The Glance and Flick in Cricket: Playing Leg Side Deliveries

The leg glance and the flick off the pads are wrist-driven shots used to score off deliveries aimed at the batter's body or the leg stump line. Rather than swinging through the ball, these shots use a subtle deflection of the bat face and a rolling of the wrists to guide the ball through the leg side.

The Leg Glance

The leg glance is typically played off the back foot to a delivery just outside or on leg stump. The batter makes minimal adjustment — just a slight roll of the wrists toward the leg side at contact — to redirect the ball through fine leg or backward square leg. The shot is played with 'soft hands', allowing the ball to glance off the bat rather than being hit hard.

The Flick Off the Pads

The flick is played off the front foot to a full delivery aimed at the pad. As the ball arrives, the front foot drives forward and the wrists whip through the ball at the moment of contact, sending it through mid-wicket or square leg with power. Unlike the glance, the flick is an attacking shot — the batter is looking to score boundaries through the on side.

Developing the Leg Side Game

Many young batters are coached to leave deliveries on the pad, leading to an underdeveloped leg side game. Practising throw-downs aimed at the body and pads — specifically working the flick through mid-wicket — builds the wrist strength and timing needed. Watch how players like Virat Kohli and Steve Smith use the leg side: the wrists do the work, not the arms.