Wrist Spin Bowling (part Five)

Top Contributors
Hi, could anyone help. New to the forum and hope this is the correct place to post.

29 year old leg spin bowler and used to play county under 16s and have played at Lords before having a shocking season, where I had the yips and sprayed the ball all over the place. Never been the same unfortunately but still play twice a weekend.

My problem is that in the nets my bowling is always as good as it was at its best when I was 16, but when I go out on a pitch I quite often bowl total filth. After an over of filth I just end up bowling 10 overs of googlies, which I can pitch perfectly well and they trouble the batsman, but it is not that fun.

I have been telling myself for 8 years that it is a mental thing, but I am not sure. In the nets I never bowl a wide, but my first 3 balls in a match are often good pace and length but wides on the offside. Then i try to fix this and bowl a three bouncer down the leg side. Then bowl googlies for the rest of the game.

Why would I bowl fine in nets, can put it exactly where I want with or without a run up, but then out on the pitch I never get this consistency? Why the wides on the offside? I must be changing my action, but how and why?

It actually upsets me quite alot as I was destined for good things and still bat in good cricket matches at a high standard, but if I could bowl how I do in the nets, then I would much more enjoy myself and prove to people that I still have it. In the nets I have it in spades.
 
Joe Paget said:
Hi, could anyone help. New to the forum and hope this is the correct place to post.

29 year old leg spin bowler and used to play county under 16s and have played at Lords before having a shocking season, where I had the yips and sprayed the ball all over the place. Never been the same unfortunately but still play twice a weekend.

My problem is that in the nets my bowling is always as good as it was at its best when I was 16, but when I go out on a pitch I quite often bowl total filth. After an over of filth I just end up bowling 10 overs of googlies, which I can pitch perfectly well and they trouble the batsman, but it is not that fun.

I have been telling myself for 8 years that it is a mental thing, but I am not sure. In the nets I never bowl a wide, but my first 3 balls in a match are often good pace and length but wides on the offside. Then i try to fix this and bowl a three bouncer down the leg side. Then bowl googlies for the rest of the game.

Why would I bowl fine in nets, can put it exactly where I want with or without a run up, but then out on the pitch I never get this consistency? Why the wides on the offside? I must be changing my action, but how and why?

It actually upsets me quite alot as I was destined for good things and still bat in good cricket matches at a high standard, but if I could bowl how I do in the nets, then I would much more enjoy myself and prove to people that I still have it. In the nets I have it in spades.
Click to expand...


Well if you can do it in the nets but not in a match, it has to be a mental thing. Can you go out onto the square with a mate and see if you can bowl well there when there isn't a match situation happening?

Are you running up the same, from the same spot, at the same angle, same speed etc? Are you looking at the same target?
 
SLA said:
Well if you can do it in the nets but not in a match, it has to be a mental thing. Can you go out onto the square with a mate and see if you can bowl well there when there isn't a match situation happening?

Are you running up the same, from the same spot, at the same angle, same speed etc? Are you looking at the same target?
Click to expand...

I'd echo that, I also think a routine around starting your spells might help, I used to just get the ball off the captain, wait for the batsman to get ready, then just trot into bowl, but now I try to have a routine before I start. Before you start bowling I'd recommend marking out your run-up, going through your run up and action without the ball, bowling a couple of balls at the mid-off or mid-on fielder. I also like to pause once everyone's ready for the ball, think about exactly what I'm going to bowl, then come in and bowl.

I don't know whether you do something like this already, but if you don't it might help.
 
Thanks for replying everyone. I do of course use the same run up and have a set routine. But this routine is just to mark up run up, set the field and then bowl. So perhaps taking more time and bowling to mid-off could help.

I actually played in a high level match yesterday and got 3 for 24 off 10 in a 55 over match, when the other team got 251 for 5. Therefore I had a good game, but I don't think I was doing anything differently to some days when as I run up the ball feels as big as a football, not comfortable in my hands and after the first ball, i think maybe I just lose all my confidence and then rush through things.

In the match yesterday the opposition had a highly technically trained 18 year old leg spinner, who was impressed with my bowling (I got him out) and said my wrist position is great, but my right hip could come through a little more.

But in all he was saying that my action showed no real signs of weakness to explain some horror show spells.

If it is indeed mental, how does one fix this? Practice in nets doesn't seem to work and I can't seem to get a run of games together to get total confidence. When I was 16 I would be chomping at the bit to get the ball and had an arrogance that said "I am better than the batsman", but now until I have bowled my first over I am a bit uneasy.

So can you fix years of lack of confidence with a miracle cure?
 
