Getting Bounce

[unccricket]

Hi everyone. I have recently been visiting this forum for tips on bowling and have found them pretty useful so far. I am a medium pace (would like to be medium-fast) bowler and about 5'11" - 6' but I can't seem to get any bounce. I was practicing on a tennis court today and couldn't get the ball to come barely 6-8 inches above the stumps from ANY length. But in general, I don't get the bounce or carry that I would expect given my height.

I was wondering if any one of you fast bowlers on the forum had any tips or suggestions that might help me solve this problem.

Thanks!

 

[shortpitched713]

Obviously seeing your action would help, but just as a general observation I've found that the more vertical my arm is at release, the more bounce I am likely to get. Once again, without seeing your action it would be hard to say how feasible any change in arm angle would be though.

 

[Josh]

"Skiddy" bowlers are becoming very handy in modern cricket; you don't necessarily NEED to get decent bounce.

 

[bond21]

a cricketer at my club is a shortass, hes quick and gets very little bounce.

Anyway, be tall at delivery, bowl from 12 o'clock position.

Also a tennis court wont give you an accurate estimation. A tennis ball bounces very high and comes down quickly, a cricket ball keeps rising.

You have to have some pace to bowl bouncers.

Also put more 100% effort in for bouncers.

But yea for higher bounce generally, you just need to get more pace, and be releasing the ball high.

 

[unccricket]

To clarify earlier statements, I was bowling with an oldish cricket ball on my tennis courts because the grounds were wet, so i was not bowling with a tennis ball - I hate doing that b/c it generates no pace in the air.

I think part of my problem has been not being explosive, or putting more effort into my bowling, almost as if I were going through the motions. On tuesday, I went out and ran in hard and tried to be more explosive in my action, and I noticed that I was not only bowling quicker but got more bounce and carry as well. I also moved from a 12 pace run up to a 15 pace run up, and that helped a little bit.

I'm not trying to bowl bouncers right now, just would like to get the ball to get extra bounce from a length or just short of a length. I am going to try to get a video tape of my action in the next couple of weeks, but for right now thanks for the tips!

 

[maditaliano]

I am about 5'10" at the maximum, and when on song would be hitting about 120km/h. I am only a part-timer though, but the team I am playing in is an extremely good bowling side - much of the time our two openers take all ten wickets inside about 15 overs leaving the other bowlers doing nothing but fielding all day - so I don't often get a bowl.

At training I have found that if I drop off about 5 - 10km/h I can really trouble quite good batsmen by staying much taller at the crease and not trying for as much pace. This helps me keep the seam straight (allowing for swing and cut, but also much more bounce). I also have more control over my bowling.

 

[unccricket]

i think part of my problem is the front leg collapsing in my action, and there might be a problem with my landing after the jump. hopefully i can get some videos for you guys to critique soon. thanks so far for the help.

 

[bond21]

yea front leg collapsing will cause less height on delivery, but if its natural dont worry about it.

McGrath, Akram, Lillee etc all bowled over a bent front knee

 

[Jammy Dodgers]

maybe to use a looser grip wud be good have the ball less in your hand basically finger tips and then you'll get a whip effect and hopefully be quicker for you n should be a better bumper

 

[Manee]

i think part of my problem is the front leg collapsing in my action, and there might be a problem with my landing after the jump. hopefully i can get some videos for you guys to critique soon. thanks so far for the help.

As far as I know, there is a point where you cannot keep the knee straight simply due to the sheer amount of weight on it causing it to collapse on itself. If this is the case, then do not try to force it.

 

[paddy11]

just keep your arms high in your action, and really bang it into the pitch. If you don't have natural lift then doing this takes a lot of effort so only do it a few times as a surprise delivery.

 

[bond21]

if you are 6'0 you should be able to bowl bouncers if you have some pace.

The quality of ball helps A LOT aswell.

With a new ball I can get the ball to get around chest height from short of a length, but with an old ball it wouldnt go above stump height.

Ive seen a short dude in my club get the ball to bounce unbelievably, im guessing but he would be only 5'7 around there.

Hes actually a spin bowler but he can bowl really fast too, he just has to pitch it shorter than taller bowlers but because he bowls so fast, it will get up around head height.

 

[Matteh]

Needs a jump in the action too ideally.

 

[bond21]

yea everyone jumps, but you dont want to jump too high.

But it doesnt really make a difference because you release it at ground level, not in the air.

 

[unccricket]

got a video up finally from past monday. unfortuantely i sprained my ankle after landing wrong towards the end of practice so won't be able to play for a couple weeks or so.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6OGv2WXsb8


i've also got some videos of the rest of my teammates. keep in mind most of us are american born and raised, so we probably don't have the prettiest of actions....

 

[bond21]

Jeeshan has the best action IMO then you, Vishal G has by far the worst.

Only comment is that everyone looks too laboured in the run up, you should be gliding in so to speak. Jeeshan looks like hes lumbering in.

Jeeshan looks promising though.

 

[Josh]

Looks a pretty good action to me.

 

[Manee]

I was going to say that too. All I can suggest is not decellerating in the run up before the jump.

 

[Josh]

I was going to say that too. All I can suggest is not decellerating in the run up before the jump.

Yeh that's right you should be at your quickest just prior to delivery stride.

 

[Son Of Coco]

I was going to say that too. All I can suggest is not decellerating in the run up before the jump.

Maybe get rid of the curved run up too.

Your mate's run up looks ok, but it all unravels at the crease.