SomeblokecalledDave.
Some Bloke Called Dave
I think I've lost 2 DSLR's filming my batting over the years on tripods!
Wrist Spin Bowling (part Five)
- Thread starter Richard the Third
- Start date
Idk why but apparently a catch off of a spinner just has a lower chance of being taken than one off of a fast bowler haha.
I took 4 wickets last season, I bowled the first half as a fast bowler just to try, did shit, took the first 2 of the season. I was also shoehorned into being just a part timer that bats at 3, not completely against it because I still enjoy batting but I’d rather bowl.
Last 2 games I played of the season I got people out on my first ball of each innings. First bloke was on 82(47) because our pacers kept bowling short to him lol. First ball I bowled he hit it straight to mid wicket. I finished with 3-0-12-1.
The other match the dude was on 29(63) after our pacers bowled very well, first ball I bowl he tries to slog me over cow corner, into a STRONG wind and to the longest boundary on the ground. He was caught. I finished with 4-0-14-1.
I didn’t get many wickets but they were important ones. I also only went at 4rpo bowling spin, which is pretty good for an offie on synthetic where everyone is just trying to slog you.
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Leggy88
Well-Known Member
Wow, seems like you are bowling those flippers really nice and accurate and they are not going for many runs. That pitch on your blog looked like mud! How did it play like? Was it pretty damp like the outfield?
Darth Spin
Active Member
Nice figures there, Dave - I'd kill for economy like that.
Your early season pitches sound consistent with ours, not much bounce with all this rain around. I think it's helping me because on harder wickets my stock ball would turn and bounce past off, but it's turning less, bouncing less and hitting the stumps more. As a result I've got four bowled, one lbw and two stumped with just one wicket from a catch so far.
I see that you're scoping out the oppo in advance, I used to do that but I've stopped now. I don't want to know what their averages are etc, I think that would get inside my head. I want to bowl without thinking of the reputation of the batter, I want them more worried about me haha.
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Darth Spin
Active Member
All of my wickets have been taken while I've been wearing my Kylo Ren boxer shorts. I'm genuinely not into superstitious shit like this, but I'm going to have to wear them for every game.
Hello everyone, have been lurking in this thread for a week or so, so thought I would say hi.
I have started playing cricket (recreationally) for a year now (two season, second one running, T25). I have been away from cricket for 15 years (last was back when I was 15 or so
). Started bowling leg spin for last two games (bowling pace before that, used to bowl spin in my youth), got no wicket (couple of dropped catches 
)but economy is under 6 till now. any advice would be appreciated.
I saw a post by D doc8176 on Fulltrack AI, thought I would give the free trial a try. From that it seems like my speed varies from 60-70. I can bowl faster and get spin in the practice net, but the turf I play in the league, doesn’t seem to offer any spin if I put more pressure (seems like it just doesn’t grip). Do you think I should bowl faster in the game and give it a try or should stick with a slower pace? Thanks.
I have started playing cricket (recreationally) for a year now (two season, second one running, T25). I have been away from cricket for 15 years (last was back when I was 15 or so
). Started bowling leg spin for last two games (bowling pace before that, used to bowl spin in my youth), got no wicket (couple of dropped catches )but economy is under 6 till now. any advice would be appreciated.I saw a post by D doc8176 on Fulltrack AI, thought I would give the free trial a try. From that it seems like my speed varies from 60-70. I can bowl faster and get spin in the practice net, but the turf I play in the league, doesn’t seem to offer any spin if I put more pressure (seems like it just doesn’t grip). Do you think I should bowl faster in the game and give it a try or should stick with a slower pace? Thanks.
Darth Spin
Active Member
Bowl at whichever pace gives you the most dip, bounce and turn. Those are the ingredients for wickets.
Thanks a lot.
I have video of some of my bowling. I have included my stock balls, wrong-un and a flipper (the first one). Do you guys think my stock ball has too much flight? Also should the flipper be more faster? (All the stock balls are around 39-42 mph while the flipper is 49-52). Also my wrong-un is not turning much, any advice (second one)? I have too many questions as I have just begun
, Thanks again.View attachment 2F581672-FF23-467D-B743-3F51C5BE7F48.mp4
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Darth Spin
Active Member
I've watched a few of your videos, I like your action and you get good revs on the ball from what I can see.
I am not a coach, but would observe that your back leg (the right leg) is pivoting around the front leg. The orthodox way is for the back leg to pivot up and over the braced front leg. I think this is an observation most coaches would make. But that's just a technical point, and something that's likely to improve naturally as you bowl more. But if possible, try and direct the energy from your back leg, using your hip, more towards the target (the batsman/stumps), instead of swinging it around like you do.
The best advice I can give is to enjoy it and practice as much as possible. 90% of your practice should be on your stock ball, and then gradually introduce the variations into your game (googly etc) when you are happy with your stock ball and can bowl it the way you want it to look eight times out of ten.
You'll get different advice from different people, but ultimately you will know when you've bowled a good ball. When you bowl a ball and think to yourself "I like that", remember what you did to bowl that ball and try to replicate it and bowl it again, and again, and again...
