Wrist Spin Bowling (part Five)

[Fleetwood]

Fleetwood are you aware of the potential pitfalls with learning the Wrong-un? I was hoping to play two games this weekend 2 x 40 overs Sat and Sun, but our lot couldn't get 11 so the Sunday game if off. But I guess with 6 teams out on Sunday and it being the first league weekend people are guessing their gonna be aching on Sunday! I'm on an anti-osteoporosis mission - get as much loading up on my bones as possible!

Yes Dave - I read anything I can find about legspin/spin bowling in general , so found your blog a while ago - if you google "googly syndrome", quite a few of the results lead back to you! I'm very careful not to spend too long long bowling it vs stock delivery, but as I say tbh at the moment I'm not sure if it's worth spending all that much time on when I could be working on flipper/topspinner. Talking of topspinners, are you still using the method described here?

Leg Spin Bowling - Variations and Sub Variations

Wrist Spin Bowling - Top-Spinner The Top-Spinner. (updated 1st April 2015) The Top-Spinner or 'Over-Spinner' is one of the variations ...

spinbowling-legbreak.blogspot.com

how do the old bones hold up to 2x8 overs over a couple of weekend days? I'm due to play my first T20 of the season on Tuesday, weather allowing - I'd really like to get a proper outdoor net in beforehand. No wonder we struggle to produce spinners...

 

[doc8176]

Yes Dave - I read anything I can find about legspin/spin bowling in general , so found your blog a while ago - if you google "googly syndrome", quite a few of the results lead back to you! I'm very careful not to spend too long long bowling it vs stock delivery, but as I say tbh at the moment I'm not sure if it's worth spending all that much time on when I could be working on flipper/topspinner. Talking of topspinners, are you still using the method described here?

Leg Spin Bowling - Variations and Sub Variations

Wrist Spin Bowling - Top-Spinner The Top-Spinner. (updated 1st April 2015) The Top-Spinner or 'Over-Spinner' is one of the variations ...

spinbowling-legbreak.blogspot.com

how do the old bones hold up to 2x8 overs over a couple of weekend days? I'm due to play my first T20 of the season on Tuesday, weather allowing - I'd really like to get a proper outdoor net in beforehand. No wonder we struggle to produce spinners...

I’ve just started up some T20s too. They’re always good fun.

Just made a career best score of 48 opening the batting. Hit my first official 6 in my 4 years of playing cricket .

 

[Fleetwood]

I’ve just started up some T20s too. They’re always good fun.

Just made a career best score of 48 opening the batting. Hit my first official 6 in my 4 years of playing cricket .

Congrats! Don't think I've scored that many in my whole career to date

 

[doc8176]

Congrats! Don't think I've scored that many in my whole career to date

It was off 54 balls in a T20 and the other team started calling me Dravid.

Jokes on them because I’d be honoured.

 

[SomeblokecalledDave.]

Yes Dave - I read anything I can find about legspin/spin bowling in general , so found your blog a while ago - if you google "googly syndrome", quite a few of the results lead back to you! I'm very careful not to spend too long long bowling it vs stock delivery, but as I say tbh at the moment I'm not sure if it's worth spending all that much time on when I could be working on flipper/topspinner. Talking of topspinners, are you still using the method described here?

Leg Spin Bowling - Variations and Sub Variations

Wrist Spin Bowling - Top-Spinner The Top-Spinner. (updated 1st April 2015) The Top-Spinner or 'Over-Spinner' is one of the variations ...

spinbowling-legbreak.blogspot.com

how do the old bones hold up to 2x8 overs over a couple of weekend days? I'm due to play my first T20 of the season on Tuesday, weather allowing - I'd really like to get a proper outdoor net in beforehand. No wonder we struggle to produce spinners...

