PACE

BOWLING

Fast bowling is an exciting part of our game. It is also a strenuous
activity that places bowlers at risk to injury. Fast bowlers who try to
bowl too fast, for too long, at a young age increase the chances of
injury occurring.
D. K. Lillee
INTRODUCTION
AIM
To provide you with the knowledge and
understanding of the guiding principle(s) of fast
bowling, allowing you to assist bowlers in the
everyday coaching environment.

K.I.S.S. Principle
Keep It Super Simple

FORCE ABSORPTION
STABILITY
ALIGNMENT
MOMENTUM
Change focus to efficiency
based on sound biomechanical
principles
PRINCIPLES OF PACE BOWLING
FORCE ABSORPTION
STABILITY
ALIGNMENT
MOMENTUM
Focus on WHAT TO DO rather
than on what NOT to do

PRINCIPLES OF PACE BOWLING
FORCE ABSORPTION
STABILITY
ALIGNMENT
MOMENTUM
PRINCIPLES OF PACE BOWLING
to develop and maintain all body
movements in the direction of the batsman


to ensure hips and shoulders face in the
same direction at back foot landing


to maintain balance and support throughout
the delivery stride


to reduce and release the stresses
produced during run-up and delivery
Wasim, Maco & DK
SPOT
PROGRAM
SPOT PROGRAM
Four key components:
- S creening
- P hysical preparation
- O verbowling
- T echnique
SPOT Booklet was the first publication of the Injury Prevention
Strategy (May 1993 / revised October 1998)
Basis for continuing publications, research and injury
prevention programs
SPOT Poster
SPOT POSTER
SPOT POSTER
SPOT POSTER
SPOT POSTER
SPOT SCREEN FOR RISK FACTORS
A number of factors
can increase the risk of
injury, particularly for
developing fast
bowlers (teenage
years onwards)
Bodyweight problems
Postural defects
Everyday lifestyle
Body development
SPOT PHYSICAL PREPARATION
Appropriate physical preparation is important from injury
prevention and optimum performance perspectives. Physical
preparation programs should be designed by a fitness
professional to suit the individual needs of bowlers and the
specific demands of fast bowling.
Fitness programs should include the following components:
- Strength & Power (including trunk/core)
- Endurance and Interval Training
- Flexibility
- Education regarding Warming Up and Cooling Down
These aspects of a fast bowlers fitness should be routinely
monitored
SPOT OVERBOWLING
Young pace bowlers should not be over bowled. Factors such
as physical maturity, bowling speed and effort and playing
conditions will determine the appropriate workload. The table
below shows the maximum recommended overs for practice
and matches under normal circumstances.
** break between spells to be 60 min or longer
* substitute one practice session / additional match played in the week
SPOT TECHNIQUE

GOOD TECHNIQUE IS IMPORTANT,
NOT ONLY FOR SKILL,
BUT ALSO FOR REDUCING STRESS
PLACED ON THE BODY

FAST BOWLING, REGARDLESS OFTECHNIQUE,
HAS AN INHERENT RISK OF INJURY

SPOT TECHNIQUE The Side-on Set up
At back foot
landing the foot,
hips and shoulders
are side-on

The bowler looks
through the front
arm

SPOT TECHNIQUE Side-on Set up
SPOT TECHNIQUE The Front-on Set up
The bowler lands with his
back foot pointing
somewhere between mid-
wicket and the batter
The hips and shoulders are
open at back foot contact
The bowler looks at the
target just inside the front
arm
It is important the front-on
bowler stays front-on
throughout the full delivery
stride
SPOT TECHNIQUE Front-on Set up
SPOT TECHNIQUE Front-on Set up
Some important points:

Generally approach the wicket faster as they do not have the
shoulder rotation between BFI and ball release that side-on
bowlers do

Generally successful front-on bowlers will use shorter levers
SPOT TECHNIQUE Front-on Set up
A fully front-on technique does exist but is rare in
Australia. There is more of a tendency for this to
occur in the Caribbean.
In most coaching programs the front-on technique
has been redefined:

