So today I decided to try this Ben Stokes batting stuff everyone’s talking about. Yeah, the cricket guy. Watched his highlight reels again – looks powerful, bit scary honestly. Thought “Alright, let’s see if I can copy even just a little bit.” My backyard became the test ground.
The First Attempt: Feeling Like a Clown
Just grabbed my trusty bat and decided to whack some tennis balls against the garage wall. Mimicked Stokes’ stance – you know, legs wide open, bat held real high. Took a wild swing at the first ball. Damn near spun myself in a circle! Missed completely. Felt kinda stupid standing there. Tried again, swinging like a madman. Result? Ball smacked the wall so weakly it barely bounced back, and my shoulder felt weird. Zero power. Zip. Nada.
That’s when it hit me: Stokes makes it look easy, but his swings are powerful, not just crazy. Mine? Pure chaos.
Switching Gears: Focus on the Feet
Okay, scrap plan A. Remembered how his feet move – solid base, shifting weight properly when he swings. Stood still for a minute, just lifting my feet one at a time, practicing that rocking motion. No bat. Just feet. Like a weird dance.
- Step One: Took a slow step forward with my front foot before swinging. Felt unnatural.
- Step Two: Tried to transfer my weight forward onto that stepping foot as I brought the bat down.
- Step Three: Hit the ball at the exact moment my weight shifted fully forward.
Took like 20 tries before it kinda clicked. Instead of just flailing arms, felt the power actually coming from my legs pushing down and twisting. One solid thwack sent the ball flying harder than before. Progress!
The “Stokes Snap” Struggle
Noticed something else in the videos – right after he hits the ball, Stokes has this quick wrist flick that whips the bat around fast. Tried adding that “snap”. First few swings? Disaster.
- Mess-up One: Snapped the wrists way too early, hit the top edge. Ball popped straight up. Useless.
- Mess-up Two: Snapped too late. Weird, weak push shot that rolled pathetically.
Got frustrated. Almost gave up. Kept at it, focusing just on hitting clean first, then letting the wrists naturally flip the bat over afterwards. Not forcing it. Eventually, one ball just rocketed off the bat with a sweet sound. For a second, felt a tiny glimpse of what Stokes might feel. Just for a second, mind you!
Reality Check & My Takeaway
Tried playing a few imaginary shots like he does – that powerful pull, the lofted drive. Yeah… still way beyond me. But practicing that weight shift and the basic wrist work? That made a real difference.
Simple Stuff I Learned The Hard Way:
- Forget copying the power swings early. Get your footwork solid first. Legs and hips drive the car, arms just steer.
- That wrist thing comes after you hit the ball well, not before. Trying to force it just ruins everything.
- Start slow. Real slow. Build up the movement, then add speed. Swinging wildly like I did first gets you nowhere.
Took me almost an hour just to feel vaguely less clumsy. Definitely didn’t magically turn into Ben Stokes. But one or two shots flew way better just by moving my feet properly and not trying too hard with my wrists. Gonna keep chipping away at it. Maybe tomorrow I’ll manage another couple of decent hits before looking foolish again. That’s the game, right?
