In the days gone by, cricket was dominated by pace bowlers. The absence of equipment like helmet, elbow guard, thigh pads, pelvic guard, made the sport a lot more defensive from the batter’s perspective. Deliveries that were pitched shorter, were either left alone or ducked.
A hook shot is one that batters started using more frequently once protective gear became a norm in the sport. The shot is played with the intention of sending the ball to or beyond the boundary lines. The hook shot is played when the incoming ball reaches the height of a batter’s shoulders or above. The batter’s position is such that it allows the motion of the bat to that begins from the chest height of the batter towards the off side and finishes above the batter’s shoulder towards the leg side.
Timing is of paramount importance while playing the hook shot. The batter has to make contact at a time when the bat can dominantly catapult the ball in the direction of the square-leg and fine leg region. Should the batter mistime the ball, the ball make catch the edge of the bat, resulting in a higher chance of the batter getting caught out.
A hook shot is oftentimes confused with that of a pull shot. While a lot of similarities exist between the two, the difference lies in the fact that the hook shot is played when the ball is at a shoulder height or higher, whereas the pull shot is played when the ball is at chest height.
