The previous few blog posts were all about perfecting the forward defence and the back foot defence shot. Today, we take a detour and learn to bowl. Fancy a really quick in-swinger or confusing the batter with the classic off spin? Let’s find out!

Bowling – An introduction

The amazing part about bowling is that it tests your fitness to the limit. Be it fast or spin bowling, to be a great bowler, one has to master the initial run-up all the way till the release of the ball. However, it’s important that you choose first. The best fast bowlers in the world don’t opt to get into spin bowling. Therefore, it is important that you choose before honing your craft as a bowler.

Let’s now look at the different variations in bowling:

Out swing or the away swing

Before understanding the concept of swing, one must understand how to bowl fast. From the run-up till where your feet lands before the bowling crease, it is important to time your momentum all the way till the release of the ball. The out swing or the away swing is a delivery that moves away from the batter. It becomes extremely difficult as the ball arrives is fast with movement in the air.

As for the grip, place your index finger and middle finger on either side of the seam with your thumb resting below but on the seam. Now that we have the grip, its all about the release. When the shinier part of the ball is facing inside or facing your palm, the ball will naturally move away from the batter. When it’s time to release the ball, ideally, the position of the seam should be towards the 1st or the 2nd slip region.

In swinger

In case of the in-swing, the intention is to move the ball into the batter. The grip for the in-swinger is the same as the out-swinger – middle finger and the index finger on either side of the seam with the thumb placed firmly underneath and on the seam. In this case, the shinier part of the ball is facing outside or away from your palm. Now comes the point of release. When you release the ball to bowl the in-swinger, the seam should be pointed towards the fine leg region.

Spin bowling

To perfect different variations in spin bowling, it is important to focus on the technique than the speed of the delivery. The key is the position of your fingers across the seam. Also, the release of the ball would determine the way you want to spin the ball.

Off spin

Now, for the off spin, the grip is slightly difficult and different. Place your index finger and the middle finger across the seam ensuring they are spread out on top of the ball. Your thumb, on the other hand should support the ball from beneath. Next comes the release. In case of a off-spin delivery, instead of pointing the seam directly towards the batter, upon release, point the seam towards the cover or the mid-wicket region.

Leg spin

The leg spin is by far the toughest form of spin to execute perfectly as a lot depends on your wrist and fingers. Bowling a leg spinner to a right-handed batter makes the ball turn away from the batter after the bounce. Next, the grip stays the same as the off spinner – index finger and middle finger spread across the seam and wide apart. The thumb is beneath and on the seam.

Practising the same grip, roll your bowling wrist forward. On the contrary, for the off spin, it’s in the opposite direction. When it comes to the run-up, for spin, it is rather shorter than an in-swinger or an out-swinger. However, in both the cases, the idea is to maintain a steady momentum all the way to the crease. This ensures a smooth follow through for the best experience.

For the next blog post, it’s all about fielding!