1-800-CallGoughy The Technical Helpline for International Bowlers

[Goughy]

These people should be shot.

Unfortunately not enough have been and they are still not an endangered species. They roam the cricketing plains like buffalo in the old days

 

[adharcric]

Its hard to visualise what you are saying without seeing it in person. But Ill give it a go.

If you jump off your right foot and then land on your right foot it is a huge problem. In fact, Im working with a boy that does just that at the moment. He will never he a quality cricketer but he enjoys it and its not always about helping the good quality players.

If you jump off your right and land on your right (ie hop) it completely makes your run-up irrevelvant and kills all momentum through the crease. It also reduces balance and stability in delivery.

To bowl quick (or seam) you use your run-up to develop rhythm amd momentum and your coil and leap transfers those aspects into the final delivery of the ball. If someone hops (ie right to right) before the coil and delivery they negate the effort used in getting to the crease. It leads to a very inefficient action and a massive loss of pace. It also makes you force the ball and this leads to problems with accuracy.

A small boy that 'hops' into delivery and makes the ball bounce 3-4 times whilst getting to the other end can be made to bowl accurately and with one bounce in less than a session of coaching. This also carries through into adulthood.

'Hopping' or jumping off the right foot makes it difficult to get the ball to the other end with any type of velocity

I hope that helps and that Ive addressed the correct issue

Well then, I think I've got the hops.
Surprisingly though, I've been pretty successful and accurate as a seamer while captaining my high school and playing for this league team. Now I know why I haven't been able to generate 70+ pace and perhaps why I have a stutter at the end of my run-up (loss of momentum in a sense) which reduces pace. It may not be the right way to bowl but I personally think it'll be extremely hard to correct it as I don't really get much time to practice my bowling with college going on (and I get lazy sometimes). Perhaps I'll never become the seamer I could've been ... damn action. The funny part is that this flaw has only been pointed out a few times to me. I even practiced with a NCCA team and these established cricketers there observed my bowling; they mentioned the stutter at the end but not the wrong foot. Maybe it developed over time - who knows? I noticed this flaw and I had concluded that it wouldn't be AS big of a problem since I had a front-on action and since I was still a decent seamer. Perhaps I've learnt to defy the physics of bowling mechanics and have managed to bowl fine the wrong way.

Anyways, it's a good thing I'm an athletic fielder, a promising batsman and am learning spin bowling. I love the game.

 

[Goughy]

I even practiced with a NCCA team and these established cricketers there observed my bowling; they mentioned the stutter at the end but not the wrong foot.

It is difficult to change once you get older. Not to worry, at least you mention a number of other things to be grateful for.

BTW, who took the NCCA net in question. Owen?

EDIT- I have a lot of contacts in N. Cal and there are a few good guys, but the US is certainly not the best place to learn cricket. Generally the standards of coaching and facilities are poor.

Hopefully they will improve in the future, as I know a number of guys are working hard on it

 

[adharcric]

It is difficult to change once you get older. Not to worry, at least you mention a number of other things to be grateful for.

BTW, who took the NCCA net in question. Owen?

EDIT- I have a lot of contacts in N. Cal and there are a few good guys, but the US is certainly not the best place to learn cricket. Generally the standards of coaching and facilities are poor.

Hopefully they will improve in the future, as I know a number of guys are working hard on it

It wasn't an actual coach, just some top cricketers from NCCA A Division who were semi-recruiting and giving tips to the young seamers in a sense. I don't personally know them or remember their names. I'd have to agree with you with regard to the cricket scene here for youth, although it has improved dramatically in the past few years. The CCA (california cricket academy) started here recently and they have some semi-talented kids who have developed very good techniques (batting and bowling) due to good coaching I would suppose. They are all between 10-15 years of age, so I once again got unlucky as I was a 17-year-old captain of my h.s. team when I first saw (and faced) these academy kids. Even in my school team, there was so much talent but the only guys who were technically polished were the ones who had spent their entire childhood in England or India. I pretty much learnt batting and bowling on my own since I knew nothing about cricket as a 5-year-old immigrant from India and I got re-interested when I was around 11 or 12.

 

[Goughy]

It wasn't an actual coach, just some top cricketers from NCCA A Division who were semi-recruiting and giving tips to the young seamers in a sense. I don't personally know them or remember their names. I'd have to agree with you with regard to the cricket scene here for youth, although it has improved dramatically in the past few years. The CCA (california cricket academy) started here recently and they have some semi-talented kids who have developed very good techniques (batting and bowling) due to good coaching I would suppose. They are all between 10-15 years of age, so I once again got unlucky as I was a 17-year-old captain of my h.s. team when I first saw (and faced) these academy kids. Even in my school team, there was so much talent but the only guys who weren't raw were the ones who had spent their entire childhood in England or India polishing their skills. I pretty much learnt batting and bowling on my own since I knew nothing about cricket as a 5-year-old immigrant from India and I got re-interested when I was around 11 or 12.

Whithout wanting to take my precious thread too far off topic , what club do you play for and which high school did you go to?

EDIT- By the way, if fairness to the guys who took the net you went to, its hard to correct anything in one group session. A lot of the real productive stuff happens one-on-one. Ive had people ask me why I correct things in 1-1 sessions that I haven't in group sessions and the answer is always the same. Its hard to work and concentrate on 1 guy when there are a group of others also in need of your attention. Group sessions are great for advice and help but poor for implementing real corrective measures.

