Off Spin Bowling Part 1

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young_offie

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Hi guys,

Off spin bowling has been approved as a prominent weapon since its formation. Off spinners in the past merely depended on the flight, drift and pitch conditions. But in the modern times if you try anything traditional or classic then you'll obviously smashed out of the park. That's why the young off spinners have to learn some of the major components in the context of off spin bowling. They are:
  • Flight
  • Accuracy
  • pace
  • Variation
There are also sub-factors that I'll post on coming days with further explanation.........;)
 
young_offie said:
Hi guys,

Off spin bowling has been approved as a prominent weapon since its formation. Off spinners in the past merely depended on the flight, drift and pitch conditions. But in the modern times if you try anything traditional or classic then you'll obviously smashed out of the park. That's why the young off spinners have to learn some of the major components in the context of off spin bowling. They are:
  • Flight
  • Accuracy
  • pace
  • Variation
There are also sub-factors that I'll post on coming days with further explanation.........;)
Click to expand...

Mate, there's loads of Offies out there, let's hope you get some Offies chipping in and commenting on your posts in the same way that they do with the Wrist Spinning threads.
 
They say that offspin is an easier art to learn rather than legspin, but I find it very difficult to get ANY turn at all while bowling them. It seems that I do not get my index finger over the ball, instead pulling down backwards, so the seam rotates towards cow corner/ wide mid-on. No matter how hard I try, I cannot roll my finger over the top. I find legspin much more natural to bowl, and I can turn the ball hugely.
 
charlieguile said:
They say that offspin is an easier art to learn rather than legspin, but I find it very difficult to get ANY turn at all while bowling them. It seems that I do not get my index finger over the ball, instead pulling down backwards, so the seam rotates towards cow corner/ wide mid-on. No matter how hard I try, I cannot roll my finger over the top. I find legspin much more natural to bowl, and I can turn the ball hugely.
Click to expand...
Be a wrist spinner then?
 
charlieguile said:
They say that offspin is an easier art to learn rather than legspin, but I find it very difficult to get ANY turn at all while bowling them. It seems that I do not get my index finger over the ball, instead pulling down backwards, so the seam rotates towards cow corner/ wide mid-on. No matter how hard I try, I cannot roll my finger over the top. I find legspin much more natural to bowl, and I can turn the ball hugely.
Click to expand...
I think you have to start small. Gentle throws against a brick wall, as I think Grimmett says in one of his classic legspin tomes. For offspin he says it's easier to start with an (illegal) throw and after that master bowling it.
 
charlieguile said:
They say that offspin is an easier art to learn rather than legspin, but I find it very difficult to get ANY turn at all while bowling them. It seems that I do not get my index finger over the ball, instead pulling down backwards, so the seam rotates towards cow corner/ wide mid-on. No matter how hard I try, I cannot roll my finger over the top. I find legspin much more natural to bowl, and I can turn the ball hugely.
Click to expand...

I'd check your wrist position as you roll your arm over. It sounds like your wrist is coming over with the back of your hand turned towards your head, resulting in your index finger sliding down the back of the ball when you try to "turn the doorknob." To bowl an off-break your wrist needs to at least positioned with thumb-side of your hand is facing your head as your arm comes over (for a side-spinner). Then, to add (or remove) overspin, you alter the angle of wrist: the further you turn the thumb-side of your hand behind you at release, the more overspin you bowl.
 
watch
 
Ok guys. So I played cricket today. Got 4-44 of 12, but it was hardly the most convincing display. Bowled leggies for the most part, and found it hard to generate any pace. Most deliveries were coming down with snow on, even though they were still pitching short of a length. Even running up to the crease does not make to ball fire through faster. This also means it negates bat-pad catches and stumpings, as the ball just floats up. I think I am "exploding" at the delivery, as I am really pushing myself at the point of release. I also fully rotate my hips in my action, as my right hip is pointing down the wicket after I have bowled. Any help would be happily accepted. It's just so damn slow!!!
 
charlieguile said:
Ok guys. So I played cricket today. Got 4-44 of 12, but it was hardly the most convincing display. Bowled leggies for the most part, and found it hard to generate any pace. Most deliveries were coming down with snow on, even though they were still pitching short of a length. Even running up to the crease does not make to ball fire through faster. This also means it negates bat-pad catches and stumpings, as the ball just floats up. I think I am "exploding" at the delivery, as I am really pushing myself at the point of release. I also fully rotate my hips in my action, as my right hip is pointing down the wicket after I have bowled. Any help would be happily accepted. It's just so damn slow!!!
Click to expand...
Core strength and arm speed? How many planks are you doing a day and how long for?
 
