Although I'm a spinner, I've experienced with all the forms of bowling and I find that cocking the wrist back and then bringing it down on release helps to keep it up where you want it. I think striving for too much pace can cause you to land it short too. You should ensure that the lad run up is smooth, that he doesn't fall much on the crease and that he maintains a good head position that allows him to keep his eye on the ball on release and that makes sure that your action doesn't fall away!

 

Ill mention a couple of technical action issues that could be the problem and then one or 2 other thoughts.

 

2 main reasons why kids drop the ball short are a) a 'short' action and b) Collapsing of the left leg (if ra bowler)

 

a) 'Short' action. If the left arm does not get very high then the bowler completes the action very quickly and the ball is dragged short. By 'lengthening' the action by making the left arm get higher the whole upper body part of the action takes longer (with no loss of pace) and the ball is realeased to pitch far closer to the batsman.

 

b) Collapsing of the left leg. If the left leg collapses on a quickie then the body gets dragged towards the ground and the ball comes out very short. By getting the left leg braced in the action then the lenght of the action is the same but the ball is released to pitch up to the batsman.

 

Ive worked with a young bowler (though admittedly a little older than the one you mention) that had both these issues and dropped the ball very short.

 

Lengthening the action and bracing the front leg made changes close to amazing.

 

If the problem is neither of the above then Id recommend that he just bowls, bowls, and bowls some more. Muscle memory and experience is important and at 11 there is a lot of natural development to go through.

 

IMO, the worst possible thing to do would be to ask the kid to slow down. What happens is that accuracy may imporve but over time he will develop a different action to the one he used when charging in and it gets very difficult to get the pace back.

 

Build accuracy to pace rather than build pace to accuracy.

 

This is different to seamers because seamers can normally slow down and speed up their actions while keeping what's been learned.

But why not. Next stop England Coach

I do agree that he could sort it out over the coming years. It may also come with him growing taller that he'll come to pitch it up higher anyway.

 

I think PF's right for now but if the problem persists over the next few years with very few signs of it changing then work on his point of release.

 

Originally posted by fishcake14 Why would you do that? That's like getting a spinner who spins it miles, and you taking him away and making him bowling with no spin on a spot - that's taking talent away from a kid.

 

I've worked with a few spinners at my local cricket club and sometimes still do. Making a person work out the kinks in their action by slowing it down is nothing like what you suggested for spinners. The first is sorting an action out to improve the player, the second is butchering an action.

 

Why would you do that? That's like getting a spinner who spins it miles, and you taking him away and making him bowling with no spin on a spot - that's taking talent away from a kid.

 

PF's right here, he's only 11 after all. If he can bowl quickly let him bowl quickly for now. If in a few years time he still bowls it on the same spot he does now then it's time to get the markers out and slowing down his pace etc, but not now.