Drift and swing

[someblokecalleddave]

Drift and swing

What's the difference between drift and swing. Can someone expand on this any further?

I've got this - Drift
the slight lateral curved-path movement that a spinner extracts while the ball is in flight. Considered very good bowling

Swing
a bowling style usually employed by fast and medium-pace bowlers. The fielding side will polish the ball on one side of the seam only; as the innings continues, the ball will become worn on one side, but shiny on the other. When the ball is bowled with the seam upright, the air will travel faster over the shiny side than the worn side. This makes the ball swing (curve) in the air. Conventional swing would mean that the ball curves in the air away from the shiny side. (see reverse swing

 

[gundalf7]

Re: Drift and swing

i'd always thought that drift was from balls with some top spin(with the side spin) on ie spinning forwards and swing is caused by the ball rotating backwards, but i'm probablly worng

 

[mas cambios]

Re: Drift and swing

My understanding was that drift is caused by the rotation of the ball, wheras swing is caused the differences in smooth side/rough side and the way air flows over them.

 

[sadspinner]

Re: Drift and swing

Drift has to do with the magnus effect. So topspin and sidespin. The drift being opposite to the side of spin. So a legbreak will drift from off to leg then spin leg to off. An offbreak drifts from leg to off then spins off to leg of a right handed batsman.

Swing depends on two surfaces that are not equally shiny, causing different pressures or turbulence, that in turn causes the ball to swing. Even though other factors are included eg warmish humid weather with cloud cover. Also requires backspin,so both the flipper and the arm ball may swing if the seam is upright.

As regards off cutters and leg cutters I presume the same applies as in spin , so possibly minimal drift and turn off the pitch. Though I am not sure about the cutters.