Swing Pattern

[Agent Nationaux]

Each fast bowler has his own unique swing pattern/shape. This is obviously due to his wrist position, action and how he grips the ball/ seam position. For example Steyn and Jimmy have that very late outswinger that is shaped like a banana and Waqar had a similar shaped inswinger.

Is it possible for a bowler to attain a variation in his swing pattern by slightly adjusting his delivery each time in order to bowl with a different swing pattern? Has anyone ever managed to gain control over this particular variation and if someone did manage to do so how would that translate into that players success as a fast bowler? It would be a pretty impressive skill to have. I mean imagine if Steyn in one delivery bowls his typical outswinger but in the very next he changes it to one that swings with a different pattern. Would completely fool the batsman.

[benchmark00]

A bowler achieves later swing if his arm is more vertical than if it was lower. So say a right armer was trying to swing it away from a right handed batsman, he could in theory have his arm lower so it swings straight from the hand, then next ball get his arm higher and chances are the ball will go later.

Of course this is all in theory, in practice it's difficult to know exactly how high your arm is and is reliant largely on the rest of your action.

[Daemon]

Does that work with inswing too?

[hendrix]

I read somewhere that "late" swing is an illusion. The ball appears to move later when it's bowled faster.

[benchmark00]

Originally Posted by Daemon

Does that work with inswing too?

For a right armer bowling in swing, he wants his arm almost slightly past the perpendicular. If it were possible to stretch your arm all the way over, the further past the perpendicular you get the earlier swing you would get.

Originally Posted by hendrix

I read somewhere that "late" swing is an illusion. The ball appears to move later when it's bowled faster.

The ball has an ideal speed and revolution number which causes it to swing, depending on the conditions and the ball state (wear and tear plus angle).

If you bowl the ball it doesn't keep its speed the whole way through and often it will reach this ideal point when it has lost speed, which is later in the delivery.

[hendrix]

Originally Posted by benchmark00

The ball has an ideal speed and revolution number which causes it to swing, depending on the conditions and the ball state (wear and tear plus angle).

If you bowl the ball it doesn't keep its speed the whole way through and often it will reach this ideal point when it has lost speed, which is later in the delivery.

Cool, that makes sense.