Whether it is to intimidate opposition batsmen or to impress your friends, bowling fast certainly gives you the upper hand in every scenario. Learning to bowl fast is a skill than can be learnt with practice. Here are some tips to help you bowl fast.
Fast bowling can be broken down into three simple steps.
- Run-up
- Action
- Follow-through
Have a precise and swift run-up
Go to the popping crease and count the run-up steps you want. This will ensure you will have uniformity and repeatability in your bowling. Bowling fast does not necessarily mean having a long run-up. In fact, longer run-ups can often make you lose your energy and stamina. If you have the right technique you can bowl fast even with a shorter run-up. Keep the following points while running up.
- Keep your head still and facing straight at the batsman.
- Lean forward very slightly but remain upright at the same time.
- While running your feet must be pointing straight forward.
- Avoid large strides as they will make you lose your rhythm.
- Lock the wrist of your bowling hand.
- Keep the body loose.
Your action is the key to bowl fast
This is the most important part of the process. Choose an action which you are comfortable with. Try copying bowlers you like or develop your own style. However, in order to bowl fast the action you choose must be repeatable. Therefore having simple actions can benefit you as they are easily repeatable. The action can be perfected only through individual practice but here are some tips to help you get started.
- Lean back slightly before delivering the ball. This will ensure your weight gets transferred to the ball.
- Use your non-bowling hand to pull down hard before using your bowling arm.
- While using your bowling arm, drive your lower body and hip through the bowling crease. This is very important as not doing so can result in harmful injuries.
- Before delivery, after pulling down, tuck away your non bowling hand tightly near the waist.
- For higher accuracy ensure your bowling arm is as upright as possible.
Follow-through indirectly helps to bowl fast
Surprisingly the follow through also contributes to how fast you bowl. If you have a short follow through, that means you are not utilizing your body fully. This can put excessive stress on other parts of your bodies leading to injuries. Hence it is essential to have a sufficiently long follow-through after delivery. In case you want to frighten and intimidate the batter, you can even try following through until you are standing right in front of him.
Putting it all together
Now that you have a basic understanding, it is time to go out on the field and discover the art of fast bowling yourself. Rhythm and repeatability are the essential ingredients to become a good fast bowler. Try applying all the tips at the same time while bowling and do it repetitively. Next time you will get a chance to surprise your friends with your pace!