My son is a promising 8 year old leggie. However I have noticed that instead of bounding into his delivery stride by pushing up off his left foot and landing on his right (like most right handed bowlers), he sort of hops off his right foot back onto his right before delivering conventionally with his weight on the front (i.e.left) leg. It is obviously completely natural for him to do this and he has excellent accuracy and control for an 8 year old. Most importantly he gets appreciable turn. Should I leave well alone or should I try to change his action to make him bound conventionally off his left onto his right leg?
Leg Spinner Bounding Off Wrong Foot
- Thread starter Tom H
- Start date
someblokecalleddave
Well-Known Member
My son was bounding off the wrong foot at the age of 10 and doing really well with it. I explained to him that it would be best to change it in the longer term and showed him how to do it correctly and he changed it within a few practices and he won bowler of the year last year for his age group and is a terrific bowler. As Liz said a video is the way forward.
Tom, in theory changing his bound should not unduly effect his accuracy, control or turn as his delivery stride shouldn't be affected, although it may be in the short term if he changes and loses rythmn. For me it is usually a balance issue (although my guess is that Liz will have lots of anotmical issues which may or may not mean a change is required and should be listened to) and whilst at his age he may be able to adjust to a hop rather than a bound I would at least try to encourage him to have a go at the conventional approach
Remember this will feel 'unnatural' to him so, if possible, get him bowling into the side of a net - this will eliminate the 'outcome' as you are only concerned with adjusting his bowling action not getting caught up with what sort of ball he has bowled. I would try to get him bowling 'from the base' (Dave's standing start drill with a clear follow through), then build up to a 'step' ie from a standing start place back (right) foot then front (left) foot and bowl with follow through. Finally get him going in off 4 paces right foot - left foot - bound - back (right) foot - front (left) foot - bowl - I would usually encourage a good follow through as well here but let him concentrate giving the conventional approach a fair crack. Good luck, whatever he decides to go with
Remember this will feel 'unnatural' to him so, if possible, get him bowling into the side of a net - this will eliminate the 'outcome' as you are only concerned with adjusting his bowling action not getting caught up with what sort of ball he has bowled. I would try to get him bowling 'from the base' (Dave's standing start drill with a clear follow through), then build up to a 'step' ie from a standing start place back (right) foot then front (left) foot and bowl with follow through. Finally get him going in off 4 paces right foot - left foot - bound - back (right) foot - front (left) foot - bowl - I would usually encourage a good follow through as well here but let him concentrate giving the conventional approach a fair crack. Good luck, whatever he decides to go with
Thanks for your advice, Liz, Tony and someblokecalleddave. Took a video on Saturday and spoke to a level 3 coach who watched him bowl. His view was that it is best to correct it now while he is just 8 years old. He got him walking through a correct delivery (left foot bound, cross over, right foot landing and bowl off the left). He walked it through repeatedly along a straight line. On Sunday we got him to run through and, by George, I think he got it once he overcame his bolshiness about changing! Occasional lapses into the funny skip thing but every time he did that we made him do ten more good ones in a row. All the time he was bowling into the side of the net so he couldn't see the outcome. I expect that when he "goes live" he will probably find he has lost some accuracy and control but I have prepared him to expect that. At least the steps will be right and he can rebuild the rest of it from there. Hopefully he will still get the turn. We'll see.
someblokecalleddave
Well-Known Member
Nice one, better to get him once he's young. For years people have been telling me that in order to improve my bowling I need to develop a correct bound. It seemed inconceivable that I'd be able to change it as it was so ingrained in my action to bowl with a funny little skip. I've worked on it - just doing it indoors over the winter, but have now tried it for real three times and I've gone from this...........http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm3VxsgKTKw to this........http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET1S_nsR7Hw and you know what they say about old dogs and new tricks. You'll have to keep us informed.
That is good news Tom and your son will be back to his former accuracy, if not better, very soon.
Your coach is right that it is better to get this sort of thing corrected as early as possible, however, I try to hold back from commenting prior to seeing a video. I quite often get asked by coaches [Level 3 as well] to check a 'double hop' and occasionally, when analysed on video, it does not exist. The worse possible scenario is when you spend a long time trying to correct something that is not there and mess up the action all together. I would say more than 90% of issues cannot possibly be correctly diagnosed with the naked eye... what we think we see is not always what actually happens.
Well done to your son.
Your coach is right that it is better to get this sort of thing corrected as early as possible, however, I try to hold back from commenting prior to seeing a video. I quite often get asked by coaches [Level 3 as well] to check a 'double hop' and occasionally, when analysed on video, it does not exist. The worse possible scenario is when you spend a long time trying to correct something that is not there and mess up the action all together. I would say more than 90% of issues cannot possibly be correctly diagnosed with the naked eye... what we think we see is not always what actually happens.
Well done to your son.
someblokecalleddave
Well-Known Member
That is good news Tom and your son will be back to his former accuracy, if not better, very soon.
Your coach is right that it is better to get this sort of thing corrected as early as possible, however, I try to hold back from commenting prior to seeing a video. I quite often get asked by coaches [Level 3 as well] to check a 'double hop' and occasionally, when analysed on video, it does not exist. The worse possible scenario is when you spend a long time trying to correct something that is not there and mess up the action all together. I would say more than 90% of issues cannot possibly be correctly diagnosed with the naked eye... what we think we see is not always what actually happens.
Well done to your son.
Liz have you looked at my new bowling action? Have a look at my channel on youtube - I've shot it from the side, behind, in front etc. http://www.youtube.com/user/someblokecalleddave1?feature=mhsn
I have indeed Dave and am really ecstatic with your back foot. However, I am not going to say much at the moment as you have become my guinnea pig and I am awaiting comments from another coach. Sorry, can't pay you anything but as you are an educator, I am confident you will appreciate that your services are for the greater good
!
PS I am also hoping Tony does not comment just yet. He is so good that he will give it all away x
PS I am also hoping Tony does not comment just yet. He is so good that he will give it all away x
someblokecalleddave
Well-Known Member
Look forward to what you've got to say and yep I'll give your suggestions a go.