Shoulder Arms

Shoulder arms in cricket refers to a situation in which the batter lifts the bat high over the shoulder or head in order to protect himself and prevent himself from getting fouled. This rather than taking a risk hit is known as shoulder arms.

In the course of the game, there are instances in which the batter is unable to strike the ball with sufficient force. In this scenario, the batsman has two choices for how the events will unfold: either he may take risks by bouncing from an uncomfortable posture, or he can attempt to elevate the bat above himself in order to avoid committing a foul, with the expectation that the ball would not reach the wicket.