The Pull/Hook Shot

[MUFC1987]

Basically I've been going through a phase of picking out the fielders when using this shot. There are two main instances that this happens:

1. "Power" Hit off of Pace bowlers. Basically, I hate facing left arm over bowlers with a right handed batsman, especially in a ODI scenario where the field is in close. Anyway, I basically get a lot of balls on Leg stump, which for the most part is fine because it's a glance down the leg side and an easy boundary. But off of short balls I go for the attempted hook, with the deep fine leg in place. At first it was going well, I either hit it over the boundary or short enough to make it safe. However, lately I have hit a few just inside the ropes straight to the fielder. Now, this first example I can understand and appreciate it's timing, but is there a way to place the ball? I.e. hit it finer or square of the wicket, rather than behind?

2. "Normal" Hit off of Spin Bowlers. Now this annoys me. This time off of spinners. A lot of them drop it short which means it gets to your batsman at waist height on off stump. Now in real cricket it's an easy pull shot, however on this game, the ball always stays in the air. Basically, I want to get over the ball and hit it down, but instead it just seems to track everytime to the fielder at waist height. So is there a way to get over the ball more, rather than just lobbing it into the air?

Constructive advice is Welcome. :cool:

 

[harishankar]

You actually got the hook shot to connect?!?!? :hpraise

Anyway the only shots I can connect on a regular basis are the leg glance (back and front foot) and the lofted on drive over mid on (risky though). All other shots have been chancy and very unsatisfactory (even the regular ones, not the power-hit stroke). It seems that almost 9 out of 10 times I'm five down for next to nothing...

Timing seems quite random, in spite of what people say, and there is no way to "place" shots. ODIs are quite hard to play, although if you're Australia and you play Kenya, you *might* win.

 

[MUFC1987]

You actually got the hook shot to connect?!?!? :hpraise

Anyway the only shots I can connect on a regular basis are the leg glance (back and front foot) and the lofted on drive over mid on (risky though). All other shots have been chancy and very unsatisfactory (even the regular ones, not the power-hit stroke). It seems that almost 9 out of 10 times I'm five down for next to nothing...

Timing seems quite random, in spite of what people say, and there is no way to "place" shots. ODIs are quite hard to play, although if you're Australia and you play Kenya, you *might* win.

The major problem with playing the hook most of time is that, as in real life the player you use has to be quite good. I've tried with lower level county players and you just balloon it straight up into the air.

 

[harishankar]

Any idea which players play it well? Actually I've seen two versions of this shot and some of those players actually don't even play it as it should be played. They miss it 100% of the time... horrible!

 

[MUFC1987]

Any idea which players play it well? Actually I've seen two versions of this shot and some of those players actually don't even play it as it should be played. They miss it 100% of the time... horrible!

Any of the good one's I'd imagine, apart from the likes of Ganguly who are weak against short balls. To be fair to EA I think this is an area where it has improved as the pull/hook seems to follow the ball more, in height I mean. I normally play it just after the bounce, which should be quite short. It took me ages to get a decent bat on it though. If you play it without power, it normally drags it behind square on the leg side, so it's an easy way to score ODI runs.

 

[Sureshot]

You can find those gaps, you do get the bad balls just put them away, but imagine the fielders aren't there and you'll improve.


Vaughan might be good.

Also easier to pull short balls outside the off stump.

 

[alfa_beta]

Try playing with Tendulkar... I am able to hit hook shot pretty well with him. However don't play hook shot in odis as if the timing is off, it can be easily caught by one of the fielders on the leg side and even if you time it well, you only get a single. Try playing the shot in tests (without L1 or power button) as you should be able to beat fine leg fielder for a boundary and even if you mistime it, it will still get you a couple or single at worst.

Also, you can't place the ball like you can in BLIC 2K5. The placing of your ball depends the positioning of your batsman with respect to the ball and also on your timing and batsman's confidence. I have seen if you hit a hook shot to a ball that's more to the off side of the batsman, it goes squarer, easily beating fine leg fielder. But if you are directly in line with the short pitched ball, it goes straight to fine leg or just beats him.

