Fast Bowling Analysis

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Fast Bowling Analysis

Just a little feature that I wish to start. Simply post the name of a fast bowler along with a youtube clip of him bowling and I will analyse his action, posting places in which I feel he gets his pace from and if possible, where he can improve. He can be a professional bowler (international or county) or a video of you or your friend bowling.

I fancy myself as a bit of a fast bowling analyser and think that this will be good practice for me.
 
Re: Fast Bowling Analysis

One of my favourite bowlers of all time - Curtley Ambrose.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5G4pqb4nns&feature=related"]YouTube - Curtley Ambrose devastating spell of 7 for 1 run v Australia[/ame]

Sorry for the poor quality but it does have some slo-motion sections.
 
Re: Fast Bowling Analysis

One more for you and probably my favourite paceman of all time, Malcolm Marshall, some nice slo-motion sections in here as well.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgfY2VNbv7s&feature=related"]YouTube - Malcolm Marshall the magnificent[/ame]
 
Re: Fast Bowling Analysis

This is being done from an objective point of view which means that I am ignoring that I know he is a good bowler and merely concentrating on the action.

Curtley Ambrose

Run Up:

He has a good rhythmic run up but could perhaps have benefited from longer strides to the crease. His run up is not express sprinting and although it is fine to jog briskly to the crease, it is no coincidence that Shoaib Akhtar, Brett Lee and Shaun Tait who have all held positions as the fastest bowlers in the world all sprinted in to the crease.

Jump:

He has a fantastic jump to the crease which keeps him in control whilst making good ground. The jump could be longer with a faster run up though.

He ends the jump with a high front knee ready to pound onto the pitch. This is the perfect example for strength based fast bowlers and is a main component of Andrew Flintoff's action.

Arms during gather:

The forearm aims toward the target in a unique way which allows a front on action with perfect control against the left hander and right hander alike. The bowling arm is kept in front of, yet close to the body which means that the weight is going forward but the posture remains strong.

The bowling arm stretches back and this is one of the neglected principles of fast bowling. It gives him tremendous leverage. The combination of leverage and his incredible strength was the reason he could bowl it at approximately 85mph.

Release:

Very high arm which gives the bounce off the wicket. Good wrist position which is always behind the line of the ball. Ambrose always hits the pitch hard and combined with his bounce and leverage is the reason for his largely unrivalled record.

Follow Through:

The head falls away in the action, much like the lion share of fast bowlers and I think this accounts for his lack of frightening pace against the left hander but he has managed to account for these flaws to a great extent.

He fails to throw his upper body at the batsman with the full ball and it is an extremely flawed way to do this as it can lead to terrible back injuries but allows him to bowl the ball exactly where he wants.

The arms follow through well and he completes the action with the arms well.

The legs do not follow through well and, like Glenn Mcgrath, this loss of pace comes at a return of bounce off the wicket as he stands upright throughout the action.

Overall:

The action results in fine accuracy and good bounce but many flaws reduce the pace of the big man. However, brilliant use of leverage manages to get him up to a fast-medium pace.
 
Re: Fast Bowling Analysis

Malcolm Marshall

Run up:

Short strided but quick approach to the crease was ideal for his height for generating pace.

Jump:

He has one of the longest jumps in the game, he leaps several metres forward without the need to travel upwards into the air - this requires tremendous coordination and is a tribute to the natural ability of the great man.

A straight run up is ideal and the angled run up means he loses a yard of pace

Arms during gather:

He only holds a momentary position of aim but his simplistic approach with his arms allows him to generate further pace with the action, His arms aid him fully in his acceleration toward the crease.

Not much leverage but his action is based on momentum, of which he has plenty.

Release:

Tremendously strong and yet mobile wrists allow swing in both direction without losing pace.

The high arm action is ideal for a fast bowler and it is another tribute to his talent that he can get the bowling arm up high whilst travelling through the crease at an amazing pace.

A bent front leg may be the reason for a potential lack of carry in long spells or a lack of bounce but I imagine that raw pace accounts well for this.

There is a very short time between the landing of the feet and this is perfect for the pace bowling of a slender individual as it sacrifices leverage (strength) for momentum.

Follow Through:

He does not fully complete the action but this does not hinder his quick arm action.

He seems to follow through down the wicket occasionally and I am not sure whether this would be allowed these days. However, this allows him to bowl accurately, regardless of the wrist position and direction of swing.

Although there is a lack of 'action' after the release, he makes sure to go in straight lines which would give him superb accuracy and keep momentum going forward.

Overall:

The perfect action for his physique which allows for swing, pace and accuracy. Merely judging by the action (forgetting all I know), I would assume that he would be the most successful bowler of all time (maybe he is).
 
Re: Fast Bowling Analysis

Can you comment on my action..
I usually bowl with a short run up.. I want to bowl with a little more pace.

The video I shot it in my apt .. its a little dark.. I'll try to post another one
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5GT1qGCRII"]YouTube - My bowling[/ame]

thanks.
 
Re: Fast Bowling Analysis

next one try to get it down at the nets or somewhere similar so that everything from runup to release can be seen
 
Re: Fast Bowling Analysis

Can I request this thread closed, I don't currently have the time for this.

Striker, post your video in another thread, loads of members will help you out.
 
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