Just home from the Saturday game, I haven't got the exact scores yet as they did them one of those bloody tablet things rather than doing it properly. But Ball park I reckon I was 8-1-22-2. Bowled a few Leg-Breaks today and they came out well, one resulted in a catch at square leg. I must have bowled 6-7 Leg-breaks of the 48 balls, all the others Flippers. The Sunday game's called off, we were 3 blokes short which is a shame. I feel good to go again tomorrow at the moment, but ask again tomorrow! To be fair, I do a bit of exercise and yoga all week, must admit not a lot of running the spring because of the poor weather, but I climb equivalent of 14-15 flights of stairs a day at work. I also warm up and stretch before games and that seems to make a difference. I batted long today too. The oppo we suspected was quite strong and I was happy when we fielded first - everyone at least got a bowl and we restricted then to 120 odd, They then turned us over 9 for 50 and I strolled out and joined the captain for the 10th wicket partnership and we put on a another 50 + and fell 19 short with 9 overs in hand. I chopped on Good game though, weather was great after the dismal day yesterday - and the oppo towards the end there were getting panicky. Re the blog, I tend to produce and small leg-break if I bowl like that, they're decent though with more bounce than my stock leg-break. My Top-spinners at the moment are more 'Fingery' higher in the hand, but they're a work in progress.

 

[SomeblokecalledDave.]

I’ve just started up some T20s too. They’re always good fun.

Just made a career best score of 48 opening the batting. Hit my first official 6 in my 4 years of playing cricket .

Where are you Doc? I thought you was an Aussie and your season had finished?

 

[doc8176]

Where are you Doc? I thought you was an Aussie and your season had finished?

I am, winter cricket

 

[SomeblokecalledDave.]

I am, winter cricket

Indoors?

 

[doc8176]

Indoors?

Nope, outside T20s

Pink ball in whites, still play if the synthetic is damp.

We mostly only get (consistent) rain here in WA for 2 or 3 months during winter so there’s a good few months during autumn and spring where you can get cricket it. Even during winter we get dry weeks that are awesome to be outside in because it’s like 15C, super dry and sunny. It’s so crisp and is just the best air to breathe .

 

[SomeblokecalledDave.]

Nope, outside T20s

Pink ball in whites, still play if the synthetic is damp.

We mostly only get (consistent) rain here in WA for 2 or 3 months during winter so there’s a good few months during autumn and spring where you can get cricket it. Even during winter we get dry weeks that are awesome to be outside in because it’s like 15C, super dry and sunny. It’s so crisp and is just the best air to breathe .

Now I'm envious. Is that pretty much unique to WA? Is your climate over that side better than the East coast up around the Gold coast area or similar? I should just go and look at some weather data shouldn't I?

 

[doc8176]

Now I'm envious. Is that pretty much unique to WA? Is your climate over that side better than the East coast up around the Gold coast area or similar? I should just go and look at some weather data shouldn't I?

Honestly I’m not super sure, the main difference is Sydney and Melbourne I believe tend to be a little more humid. They also get far more rain outside of winter.

As seen by the SCG test losing days to rain every year.

Gold Coast is just more humid and generally hotter.

I’d say the place we’re closest to is South Australia and yes WA does have the best weather.

 

[SomeblokecalledDave.]

Fleetwood I was OK on Sunday, a little sore and "Achey" as to be expected. Nothing a bit of Yoga and stretching wouldn't have put right - I reckon I'd have been fine for another 8 overs of bowling. To be honest the outfield helped, the grass was so long there were very few fours and the ball plugged readily. I fielded Gully and Square leg and didn't really do much running at all other than jogging from one side to the other at end of overs.

 

[Fleetwood]

15c dry and sunny sounds better than our summer half the time! Played my first T20 of the season last night (4-0-19-0, dnb), although this early in the year it's still T18, as it's too dark to play by about 2030 - it was warm enough to start with, but I was wishing I'd brought some handwarmers by the end. No wickets, but not that unhappy with my bowling - dragged one short early on (smacked for six), but once I settled in, there was a lot of played-and-missed and hitting the pads outside off . I got a decent bit of turn from the astro - oohs and aahhs from the close fielders are poor substitute for wickets, but still gratifying, especially when the umpire joins in . I really do need to get the stones to bowl a flipper in a game - I'm sure it will work on the plastic pitch, but I was focusing on getting my pace up and lost my runup from the first ball - the ump was giving out front foot no balls, so felt I had to focus on that. four overs goes in an absolute flash - I'm only just getting started and it's over.

