Several Fast Bowling Questions

Re: Several Fast Bowling Questions

Here is one from behind view. It is from 2005, but my action has not changed in terms of my body shape (my jump is more forward being the only difference these days). The problem has plagued me since I started bowling when I was 3.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3nFIWjTbTU[/ame]
 
Re: Several Fast Bowling Questions

manee said:
Here is one from behind view. It is from 2005, but my action has not changed in terms of my body shape (my jump is more forward being the only difference these days). The problem has plagued me since I started bowling when I was 3.

You may not think your action has changed but there is a significant difference between this and the first video I saw, back view, indoor nets.

Also, you have a clear side on action in this video whereas you were bordering on mid on in the last video I saw, side view, in garden. Interestingly, you exhibit the same 'skip' which was not evident in the above video!

As you have only started missing the mat, I would need to see what you are doing now, sorry. Analysing this video would be of no use to you at all.
 
Re: Several Fast Bowling Questions

Liz Ward said:
As you have only started missing the mat, I would need to see what you are doing now, sorry. Analysing this video would be of no use to you at all.

Oh no, I haven't just started missing the mat now. It was just a few major looseners. My leg side problem has been consistently the same throughout my career.

Update of today's session:

I bowled a few down leg side but was working up some real pace off the short run indoors. I was getting it to swing both ways with a supple wrist and had the batsmen in all sorts. I need to work on the short ball, but that will come with effort and grip imo.

My batting was quite good today too. I hit a few nice drives and only had some trouble with one leg spinner who I attempted to be a tad too flamboyant with.

We did some hectic fielding at the end and although we were all awful, I felt I had a good physical workout and pulled off some good one handed 'pluckers'.
 
Re: Several Fast Bowling Questions

Liz Ward said:
Also, you have a clear side on action in this video whereas you were bordering on mid on in the last video I saw, side view, in garden.

Sorry, I had to scrap the action at the time due to the absolutely massive float I was getting on the ball. Don't worry though, I am attempting to work on my action to get more side on during half term.
 
Re: Several Fast Bowling Questions

OK Manee, let's try something different. ;)

Talk me through what you see from a video analyst's point of view.

Be objective, start with run up, jump, gather, bfc [classification], rotation, pace from reach and drive, delivery drive, follow through etc, i.e. tell me everything you see.

You can give me your opinion later.
 
Re: Several Fast Bowling Questions

i had this problem of bowling down legside
i found out that it was my arm when i bowled right before i let the ball go my arm would veere of to the right (im right handed bowler) i fixed it by changing a rectifying this movment
 
Re: Several Fast Bowling Questions

Just wonderin' how fast are you mate? I'm a fast bowler too so it would be good to know how fast fellow members are.
 
Re: Several Fast Bowling Questions

king_of_slaves said:
Just wonderin' how fast are you mate? I'm a fast bowler too so it would be good to know how fast fellow members are.

In the 2005 clip, I was timed at 53mph.
My latest timing (2007 season) was at 58mph.
I believe that now, I am nearer the 65mph mark in my stride.
 
Re: Several Fast Bowling Questions

Liz Ward said:
Talk me through what you see from a video analyst's point of view.

Post edited so that I pretend not to be talking about myself.

Run up is too flat footed with reasonable pace. He must work on acceleration to the crease though.

The jump does not cover enough distance and is occasionally more of a skip, when I have not gathered enough momentum.

The gather is fine but could do with leaning back, as per my brother's advice.

The bowler is partially side on but could work to get his backfoot more consistently side on (sometimes it straightens) and perhaps in general rotate the shoulders more.

He perhaps should rotate out of the action a bit more but finds that the counter rotation of the hips causes the arm to fall around to the leg side - not round arm, but in a round motion whilst being relatively high.

The delivery stride is of reasonable length but he should probably work on getting the leg higher. That being said, he is not too sure how to do this because when he bowl, there seems to be very little time imbetween landing and delivering the ball.

He should perhaps follow through a bit more too, He does not bowl off his feet. The body often falls to the leg side when he gets lazy too.
 
Re: Several Fast Bowling Questions

OK Manee, not a bad attempt but this is on your bowling in general.

Keep it to the last video posted and keep it just to what you see; keep it opinion free.

There is method to my madness :D

Watch the video over and over again with a note book and write down everything - but as I said, only what you see; make no judgement.
 
Re: Several Fast Bowling Questions

  • Liz Ward said:
    Keep it to the last video posted and keep it just to what you see; keep it opinion free.

    Did not find it possible to make it totally opinion free, but I feel that this is what you specified:

    • Run up at good pace.
    • Arms swinging from side to side a bit more than regular.
    • Bowling arm to head height to trigger gather
    • High jump, quite short in distance.
    • Aiming arm across body turns body partially side on (but not fully)
    • Looks over arch formed by aiming arm
    • Leg fall away as body opens up
    • Back leg pointing diagonally
    • Front leg in open position, pointing straight
    • Head falls down into action as ball comes out of the side of the hand
    • Ball floats up
    • Bowling arms complete the action
    • Feet complete the action with slight heavyness and lack of explosiveness
    • Head comes up as body veers to leg side in continuation of run up momentum
    • Ball hits stumps
 
Re: Several Fast Bowling Questions

manee said:
Back leg pointing diagonally

I'm no expert, but I think this may be at least part of the issue. When I'm bowling (right handed) I find that occaisonally I bowl it wide on the offside (the same direction as your legside) and that a relatively consistent feature of these balls is that my right (back) leg almost swings around my hip sideways, swinging me off balance. If you tried to keep this leg pointing towards the target it should keep the accuracy up.

