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Front-on bowling taking over

Red

Red

The normal awards that everyone else has
I usually bowl side on with a natural outswing , but when I want to bowl an inswinger I change my action to front on (as well as change seam position).

Seems to work.................










.....sometimes!
 
wellAlbidarned

wellAlbidarned

International Coach
Obviously the wrist and fingers are part of the action, I just think that whether you bowl side on or front on isn't nearly as much of a factor as the old-school theories say.
 
uvelocity

uvelocity

International Coach
no I'm not being pedantic about wrist and fingers being part of the action, it's more than that. the arc that your arm and shoulders form is vitally important. And as with monk, my natural action is side on outswing. To attempt inswing requires much more front on, and a much higher, outside in type of arm arc.
 
Red

Red

The normal awards that everyone else has
Yeh. My right arm ends up across my body and at my left hip in my normal bowling action.

When I *try* to bowl inswing, I bowl front on and my right arm goes past my right hip instead (I kind of imagine Malcolm Marshall bowling in my head).
 
vic_orthdox

vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
wellAlbidarned said:
They're both fairly front on, though Anderson is closer to half and half.
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Anderson is semi side-on, while Steyn is side-on - look at the direction his foot lands in, his hips point at the batsman in the load up; obviously at the point of delivery his chest begins to face the batsman but that has to open up at some stage.
 
vic_orthdox

vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
wellAlbidarned said:
Both total myths imo. Swing is about wrist and finger position not action, and side on bowling puts just as much pressure on the back as front-on.
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Side on bowling means that naturally your arm will be at 1 o'clock position, and is more likely to create a natural curve in the hand as it comes back across the body to help outswing. The front on action is more likely to come through at the 12 o'clock position, and push the fingers straight towards the batsman or even on the outside pushing the ball inwards.
 
wellAlbidarned

wellAlbidarned

International Coach
vic_orthdox said:
Anderson is semi side-on, while Steyn is side-on - look at the direction his foot lands in, his hips point at the batsman in the load up; obviously at the point of delivery his chest begins to face the batsman but that has to open up at some stage.
Click to expand...
Steyn still looks pretty square on throughout his whole action to me, obviously twists a bit when the arm comes around but that doesn't change it.

vic_orthdox said:
Side on bowling means that naturally your arm will be at 1 o'clock position, and is more likely to create a natural curve in the hand as it comes back across the body to help outswing. The front on action is more likely to come through at the 12 o'clock position, and push the fingers straight towards the batsman or even on the outside pushing the ball inwards.
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I do get this, I'm just pointing out that the abundance of front-on outswing bowlers today shows that it's not a fundamental part of outswing bowling as previously thought, you can still get the right seam position and release bowling front on.
 
wellAlbidarned

wellAlbidarned

International Coach
Agree that Smiley's pic doesn't really prove anything.

Watch Steyn's shoulders - they're pretty much straight at the batsman the whole way. He also clearly looks inside his front shoulder in his delivery stride, whereas a side-on bowler will look over it.



Regarding his legwork, I guess you could say he has a bit of a mixed action?
 
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vic_orthdox

vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
smalishah84 said:
eemmm excuse me....The only difference is that he is not running in now.....he is in his delivery stride

other bowlers in delivery stride with a side on action



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They're all irrelevant. You can do a double backflip in the air, what is important is what happens when you land.

Now, I'm not an absolute expert on this stuff, but when he makes contact with the ground, look where his foot is pointing. His hips line up towards the batsman, and just before he is to bowl, his shoulders do as well (look at the 39sec mark of the Steyn video I posted earlier).
 
vic_orthdox

vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
wellAlbidarned said:
Agree that Smiley's pic doesn't really prove anything.

Watch Steyn's shoulders - they're pretty much straight at the batsman the whole way. He also clearly looks inside his front shoulder in his delivery stride, whereas a side-on bowler will look over it.



Regarding his legwork, I guess you could say he has a bit of a mixed action?
Click to expand...
The "through the shoulder" stuff isn't compulsory for it to be a side-on action, for some people it causes further stress on the back as they fall backwards at the crease trying to look "through the window".

In the end, the whole "side on"/"front on" is a tad passé, what they look for now is alignment, at any point between front on and 90 degrees, ensuring the body is all working in a similar direction.
 
jan

jan

State Vice-Captain
vic_orthdox said:
Fast bowler runs in with chest facing bowler shocker.

Glenn McGrath is front on. Glenn McGrath 5 wickets vs England 2005 Ashes - YouTube

Look where his feet face when he lands and the alignment of his hips. His left hip never points towards the batsman.

Dale Steyn gets side on. Dale Steyn 4-76 v England at Headingly 2008 - YouTube

When he lands, his back foot points parallel with the creases and his left him is aimed at where he wants to bowl.
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McGrath is obvious but I find the vid with Steyn confusing. He uses both techniques?
 
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