Another pricey night for me tonight but mercifully back amongst the wickets. 3 overs, 27-2 t20. Two awful overs followed by a peachy one. Bowled one the other caught from a mis-timed drive.

Joe Paget I am having the same problems as you getting into a spell. That said my net bowling hasn't been great lately either. I think I was over practicing because I got carried away with my new found ability to be able to turn it both ways and also have started to develop the flipper, so I was practicing all these variations to death and knackering myself. I need to calm down a bit.
 
Joe Paget said:
Thanks for replying everyone. I do of course use the same run up and have a set routine. But this routine is just to mark up run up, set the field and then bowl. So perhaps taking more time and bowling to mid-off could help.

I actually played in a high level match yesterday and got 3 for 24 off 10 in a 55 over match, when the other team got 251 for 5. Therefore I had a good game, but I don't think I was doing anything differently to some days when as I run up the ball feels as big as a football, not comfortable in my hands and after the first ball, i think maybe I just lose all my confidence and then rush through things.

In the match yesterday the opposition had a highly technically trained 18 year old leg spinner, who was impressed with my bowling (I got him out) and said my wrist position is great, but my right hip could come through a little more.

But in all he was saying that my action showed no real signs of weakness to explain some horror show spells.

If it is indeed mental, how does one fix this? Practice in nets doesn't seem to work and I can't seem to get a run of games together to get total confidence. When I was 16 I would be chomping at the bit to get the ball and had an arrogance that said "I am better than the batsman", but now until I have bowled my first over I am a bit uneasy.

So can you fix years of lack of confidence with a miracle cure?
Click to expand...


The only way to get rid of the nerves is to play more cricket, then there is less pressure on each occasion. I play three games a week during the summer.
 
Hey guys, just bowled about 5 overs in the nets today, no shoulder pain, so I'm right to go. My preparation for the Aussie season can begin. I'm hoping to get my bowling good enough for matches and be able to support it with some middle-lower order batting depending on what division I end up in.
 
Hi Joe,

I am in a similar boat. I bowl great in the nets, not a single bad ball, but on the main pitch - full tosses on the legs.
I had a horror game as well, with 20 runs to defend in a 20/20 game, bowled the 19th over and gave away 15, with 5 wides on the off side. Needless to say I betrayed the confidence shown by my captain as well as lost the game for the side. On top of that the game was played in 112 degree weather and took me 6 hours to get home due to a vehicle fire on a one-way road.

Have been analyzing why this happens -
1. Dont have a repeatable action, so in the game, I am putting extra pressure on myself to get it right.
2. Slight ramp in the nets, seems to help my left foot landing but in the middle, it is flat.
3. No umpire or wicket at the bowling end in the nets, I may be getting close to the wicket
4. Not enough forward momentum in the action

Here is what I am doing about it -
1. Tried different runups and decided on the number of steps that allow me to bowl comfortably.
2. Working on my right foot landing on the toe with a slightly longer stride and it is amazing to see how much momentum this gives me.

Keep working, have fun and good luck.
 
Hi Joe, tcs

Two elements that I personally find key to do your best in matches are:

1. Stay in the moment and enjoy yourself. Ask yourself why you bowl spin? What makes you enjoy it? For me, I find it worthwhile training on something and be able to let myself go and trust my ability to deliver what I've visualised.

2. Carried on from the first point, leave the technical aspects of my bowling in the nets and trust my bowling action with full confidence going into a match. You have to remember that there have been many a great players without being technically sound. Being focused at the task is far more important.

Keep it simple in the end and allow yourself to discover your best perfomance. Good Luck!


On another note, how many of you have asked your captain for a bowl during matches? I feel I should've gotten more overs on the weekend. What have you found the best approach to ask is whilst being polite.
 
Had my best game this season today due to contribution with bat and ball. With the ball 7.2-0-34-3. One bowled, one caught and another caught at cover with a mis-timed drive off my new ball, the flipper. I promised myself I wouldn't use the flipper in matches as I didn't think it was ready, but it was coming out well in the nets before the match and in the end I couldn't resist. With the bat a very quick 42, nine fours. Easily my best innings for a while. I was in for roughly 5 overs, faced 23 deliveries and was bowled middle stump with a faster one. It was just one of those days where all of my shots were creamed off the middle of the bat, and the bowling was slow enough for my primitive batting skills. We won pretty comfortably.

Did anyone else play?
Cheers,
Martin

SLA 25-1-107-8 S/R 18.75
Dave 7.5-1-35-4 S/R 11
Martin 23.2-1-135-9 S/R 15.56
 
Nice work Martin, I've been bowling crap in the last few weeks and have had very little time to update my figures, but will try to at some point. To be honest I'm just thinking about emailing my club and saying that I'm not going to be available for the rest of the season for financial reasons, I just can't afford to fork out £100 a month on playing cricket and that's without my kids games, so what with my bowling being so poor at the minute and not being able to resolve it, stopping now might do me a favour on a couple of fronts and then I can just make sure my kids get to play in their games.
 
