7 fast bowling principles
Fast bowlers understand the need for fitness more than any other cricketer. But like all sports participants, many bowlers are confused by what is best for them. The trick is comparing the principles to the methods:
"As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble"
If you stay with principles. You can use any method you like because you can sort the wheat from the chaff. But these principles are not ones you might expect. Ian Pont could tell you the technical ones and does very well in his Fast Bowlers Bible These are principles that underly even those techniques.
- Efficiency. Your body is as efficient as you make it. If you are stressed out by work/school and sit on the sofa in the evenings eating crisps you end up tired, overweight and hunched over. If you train regularly, activate your cricket playing muscles and feel relaxed about things you become an efficient athlete.
- Time. There is never enough time unless we make some. Practice and train more than you play because it has a direct pay off on the pitch. Even hopelessly busy lives can find time for a couple of bodyweight training sessions a week or turning up an hour earlier on match day to get warmed up.
- Capacity. Cricket is not an endurance sport. It's a power based game that lasts a long time. The difference is between endurance and work capacity. With the latter you are able to recover between spells and overs more quickly rather than just being able to jog miles. You train cricket specific work capacity with interval running.
- Balance. Commentators often talk about bowlers having a balanced approach and action. Being able to balance in a dynamic situation (running, throwing, catching, batting) transfers directly to bowling performance. The better your dynamic balance the better your technique and that means faster and more accurate bowling. Bowling is the best way to gain balance, but you should also include plenty of single leg training, bodyweight training and balance drills in your workouts and training sessions.
- Specificity. Everyone agrees that training for cricket means playing cricket. Where there is controversy is how specific the rest of your training should be. Running, for example, has more crossover to cricket than swimming. The rule of thumb is this: you are specific enough if your training is in 3D, standing up and based on speed, power and strength.
- Planning. There are a lot of factors that go into improving your bowling: speed, strength, power, technique, experience and the rest. That's why it's important to have a plan that you stick to throughout the year so you are doing the right training at the right time. Know your season, know your own strengths and plan around them. You also need to have regular checks to ensure your plan is moving you towards your aims.
- Progression. Whatever you are working on you need to progress. That may mean more weight, faster sprint times or longer interval workout but you should always look to improve your fitness until you are the best you can be. The result of your work will be less injuries and a better performance.
If you want to bowl faster, you can now get all Ian Pont's fast bowling advice in one place. Ian has coached some of the fastest bowlers in the world, now you can learn his secrets. Click here to view Ian's fast bowling course on PitchVision Academy.
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Comments
the data which i have received is wonderfuland i m sure that it will me to ake a fitness program.
thanks
Nice to know I'm helping Javed!
I really appreciate the great work that has been done here. And I do congratulate the Harrow drive team for coming up with such a wonderful idea of promoting cricket and helping cricketer.
I would like to suggest that the pictures of the Exercise or the graphical representation should be added here as well as that will take this website to the best of the best in line.
Thank you,
Thanks Shoaib, the harrowdrive team is really just me plus some very kind guest contributors! What exercises would you like pictures of?
ihav just turned 13 years old and i am a right arm fast bowler. I was wondering what i have to do to bowl faster. I have a bit of a slingy action and i want to bowl at least a good 10 mph faster. Could you tell me what to do.
Have you read the article hasnan? What did you think?
the article is helpful although i would like to know how to get faster and always accurate with my particular action.
Take a look here Hasnan: http://www.pitchvision.com/the-immutable-laws-of-fast-bowling-part-1/
komasta. hola. how are ju? bery nice to met ju.
sir double thanks for techniques
Hi,
I am pretty close to getting a contract with one of the counties but I need to work harder and get a bit quicker. I bowl around 125-130kph but I need to get faster in order for me to get this contract. Can you tell me what I need to do to get stronger to bowl faster .ie. the types of exercise.