 

[Fleetwood]

Fleetwood I was OK on Sunday, a little sore and "Achey" as to be expected. Nothing a bit of Yoga and stretching wouldn't have put right - I reckon I'd have been fine for another 8 overs of bowling. To be honest the outfield helped, the grass was so long there were very few fours and the ball plugged readily. I fielded Gully and Square leg and didn't really do much running at all other than jogging from one side to the other at end of overs.

I suspect yoga is just the ticket, the Mrs does a lot of it and I've gone along occasionally & enjoyed it, and it would obviously be helpful - I've struggled to fit a regular session around running , bowling and other stuff, but I think I need to make the effort.

 

[SomeblokecalledDave.]

I suspect yoga is just the ticket, the Mrs does a lot of it and I've gone along occasionally & enjoyed it, and it would obviously be helpful - I've struggled to fit a regular session around running , bowling and other stuff, but I think I need to make the effort.

Yeah I'm no fan of running, when the weather's fine I try and get out every other day and do interval training. I walk 100 steps - sprint 22 over a circuit that takes 18 mins, more for cardiovascular reasons than cricket. My circuit is in stunning woodland and I'm interested in wildlife - but I still find it hard to incentivise myself to do it!

 

[Darth Spin]

Hi everyone. A brief update from me. All of my games have been cancelled so far due to weather or lack of players. So, nothing to report.

I have been trying to get match fitness in the nets. I think I am bowling okay, with reasonable rhythm, and reliable variants which are proper deliveries now and not all over the place.

I have pretty much cut out googlies, and bowl only leg breaks, flippers and this sort of skiddier one that goes straight on but I won't call it a "slider" because of Dave's ever watching eye hahaha.

 

[Bobble_Fell_Off]

Hi everyone

I’ve been lurking on this thread for a while - I’m something of a beginner to wrist spin having picked cricket back up last summer. I gave up playing as a teenager because, frankly, I wasn’t very good but returned at the grand age of 28. Wrist spin has always been my favourite thing about cricket and despite my aforementioned lack of success even when just trying to bowl seam-up, I’d love to develop into a somewhat competent leggie.

Before I gave up playing I saw a YouTube video of Terry Jenner explaining how to spin a leg break, since then I've been able to spin a cricket ball well from hand-to-hand. Towards the end of last summer, I tried spinning a few deliveries in the nets, most flew out sideways but lo and behold! The two or three that actually landed turned sharply. Since then I’ve been keen to actually develop this and since last week I’ve been heading down to the nets after work to bowl at some cones on my own (good advice I read on here), mostly from a standing start as running up seems to create far too many issues.

About half of my deliveries end up flying off into the wrong direction, generally full and down leg or quite a lot of the time (especially when I’m tired or trying to run up) onto the underside of the net's roof.

I'll have a go at filming a bit of my action next time I'm at the nets.

Questions:

1. Am I being completely deluded for trying to learn leg spin and should instead give up (for now) and switch my focus on bowling something less cool but also less challenging?
2. If no, what are the key things I should be focusing on at this stage?
3. Are my current inaccuracy woes just overcome by practice, or should I be trying to analyse and "fix" aspects of my action?
4. Is it worth trying to develop some easier, seam up bowling for playing in matches, or does that risk complicating things? (I’ve never understood how finger spin works, spinning with the ring finger just feels so much more natural)

 

[doc8176]

Hi everyone

I’ve been lurking on this thread for a while - I’m something of a beginner to wrist spin having picked cricket back up last summer. I gave up playing as a teenager because, frankly, I wasn’t very good but returned at the grand age of 28. Wrist spin has always been my favourite thing about cricket and despite my aforementioned lack of success even when just trying to bowl seam-up, I’d love to develop into a somewhat competent leggie.