Hi Dave, sorry to hear that after such a great start for you. Yours sounds expensive. My sub is 40 quid for the season and 7 quid per week match fees if I'm playing both games, very reasonable.
 
Darth Spin said:
Hi Dave, sorry to hear that after such a great start for you. Yours sounds expensive. My sub is 40 quid for the season and 7 quid per week match fees if I'm playing both games, very reasonable.
Click to expand...
This is interesting, how much does everyone else pay. Ours is £70 for a family me and 2 sons and then matches - me £12 and the my older son U15... £6. Add diesel costs getting to the grounds and yeah it's £100 a month! If we played Sat and Sun we'd be looking at nearly £40 a weekend without travel costs!
 
Joe Paget said:
I actually played in a high level match yesterday and got 3 for 24 off 10 in a 55 over match, when the other team got 251 for 5. Therefore I had a good game, but I don't think I was doing anything differently to some days when as I run up the ball feels as big as a football, not comfortable in my hands and after the first ball, i think maybe I just lose all my confidence and then rush through things.

In the match yesterday the opposition had a highly technically trained 18 year old leg spinner, who was impressed with my bowling (I got him out) and said my wrist position is great, but my right hip could come through a little more.
Click to expand...

Hi Joe I know what you mean about the ball not being comfortable in your hands, sometimes when running up I become aware of the ball and by the time I try and work out whats wrong, I ve dragged a double bouncer down the off side.
My situation seems like its the reverse of yours. I can often bowl shocking in the nets, but out in the middle I seem to go a lot better. I think with the nets its having to wait ages sometimes, just for a bowl, as there can be loads of bowlers cueing up.
Theres a great bit in the Philpott book about thinking inside the circle - which I always try to do when bowling. I know I bowl loads better when just staring at the target with an empty mind. Its bloody hard to do though consistently.
 
someblokecalleddave said:
This is interesting, how much does everyone else pay. Ours is £70 for a family me and 2 sons and then matches - me £12 and the my older son U15... £6. Add diesel costs getting to the grounds and yeah it's £100 a month! If we played Sat and Sun we'd be looking at nearly £40 a weekend without travel costs!
Click to expand...

I pay £80 a year just for me and £12 a game, but I 've only had 3 games so far.
 
Billywhizz said:
I pay £80 a year just for me and £12 a game, but I 've only had 3 games so far.
Click to expand...

Where do you live Bill (Roughly). Yeah good advice re the Philpott book and the psychology bit. I find that if I'm totally relaxed things come together nicely. I can't bowl in our nets because there's a dirty great crater where you land and I can't get past that psychologically. In the game I'm struggling again because I can't relax I'm still thinking short run up or long run up and it doesn't allow me to get in the zone.
 
SLA said:
Well if you can do it in the nets but not in a match, it has to be a mental thing. Can you go out onto the square with a mate and see if you can bowl well there when there isn't a match situation happening?

Are you running up the same, from the same spot, at the same angle, same speed etc? Are you looking at the same target?
Click to expand...

Yeah it sounds totally like a mental issue, you've convinced yourself before you start that it's going to be bad. It'll take some doing I reckon. What about playing in a few games that are less important - lower levels, friendlies or something where you can just bowl and have fun and get in the zone? You might then be able to carry some of that forwards into a more demanding situation?
 
someblokecalleddave said:
Where do you live Bill (Roughly). Yeah good advice re the Philpott book and the psychology bit. I find that if I'm totally relaxed things come together nicely. I can't bowl in our nets because there's a dirty great crater where you land and I can't get past that psychologically. In the game I'm struggling again because I can't relax I'm still thinking short run up or long run up and it doesn't allow me to get in the zone.
Click to expand...

Im in Bucks Dave, We do have a great ground and decent facilities so I suppose I shouldn't moan too much. Second that one on with the dirty great crater. We have 4 nets all the same.
 
Another expensive night (why does every bad ball HAVE to go for 4?) but another wicket. And with the flipper again, a replica of the first one I got with it on Sunday. I think right handers are not picking this one up at all and arriving very late on the shot due to it's pace, it is way quicker than my stock ball. So another caught at cover trying to drive. 2-0-20-1. Did not bat. We won comfortably again although they were a man short. Set myself a new target of 20 wickets for the summer.

SLA 25-1-107-8 S/R 18.75
Dave 7.5-1-35-4 S/R 11
Martin 25.2-1-155-10 S/R 15.2
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top