Tips for a swing bowler

[shankar]

2)This might seem strange,but when i swing the ball,i'm bowling a lot slower than i normally do.

The reason why this happens is this:

4)The release point of the ball is crucial,IMO getting your wrist behind the ball isn't that important,getting backwards rotaion on the ball is key.

 

[Armadillo]

Lol true, getting your wrist behind the ball is important

 

[Nate]

Every man and his dog giving his opinion, though I guess it`s what you wanted.

I know I`m far from an expert, but as far as I know, Neil`s got it right. Wrist position and keeping the seam upright are so, so important. If you watch Hall (the one bowled who`s consistently swung the ball in the VB series) he gets such a good release, with massive rotation.

I get natural in-swing, with a very chest-on action. But I suck.

 

[age_master]

Completely and utterly wrong. Side on action gives you outswing, chest on gives you inswing. Bowling inswing with a side on action is nothing more than a shortcut to back pain.

Getting the seam straight and angling it in towards the batsman are the key start points... but it's difficult to say more without a front-on video.

absolutley -

My outswinger is a much more side on action and its more round armed as well - my arm following through well past my left him.

My inswinger is much more straight on and my arm gets alot higher and then follows through nearer my right hip.

Keeping the seam upright is very important as it keeps the rough side of the ball in thr right spot.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I get natural in-swing, with a very chest-on action. But I suck.

Nath knows nothing about bowling.

That's why he plays piano and makes jazz-pop records.

 

[Matteh]

is it in fact possible to swing a ball when bowling in indoor nets? =/

 

[luckyeddie]

is it in fact possible to swing a ball when bowling in indoor nets? =/

Very much so.

It's where I first realised one of the secrets of 'reverse swing'.

 

[Francis]

The person who said to paint the ball black one side, and white the other is correct. You have to keep the seam upright the whole time. Your also have the bowl at a good pace to get the ball to swing. Without pace, the heavier side of the ball makes to ball rotate and the seam will look scrambled. If you bowl it with pace, and more importantly, backward rotation created by your wrist behind the ball ****ed, the seam will remain upright.

All this will swing the ball, but to get extra nasty swing:

I don't think anybody has mentioned it yet. But another important thing where your point the seam. If you have the seam pointing toward the slips and the shiny side the side of the slips, then the ball with swing more. However it becomes harder to keep the seam upright because your wrist is pointing toward the slips, but your arm isn't. This is why you see even pros like Steve Harmison (who did it last year in the final one-day game against Australia) bowling balls that get caught by slips. They're trying to swing the ball so much that their wrist is dictating where the ball is going, not their arm. It also help - if your bowling out-swing, to keep your arm a little rounded. Ray Lindwall is the prime example of a cricketer keeping his arm rounded.

[Edit - sorry that's how to bowl out-swing]

If you notice, many cricketers don't bowl in-swing because it isn't suiting to their bowling action. You do need to be a little front on. Wasim Akram could swing the ball both ways better than perhaps anybody in cricket history because of his front-on action.

But this is sounding complicated so I'll say this. Start off:

1. Learn how to keep a seam upright. Remember pace and backward rotation - which will come from a ****ed wrist that will have your fingers running down the seam of the ball.
2. While your learning at the start, keep your arm and wrist in line and never forget (perhaps mos importantly) keep your head still!
3. Learn how to properly shine the ball, never shine in the center of a side, just around the seam on one side.
4. If you can't do all that, start pointing the seam in the direction you want the ball to swing.

In fact, enwikpedia explains it all much better than me. It even explains how a ball will reverse over time. Gop to enwikpedia and type in "in-swing". It'll talk about seam positions, keeping it upright, shine etc.

If none of what I said makes sense... go there because it's very concise and easy to understand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

 

[mdunn27]

If you have a high enough arm action, you dont need to angle the seam (with the new ball) at all. I hold the seam bolt upright, and sometimes slightly to slip, and if bowling into the wind (as always, what a workhorse!) I can get a foot of swing. Not always a good thing, lower grades sloggers have a penchant for taking any ball over mid-wicket and into passing traffic

For me to bowl an out-swinger, I have to point the ball to gully-point region

Maybe you shouldnt listen to me though, I have taken 6 wickets this season as an opening bowler (Just completed Round 13)

 

[Langeveldt]

Well just went to bowl a few balls in the yard with a ball thats got tape on one half..

Interestingly enough, the seam seemed fairly straight at all times, (maybe because of the tape) whether I deliberately tried to **** the wrist or just bowled with my old action.. Which was odd considering I've never been able to swing..

One thing that I've been applying is putting my thumb directly on the seam instead of to one side, I guess that helps as well?

Should my wrist be bent 90 degrees on release, or should it be totally straight?
Thanks for your input guys..

 

[Barney Rubble]

Well just went to bowl a few balls in the yard with a ball thats got tape on one half..

Interestingly enough, the seam seemed fairly straight at all times, (maybe because of the tape) whether I deliberately tried to **** the wrist or just bowled with my old action.. Which was odd considering I've never been able to swing..

One thing that I've been applying is putting my thumb directly on the seam instead of to one side, I guess that helps as well?

Thanks for your input guys..

LOL @ the swear filter.

 

[Matteh]

Should my wrist be bent 90 degrees on release, or should it be totally straight?

With my outswingers i have it straight....with my inswingers it's ****ed to the right slightly (as a right hander)

 

[Nate]

Nath knows nothing about bowling.

That's why he plays piano and makes jazz-pop records.

Show some damn tact! [/Jamiemode]