Fast Bowling Coaching

[scritty]

Not wanting to plug Ians book, but using it was a revaltation for me.

I was a "windmill" bowler. I ran in and bowled with by shoulder, and not even all of that, i basicall just turned my arm around in the shoulder socket as fast as I could.

Suprisingly I was (for a "village" cricketer") quite successful, being the leading bowler for my club once or twice in the late 90's and early 00's.

Then I read Ian's book. What a revalation, I now bowl "through" my chest which means supplesness and musculature in that area is actually used - something I never really understood before.

I line up my hips (so I don't bowl "around" my arse).
I use my height, I run in straight, I grip the ball correctly, and am (at the age of 40) easily a couple of yards faster than I was aged 25, and, bowling straighter, moving the ball more often.

I find myself looking at other bowlers and seeing where they are going wrong. My problem (rolling my arm over as fast as I could rather than "bowling") seems amazingly common. Second only to not sticking your chest out and bowling around your arse.

The other thing it took (despite Ians book ) was a lot of hard work practicing, running, weights, pace drills, and of course bowling, perhaps 50 overs a week - 10-12 overs a night 4 or 5 nights a week, often on my own. Bit only 6 weeks of that produced (AFAIC) really excellent results, our keeper who normally stood perhaps 4 yards back moved back to almost 10 yards, and was taking the ball comfortably at waist to chest high, and the ball was cutting off the seam 4 or 5 times an over (on a village pitch - probably wouldn't get that much on a really well prepared league pitch). Even swing now and then.

Overall, as long as back/knees hold out, I can credit Ponty's book for adding some years to me playing time - hopefully at least another 10-15 !!

Cheers

Paul Clarke

(Had bike accident early October, and knees on the mend Links to my clubs website - I'm not the guy in any of the pictures btw :-) )


http://flyfordflavell.play-cricket.c...167734&cid=200

http://flyfordflavell.play-cricket.c...168222&cid=200

http://flyfordflavell.play-cricket.c...168308&cid=200

[Manee]

Good stuff Paul! Stuff like that must make Ian feel good.

I tried your inswing grip and had some success. The coach at nets then suggested that I run in from an angle like Sidebottom and from there, I felt increased pace and with the grip, I got it to shape in.

Thanks for that. Another thing was that with the grip, I was getting more bounce than before, even bowling a head high bouncer - the first bouncer I have ever bowled that has gone above hip height - so that was pretty interesting.

Thanks.

[unccricket]

can anyone clarify this point from the book's website under "fast bowlers tips and hints":

• At the point of delivery, your hips and nose will be facing the batsman. If your bowling hip is ‘lazy’ it will lag behind thus dropping your speed. If your nose isn’t facing the batsman, your head is probably falling away. The hips are the powerhouse of your body. Get them in the right position

how do you do this as a side on bowler? i was assuming you rotate your shoulders so the chest is also facing the batsman, but wouldn't that then fall under having a mixed action, and isn't that to be avoided?

[Manee]

Originally Posted by unccricket

can anyone clarify this point from the book's website under "fast bowlers tips and hints":

• At the point of delivery, your hips and nose will be facing the batsman. If your bowling hip is ‘lazy’ it will lag behind thus dropping your speed. If your nose isn’t facing the batsman, your head is probably falling away. The hips are the powerhouse of your body. Get them in the right position

how do you do this as a side on bowler? i was assuming you rotate your shoulders so the chest is also facing the batsman, but wouldn't that then fall under having a mixed action, and isn't that to be avoided?

All bowlers deliver the ball from a front on position. Side on bowlers get there pace by rotating from side on (at landing) to front on at release.

There is no danger even if you have the back foot side on because the back foot gets off the ground. 99.9% of bowlers deliver with just the front foot on the ground.

[unccricket]

haha, thanks for clearing that up. i am going to work on getting better shoulder rotation in my bowling.