The Carom Ball is your go-to delivery if you want to showcase the power of your fingers in spin bowling. The previous post about the Doosra was a tricky one, wasn’t it? As for today, get ready for one of the most challenging deliveries in spin – yes, it’s the Carom Ball. Let’s start!

It comes as no surprise that as a spinner, you must come up with several ways to confuse the batter. This means to learn and master different variations in spin bowling. From learning to trick the batter by bowling the Doosra, today’s blog post primarily focuses on the Carom Ball, which essentially is using your fingers to spin the ball. The secret here is to master the grip and most importantly, strengthen the fingers of your bowling arm.

Simply put, place your middle finger on one side of the seam and the index finger on the top left corner of the ball. Your thumb rests in a comfortable position on the seam for a firm grip. Once you release the ball, flick your middle finger in the anti-clockwise direction and pull the ball down using your index finger. The thumb, on the other hand, continues to stay in the same position until the release of the ball.

If you are starting out as a spinner, bowling the Carom Ball can be difficult as it uses the power of your fingers. Take it slow at first and try practising strengthening the fingers. For example, try to release the ball mainly using your fingers for a shorter distance, say 5 to 10 metres. Now, whenever you feel comfortable, try to release the ball for a longer distance, preferably further than an actual cricket pitch. This eventually helps you judge the length of the delivery so the batter doesn’t get a chance to score a boundary if the ball is pitched short.

There you have it – the perfect Carom Ball technique. For the next post, it’s time for the slider.