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Teaching a beginner how to bowl

cnerd123

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Does anyone have any experience trying to teach an adult who has never played cricket before how to bowl, and if so, how did you go about it?
 

Starfighter

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
No, but we have a new guy of about 40 on our team who's never played before, so I'm going to find out.
 

andmark

International Captain
I realise it's different with children, but my dad used to coach my school's cricket team. He used to explain it in terms of a windmill, keeping the arms straight and whatnot.
 

cnerd123

likes this
I realise it's different with children, but my dad used to coach my school's cricket team. He used to explain it in terms of a windmill, keeping the arms straight and whatnot.
So with the beginner I was teaching today, I tried that, and she was good at pulling off a legal bowling action when not actually bowling the ball. I also used the tips of having a high front leg and landing it, bringing your bowling arm down and across into your pocket on the opposite side. These ideas seemed to have worked

But with ball in hand bowling to the stumps, something goes off. I think she was focusing too hard on getting the ball across the other end (even though it was just, like, 20 feet), and was resorting to a chuck. Also the 'keep a straight arm' thing didn't seem to help - if anything, it made her lock her arm straight out behind her back before bowling, which made the entire windmill swing almost impossible to do.

She started to get the hang of it towards the end of the session when I got her to stop worrying about where the ball was going, and she was just gently going through the motions of an action and letting the ball drop just in front of her as a result. But I figure there has to be a better way.
 

Jarquis

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
If you can tie a piece of rope or string across the net (or use a washing line, or something of that ilk) at about head height and get them to bowl over the top of it. It's pretty hard to do by chucking it and it forces them to bowl. It comes out as a bit of a lob up into the air but once they get used to that you can get them to bring the arm through.

Forget anything about run ups. Literally have them rock from their back foot onto the front foot and back and forth, back and forth with the arm straight. Or there's - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHTzqkFuIjs
 

andmark

International Captain
Confidence might be an issue, i.e "can I bowl a ball that far without chucking?" You could maybe tackle that by getting her to attempt to bowl the ball as far as she could without any stumps to aim at. If she realises it's possible to throw a ball quite far with a bowling action, it might change things for her.
 

cnerd123

likes this
If you can tie a piece of rope or string across the net (or use a washing line, or something of that ilk) at about head height and get them to bowl over the top of it. It's pretty hard to do by chucking it and it forces them to bowl. It comes out as a bit of a lob up into the air but once they get used to that you can get them to bring the arm through.

Forget anything about run ups. Literally have them rock from their back foot onto the front foot and back and forth, back and forth with the arm straight. Or there's - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHTzqkFuIjs
I wanted to try this thing with the cones but couldn't remember the details on how to do it at the time. I've seen it work with kids, will try it next time.
 

DestinationCric

Cricket Spectator
It all depends on what type of bowling you want to do.
Do you feel like plowing in and bowling rockets or crafting spells of spin?

For seam up or fast bowlers: The wind mill action or cart wheel action is the easiest first step.
Have the trainee stand at the crease, feet shoulder width apart. Both arms spread out shoulder height.

The first step is getting there preferred bowling arm through. Whichever they choose continue with.

For a right hander: Put a ball in there right hand and get them to practice the motion of bringing the arm from starting position, up vertical past (brushing) the ear and down to left hand.

When they get familiar with this action incorporate the left arm as a aiming guide.

After the trainee becomes familiar with this basic action move on to the more advanced movements. Walking - Running in to bowl. Landing, driving through with non front leg.

Hopefully this can help 8-)
 

social

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
YouTube & a mirror

Far easier to say “copy this” than talk about feet/hip alignment etc while insisting that they do hours of boring repetition
 
Last edited:

myBall

Cricket Spectator
would you like to do some smart bowling? have a look at the smart cricket ball
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this ultimate training cricket ball provides you instant statistic on your phone. It shows speed of the ball, bounce zone (yorker, good zone, short zone like on the TV ^_^)
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Get a cricket smartball and improve your results!

http://www.myball.biz/smartball_cricket
 

CheeseRoll

Cricket Spectator
I'm a 40 year old who's spent 20 years watching/listening cricket but never played. I joined the local club at the start of the year but unfortunately covid-19 has kind of got in the way of any quality practice/coaching...

..I'm having a similar-ish issue to the one mentioned. Although bowling seam-up my arm is nice and high and I can bowl straight every time, as soon as I try to bowl spin I start reverting to a round-arm action and my head falls to one side (bowling without the ball I always do better though). Does anyone have any suggestions for things to concentrate on in the action or drills?
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
One suggestion is you keep your eyes on the batsman during your delivery stride.. Maybe, that will help your arms come towards your head a bit more as well.


And welcome to CW, btw. :)
 

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