Before I gave up playing I saw a YouTube video of Terry Jenner explaining how to spin a leg break, since then I've been able to spin a cricket ball well from hand-to-hand. Towards the end of last summer, I tried spinning a few deliveries in the nets, most flew out sideways but lo and behold! The two or three that actually landed turned sharply. Since then I’ve been keen to actually develop this and since last week I’ve been heading down to the nets after work to bowl at some cones on my own (good advice I read on here), mostly from a standing start as running up seems to create far too many issues.

About half of my deliveries end up flying off into the wrong direction, generally full and down leg or quite a lot of the time (especially when I’m tired or trying to run up) onto the underside of the net's roof.

I'll have a go at filming a bit of my action next time I'm at the nets.

Questions:

1. Am I being completely deluded for trying to learn leg spin and should instead give up (for now) and switch my focus on bowling something less cool but also less challenging?
2. If no, what are the key things I should be focusing on at this stage?
3. Are my current inaccuracy woes just overcome by practice, or should I be trying to analyse and "fix" aspects of my action?
4. Is it worth trying to develop some easier, seam up bowling for playing in matches, or does that risk complicating things? (I’ve never understood how finger spin works, spinning with the ring finger just feels so much more natural)

1. Am I being completely deluded for trying to learn leg spin and should instead give up (for now) and switch my focus on bowling something less cool but also less challenging?

Wrong place to ask that question haha, but seriously if it’s the main thing you enjoy why stop it, it’s way easier to learn something if you have a genuine interest in it.

2. If no, what are the key things I should be focusing on at this stage?

Spinning your leg break as much as possible imo. But this I believe is a highly controversial topic on this thread.

3. Are my current inaccuracy woes just overcome by practice, or should I be trying to analyse and "fix" aspects of my action?

Legspin is definitely the hardest type of bowing to be accurate with but also generally the most rewarding. Practice will help for sure, but technique is also very important. If you want you could post a few clips of you bowling and people here are very knowledgeable with leg spin bowling action.

4. Is it worth trying to develop some easier, seam up bowling for playing in matches, or does that risk complicating things? (I’ve never understood how finger spin works, spinning with the ring finger just feels so much more natural)

No. Learn leg spin, bowl it in matches. It’s the best way to get better.

 

[doc8176]

Also I can try teach you off spin if you’re interested given that’s what I bowl but leg spin sounds like your thing.

 

[Bobble_Fell_Off]

1. Am I being completely deluded for trying to learn leg spin and should instead give up (for now) and switch my focus on bowling something less cool but also less challenging?

Wrong place to ask that question haha, but seriously if it’s the main thing you enjoy why stop it, it’s way easier to learn something if you have a genuine interest in it.

2. If no, what are the key things I should be focusing on at this stage?

Spinning your leg break as much as possible imo. But this I believe is a highly controversial topic on this thread.

3. Are my current inaccuracy woes just overcome by practice, or should I be trying to analyse and "fix" aspects of my action?

Legspin is definitely the hardest type of bowing to be accurate with but also generally the most rewarding. Practice will help for sure, but technique is also very important. If you want you could post a few clips of you bowling and people here are very knowledgeable with leg spin bowling action.

4. Is it worth trying to develop some easier, seam up bowling for playing in matches, or does that risk complicating things? (I’ve never understood how finger spin works, spinning with the ring finger just feels so much more natural)

No. Learn leg spin, bowl it in matches. It’s the best way to get better.

Thanks for the advice/encouragement doc!

I had a quick bowl in the nets today and had a go filming it, some from a standing start and some from my attempt to run in properly: Youtube Link

People say hearing the sound of your own voice played back to you is one of the most mortifying feelings, but it's safe to say this is worse

My own analysis is that by back leg seems to be kicking miles out while the top half falls away to the off-side. I wonder if my timing is also off kilter as I seem to be releasing very front on, whereas just looking at some videos of Warne ect now they seem to be releasing much earlier into the pivot. I also need to develop a consistent way of running in as everything feels very awkward at the moment. As ever, would appreciate any thoughts and advice!