Front-on for the very open-chested

Semi-open for the more closed orientation but not side-on
bowler

SPOT TECHNIQUE
Front-on v Semi-open
SPOT TECHNIQUE Semi-open Set up
COMMON PROBLEMS
WITH PACE BOWLING
TECHNIQUE
COMMON PROBLEMS The Mixed Set-up

Has been statistically linked to a higher incidence of
lower back stress fractures, bony abnormalities and
soft tissue injuries
COMMON PROBLEMS The Mixed Set-up
Includes a range of mal-aligned setup postures
at Back Foot Impact (BFI)
COMMON PROBLEMS The Mixed Set-up
An example:

Trying to be Side-on

Shoulders not
aligned at BFI
COMMON PROBLEMS Counter-rotation
Counter-rotation is a movement of the shoulders (from an aligned set-up
or a mixed set-up) to a more side on position during the delivery stride
COMMON PROBLEMS Counter-rotation
Shoulders become

more side on
COUNTERROTATION IS A MOVEMENT OF THE SHOULDERS TO A MORE
SIDE ON POSITION RELATIVE TO THE HIPS DURING THE DELIVERY STRIDE
FROM
Shoulders front on
at back foot landing
TO
Shoulders side on
during delivery stride
An example:
COMMON PROBLEMS Counter-rotation
Shoulder counter-rotation
= 35 degrees
COMMON PROBLEMS Counter-rotation
It is the number ONE known technique link to lower back
stress fractures

It may affect bowling accuracy

It can lead to hyperextension and lateral flexion

It is inefficient - the shoulders are rotating across the target
line

Its hard for the coach to detect without high quality slow
motion video

COMMON PROBLEMS Hyperextension
Hyperextension is an arching of the spine backwards at back
foot landing, during the delivery stride, or at front foot landing
COMMON PROBLEMS Hyperextension
An example:
TECHNIQUE &
INJ URY
TECHNIQUE & INJ URY
What causes Common Problems with Pace
Bowling Technique?
Momentum heading in the wrong direction
Poor stability
Inappropriate load-up position
Long bowling arm in down phase
Too open in Shoulders at BFI
Inefficient Front-arm?
Coaching history - Side-on Game!!
Idol modeling
Low Strength v Optimal v High Strength
Flexibility and Front-on v Semi-Open

TECHNIQUE & INJ URY
The Research

University of Western Australia
University of Queensland
Australian Cricket Board
Australian Institute of Sport

United Kingdom
New Zealand
South Africa
TECHNIQUE & INJ URY
What the AIS Research Says

42 Fast Bowlers 1996 - 1999
Complete 3-D technique and Injury History
4 Injury Groups :

Stress Fracture Lower Back
Soft Tissue Lower Back
Trunk Side Strain
No Trunk Injury

TECHNIQUE & INJ URY
Counter-rotation of shoulders after reasonable alignment at BFI
characteristic of stress fracture group
TECHNIQUE & INJ URY
TECHNIQUE & INJ URY
TECHNIQUE & INJ URY
TECHNIQUE & INJ URY
TECHNIQUE & INJ URY
Whats so bad about Shoulder Counter-Rotation?

Its inefficient - the shoulders are rotating away from the
batsmen. The degrees of freedom are increased

Because the hips are usually starting to open when it happens
the torsion in the lower back is increased significantly

It can cause the bowler to hyper-extend and hyperflex the
trunk at FFC (4 - 10 x Body Weight) Burnett et al., 1998
have provided some initial support for this

