Steve Smith's Unorthodox Batting: Why It Works

Steve Smith is one of the most studied and imitated — yet ultimately inimitable — batters of the modern era. His Test average of over 58 across more than 100 Tests places him behind only Don Bradman's 99.94 among Australians. Yet his technique is anything but textbook: he shuffles across the crease, loops his backlift behind his head, and makes last-second adjustments that no coaching manual would prescribe.

The Backlift and Movement

Smith's backlift starts near gully and loops behind his body before coming down. He also takes multiple small steps at the crease — known as trigger movements — shifting his weight before the bowler enters delivery stride. These movements allow him to adjust his position dynamically according to the delivery he anticipates. While the movements look chaotic, they are actually highly controlled and consistent — Smith replicates them ball after ball.

Handling the Short Ball

England targeted Smith with a short-ball strategy in the 2019 Ashes after Jofra Archer struck him on the head with a bouncer. Smith wore an additional neck guard on return and averaged 110 in the series anyway. His ability to pick length early, sway out of the line of bouncers, and punish short deliveries through the legside demonstrated that the short ball — while temporarily effective — could not neutralise him.

Mental Concentration

Smith is known for intense concentration at the crease, often appearing to talk to himself or rehearse shots between deliveries. His ability to bat through long sessions — converting fifties to hundreds and hundreds to big hundreds — reflects a mental discipline that matches his physical skill. He has scored multiple 200s in Tests and averages more than 60 in Tests on Australian soil.