For reference of how to do this, check out Brett Lee's bowling action. He lands with his foot parallel to the popping crease (as per side on actions) and then, in his action, lifts the heel up to bring his hips so that they face the batsman on the point of release. This should direct your energy more towards the batsman and, as I understand it, having your hips facing the batsman increases pace as well as accuracy.

Feel free to correct me, thats just my take on things :p
 
Re: Several Fast Bowling Questions

Jelly Beanz said:
I'm no expert, but I think this may be at least part of the issue. When I'm bowling (right handed) I find that occaisonally I bowl it wide on the offside (the same direction as your legside) and that a relatively consistent feature of these balls is that my right (back) leg almost swings around my hip sideways, swinging me off balance. If you tried to keep this leg pointing towards the target it should keep the accuracy up.

For reference of how to do this, check out Brett Lee's bowling action. He lands with his foot parallel to the popping crease (as per side on actions) and then, in his action, lifts the heel up to bring his hips so that they face the batsman on the point of release. This should direct your energy more towards the batsman and, as I understand it, having your hips facing the batsman increases pace as well as accuracy.

Feel free to correct me, thats just my take on things :p

Makes a lot of sense - thanks.
 
Re: Several Fast Bowling Questions

manee said:
Run up at good pace.
Arms swinging from side to side a bit more than regular.
Bowling arm to head height to trigger gather
High jump, quite short in distance.
Aiming arm across body turns body partially side on (but not fully)
Looks over arch formed by aiming arm
Leg fall away as body opens up
Back leg pointing diagonally
Front leg in open position, pointing straight
Head falls down into action as ball comes out of the side of the hand
Ball floats up
Bowling arms complete the action
Feet complete the action with slight heavyness and lack of explosiveness
Head comes up as body veers to leg side in continuation of run up momentum
Ball hits stumps

Maybe a little harsh but I shall go with this for now. ;)

Now, imagine you have been given this account of a player; comment on each point, suggesting any changes you think necessary, if at all.
 
Re: Several Fast Bowling Questions

do you think that bowling actions should be tailored more to the bowlers body type and attributes than to a set of technical/ biomechanical checkpoints?
 
Re: Several Fast Bowling Questions

  • Run up at good pace: Try to extend the run up and accelerate more
  • Arms swinging from side to side a bit more than regular: Keep the arms straight with a forward thrusting motion
  • Bowling arm to head height to trigger gather: Ensure the bowling arm does not stay in high position
  • High jump, quite short in distance: Extend the length of the jump with a greater back knee thrust.
  • Aiming arm across body turns body partially side on (but not fully): Look to incorperate chest in this process
  • Looks over arch formed by aiming arm: Good
  • Leg fall away as body opens up: Look to make conscious effort to prevent this - even if it means overcompensating
  • Back leg pointing diagonally: Turn it side on
  • Front leg in open position, pointing straight: Look to try and point it in direction of target
  • Head falls down into action as ball comes out of the side of the hand: Attempt to get closer to stumps
  • Bowling arms complete the action: Good
  • Feet complete the action with slight heavyness and lack of explosiveness: Lessen front foot downwards impact, possibly ripping the ground to get the back knee through.
 
Re: Several Fast Bowling Questions

This is very good Manee.

manee said:
  • Run up at good pace: Try to extend the run up and accelerate more. No need to alter the run up length.
  • Arms swinging from side to side a bit more than regular: Keep the arms straight with a forward thrusting motion. [Very important!]
  • Bowling arm to head height to trigger gather: Ensure the bowling arm does not stay in high position
  • High jump, quite short in distance: Extend the length of the jump with a greater back knee thrust. More control; eliminate 'skip' and keep it low.
  • Aiming arm across body turns body partially side on (but not fully): Look to incorperate chest in this process
  • Looks over arch formed by aiming arm: Good
  • Leg fall away as body opens up: Look to make conscious effort to prevent this - even if it means overcompensating. Prefer no overcompensation as you will have to readdress later.
  • Back leg pointing diagonally: Turn it side on
  • Front leg in open position, pointing straight: Look to try and point it in direction of target
  • Head falls down into action as ball comes out of the side of the hand: Attempt to get closer to stumps. Keep your eyes on the ball.
  • Bowling arms complete the action: Good
  • Feet complete the action with slight heavyness and lack of explosiveness: Lessen front foot downwards impact, possibly ripping the ground to get the back knee through.


  • Choose two points you feel you need to correct and work on them at the next session, when you think you have them sorted, add another point. Try not to do too much at once.

    In between bowling sessions, work on the strength and stability of your back foot; low jump, land on a cushion with your foot at 90 degress and hold 'with stability' for a second before stepping forward with your front foot.
 
Re: Several Fast Bowling Questions

hi liz-

when coaching a fast bowlers action should we look at the bowlers physical attributes e.g:

1- height
2- strength
3- weight
4- flexibility
5- limb length
6- coordination
7 speed

when advising changes as opposed to just saying do this or that because the coaching manual says so.

e.g with manee do we tailor his action with the idea he is an ectomorph- (tall thin with long limbs?)

sometimes u can t do something cos your not strong enough or 2 short/ tall heavy/light?
 
Re: Several Fast Bowling Questions

Yes, all those attributes listed must be taken into consideration but from a compensatory viewpoint.

I have to say that I do not coach cricket so do not coach from the manual. I am a biomechanist, I coach movement. I look extremely carefully at those attributes and also other weaknesses not listed. I work to correct these weaknesses, mostly caused through biomechanical malfunction; correcting any weak links in the kinetic chain by correcting posture and alignment and by strengthening and stabilising muscles that have not been worked correctly.

No matter whether you are an ecto-, endo-, meso- or any combination- morph, you can do most things. However, if you are a short endo-, you are unlikely to be a pace bowler ;)
 
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