The essence of true fast bowling is all about the momentum from the run up to the release of the ball. Especially in swing bowling, the secret lies in the grip and how you release the ball. At the end of this blog post, stay rest assured that you’ll have everything you need to perfect the in-swinger and the out-swinger.

From learning batting fundamentals to executing the square cut in the last post, in this blog, we move to bowling a near-perfect in-swinger and the out-swinger. Fast bowling is not just about pace. The secret is to add variations and confuse the batter from the get-go. One of the most important aspects of swing bowling is gripping the ball right.

For an in-swinger, place your middle finger and the index finger on either side of the seam. Your thumb is right beneath for a solid grip of the ball. When you release the ball for the perfect in-swinger, the seam should ideally be facing the fine-leg position. Now, the idea is not to reveal the position of the seam to the batter. As for the run up, start slow and build up the momentum till you reach the bowling crease. Once you reach the crease, left your lift hand up, position your body sideways and release the ball from the right hand using the power from your wrists.

Please Note: The hand that is used to release the ball shouldn’t bend.

For the off-swinger, the grip is slightly different. Place a part of your middle finger on the seam and your index finger outside the seam. Your thumb is right beneath and bang on the seam. In this case, when you finish your run-up with a gradual momentum, release the ball by placing the seam towards the 1st and the 2nd slip region. It doesn’t end here, if you want to become like the greatest swing bowlers, it’s important to consistently practise and hone your craft.

As for the next blog post, we learn to keep wickets!