charlieguile said:
Ok guys. So I played cricket today. Got 4-44 of 12, but it was hardly the most convincing display. Bowled leggies for the most part, and found it hard to generate any pace. Most deliveries were coming down with snow on, even though they were still pitching short of a length. Even running up to the crease does not make to ball fire through faster. This also means it negates bat-pad catches and stumpings, as the ball just floats up. I think I am "exploding" at the delivery, as I am really pushing myself at the point of release. I also fully rotate my hips in my action, as my right hip is pointing down the wicket after I have bowled. Any help would be happily accepted. It's just so damn slow!!!
Click to expand...
This has totally been my problem. Something I've found good lately is to really drive the chest forward and down, while keeping the arm back for as long as possible, so the pace comes from the arm slinging over. It is generating some fair deliveries for me when I get it right. I'm eager to hear any other suggestions.
 
Cheers for the replies fellas. I am currently holding a plank for just over a minute, but I have not been doing them long. When I started, I could only manage 20 seconds! Just to give you a bit more info about my action and technique, I do not bowl wrist leggies. I use the Iverson/Gleeson "middle finger" method. I get plenty of turn, and come off a 6 pace run up. If I just bowl seam up without attempting any spin, then the pace is a good reasonable rate, but when I use the same action and give the ball a flick, it balloons up and pretty much all the pace falls off it. I would link a video, but I don't have a suitable camera. I've tried to use "proper" legspin, but that comes out even worse, and my accuracy is terrible. I do get the ball to come out perfect about 10% of the time, but I just wish I knew what I was doing right when that occurs!
 
charlieguile said:
Cheers for the replies fellas. I am currently holding a plank for just over a minute, but I have not been doing them long. When I started, I could only manage 20 seconds! Just to give you a bit more info about my action and technique, I do not bowl wrist leggies. I use the Iverson/Gleeson "middle finger" method. I get plenty of turn, and come off a 6 pace run up. If I just bowl seam up without attempting any spin, then the pace is a good reasonable rate, but when I use the same action and give the ball a flick, it balloons up and pretty much all the pace falls off it. I would link a video, but I don't have a suitable camera. I've tried to use "proper" legspin, but that comes out even worse, and my accuracy is terrible. I do get the ball to come out perfect about 10% of the time, but I just wish I knew what I was doing right when that occurs!
Click to expand...

Yeah there's always some pay off between pace and turn at our level. The secret is big revs on the ball spinning it really hard - think Swanne, Warne, Panesar and others they all bowl at 50 mph and faster and yet get the ball to land on a good length with dip. That's only going to happen if there's a degree of over spin, so even if you develop the arm speed and get the pace, it has to be combined with faster spin otherwise the ball will take an easily predicted trajectory and hardly turn at all. The ball has to be spun hard in order that it's above the eye-level and the with the spin it dips.
 
Well. What a difference a week makes! Been working hard in the nets at driving my whole body through the action, and it's really paid off. Today, the skipper decided to chance me opening at one end, and I bowled a spell of 6-2-5-0. I noticed an improvement in flight and pace straight away. I then came back on much later in the innings to "clean up" as they say. Finishing with figures of 9-4-12-3. The 3 wickets being 2 bowled and a stumping. This, along with the fact I only got hit for 1 four, has made me realise the dividend of hard work in the nets, and not just turning up to turn your arm over.

Many thanks for your advice gents.
 
Glad to see an Off-Spin thread! I have been trying to develop my left arm offies for a while now. I quit playing cricket when I was 16 (just starting to bowl finger spin) and then picked it back up at 35! I've been practising consistently for nearly two years now and I feel like I must've made every mistake going... If anyone has any tips or techniques to overcome the following 'mistakes' I'd love to hear them. I can get big spin every now and again and sometimes when I feel like I am 'getting it' I can spin the ball rather consistently. However, a day or two break and it's like I'm having to learn how to spin the ball from scratch again! I guess essentially I am just moaning BUT if anyone has any similar experiences

1. The grip - I have tried multiple grips. I have tried the 'tradition grip'. First knuckle of 2nd and 3rd fingers on the seam with the thumb resting on the ball. I then tried a similar grip but with no thumb. I found it too difficult to keep hold of the ball and it would consistently slip out of my hand on release. I then tried the Graeme Swann grip of first knuckle of 2nd finger and 2nd knuckle of 3rd finger with the thumb resting on the ball. I have now modified this so the tip of my thumb is not touching the ball, but rather the length of the thumb is holding the ball in place and the tip of the thumb is not touching the ball .