LOAD UP
LONG v SHORT LEVERS NOT
ALWAYS BLACK & WHITE
Long Levers versus Short Levers
Increased moment of inertia Decreased moment of inertia
More energy required Less energy required
Mixed at BFI Aligned at BFI
LOAD UPS & LEVERAGE
Individuality needs to be considered
LOAD UPS & LEVERAGE
Individuality needs to be considered
LOAD UPS & LEVERAGE
Individuality needs to be considered
RUN UP PHASE
GATHER PHASE
BACK FOOT IMPACT
DELIVERY STRIDE
RELEASE PHASE
FOLLOW THROUGH
PHASES OF THE BOWLING ACTION
ARM AND HAND MOVEMENT
Parallel to the target line, elbows bent at 90 degrees
Pump the elbows straight back
STRIDE BUILD UP
Forward body lean with short steps initially, building into longer
steps
A balanced running stride prior to take off
RUN UP PHASE
FRONT ARM PATHWAY
The front arm should move
straight up, parallel to the target
line, not too far across the body
BOWLING ARM
The bowling arm should move in
a plane parallel to the target
line
APPROACH
Maintain a line to and through the crease, along the target line.
The back leg should come through searching for the ground in front
of the body
GATHER PHASE
BOWLING ARM
Bowling arm should be moving
in a plane parallel to the
target line
FRONT ARM
The front arm should move
straight up, parallel to the target
line, not too far across the body
Eyes should be looking through
or just inside the front arm
HIP AND SHOULDER
ALIGNMENT
Hips and shoulders should be
aligned in the same plane at back
foot impact
LEG MECHANICS
Back leg should land bent and
straighten through the delivery
stride
Front leg should be moving
towards the target line, not
across the body
BACK FOOT IMPACT
SHOULDER & HIP
ALIGNMENT
There should be minimal closing of
the shoulders after back foot impact
Some closing (counter rotation)
occurs in nearly all bowlers
BOWLING ARM
Bowling arm should move in a
plane parallel to the target line
from top of the shoulder, past hip
and around
FRONT ARM
Should come straight down, bent
and lock into front hip, before
extending straight back after
release
LEG MECHANICS
The front leg should land in a straight
line towards the target line, providing a
balanced platform to work the upper
body from
DELIVERY STRIDE
LEG MECHANICS
The front leg should land slightly
bent and straighten to lock up just
prior to release. The back leg
should come straight through along
the target line, bending the knee to
lift up and over an imaginary
obstacle beside the front foot
BOWLING ARM
Release point should be directly
above the bowling side hip.
Follow through should be past the
non bowling side thigh
HEAD POSITION
The head should be kept as still
and as level as possible
FRONT ARM
The front arm elbow should be
locked into the front hip with the
hand in a handshake position
down the target line
RELEASE PHASE
The follow through is a product of movements that
occur earlier in the delivery. When analysing
actions, look for causes in early stages of the
delivery rather than the symptoms, that usually
present in the release and follow through phases.

Remember

Prevention is better than the cure
FOLLOW THROUGH
REMEDIAL DRILLS
Habit forming
Repetition for reinforcement
Rehabilitation aid
Provides instant feedback
Not coach intensive

REMEDIAL DRILLS
RUN UP
Drill 1: efficient forward momentum with all body movements
towards the target and forward body lean
Drill 2: produce a suitable length run-up for the individual
GATHER
Drill 1: all body movements continue towards the target
throughout delivery
Drill 2: extension of gather drill 1, with the addition a physical
obstruction (e.g. stumps)
REMEDIAL DRILLS
BACK FOOT LANDING
Drill 1: timing of the gather of the bowling hand outside the
chin at back foot landing
DELIVERY STRIDE
Drill 1: application of the double pendulum model using
scrunchie to assist
Drill 2: demonstrate the hand/ ball speed that can be
generated utilising the double pendulum model

REMEDIAL DRILLS
RELEASE
Drill 1: ensure bowler achieves vertical hip and shoulder
rotation
Drill 2: ensure bowler achieves vertical hip/ shoulder rotation
and the best release point
Drill 3: develops a powerful straightening of the back leg
which assists forward momentum and increases the height of
release
FOLLOW THROUGH
Drill 1: develops a powerful straightening of the back leg
which assists forward momentum and increases the height of
release