How to play the ramp shot at home. (Hot tip: wear a helmet)

It’s the cricket manoeuvre that will be attempted on Australian beaches and in backyards all summer: the ramp shot.

The ramp, usually played from a crouch position with the ball flicked over the head of the wicketkeeper, has become almost regulation in the Big Bash League and other white-ball games, but teen wonder Sam Konstas was brave enough to try it on the opening morning of the Boxing Day Test. On debut. In front of a crowd of more than 87,000 at the MCG. Against the world’s in-form fast bowler.

The 19-year-old told Channel Seven on Friday that the key to the shot, for him, was watching the ball, committing fully to the stroke and then glancing it gently upwards, using the pace of the ball.

Sounds simple enough. But what exactly does the shot look like in the modern game? And how can you pull it off yourself? We asked Melbourne Renegades WBBL coach and experienced batting mentor Simon Helmot for some simple tips for a successful ramp. So put on a helmet and buckle it up tightly; here’s his advice.

Watch the ball. Keep your head still. Present a full face of the bat.

These simple instructions are key to a successful ramp shot, Helmot says.

Ironically, they are the same three batting principles he would recommend to someone learning the forward defence.

Jos Buttler is an expert ramper.Credit: Getty Images

“The difference with this, obviously, it’s a very courageous shot to play,” says Helmot. “It’s a high-risk shot. It can look ugly if you get out.

“The ball could be aimed at your body. So you’ve got to make sure you hit it.”

Get your body into position

For most players, this means getting low to the ground when preparing to take a ramp. This position allows them to get the right amount of elevation.

But Helmot says Konstas’ technique on Thursday was unique: he stayed tall.

“It’s like he can make a decision then – does he want to hit it over the off side, or the leg side?

“It’s quite amazing. [Former Australian wicketkeeper and Hobart Hurricanes veteran] Matthew Wade used to do it like that... he was very efficient in playing that particular shot, too.”

Konstas explained that he had studied the technique of England keeper-batter Jos Buttler, who is an expert ramper.

“I go back … I go up with it,” Konstas told Seven while watching a replay of the six he hit off Jasprit Bumrah in the seventh over of the Test. “Don’t use too much wrist. Let the ball do the talking and kiss off the bat. ”

Angle your bat. Small wrist movements.

Helmot agrees that using the pace of the ball is key. Your bat should be angled slightly – a bit like a skateboard ramp.

“You don’t have to overplay it. You don’t have to over hit it,” he says.

Sam Konstas plays a ramp shot against Jasprit Bumrah on day one of the Boxing Day Test.Credit: AP

“You want to get your bat in such a position where you just need to move your wrists,” says Helmot. “You can actually keep your arms fairly straight.”

Konstas was able to rely on Bumrah’s pace and bounce. But those not playing on the international stage might need to point the toe of the bat more towards the other end of the pitch.

Spend time practising and refining.

The ramp shot is a great product of today’s game, says Helmot. Batters use it to disrupt the bowler’s rhythm and make it difficult for the opposition to set a field.

Modern coaches allow batters more time for free practice, and the flexibility to experiment with new manoeuvres.

“You’ve got to mess around with it. You’re going to make heaps of mistakes. You’ve got to be prepared to look silly,” says Helmot.

He encourages children (and adults) at home to get their bat and have a go – but to be careful. It’s best to wear a helmet and use a softer ball to begin with.

“It’s always been the fear holding people back, thinking, ‘you can’t do that in a red ball game’,” says Helmot. “Sam has just thrown that out the window.”

“The first game in the new year, everyone’s going to be playing it,” Helmot says. “It was so exciting, and we just love watching it.”

Incidentally, the backyard was not where Konstas learnt the ramp. As older brother Billy explained on SEN Radio: “We did have the auto wicketkeeper, so the ramp was out of play.”

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