Fast bowling mega thread

[trundler]

The place to post your inquiries and tips about the unquestionably manliest and most exciting facet of the game.

Most of you know my situation at this point. I take a 16 pace run up and bowl wide off the crease. Recently I've been trying the javelin thrower thing and also ****ing my wrist like Steyn to increase pace. I still have to consciousy make an effort to do it but I'm seeing positive results (a 6th grader said I was too fast for him he other day ). I need to improve my stamina though. Cant get through more than an over at full pace at a time. Plus every over I seem to bowl one unforgivable pie.

 

[trundler]

One other thing I try to stand out:
I try to copy Croft when coming around the wicket. Wide of the crease, trying to get that lefty angle. Only tried one over with that so far.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

The manliest...

try this action trundler

 

[andruid]

Am I wrong in suggesting James Anderson has a lovely action for those interested in the side on approach to fast bowling?

 

[Starfighter]

Yes. He isn't very side on. Look how open his hips are at that point, looking inside the arm. You want real side-on, try someone like Fred Trueman. Plus I wouldn't copy his head dip. It works for him but may not work for other people.

 

[trundler]

I've been copying Larwood for a bit now. It's a strain on the back at first but it works. I occasionally bowl too many wides down leg side that way though.

 

[NotMcKenzie]

Trivial task to compare Anderson (trying to replicate poistion in photo above) ...

with properly side-on bowlers such as Trueman (as suggested above) ...

or McKenzie

 

[cnerd123]

Anderson is a classic case of a mixed action. Coaches usually won't teach this because of high risk of injury, but it's certainly very effective and lots of players have had success bowling with mixed actions.

 

[Starfighter]

This is a comment that I made in Days of Grace's 100 Best Bowlers thread about mixed actions. And no, there aren't many bowlers who've had really long term success with such an action.

There's a difference between 'mid-way' and mixed. Mixed is the one with the twisting. Most people think of closing the shoulders much more than the hips in the gather, but the sort that you'll see on a lot on injury prone bowlers is actually the other direction, with the hips more closed than the shoulders upon back foot contact. Almost all truly fast bowlers separate their hips and shoulders which open up earlier than the shoulders, when this happens with a hips-closed, shoulders-open bowler the shoulders will rotate a significant distance backwards with respect to the hips, this is the counter-rotation that causes the injuries. Ian Bishop is a very clear example of this.

Mid-way simply means that the hip and shoulder angle at back foot contact, provided they are close, is somewhere around 45° with respect to the crease, rather than closer to parallel or perpendicular (chest-on and side-on respectively).

 

[Daemon]

***** talking rubbish again, what's new

 

[cnerd123]

Impossible to have long term success of you're always getting injured. But there isn't something inherently wrong in bowling with a mixed action outside of that injury risk.

No harm in trying it out as a casual cricketer if you find it comfortable imo. Once your cricket workload becomes heavier you can then try to make adjustments

 

[smash84]

Imran actually worked hard on his action to make it side on

He also writes about it in his autobiography. I don't know why i cant get stuff from google images anymore so this is the best image i could find easily

 

[trundler]

Impossible to have long term success of you're always getting injured. But there isn't something inherently wrong in bowling with a mixed action outside of that injury risk.

No harm in trying it out as a casual cricketer if you find it comfortable imo. Once your cricket workload becomes heavier you can then try to make adjustments

Stick to finger spin mate... As I said I can barely get through an over, don't think a risky action is a good idea.

Side on works best for me though as I said, it's a strain on the back. My natural action is more Nuwan Kulasekara though so I have to still actively 'twist' in my delivery stride. I like the angle that gives me too.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

In terms of pure aesthetics, early career Marchant de Lange would have to have one of the best fast bowling actions. But it also probably caused all the back problems that prevented him from ever reaching the heights he could have

 

[andmark]

Might be a bit obvious, but Hadlee had a wonderfully aesthetic action. Not as side on as some of those mentioned but he still retained great control over the ball's movement.

Edit: Jeff Thomson might be king for side-on actions.

 

[trundler]

Hard to go past Larwood IMO. Agree that Hadlee had a wonderfully rhythmic and efficient action.

 

[andmark]

Yeah, there's no wasted movement in Larwood's action. Am I right in thinking though that people have accused him of chucking?

 

[trundler]

Maybe under the old, highly contentious definition of it. Looks fine to me. I've read that other side on bowlers like Trueman and Tyson have been accused though.

 

[andmark]

Maybe under the old, highly contentious definition of it. Looks fine to me. I've read that other side on bowlers like Trueman and Tyson have been accused though.

Indeed, it does look like a fair action. Lock's action was filthy though.

 

[social]

I've been doing a bit of research into this in the feint hope that Social Jnr will listen to me one day (won't happen ftr)

I am a dinosaur who was brought up at a time when side on was the way to go

Killed my back

Then came Malcolm Marshall and front on

Impossible to replicate without an incredibly fast arm

However, things that are common to all great bowlers are wrist position, momentum towards target and easily repeatable action

Anyone can swing the ball IF their wrist is in the right position

Maximum pace is obtained by having full power directed at target

Accuracy is achievable by doing the same thing over & over again