Thanks
Have you looked at Ian Pont's "How to Bowl Faster" course on PitchVision Academy?
sir, this is naveen from hyderabad/india.i bowl around 110kmph.plzz tell me how can i improve my bowling speed upto 140kmph...
See my previous reply above Naveen.
hi,
im 13 years old and i bowl around 60-65 mph and im really close to getting into a county but need to get that bit quicker because i dont swing the ball much what shall i do to get 5 mph quicker???
hai
iam 17 years old iam right hand fast bowler whan i bowl with new one every time it will swings in swinger to right hand batsmen .......
whin i bowl with semi-new bowl it will swinging out swinger to the right hand batsmen.........
sir
my problem is whan i bowling with new one iam trying different seam angels
like right hand batsmen my seam positioning to wards frist slip to out swing it will turning
in to in swinger ..........
what can i do for this
please help me...................
Hi Ian I m dhevasenapathi, i m a pace bowler but i have a pain on my back.How to reduce that pain while playing
Take a look here friend: 7 Ways to Stop Back Pain
hai sir m mohd hashim i m frm india last five year m in the first class team played 8matchs n tak 36 wkt from last year i lost my pace tak lots of suggestion but nt geting rigth point to improve my speed sir please suggest me wht to do how improve my speed... thank u sir, your regard, mohdhashim
Hi
I wanted to become a cricket fast bowler in future.
But the main problem is i can not rotate full hand of my,
i have a good speed and accuracy but my hand is not fully rotate while i am bowling in a match.
please tell me how can i improve my bowling
thanks
Pradeep Shekhawat
Hi Ian
My son has just turned 13, and is a big guy (broad shoulders, tall etc.) and wants to be a good fast bowler. He is pretty good at the moment, but lacks technique and a little speed. I am not too sure how to proceed - my gut-feel is to build up his strength (not weights at his age - or am I wrong?) through rowing machine, pull-ups etc, and just let him go ape in the nets on the basis that his technique/accuracy can be fine-tuned once he is strong and fast. Or is it the other way around - get the technique right first?
Regards, Rodney
Rodney,
Personally I would go the other way round. Work on getting the technique solid and then this should make any strength and fitness work more specific if any weaknesses are identified as needing to be rectified to help the technique - why do a load of pull-ups/rowing if your lads back leg is not strong enough to cope with the forces being put through it for example? He will also minimise the risk of falling into 'bad habits' which may take longer to unlearn when he does focus on his technique
Just an opinion, you know your son better and what he is and isn't happy working on, best of luck in whatever he does - does he have a coach who can offer some advice?
Tony
I would suggest it's not an either/or. You can easily do weight training and technical work in any given week. Train the whole body in a balanced way and hit the nets. Pull ups are just part of the picture.
I will take those notes and tips seriously because i'm a young fast bowler who needs tips like these. i sit at home eating crisps and not enough training i feel closed up and need to train hard thanks Ian awesome.
hi, sir my name is asit das .i am a fast bowler .but my problem is that my run up .so i want to devlop in bowling .plz sir give me suggession.
sir i just turned to 16 i want to bowl faster in cricket i want to be fast bowler
my problem is i started bowling fast when i was at the age of 15 can i be a fast bowler one day for india
The short answer is yes, but only if you know exactly what to do. I suggest looking around the site as we answer that question of age and talent.
My Bowling Style And My Jump Is Not A Profesinol My Fast Bowl Speed Is 123 KPH But My Style Is Bad Please Tell Me Tips
Hi i'm Angus from india.Now if you have round arm action try bowling actions of shoaib akhtar or shaun tait.And if you have upright action try like bret lee or zaheer khan actions with long &fast run up,maintained jump not so high.Now if you practice any bowling action ,practice it daily.You will improve as i did i can bowl at the speed 130Kph i have bowling action similar to DALE STEYN.I m just 15yrs old 5'10"Height
I need good cricket player help me....
am right handed fast bowler........
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how to increase my bowling speed plz tips me..