swing bowling

Did you not read even a single post in this thread TKORL???

Thanks for the reply. I hadn't though much about the angle at which I position the seam but now that you mention it I think it is very much greater than 20 degrees towards off. I would probably need to get a video of it to see the angle.

Once again, thanks for your help.

I agree completely with Discoduck, shaazthegreat and inswinger.

I can bowl both inswing and outswing at about a medium-slow speed (my run up is about 4 paces and I tend not to put much effort into each delivery... allows me to bowl virtually all day). I naturally bowl inswing and it's a result of the position my wrist (and fingers) ends up in as I release the ball. My wrist is actually in such an angle that in order to really control where the ball goes, I need to face the seam as if I am bowling an outswinger (and my wrist then does the rest). To bowl an outswinger I need to really concentrate on my wrist and rotate my arm such that my little finger is closest to the batsmen at the time of release.

However I have two things I would like to ask you all.

I have seen some people bowl inswing with really late swing (and it's genuine inswing not reverse swing). But most of my inswing is pretty much continuous from the time it leaves my hand. Any ideas on how to make the ball swing later?

The other question is concerned with a variation to my normal outswinger. I normally bowl my outswinger with a side-on action (I am working on a front-on action as well). When I give my outswinger a bit more pace and a LOT more backspin, the ball swings out and away from the right-hander but when it pitches it kicks off the deck and cuts into the batsman with a lot more bounce than normal. I guess you would call it a offcutting outswinger? I have never hit the stumps with this delivery as there is too much bounce but I have got plenty of inside edges and many big hitters skying the ball up high from a top edge when they try for a big swing.

I am trying to rationalize why I can produce this delivery. Is it because the ball has a lot more spin and in the right direction to straighten the ball up and produce bounce or is it because I am able to land the ball on the seam consistently through the action I use? Or is it a result of the extra pace and everything else all combined?

I would like to know because I am trying to replicate this delivery with my inswinger. I think a legcutting inswinger would be a very devastating delivery to both left and right handers. Further, if it was combined with my normal inswinger, my two outswingers (normal and off cutting outswinger), variations of pace and bowling over/around the wickets would be a very good bag of tricks (especially if I can produce them all from the same basic action and not have to change from side-on to front-on all the time).

hi,

swing bowling is pretty easy. It depends a lot on your action. Ever since I started bowling I could bowl outswingers. But for inswing, well it was always hard for me.... I'll let you understand outswing: basically, after all your run-up etc., a side on action will help you a LOT. It is possible to swing it out with a front-on action (I have done it), but it'll swing a lot less. I also find it's vital to have a good grip. The wrist has to be properly cocked. Cock your wrist upwards (that is, if you hold it in front of you, then the wrist should come nearer to your face), and a maximum to the left (right for left-handed bowlers). There shouldn't lots of stress at the wrist but it should be firm but gentle. I do this so that the fingers on the ball remain relaxed, and the seam faces the slips or gully.

Disco man

I know a lot about swing.

I was a great swinger of the ball as well. I get the ball to swing both ways in the air. The things that you wrote here a quite true. Backspin helps the ball to swing. Look at the zooter.

1 - 45 overs rough side the ball swings to the rough side. after that it is the shiny side and thats reverse swing.

For inswing and outswing just bang the ball a little harder so it will like seam move to where the seam is pointing.

I know how to swing a ball with a rough side and a smooth side but how do you swing a ball without the differance of sides???

On Wednesday there was a new guy at cricket who was the spitting image of Inzi. And i got him with the sweetest inswinger ive ever produced. It looked to be going down leg so Inzi left it and it swang right in, and smacked his leg pad.
Hawkeyes Verdict: OUT

Have a look at this, guys.  Click on the link marked "Masterclass" and turn the sound on.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/4537256.stm#

Don't dispair- you'll never be able to swing the ball all the time. Sometimes, the weather just wont allow any movement in the air at all and sometimes it's the ball's fault.

The best tip I can give you is to make sure you grip the ball correctly (see my previous posts and look for pics on the web) and make sure that when you deliver the ball, you really rip your fingers down the seam and get a heap of backspin. Also, keep it pitched up nice and full to give the ball maximum opportunity to swing.

As a quick summary, the 3 most important things (in no particular order) to note and practise with swing bowling are:

1. Grip (ball position in the hand)
2. Backspin on delivery
3. Pitch on a good full length

...And just practise. It's hard to teach in text. Your best bet is to find someone locally who can swing the ball well and get them to show you the tricks of the trade. Good luck.

Originally posted by Rebourne_ hey, this is what i heard, swing is natural, its either u can or u cant swing the ball... is this tru?

Some people just have a kind of action that helps them naturally swing the ball without learning it. As others mentioned the side on action helps swing the ball...etc. Unfortunately, I don't have that type of action and I had to read a lot of books to learn to swing the ball. I am quite good at it...my ball will look to be right outside off and suddenly it will cut in somewhere around to the middle stump.

kinda!! it relies alot on your action, but if u can't swing it then work on seaming the ball i find it much more effective as the batsman struggle, just keep the seam upright with fingers realsing the ball straight, keep it goin and one will move and he is a gonner

an action does have alot of effect on the swing!! if u have a side on action it helps the swing alot!! (not reverse swing) e.g hoggard has a side on action and bowls swing, jones has a front action and bowls reverse swing

G'day fellas,

Swing actually works the opposite way to that described by wolfman. A ball that has been polished on one side will swing towards the rough side while the ball is still relatively new (less than 40 overs). It is not until the ball is older that it begins to swing towards the shiny side, giving reverse (or Irish) swing. The new ball swings towards the rough side because the air flow on that side is resisted by the uneven surface. This results in the rough side of the ball moving slower than the shiny side causing the ball to swing that way. There are numerous websites out there that explain this phenomenon further- just google 'swing bowling'.

Don't forget too, that polishing a ball is not the only way to produce swing. If it was, how could one explain the very first ball of a match being able to swing? For the first few overs of a balls life, swing is best achieved by adopting the correct grip and using the seam position. Again search the net for some great illustrations of the grips and seam positions. Basically, the seam must be upright and aimed slightly towards the slips (for RH batsman) for outswing and towards leg slip for inswing- as wolfman suggested. Use these grips along with polishing to achieve more consistant swing. A side-on action is most beneficial for producing outswing but is not necessarily essential.

Always ensure when polishing a ball that you use minimal saliva and/or sweat. Using too much will make the ball soft and actually reduce swing. Remember- the softer the ball becomes, the easier it is for the batsman to play his shots.

An excellent way to begin learning swing is to pick up one of those balls that have the different coloured sides (usually red and white). They help you to observe your seam postion while the ball is in flight and they swing a mile. Move onto a real ball asap though. And of course- practise, practise, practise. That is the only way to master the art of swing bowling.

Happy Swinging.

Edited by DiscoDuck

Does your action affect the way the ball swings??

Edited by -JP-

how can i learn to swing the ball