
Power hitting comes from a stable base, a still head and fast bat speed through the ball, not from swinging harder with the arms. Read the length early and clear your front leg if you need room. Swing through the line with a full face and full extension.
Under the Laws, a six is scored when the ball comes off the bat and first lands beyond the boundary. It must not touch the ground inside the boundary first. Distance comes mainly from bat speed and clean contact, not muscle alone. Bat speed builds from the ground up. The legs and hips start the swing, the chest and shoulders follow, and the arms and bat arrive last. Many coaches teach a relaxed grip until just before contact. Tight hands slow the bat down.
The base matters. Many power hitters use a slightly wider, more stable stance and keep the head still through the swing. Against full balls, clearing the front leg means moving it out of the way towards the leg side. That opens the hips and makes room for a full swing through the line. Swing through the ball with the full face, extend the arms after contact and finish high. Hitting with the angle of the delivery carries less risk than hitting across it.
Picking your arc is a big part of six hitting. Most players have one or two areas they hit best, such as straight down the ground or over midwicket. Before the ball, check the field, the boundary size and the wind. Then hit the ball that is in your arc. Power hitting still depends on reading length. A short ball you tried to drive, or a full ball you tried to pull, is how many catches go up. When batters practise hitting hard, ECB guidance suggests bowlers and coaches consider protective equipment.
Tips by skill level
Learn to hit the ball straight and high in the nets first. Use a tee or underarm throwdowns, swing smoothly and judge each hit by how clean it felt, not how hard you swung.
Plan your arc against each bowler. Know which length lets you go straight, which lets you go over midwicket and which you should take a single from.
Example
With two overs left, the batter sees there is no fielder at deep midwicket. A full ball arrives on leg stump. She clears her front leg, keeps her head still and swings through the line over midwicket for six.
Why it matters
In short formats, boundaries decide many matches. Hitting sixes with a repeatable method lets you score fast without simply slogging.
Common mistakes
- Swinging harder with the arms and shoulders, which slows the bat and drags the head off the ball
- Lifting the head early to watch where the ball is going
- Hitting across the line against the angle of the delivery
- Picking the shot before reading the length, so a short ball is driven or a full ball is pulled
Frequently asked questions
How do I hit sixes in cricket?
Build a stable base, keep your head still and read the length early. Clear your front leg if you need room, then swing through the line with the full face and full extension. Bat speed and clean contact send the ball further than raw strength.
How do I hit the ball further in cricket?
Find the middle of the bat more often and build bat speed from the legs and hips, not just the arms. Keep a relaxed grip until contact, swing through the ball and finish high. Hitting towards your strongest area also helps.
What counts as a six in cricket?
A six is scored when the ball comes off the bat and first lands beyond the boundary without touching the ground inside it. If it bounces inside the boundary first, it is four. Grounds can agree different boundary allowances before the toss.
Sources
Related terms
- Slog SweepThe slog sweep is a powerful, high-risk batting stroke where the batter sweeps a short-pitched or good-length ball over deep mid-wicket, aiming to hit it out of the ground for six.
- Straight DriveThe straight drive is a front-foot attacking stroke played to a full ball on or just outside off stump. It sends the ball back past the bowler, straight down the ground.
- Death OversThe death overs are the final overs of a limited-overs innings, usually overs 17–20 in T20 or 41–50 in one-day cricket. Batters chase runs and bowlers try to limit them.
- T20 FormatT20 (Twenty20) cricket is the shortest mainstream format of the game — each side bats for a maximum of 20 overs — producing fast-paced, high-scoring matches usually completed in under three hours.
- Weight TransferWeight transfer in batting is the movement of the batter's bodyweight from back foot to front foot (or vice versa) as the stroke is executed, generating power and setting up correct balance through impact.
- Kinematic ChainThe kinematic chain is the order in which body segments, from the ground up, pass force and speed through a swing. Each segment hands its speed on to the next.
Cricket analysis is in development
Motion Lab does not analyze this sport yet. Keep exploring the terms in this section.