2. Wrist position - This is what I seem to have consistent issues with. What to me feels like I am moving my 2nd finger over the ball to spin it usually comes out as a top spinner. Before i start my run up, I put my wrist in the correct position and hold it in place with my other hand. It seems to be as I bowl the ball my wrist shifts position and I am finding it really hard to be consistent. When I am trying to really 'rip' the finger over the ball I think my action or at least my bowling arm falls away and then I bowl with a side arm and flat action. I've also noticed that sometimes I turn my wrist too much thinking it will get me more spin and my wrist is then almost at 90 degrees and therefore seems to end up being a top spinner

3. Run up - I've tried different run ups. From the 3 step walk, then the floaty jog with flicking heels, to now I am almost jogging up to the crease. I am using a 5 step slow jog getting my heels flicking up. I find if I have a too fast pace to the crease I lose my accuracy and end up bowling too full. I have found that it's important to stay strong and upright. I've found myself at times leaning forward on my run and this causes me to be off balance.

3b. Arms during Run up - I have been watching professional bowlers actions in slow motion on YouTube (type 'cricketer's name action in slow motion). I have noticed Swann and up to a point Ashwin do this thing with their arms on the run up. They move their arms in almost circular motions before they go into their delivery stride. This must be to get the arms moving in the right direction? Or is it a technique to deceive the batsmen? Or is it used for rhythm?

4. Delivery stride - I've noticed when I plant my back foot horizontally (with a strong upright run up) then this almost pushes you onto your front leg to push through the action. I read that a braced front leg is important to keep the strength and balance in the action. What I've noticed I was doing is almost skipping on my delivery stride and not planting my feet flat on the pitch, I was pretty much just planting my toes and balls of my feet. I have found I get better balance by planting my feet. I've also noticed it's really important to stay vertical, strong, balanced and upright through the delivery stride.

5. Hip rotation - This seems to happen naturally and my back foot ends up parallel to the crease or just slightly off. I have noticed that when I try to bowl quicker sometimes my back foot ends up facing straight rather than parallel to the crease... I think this is due to almost rushing the action? I also read that Nathan Lyons exaggerates his knee lift in order to drive through his action. When I try to do this, it seems to throw me off balance and I bowl a really short ball.


6. Finishing the action - I noticed that my bowling arm would do this weird thing after I had released the ball. Almost looking like what a darts player looks like after releasing the dart. Now I am working on finishing my action so that my bowling arm flows through and ends up near my non bowling arm on the right side of my body in a like sweeping motion.

7. Adding more pace - I've tried bowling faster by increasing the speed of my bowling arm but I seem to lose the shape of the delivery and in matches I seem to be getting slogged when I try to bowl a bit quicker. I have noticed having strength, balance and rhythm throughout the delivery process.

8. Head position - I've also noticed that it's important to keep your head straight through the whole bowling process. I try to remain keep my eyes fixed on where I want to pitch the ball. If my head strays from this then my action seems to fall off and I lose pace and accuracy. Sometimes I've noticed when I bowl full balls it is because I am looking at the batsman's pads rather than where I want the ball to pitch
 
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So now it's the off-season... Time to reinvent those actions ready for the 'seasons of all seasons'... errr next season!

I've continued to work on my action. Been trying to take in as much advice as I can. Since the last time I posted, I came across more issues with my action and trying to find ways to over come them. So here's my low down:

1. Not getting side on
- As I get more frustrated that my bowling isn't as accurate as I would like, I realised I try and force the action and generally find I do not get properly side on. The way I have overcome this, is by altering my run up. I had noticed at nets that the better off spin bowlers have lil techniques to make sure they get side on. My favourite is what I describe as a 'ducks waddle' on the stride before the jump. I can only assume this is to get side on.

I have tried this and it doesn't really work for me. So what I have worked on is during my run up I take 4 steps front on and then 2 steps side on before going into my jump. It has taken some practise to get right but now I feel like I am making sure I am side on and feeling more confident with it.

2. Run up for a left armer
- I realised I am using a run up of a right hander. I am bowling round the wicket and using this angle of a run up ' / '. I have been watching professional left armers on TV and most use this angle run up ' \ ' . This helps getting my front foot at the right angle (pointing towards 1st / 2nd slip) and helps me get the 180 degrees body action needed.

3. Front foot misaligned with backfoot
- This is something I am still working on as I've only just realised this fault in my action. My front foot is coming too far across and therefore causing me misalignment. Getting your front foot too far across causes your action to go more 'square or front on'. I have been practising my jump without a ball just to check the alignment. It seems my front leg naturally wants to come across so I'm trying to train myself out of doing that.

Would love to hear anyone else's problem solving or common mistakes they find themselves repeating!

I found this video a great watch >>> The art of spin bowling with Muralitharan - YouTube
 
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