Fast Bowling With Short Height

HI ,

I need to improve my bowling pace, Iam 5ft-5" right arm bowler and excellent Left handed batsman. Kindly advise the grip and runup etc.

If you want to be quick but you don't have long levers (ie, you're a short-@rse ) you're probably best off developing a "slingy" action, á la Shaun Tait or Shoaib Akhtar. This would mean you are bending your back as much as possible as you come into your delivery stride, reaching back as far as you can, slamming your front foot down and whipping through, putting every ounce of strength into that one explosive movement. Watch Shoaib closely (well, watch old videos since you probably won't get another chance to watch him bowl live...), he does that beautifully.

As for the run-up, it varies depending what you find comfortable but most 'slingy' bowlers tend to come in from fairly wide rather than straight in. My personal technique for generating momentum and pace is to start slow and low, so as you approach the crease you're powering upwards and accelerating, hitting full speed as you're front foot slams down. Remember though, more important than any small detail is getting a good consistant rhythm to your run up, not stuttering and being loose and relaxed

Edited by Chin Music

You will get dismal control, but the man was asking about pace, it's up to him to decide which he values more and whether sacrificing one is worth the other. How many short guys do you see generate pace from an orthodox action?

The last thing you want is a slingy action if you're short, the way you generate leverage with a slingy action is by being tall.  You need good rhythm, generate your pace through your run-up as much as possible.  Take a look at some videos of darren gough bowling. He's the best short quicky i can think of (I'm sure someone will correct me) 

It's never going to work straight away, the only way to tell if it's right for you is working and working (in nets not in the middle) and over time you may start to see signs that something's happening. Also, I don't agree that slinging is just for tall bowlers, if you have long levers then you have a natural advantage whatever action you use, it's when you don't have that that you need to generate pace another way

Just a normal grip, index and middle fingers either side of the seeam, holding the ball as far towards the front of the fingers as possible (this is crucial for pace) and wrist cocked and FIRM

Being 5ft6in i can sympathise with your wanting tricks to bowl faster. Most of the advice above is good, but it also lacks the fact that you won't take wickets by just running in and bowling as fast as you can.

Go to the gym.

what kind of things do you do guys do when you are trying to bowl faster?

Originally posted by lightning quick im not sure that this would be too relevant to this topic as im 13 and already 6 feet tall but since im an opening bowler i tell you what i do. when i bowl my effort ball i bend my back put my front arm higher than usual

make sure your using your wrist to push the ball through abit more, watch andrew flintoff he does this perfectly

That sounds quite similar to what Shane Bond does, one finger on the top of the ball other finger slightly further down the ball as a sort of rudder. It is effective if it works for you I suppose but you cant argue with years of knowledge that the standard grip is what works well for most people.

A slingy action could work if you're short - Lasith Malinga is only 5 foot 7, and bowls with good pace, and has a dangerous swinging yorker.

One piece of advice I would give you as a short aspiring fast bowler is to get really strong. By combining strength with good technique, there have been many short fast bowlers that have been successful over the years. Malcolm Marshall is a prime example.

Being a short fast bowler can also have its advantages - Malcolm Marshall had a vicious, skiddy bouncer that used to really surprise batsmen. Being a skiddy bowler can also mean a lot of LBW and bowled wickets from the ball keeping low