The SLOB

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The SLOB

On Mavericks Cricket, I read about this delivery, nicknamed the SLOB. It is said to be the world's best slower ball and so I gave it a bit of a try.

It is an extremely difficult ball to control, but it does 'drop like a stone' as advertised.





What are your experiences with trying out the SLOB?
 
Re: The SLOB

I've got a slower yorker that acts like this - though I don't bowl it with that grip. It initially looks like a full toss and then just drops out of the air. I haven't taken a wicket with it yet - as it's not enough slower than my normal delivery and so loses a "surprise" factor. But it does surprise the batsman enough to put him back in his shell for a bit.
 
Re: The SLOB

ha thats amazing! Gonna have to try that, really need to sort a slower ball out, nothings really worked well for me so far - tried the one fingered one with just the index finger but tend to go leg side LOTS, tried the split finger but its really obvious to the batsman unless you change the grip last minute which is difficult. The most successful has just been slowing my bowling arm down last minute cos i keep the accuracy but lose the speed...but a good batsman woulud spot this.
 
Re: The SLOB

So do you hold the ball with 3 fingers leaving the little finger and thumb free ? If not, it's almost impossible to keep a grip on the ball. I might have to try this in the nets on Thursday. Could become a real wicket-taking delivery, maybe it was this type of delivery that Chris Cairns decieved Chris Read with at Lords ?
 
Re: The SLOB

King Pietersen said:
So do you hold the ball with 3 fingers leaving the little finger and thumb free ? If not, it's almost impossible to keep a grip on the ball. I might have to try this in the nets on Thursday. Could become a real wicket-taking delivery, maybe it was this type of delivery that Chris Cairns decieved Chris Read with at Lords ?
Click to expand...

You have to hold it with the regular positioning of the fingers but without the thumb on it. It is quite difficult to keep in the hand, and means you have to hold the ball further in the hand and aim to pitch the ball as a high full toss. I recommend delivering the ball from closer to the stumps too.
 
Re: The SLOB

Virendersingh.berthwal said:
Manee,
Can you show the fingers position on the ball.
Any kind of adjustment at the delivery stride.
Can you explain about it.
Click to expand...

Click the word 'this' on the first post. I just took the instructions from there.
 
Re: The SLOB

I've just been practising off 1 stride in the garden, and the 3 i got right not only dipped sharply but also swung a mile, from leg to off. Definitely going to be trying this in the nets on Thursday :D
 
Re: The SLOB

If anyone wants to film a successful SLOB delivery, I would be happy to put it on my website, which gets more than 2 million hits a year - so you'd be a star!

It would be good to have an action example of this delivery, so get fliming and practicing guys! If you have a short clip, let me know.... ;)
 
Re: The SLOB

A message to everyone practicing slower balls (and in PARTICULAR The SLOB)...

It can take a professional bowler many months of practice to perfect any variation so please don't expect to try professional slower balls like the SLOB once or twice and be an expert straight away. If you are though, well done!

Think that even some world-class bowlers like Ntini, don't trust themselves enough to bowl slower balls in matches.

The great thing about slower balls is that everyone can use them as an effective weapon. I would suggest that with the amount of one-day cricket we all play it's imperative you have one or two really good slower balls in your bag. And you can bowl them at any time in an innings, not just at the end.

The SLOB is one of the hardest to bowl as it requires only the index and middle fingers to grip the ball, but professionals who use it say it's the best because the batsman 'sees' a normal grip on the ball.... there's no clues for them at all.

Good luck with the variations and have FUN!
 
Re: The SLOB

Been practising this for a while now and when you get it right, its a great ball and can really fool the batsman.

The problem is the other 98 times when it goes completely awry!
 
Re: The SLOB

batted against someone who bowled it, it gives good variety but deceived me very well, got edged but because it was a slow ball didnt travel,definetly as a batsmen i wouldnt want to face it again, what you reccomend as a good bat, like the pros use??? kookabura ponting, fusion gray niccolls....? etc.
 
Re: The SLOB

Hi jeliasch@1, did you get a chance to take a look at the Bat and Equipment guide forum? There are loads of reviews of different bats in there - and I'm sure if you had a certain bat in mind you could start a thread in there to see what people think of it.

I was trying the SLOB at the weekend, it's fun how much it drops, but it is hard to control - though I'm sure practice would go some way to remedy that. I think it would work better than my current slower yorker - as for it I just literally turn the arm over slower and release the ball earlier, but at my level most people don't pick it anyway to be fair.
 
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