As we already discussed, fast bowling is an integral part of cricket. It’s what makes some teams lean more towards chasing small totals than defending big ones.
It also allows for shorter games as there’s not much time to develop batting positions before you have to make way for someone who can hit quick balls over cover or leg stump.
But currently, the number one goal for most aspiring bowlers seems to be to go as hard as they can without really thinking about how to improve their craft beyond just trying to get wickets.
That needs to change if they want to keep up with the ever-changing game of cricket.
In this article I will talk about five ways to become a better bowler by doing something that has very little to do with taking wickets!
1) Bowl faster
This may sound obvious but too many young players struggle to add speed to their ball while throwing the ball.
Throwing the ball harder requires strength and muscle control so it isn’t necessarily easy for everyone.
However, tacking onto the existing speed comes easily to some people and you don’t need any special equipment to do it. You can even do it at home!
Here are some tips to help you achieve your goals.
The rise of wrist spin
As mentioned before, offspin is not a style that most fast bowlers have mastered. It is also becoming less popular as cricket technology advances at an incredible speed!
Wrist spin is what happens when the ball rotates on its axis while spinning around a vertical axis. Almost every type of bowling has some degree of wrist spin, but only a few greats use it to their advantage.
A good example of this is Shane Warne. He was one of the greatest batsmen of all time and often left his opponent with little choice but to play the back foot or get hit hard.
His ability to create so much turn in the ball made him seem almost supernatural and he perfected the art of using it effectively.
Warner now tours who do the same and are able to exploit the same weaknesses in players’ shots because of his unique skill set.
As cricket games become more about power over distance than sheer brute force, having a bowler who can make the ball move becomes even more important.
So how will we see fast bowlers in the future? I believe we will continue to see greater emphasis put on swing and side-arm variations, but no longer will there be a stigma attached to a bowler that relies heavily on wrist spin.
It is clearly effective for many top level cricketers and should be used whenever possible.
Fast bowling is still important
There’s no doubt about it, fast bowlers are fun to watch! They create hype with their action, they use variety in styles, and they show off how much speed they have.
But what if we took away all that speed? What if we got rid of the straight-arm front snap, the arm across body swing, or even just the quick footwork?
What if we simply had big globs of lava chasing around little balls at high speeds? That wouldn’t be very entertaining would it?
Fast bowling is an integral part of cricket and will always enjoy some popularity. But this article will discuss why you should consider softball as an alternative game mode for the sport.
Why Softball Is A Better Game Mode For Cricket
This section will argue why softball is a better game mode than baseball (or even faster paced hockey). Check out these reasons and see which one makes the most sense to you!
Softball Is More Fun To Watch
If you’ve ever watched professional softball then you know what I mean when I say this. Even though it’s not as popular as soccer, football, or rugby, there are actually quite a few fanbases built up around the sport.
Most people who like sports love watching softball. This isn’t necessarily because they think the athletes look good while playing it, but more so due to the way the games are displayed.
Bowling speed isn’t everything
While some people claim that bowling speed is what makes or breaks a player, this isn’t necessarily true. Some of the greatest bowlers in history were not very fast, while other quick bowler have failed to win big tournaments.
The reason why so many great slow bowlers exist comes down to two things: technique and habit. Technically speaking, good slow bowlers are really strong at keeping their front foot planted while they swing their ball back. This helps them create more power as they roll the balls.
On the opposite end, good rapid fire bowlers are really skilled at manipulating how quickly they can get the ball off the mat. They spend most of the time waiting for just the right amount of tension before letting go.
New variations of fast bowling
As we already mentioned, there are several different types of fast bowlers in cricket today. But what about the future? What will be the next big thing for fast bowlers to experiment with?
The most obvious is probably bowing or “spin bowling”. BOWING! Yes, you read that correctly – bowing is the way forward for fast bowlers. It seems like every bowler has tried it at some stage in their career, whether they admit it or not.
It was once seen as too difficult for batsmen to handle. However, this perception is changing rapidly now. Almost every Test match these days features one or more bowers taking advantage of the new-fangled off-stump field.
Some even go so far as to call it the “new norm”. So why not give it a try yourself?
There are two main reasons why people choose to bunt the ball before throwing it. The first is to create extra pace through centrifugal force. By bending the arm slightly as the ball comes towards them, it creates faster balls due to gravity acting upon it.
This can also help to disguise the type of delivery being thrown, making it harder to pick up clues. For instance, if the bowler were to run in from behind the wicket and throw a hard bouncer, then he would know it was a high ball.
New skills needed
As we know, fast bowling is not a position that requires much talent. A quick arm can contribute to the style, but it is not essential. If you have a strong throwing motion or are very athletic, there is no reason why you could not try your hand at this craft as well.
The key to being successful is learning how to combine different parts of the game into one skill set. For example, if someone who bowls slow was able to develop a strong throwing motion, they could learn how to bowl like a faster bowler!
This isn’t too difficult to do, and there are many resources available online and through clubs for anyone interested in trying their hand at it. Many coaches offer lessons and/or trainees so you can get some help along the way!
Not only does this take away from the need for natural speed, it also gives you the opportunity to practice shooting a ball while moving at a quicker pace than before.
Fast bowling is still important in cricket
While fast bowlers are not as popular as they were years ago, they are still an integral part of most teams. They can be just as valuable to your team as ever!
Teams need someone who can take quick wickets so that their other players do not have too much pressure on them. A lot of successful franchises have at least one main bowler in the top echelons of the game that people know about because he or she makes a big deal out of themselves.
This could be through media appearances, social media posts, constant praise from teammates, and/or lots of fan support. As we saw earlier, it is impossible to tell how many runs a player will get without watching the match, but if you look up interviews and videos, you can get some sense of what kind of person they are like by looking at how they talk and what things they say.
It also does not matter how good a batsman is, there will always be times when the ball goes flat and the batsman has no chance to make a defense. Teams should therefore have a plan B for every position on the field, even the ones where people think the job is already done.
How to become a fast bowler
Being able as we are today to watch almost every bowling match live, with replays available within seconds for most things, it can be hard to remember the era when people didn’t have access to such technology.
In those days, if you wanted to see what kind of speed someone was running at or how high they could throw the ball, you either had to go outside to watch them play or wait until their next game.
Technology has advanced so much since then that these types of videos are now possible from anywhere around the world! That is why it is so important for young bowlers out there to know about his or her own potential.
It is also very helpful in helping them improve their games because you can compare yourself to others who already seem to be more skilled than you.
Strength and conditioning
Recent trends in bowling have been towards faster balls, bigger swings with your ball toss, and heavier balls. All three of these things are possible due to strength training.
Pro bowlers spend lots of time working out during the season. They will do weight lifting, exercise using weights or resistance bands, perform isometric exercises (working muscles that don’t contract, like holding your leg up for a set amount of time) and active rest days where they can focus more on specific areas of their game.
Some pro bowlers even use fitness apps to track their workouts and improve upon them when they aren’t able to train with a coach or trainer. Technology has made it very easy to keep in shape!
Strength training helps you increase your muscle mass which aids in bone growth as well. This strengthens your body overall and gives you an edge over others who may not work out as much but still want to win just as badly as you do!
It also increases blood circulation which helps maintain healthy skin and internal organs.