Hey MUFC1987, when you talk about playing pull shot to spinners, are you referring to the following shot :- right + Triangle (back foot) + L1 (power button)?

Coz that's the only way I seem to hit a pull shot. If I don't use the power button (L1), the batsman plays a leg glance. Playing pull shot is one of the problems I am facing - with pacers or spinners. Sometimes pacers bowl a ball that's quite short (just short of medium length) but it's not quite short enough to be hooked. And as you said, for spinners you can't use a hook. Let me know how you play a pull shot.

 

[MUFC1987]

Hey MUFC1987, when you talk about playing pull shot to spinners, are you referring to the following shot :- right + Triangle (back foot) + L1 (power button)?

Coz that's the only way I seem to hit a pull shot. If I don't use the power button (L1), the batsman plays a leg glance. Playing pull shot is one of the problems I am facing - with pacers or spinners. Sometimes pacers bowl a ball that's quite short (just short of medium length) but it's not quite short enough to be hooked. And as you said, for spinners you can't use a hook. Let me know how you play a pull shot.

No, I play a back foot shot with up & right on the direction without the power shot. So if I get a short one on middle and off (I.e. which I can't leg glance) I try to play it into the leg side. The problem is that the batsman doesn't get over it as it does with a pace bowler, but hits it at the fielders waist height. Which basically means that you need to pick the gap to find the boundary.

 

[alfa_beta]

So basically you play hook shot to the spinners, i.e. you press the same buttons you do for a hook against fast bowlers.

Here are a few options you can try for a short delivery against off spinners when they bowl short outside off :-

1. Play a late cut (up & left + 'X' - front foot shot button) - If you have taken a stance outside leg, try a late cut against the spinner if there are no slips. The batsman steers/late cuts the ball just past the keeper for a 4 (or at least a couple). You can use the same shot for left handers when you are facing left handed chinamen bowlers like Hogg or Katich or when off spinners come round the wicket to left handers and bowl short.

2. Play a lofted advance down the wicket straight drive (down + 'O' - advance shot + L1 - power button) - Whenever spinners drop short outside off, play lofted advance down the wickt shot straight down the gound just before bowler releases the ball. Once you get the hang of the timing, you will hit a 6 all the time. If you miss the ball, press 'Triangle' (back foot shot button) to get back to the crease before you are stumped. In case there are fielders on the boundary, play the shot without L1 or power button.

3. Play a lofted pull shot (right + 'Triangle' - back foot shot + 'L1' - power button) - This is the authentic pull shot but unfortunately you can't play it along the ground. This is the same shot you play for back foot leg glance... the only difference is that you press the power button (L1). If there are no fielders square on the leg side boundary (deep mid wicket), you will get an easy boundary. Most of the times, the shot clears the infielders easily and goes for a boundary and if timed properly goes for a 6. However don't play this shot if there's a fielder posted sqaure on the leg side boundary as you can be caught.

 

[britishchampion]

I find the best player to hook with is Sehwag

 

[irottev]

Ive seen the computer hook and pull for six. I can't even get it over the man i nthe circles head. I have just given up with that particular shot. I try timing it different. I have gotten caught at fine leg a few times with it too.

 

[alfa_beta]

I can get the lofted pull shot to clear infield and go for a 4... try to play the shot when batsman is high on confidence (more than 50%).

 

[Sureshot]

Set the bounce short in the nets, practice makes perfect.

I hit my first 4 with a Pull shot, bounced about 10Metres in from the rope. Giles was the batsman, so whether height comes into it...

 

[pali1]

i hit a six once with a hook it was so satisfying just clipped the ball into the stands with mcMillian it was so saisfying ive never been able to do it again, i did it off a really short ball pitching just left of the umpires head (off a fast bowler btw). everytime i try it now i goes down the throat of short bakward square leg or hits the batsmen right in the head