 

[silentstriker]

Just an update Goughy. Sreesanth has been bowling well in the SA series, though he is still struggling for consistency. As has Zaheer Khan. What do you think of their actions now (Munaf should be bowling in the 3rd test). Do you see any changes in his action that might account for his increased performance? I noticed that he has been bowling 2-5kph faster than he was in WI, as well.

 

[Turbinator]

Just an update Goughy. Sreesanth has been bowling well in the SA series, though he is still struggling for consistency. As has Zaheer Khan. What do you think of their actions now (Munaf should be bowling in the 3rd test). Do you see any changes in his action that might account for his increased performance? I noticed that he has been bowling 2-5kph faster than he was in WI, as well.

TA Sekar was the one who advised Sreesanth into improving his action. According to Sekar he had a problem with running in too fast because he gets carried away sometimes.

Here's the article http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/273395.html.

 

[adharcric]

Just an update Goughy. Sreesanth has been bowling well in the SA series, though he is still struggling for consistency. As has Zaheer Khan. What do you think of their actions now (Munaf should be bowling in the 3rd test). Do you see any changes in his action that might account for his increased performance? I noticed that he has been bowling 2-5kph faster than he was in WI, as well.

Sreesanth was clocking 138-140 against England too. He probably has worked on the mechanics of his run-up and action though. That seam position is brilliantly insane.

 

[Goughy]

Andrew Flintoff

For a longtime I have been bothered by Flintoff's action. He is a big strong boy and delivers the ball with a great deal of force.

The issue Ive had for quite a while is where his front foot points. In delivery, his front foot plants towards fine leg.

This causes a great deal of jarring and stress as it is pointing away from the direction the rest of his body is going in.

It is no surprise, to someone like myself, that he is suffering from long term left ankle problems.

The stresses on his ankle must be immense. The foot is planted and the rest of the body must come over and around that ankle.

A recipe of injury.

I would have made these observations a long time ago but there would have been many saying "Noone can criticise Freddy". The time is probably right for people to have an open mind and reflect clearly on matters.

Edit- Best example I can find online showing his left foot pointing away from the direction of the rest of his body

 

[PhoenixFire]

4 questions Goughy.

I'm a Leg-Spinner (as well as being a batting Genius ), and I can generate some real sharp rip and turn, but sometimes struggle with accuracy, which leg-spinners action can I look to replicate?

McGrath aside, which bowlers (fast), have the best actions?

And also, which current day famous bowlers are prone to chucking, even if we don't notice it.

Also, does Murali actually chuck it.

 

[Manee]

May I ask what you think about Collingwood's action; it looks quite good to me but it seems he lacks pace (I know he does not try to bowl fast but if he could bowl over 80mph consistantly, I imagine he would).

 

[silentstriker]

4 questions Goughy.

I'm a Leg-Spinner (as well as being a batting Genius ), and I can generate some real sharp rip and turn, but sometimes struggle with accuracy, which leg-spinners action can I look to replicate?

McGrath aside, which bowlers (fast), have the best actions?

Dunno if you should be going along and replicating people's actions TBH. It's about doing what feels comfortable while removing as many of the kinks that take away from your effectiveness. If bowling like Malinga feels right to you, go for it. Just keep an eye on it so you don't introduce anything that will take away from your pace/accuracy or increase your chance of injury.

In any case, I'll let Goughy answer. He's the expert.

And also, which current day famous bowlers are prone to chucking, even if we don't notice it.

Also, does Murali actually chuck it.

Haha, not going there.

 

[vic_orthdox]

PhoenixFire, it may sound cliche, but really, Warne's is as good an action's as anyones to try and "replicate" as such. It was just so simple. Get yourself into a nice side-on position, head straight, energy through the crease with a really strong front arm.

WRT your first point, consistency in your action is really important, especially as a leg-spinner. You need to have an easily repeatable action. The main problem I see with a lot of young leg-spinners is that they rely all on their bowling arm. Those that have good wrists can really turn the ball. But if you don't use your whole body to get the ball where you want, you're leaving it up to chance too much. Strong front arm, and getting your body through the crease so that your back leg comes right through, are the two of the simplest, and most important, pieces of advice.

 

[vic_orthdox]

The other thing which is a bit more complicated is your alignment. Ideally, you want your back foot pointing in a direction parallel to the crease, and your front foot pointing down straight down the wicket. You also want your feet to land in line with each other, so that if you drew a line between your back and front foot, and continued it on, that line would go straight down the wicket. This is more one school of thought, but to me it's the one that has always made the most sense with regards to spin bowling, which I can go into the reasons I think why if you want.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Thanks Jack and Manan, I think that the main problem is that I just let my front arm die in my action, and just drag my right one through, which will go off target. I'll check out those points in the nets sometime (Y).

 

[PhoenixFire]

Good Article

 

[Manee]

Can I bump this thread to ask how Irfan Pathan clocks high on the speed gun (135kph) and yet visibly seems like a very slow bowler through the air and off the pitch.

 

[bond21]

the camera angle on TV is not good for judging speed.

For example this guy said Gilchrist doesnt stand back far for brett lee, which is what the impression from the tv is, but if you go to a match, hes standing over halfway back between the pitch and the sidescreen.