cricket4excellent
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Skill Focus: Fast Bowling
Dear Cricketer,
we focus on how to minimise injuries for fast bowlers.
At this midpoint in the season, keeping your strike bowlers in peak fitness is crucial.
This edition takes a look at how the action of the bowlers is crucial to maintaining fitness and to gain some extra pace, accuracy and movement, both off the pitch and in the air.
The buzz word this month is RHYTHM. Rhythm is crucial to minimising injury whilst at the same time improving performance.
Rhythm is split into 4 categories:
* run up;
* approach (last 3 strides to the crease);
* delivery THROUGH the crease; and
* follow through.
Rhythm produces consistency in all parts of the action. Consistency will help prevent ragged bowling actions that are so often the source of injury, especially important when bowlers are tired.
Run Up
The aim of the run up is to build speed to the crease. The bowler should be relaxed in their run up, gradually increasing speed and lengthening their stride.
The length and speed of the run up is crucial to building rhythm. Optimal speed should be achieved shortly before the crease. Too fast a run up, achieving optimal speed too early or not gradually increasing speed and stride length will hinder rhythm and therefore consistency in delivery.
Approach
The aim of the approach is
* to maintain the speed, relaxation and rhythm built from the run up;
* to enable the smooth transition to the delivery stride; and
* to allow an extended follow through to minimise injury.
In the final few strides to the crease, the bowler should have in mind where they will finish the extended follow through. This will help to maintain the rhythm through the crease and through the delivery stride.
Delivery
It is the delivery stride where injuries are the most likely to occur due the huge strains that go through fast bowler’s bodies.
Research by England’s bowling coaching team has shown that the fast bowlers place on average 4 times their bodyweight on their back foot in the delivery.
The transfer of rhythm through the crease and the delivery stride is critical. Rhythm reduces any untoward stresses and strains on the body of the bowler via a smooth energy transfer.
Rhythm through the delivery stride will maintain the speed achieved in the run up maintaining pace. A fluid, rhythmical action will produce consistent line and length with no reduction in pace.
Follow Through
The follow through is essential in maximising rhythm and pace and minimising injury.
The pace generated in the run up and delivery stride must be dissipated slowly by taking several strides following delivery. The more steps taken, the less the strain on the joints and back and therefore the lower the risk of injury.
Coaching Tips
* Ensure that the bowler understands the individual aspects of each stage of the bowling action.
* Ensure that the bowler understands the overall bowling action and the aims of the process as a whole – to generate and maintain rhythm throughout.
* The run up should start slowly, gently build up to delivery, and ease off in the follow through.
Dear Cricketer,
we focus on how to minimise injuries for fast bowlers.
At this midpoint in the season, keeping your strike bowlers in peak fitness is crucial.
This edition takes a look at how the action of the bowlers is crucial to maintaining fitness and to gain some extra pace, accuracy and movement, both off the pitch and in the air.
The buzz word this month is RHYTHM. Rhythm is crucial to minimising injury whilst at the same time improving performance.
Rhythm is split into 4 categories:
* run up;
* approach (last 3 strides to the crease);
* delivery THROUGH the crease; and
* follow through.
Rhythm produces consistency in all parts of the action. Consistency will help prevent ragged bowling actions that are so often the source of injury, especially important when bowlers are tired.
Run Up
The aim of the run up is to build speed to the crease. The bowler should be relaxed in their run up, gradually increasing speed and lengthening their stride.
The length and speed of the run up is crucial to building rhythm. Optimal speed should be achieved shortly before the crease. Too fast a run up, achieving optimal speed too early or not gradually increasing speed and stride length will hinder rhythm and therefore consistency in delivery.
Approach
The aim of the approach is
* to maintain the speed, relaxation and rhythm built from the run up;
* to enable the smooth transition to the delivery stride; and
* to allow an extended follow through to minimise injury.
In the final few strides to the crease, the bowler should have in mind where they will finish the extended follow through. This will help to maintain the rhythm through the crease and through the delivery stride.
Delivery
It is the delivery stride where injuries are the most likely to occur due the huge strains that go through fast bowler’s bodies.
Research by England’s bowling coaching team has shown that the fast bowlers place on average 4 times their bodyweight on their back foot in the delivery.
The transfer of rhythm through the crease and the delivery stride is critical. Rhythm reduces any untoward stresses and strains on the body of the bowler via a smooth energy transfer.
Rhythm through the delivery stride will maintain the speed achieved in the run up maintaining pace. A fluid, rhythmical action will produce consistent line and length with no reduction in pace.
Follow Through
The follow through is essential in maximising rhythm and pace and minimising injury.
The pace generated in the run up and delivery stride must be dissipated slowly by taking several strides following delivery. The more steps taken, the less the strain on the joints and back and therefore the lower the risk of injury.
Coaching Tips
* Ensure that the bowler understands the individual aspects of each stage of the bowling action.
* Ensure that the bowler understands the overall bowling action and the aims of the process as a whole – to generate and maintain rhythm throughout.
* The run up should start slowly, gently build up to delivery, and ease off in the follow through.