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How to Bowl Fast?

Manee

Manee

Cricketer Of The Year
Some of you may or may not know that I have aspirations to bowl fast and currently do not. I am 15 years old and bowl at around 58-62 mph which I would say is average for my age. However, I feel my action is all shoulder and I need to work on parts of it biomechanically.

I will probably be asking more questions in the future, but to start with, does anyone have any tips for improving wrist position behind the ball? Either my index or swearing finger always takes over and drags the ball in one direction or the other. As a result it also has caused me to lose swing because I don't impart backspin on the ball.

Please can nobody post things like "Fast Bowlers are born not made" because I strongly feel that if you work hard on biomechanics, everyone can at least reach 70mph or more. I would also like to note that I would never compromise a large amount of accuracy for pace.

PS: To anyone else trying to bowl fast and accurately, Ian Pont's "Fast Bowler's Bible" is a great buy.
 
Neil Pickup

Neil Pickup

Cricket Web Moderator
I wouldn't agree that everyone could reach 70mph - 70mph might be what Chris Read stands up to when Mark Ealham's trundling down, but it's also the speed cars go at on motorways. That's still quick. Quick enough to mash fingers...

Anyway, was flicking through Pont's book in Waterstone's on Friday and it looked like it made well-written sense - will definitely get hold of it when I get an income (I'm going to buy so much stuff, I can't wait for the end of September...)

Would start with a simple suggestion of not trying to grip the ball so hard - you only need to clench the thing when you're trying to rip it or bowl cutters; seam-up stuff you're only guiding it, nothing more. Thinking too hard about where your index/middle finger goes ("swearing finger" is one of the best phrases I've heard this year, btw, brilliant) will likely tense the thing up and result in snatching or gripping it.
 
open365

open365

International Vice-Captain
If it makes you drag it one way or another, go into a net and concentrate on bowling straight and getting everything 'behind' the ball, one of the best tips on fast bowling i ever had was to bowl 'through' the ball and not just release it, just like a 100m sprinter doesn't spot dead at the finish line, a bowler shouldn't stop once the ball is released.
 
Manee

Manee

Cricketer Of The Year
Neil Pickup said:
I wouldn't agree that everyone could reach 70mph - 70mph might be what Chris Read stands up to when Mark Ealham's trundling down, but it's also the speed cars go at on motorways. That's still quick. Quick enough to mash fingers...

Anyway, was flicking through Pont's book in Waterstone's on Friday and it looked like it made well-written sense - will definitely get hold of it when I get an income (I'm going to buy so much stuff, I can't wait for the end of September...)

Would start with a simple suggestion of not trying to grip the ball so hard - you only need to clench the thing when you're trying to rip it or bowl cutters; seam-up stuff you're only guiding it, nothing more. Thinking too hard about where your index/middle finger goes ("swearing finger" is one of the best phrases I've heard this year, btw, brilliant) will likely tense the thing up and result in snatching or gripping it.
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Thank you for the tip about the strength of gripping the ball. I know 70mph is not slow, but I feel that with application, most people can reach it.

open365 said:
If it makes you drag it one way or another, go into a net and concentrate on bowling straight and getting everything 'behind' the ball, one of the best tips on fast bowling i ever had was to bowl 'through' the ball and not just release it, just like a 100m sprinter doesn't spot dead at the finish line, a bowler shouldn't stop once the ball is released.
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An interesting phrase, I will take it into consideration.

If I posted a video of myself bowling would people be able to provide some more specific help?
 
Neil Pickup

Neil Pickup

Cricket Web Moderator
Yes, very easily, both myself and Goughy would be able to give you bucketfuls off a video. Ideally front-on from the batter/wk's perspective and side-on from straight mid-on or mid-off.
 
Manee

Manee

Cricketer Of The Year
I will personal message the videos to you soon :).

Thank you for being fantastically helpful. I have asked for help on many other forums and you have already been the most helpful member.
 
Perm

Perm

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Manee said:
I will personal message the videos to you soon :).

Thank you for being fantastically helpful. I have asked for help on many other forums and you have already been the most helpful member.
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Aw come on, put them on the forum. I'm sure a few people wouldn't mind having a look :)
 
Manee

Manee

Cricketer Of The Year
Ok, it is about 8mb and winzipping and winrarring only decreases it by 0.01mb, any help?

EDIT: Will have it by the morning.
 
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Manee

Manee

Cricketer Of The Year
It is obviously not great if it can only generate 50-55 mph.

PS: In those clips, you are right that I am 50-55 mph, the indoor ones were taken in winter, this summer I have touched 60mph.
 
Neil Pickup

Neil Pickup

Cricket Web Moderator
The side-on view is the one of the most useless videos I've ever seen - what we need is one where you can see the feet at landing points!

Will put together a bit of a longer analysis later, but firstly Liam's right, that's 50 - 55 absolute tops - I'd definitely be standing up to it and I'm not exactly Jack Russell!
 
Manee

Manee

Cricketer Of The Year
Pup Clarke said:
How old are you Manee?.
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15, those were taken when I was 14 and 12.

Neil Pickup said:
The side-on view is the one of the most useless videos I've ever seen - what we need is one where you can see the feet at landing points!
Click to expand...
I just posted all the videos I have.

Neil Pickup said:
Will put together a bit of a longer analysis later, but firstly Liam's right, that's 50 - 55 absolute tops - I'd definitely be standing up to it and I'm not exactly Jack Russell!
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I have been timed at a speed gun, at that time, my max was 54, now it is 60 as I have gotten a bit stronger.
 
Neil Pickup

Neil Pickup

Cricket Web Moderator
My biggest fear doing something like this would be an overload of about 100 different suggestions for things that could be better, you end up trying to do all of them and result in having an action that's a hideous mangled mess and does nothing. If you try something and it hurts, stop - straight away - and go back to what you were doing before.

The first thing I'd do with those videos is ask you what your right arm is doing at this point:

 
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