I am not a coach, but would observe that your back leg (the right leg) is pivoting around the front leg. The orthodox way is for the back leg to pivot up and over the braced front leg. I think this is an observation most coaches would make. But that's just a technical point, and something that's likely to improve naturally as you bowl more. But if possible, try and direct the energy from your back leg, using your hip, more towards the target (the batsman/stumps), instead of swinging it around like you do.
The best advice I can give is to enjoy it and practice as much as possible. 90% of your practice should be on your stock ball, and then gradually introduce the variations into your game (googly etc) when you are happy with your stock ball and can bowl it the way you want it to look eight times out of ten.
You'll get different advice from different people, but ultimately you will know when you've bowled a good ball. When you bowl a ball and think to yourself "I like that", remember what you did to bowl that ball and try to replicate it and bowl it again, and again, and again...
Darth Spin
Active Member
A good drill for getting that back leg pivoting up and over the front leg is the standing start drill. I think you would really benefit from that.
Thanks a lot. I also thought the swinging around was a bit weird. I wouldn’t know it unless it was filmed.
I will try that drill, I guess this will lead to better accuracy.
Darth Spin
Active Member
Thanks a lot. I also thought the swinging around was a bit weird. I wouldn’t know it unless it was filmed.
This video explains it well, mate. Also, watch what other leg spinners do with their feet and legs. It's a big part of the action, not to be neglected.
Your bowling looks great, though. I really like that flipper. If you notice, in that video your back leg goes right at the target.
Great video, will try it today at the practice.
Thanks a lot.
I have video of some of my bowling. I have included my stock balls, wrong-un and a flipper (the first one). Do you guys think my stock ball has too much flight? Also should the flipper be more faster? (All the stock balls are around 39-42 mph while the flipper is 49-52). Also my wrong-un is not turning much, any advice (second one)? I have too many questions as I have just begun, Thanks again.
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, Thanks again.It’s hard when you practice on syntho but the fact that every video is a batsman playing a back foot shot could suggest you either aren’t bowling fast enough or you’re bowling too short. It seems that speed is the issue but just check the length for these deliveries on full track by clicking this button when on the ball tracking
You want most of your deliveries to be at the front of the good length area.
That being said, your flipper seems very effective and at a good pace, as you can tell by the batsman’s reaction.
I just reread you original post and wanted to say that you can get away with bowling slower on turf than on syntho I feel, because it doesn’t just stand up as much. Your flipper should also stay a bit lower on turf making them second guess going onto the back foot.
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Leggy88
Well-Known Member
I've had the exact same problem with the wrongun until recently. The wrongun doesn't turn much as it is mostly topspin. In the video you are not getting the back of your hand to be fully facing the batsman. The back of your hand at the moment is at a point around 30-45 degrees if that makes sense. For reference, 30-45 degrees is at a point somewhere in the middle of these two pictures. Also, see how the full back of the hand is facing the batsman in the picture below? That's exactly where you need it to be for a big turning wrong un.
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This maybe due to the pitch we use (syntho, actually a baseball practice net but we use it as that’s the best we have) which has more bounce. I feel like they are about 10-20% bouncier. Also some of them just don’t feel comfortable playing spin in front foot.It’s hard when you practice on syntho but the fact that every video is a batsman playing a back foot shot could suggest you either aren’t bowling fast enough or you’re bowling too short. It seems that speed is the issue but just check the length for these deliveries on full track by clicking this button when on the ball tracking
You want most of your deliveries to be at the front of the good length area.
That being said, your flipper seems very effective and at a good pace, as you can tell by the batsman’s reaction.
I just reread you original post and wanted to say that you can get away with bowling slower on turf than on syntho I feel, because it doesn’t just stand up as much. Your flipper should also stay a bit lower on turf making them second guess going onto the back foot.
Thanks, I also think that the flipper stays much lower in the turf we play league in. Btw this is the pitch map.
To be honest I don’t think a wrong’un needs to turn much, even if it’s literally just a top spinner that can still be very effective.
But I did see, on a off spin video, someone talking about the wrist “breaking” as you go to release the ball when bowling a doosra (essentially a reverse leg break, back of the hand faces the batsman but your wrist is twisted in the other direction, it’s incredibly hard to do). I’m also incapable of bowling a wrongun that isn’t just a leg break with lots of top spin, but I think it might come down to how well you hold your wrist position. So basically you might have your hand in the right position for a leg break but right before you release the ball your hand snaps back around into near it’s natural position.
This pretty much happens because your hand isn’t really supposed to be bent in the direction you need it to be for a wrongun/doosra. I honestly have no clue how you would fix it other than concentrating really hard on keeping your wrist in the right position.
Oh ok that’s really full, weird. Yeah I think the batsmen might just not be comfortable playing you off the front foot. Take it as a compliment haha.
But yeah the syntho does make it so easy to just play everything that isn’t a half volley off of the back foot.
Yeah basically they were going so deep I had to put the ball more in the Yorker zone.
I actually tried to bend my wrist as much as I could but then the ball had so much flight that I am terribly afraid to bowl that. That usually turns a lot more. I tried to make it more horizontal (if that makes sense
) so that I could get rid of the flight. I guess I should practice that more with vertical wrist, maybe one day it will be of similar flight to the leg break.Also my keeper said that it became obvious, I am suspicious though, most probably not many batsman can pick that up in my league (but the problem of flight remains). I will try to video some of those deliveries tomorrow and post it here.