As mentioned before, bowling is one of the most popular sports in the world. There are over 1 billion people that play this game at some level every year! That’s almost half the population of our planet.
Bowling has been around since ancient times. Even though it may seem like a simple sport to understand, there are quite a few tricks to learn if you want to become a good bowler.
One of these tricks is how fast or slow you need to bowl the ball. This article will go into detail about what makes a fast bowler and then some tips on how to be a faster bowler. It will also talk about why being a more efficient bowler is important too.
We will not be talking about how to spin your balls much here. Spinning the ball can sometimes help you get better results, but only when you have enough power to do so.
Practice makes perfect
A fast bowler’s success in bowling speed is completely dependent on his practice regime. Bowlers who don’t put enough time into practicing their craft will find themselves struggling to maintain consistency.
Just like any other sport, there are several ways to improve your bowling. You can spend hours upon hours working on your fundamentals (eg., ball grip, foot position, elbow position), you can work on your roll or action, and/or you can try different types of bowls (spins, front-foot flingers, back-foot flickers).
But none of these things matter if you don’t have the right practice routine. If you want to be the best, you must know what works for you and how much energy you need to pour into your game before you can expect results.
Fortunately, there are some general tips that apply to anyone trying to become faster.
Identify your weaknesses
As mentioned before, fast bowling is more about having strong nerves than it is about throwing hard. Therefore, how you handle pressure comes down mostly on your nervous system and self-confidence.
If you are always calm and collected under stress, then you can relax and focus less on trying to throw as hard as possible, which will take away some of the credit from yourself if you succeed!
By being aware of your strengths and learning how to control your emotions, you’ll be able to better face opposition in the lane. This could be internal or external pressures like when you feel tired or hungry after training, or someone else in the team who feels that they are much faster than you.
It also means that you won’t get too stressed out when there is pressure on you to perform well. If you see that your opponent doesn’t seem very focused or intense, then you can try to mimic their lack of intensity, playing off theirs instead.
Focus on your strengths
As mentioned before, fast bowling is an offensive position so it’s important to know what you good at. If you feel that your best weapon is your knuckle ball, go with that!
If you are more of a swing bowler or use your wrist-spin effectively, then focus on developing those skills and styles.
However, if you have a powerful leg spin delivery, develop your feet-on-the-floor technique to get the most out of it.
Whatever style of bowling you choose, don’t lose sight of the key ingredient in all fast bowlers’ success – consistency.
Always keep your mind healthy
In fast bowling, mental strength is just as important as physical strength. Your speed will not improve unless you are willing to work hard at it every day.
Just like with any sport, there are many ways to strengthen your throwing or batting arm. You can do working exercises, practice throws or swings with a ball, use weight training equipment to build muscle, or simply learn how to use your arms better in everyday activities.
But none of these things will help if you aren’t first investing time into your overall mental health.
You need to be confident before you take the field, which means being sure of yourself and knowing what to expect from yourself on each play. This could mean having confidence in your own abilities, feeling prepared and relaxed for game situations, and believing that you have done your best even when you feel like you could have done more.
All of these qualities contribute to creating an inner-circle leader who knows themselves well and doesn’t need much praise to know that they are good enough.
Practice mental preparation
Mental pre-preparation is one of the most important things you can do to improve your bowling speed. This means thinking about how to approach your ball before it comes off the bat, keeping yourself motivated while you are practicing, and using different types of balls or lanes to find your optimal rhythm.
When you practice fast bowling, make sure that you are doing something related to the game. For example, if you are learning how to throw a straight ball, then throwing as many as possible will help you learn this skill!
Practice good sportsmanship during your workouts by thanking successful bowlsers after a match, and encouraging others to play an extra round with them after they win.
You should also try to get some rest after a workout. If you go right away after training, you may be tired the next day which could hurt your performance.
Know your opponent
As mentioned before, fast bowling is more than just speed. It’s also about knowing how to use that speed effectively. When you do not know what your opponents are going to throw, it can make it very difficult to be prepared!
The best way to prepare yourself if this happens is by watching as many games of cricket as possible. This includes replays, YouTube videos and anything else you can get your hands on.
You will probably learn a lot from all these videos, so try to pick out the things that look different or seem unusual in some way. Then, focus on those parts during practice.
By doing this, you’ll have an idea of what balls might be thrown next time around. Even if there isn’t much difference between two balls, you’ll at least know something about them which can help you plan ahead.
If you noticed one ball was hit really hard then maybe go through with a bit less intensity when practicing? Or perhaps you could practise batting off a few balls instead of full deliveries.
Whatever you choose to do, don’t overdo it though! Avoid practising too much because you’ll likely find it tiring later on when a real game comes along. Instead, stick to a routine that works for you.
Always go to the practice room
As mentioned before, bowling is a skill that requires constant work. This means you will need a place to do your craft as soon as possible!
Fortunately, most professional bowlers have private facilities where they train. They may even advertise it so you can watch them train and get some tips from them. Some also offer coaching at various levels of the game.
If this isn’t possible, then at least make sure you are able to access your equipment with ease. Most professionals own at least one ball a size 10 or 12 and use that for training.
Don’t be afraid to ask if there is anything else you can try out while practicing. Sometimes coaches will let you join their team and contribute money towards buying new balls or lane mats.
Whatever you choose to do, just don’t spend more than what you would normally pay in a month! No matter how much money you save, it will still cost a pretty substantial amount per year.
Always keep your body fit
As mentioned before, bowling is a sport that requires you to have strong muscles in your legs, feet, ankles, knees, hips, back, shoulders, and arms. When you are not using these muscles, they become weak and can cause you to lose balance or prevent you from moving properly.
When you are bowling, your feet need to be able to move quickly and efficiently so that you do not get stuck like a truck driver trying to navigate around a puddle of water. Your lower leg needs to be strong enough to hold up your weight when you step forward after delivering a ball or stepping back after setting down a ball.
Your ankle needs to feel comfortable and stable so that you do not overwork it by jumping, running, or walking too fast. Your thigh and hip muscle groups should be strong enough to propel you through the air when throwing the balls. Your shoulder and upper arm muscles need to be toned so that you do not lock them up while tossing the balls.
This will take practice, but with time, you will find your strengths and weaknesses and you can work to strengthen the weaker ones.
