Can this trick work for pace bowlers??

[karan316]

If I get a cricket ball which weighs a lot heavier than a normal one and practice with it( bowl a bit slower than my normal pace coz it might put too much stress on the body if I bowl at full pace), will it improve my pace and fitness?? I guess it should work since most of my muscles used during pace bowling will get a good workout if I do that. and continuing with a normal cricket ball after practicing with a heavy one would definitely increase a bit of pace.

 

[G.I.Joe]

No, your action would be all over the place. You'd completely screw over your muscle memory.

 

[45DegreeOBS]

No, your action would be all over the place. You'd completely screw over your muscle memory.

Use weighted balls

"Far and above any other training method, weighted javelins have been shown to have the greatest crossover to competition weight javelin throws. The same holds for cricket. The slight change in technique for a lighter or heavier ball for 3-4 sessions a week has no long-term negative effect on competition weight cricket balls" - I found this on Pitchvision academy. Weighted balls are used quite frequently by fast bowlers; it has the same effect as telling someone to lift a box which they think weighs 100 kilograms but it actually weighs 1 kilogram.

 

[Ace4]

The idea is to increase the muscle mass and get strength behind the bowling muscles. So you can do it, but not overdo. May be alternate days you can practice with normal weight and heavy balls.

Also to increase pace you gotta look to build your lower body too.

 

[The Coach]

Maybe try a net bowl with a junior or womans ball which are lighter than the mens - see how you feel.
For an overweight mens ball I would caution going above 20% heavier.

Give it a try with an open mind, may work for some, but not all. Nothing ventured ......

 

[Blocky]

I used to warm up with a weighted ball, then bowl around four to seven overs at a batsman, then work on seam release with a seam disc, then warm down with a weighted ball. Bowling with a lighter ball has more chance of straining and tearing ligaments in my view than a weighted ball.

As always, proper warm ups and warm downs are essential though - do some dynamic stretching, some push ups and some muscle rows (I used to have a 10KG Kettlebell that I'd keep in the car for this) to activate the muscles before starting your work.