THE CRICKET CLINIC!!!

1. run up straight
2. get some too watch where you feet land and check u do not cross your feet
3 make sure you accelarate too and from the crease

come back to me when you do this and let me know how u go

J

I am a left arm pace bowler and I have a problem that when I get to the crease I jump to the left as I bowl.

To me it seems like I'm going straight but from what people have seen and from what I have seen in some video footage I am doing it. Obviously it is a habit but I was wondering what techniques I can use to get myself into the habit of going straight.

It isn't preventing me from being accurate but it is causing my front leg to be bent as I bowl, preventing me using my height off the pitch and preventing me to be faster and bowl a good bouncer.

If it helps I could get some home made video footage in the next few days, but it wont be of very good quality.

Ill do almost anything to correct this problem as im only 16 and want to continue to go up the levels.

Here is a diagram of what I am doing if you didn't understand what I wrote above.

Basically, what your doing is carrying your momentum the wrong way, which will make you lose some pace .
    What I suggest doing to setting up some cones (or something similar) at practice around the landing area you want to land in so that you jump, and land in this area. It is something to try and see if it helps with the front leg. If it does work, it can be hard to implement if your in the playing season and best left until cricket has finished. You may find you lose accuracy, as your bowling action will have adapted to you bowling wider at the crease. I'm sure you must have access to a coach though who can offer better advice.

Edited by NZ_Fast - 09 November 2009 at 1:35am

i've seen / heard of a few people who put an extra half grip over their full grip to create extra thickness for the bottom hand. has anyone here tried it? i've always used only one grip (mainly because i don't like the extra weight of another full grip), but am tempted to try this half-grip thing. i suspect it will help me with some cross-batted shots (less chance of bat slipping as i strike the ball). would love to hear if anyone here has tried it and what you guys think the pros/cons are.

Ok heres another one.

1. As soon as the bowler releases?
2. When it is half way down the wicket?
3. Three quarter length down the wicket?

I'm thinking that you should look to play a a metre or so after the ball has left the bowlers hand.  What you guys think? 

Hi all, I’ve just started playing cricket again after a 10 year break. I'll be the first to admit that I wasn't much good when I stopped playing and I’m still not much cop. However after a bit of practice indoors over winter with the team I felt I was batting fairly well. I tried to bat like I intended to in the matches.

Unfortunately now the matches have started I’ve completely lost my timing, I’m through every shot early. The obvious answer is practice, but as I play for a pub team with no facilities there isn't much chance of that.

Is there anything I can do as a short term fix, would a switch to a heavier bat help, or is it simply a case of having to play through the problem?

Hi Matt,

How are you getting on now we're further into the season?

Are there no public outdoor nets you can go to for practice? I know it will still be an artificial surface but the more practice you have the better your timing will be.

Clobber is right about indoor nets v real pitches, I thought I was playing really well indoors but then the first 2 games of the season came as a bit of a shock!

I'm 13 yrs old and need some help improve my bowling Action. I get criticized for chucking sometimes. There isn't anything wrong with bowling action as such.. My arm does straight and rotate completely. My friends say i stop for few milliseconds before i release the bowl and its chucking rather than bowling and i don't chuck/throw every single bowl. Looks like out of 6 bowls, probably 2/3 are throw downs according to them. So i need to know how and when release to the bowl in a nice way so that it's not chucking. I saw online videos but none of them show how/when to release the ball. Maybe i need to make minor adjustment to release the ball right away along with arm movement.
Please give me some steps/tips so that i can practice day in/out along with ball release movement.

Thanks!

Originally posted by onebite2 I'm 13 yrs old and need some help improve my bowling Action. I get criticized for chucking sometimes. There isn't anything wrong with bowling action as such.. My arm does straight and rotate completely. My friends say i stop for few milliseconds before i release the bowl and its chucking rather than bowling and i don't chuck/throw every single bowl. Looks like out of 6 bowls, probably 2/3 are throw downs according to them. So i need to know how and when release to the bowl in a nice way so that it's not chucking. I saw online videos but none of them show how/when to release the ball. Maybe i need to make minor adjustment to release the ball right away along with arm movement. Please give me some steps/tips so that i can practice day in/out along with ball release movement. Thanks!

You should release the ball pretty much at the top of the arc of your bowling action. Make sure to pull down with your front arm, and focus your gaze on where you want the ball to pitch.

To ensure you don't throw, practice your action in front of the mirror in slow motion. Repeat this practiced action at the nets, and ask for feedback on whether you are still chucking.

I can't quite clearly understand what you mean.  Once you deliver a Cricket ball, you practically made the 360.  If you mean your arm is not straight up, and you are delivering more in a round arm fashion, then that is not a problem.  Each action, whether conventional or round arm, has its advantages, and luckily for you, a leg spinner can use a high arm or round arm and still unleash the full range of his armoury, unlike an off spinner.

But you need to give more details.

If you're tense, its probably a confidence thing.  If you're mentally weak, in that who is batting is having an effect on your mind, and making you nervous, then you'll be a major wreck on the field of play.

Do you have a weak lower back? Or back muscles that gives pain?

Why I ask is because if your backbone disc have slipped (which is not quite noticeable in our day to day activities), then it affects the body's coordination and functioning in one way or the other.  That can be one reason for weak muscle feelings at times (it does not mean you are weak, but at times you get a weakish feeling until you warm up well or been training).

I use to get pain at my sides (stitches) when jogging, and I thought it was because I was very unfit, weak abs etc.  One time I visit the chiropractor, as I was getting shoulder pain, as I thought my shoulder was out of place.  It turns out my backbone was out of placed.  I got an adjustment, and from that, I enjoy much longer jogging sessions, and don't get shoulder pains anymore.  My lower back is still weak though, which now needs regular sessions of stretches mainly to get it back in shape, but i haven't been following a program given to me, so until I do, i'll have to live with it that way for now.

I have good technique and timing, I open the batting in 20-20 and either open or bat 3 or 5in longer matches. I'm 15 and quite strong I also am a pace bowler. How can I hit the ball harder more effortlessly and also get more elevation on shots if I want to.

Edited by adam96 - 11 April 2012 at 1:07pm

Adam, to get more power, buy a bat with a more powerful sweet spot.  For more elevation, get more underneath the ball and hit upwards.  To get stronger, doing weights or push ups will help you hit the ball harder.  Such exercises increase fast twitch muscle, hence you'll be able to swing the bat at a faster rate.  Chris Gayle does a lot of gym work, which helps him to muscle those balls effortlessly at times.

About the bats, truth be told, if you're strong enough and connect on the sweet spot of even the lowest range cricket bat, the ball will go over the ropes.  Better blades mostly help with timed shots along the ground or mistimed strokes to carry over the ropes.  I've used lowest range bats, and even hit big sixes off the toe of the bat due to my power.