The Coaching Clinic

[ludhianvi]

I am unofficially opening this thread for those who have questions regarding cricketing techniques or those who would like some assistance. If you have any quesions, this thread may serve as a good source. Since many of the posters have played cricket, we should get some good responses. Some questions you would like to ask:

• What is reverse swing and how do I achieve it?
• How to bowl a outswinger; how to position the fingers correctly
• What is meant by rolling the wrists by the batsmen?

I think this might be a good addition. Lets see how it goes. Question/Response Index How does the cloud conditions, moisture etc affect bowling...how to utilize/adapt to it while bowling? Responses:1 What is meant by rolling the wrists by the batsmen? Responses:1 2 What is reverse swing and how do I achieve it? Responses:1 2 3 4 How to bowl a outswinger; how to position the fingers correctly? Responses:1 What is a side-on action? Responses:1 Why a ball moves/swings in the air? Responses:1 Why a ball deviates after hitting the deck? Responses:1

[fineleg]

How does the cloud conditions, moisture etc affect bowling...how to utilize/adapt to it while bowling?

[ludhianvi]

How does the cloud conditions' date=' moisture etc affect bowling...how to utilize/adapt to it while bowling?[/quote'] btw, I forgot to mention that I am the student :D Very good first question I must say. I'll leave this to the experts.

[Sachinism]

dont know the technicalities but those conditions should help the ball move, so keep the seam up and let the conditions take control

[The Outsider]

Movement under heavy cloud conditions is one of the mysteries of swing bowling. There have been numerous tests conducted in labs where the dependence of swing on moisture in the atmosphere has been sought to be studied but all experiments have found zero dependence whereas any casual observer/player of cricket will tell you with conviction that the ball does do a lot more in the air under a cloud cover.

[Holysmoke]

[*]What is meant by rolling the wrists by the batsmen?

I think this might be a good addition. Lets see how it goes.

Kind of hard to explain. When you play a horizontal batted shot(take a pull shot for example), you roll your wrists in such a way that the bat, after impact, goes over the ball, instead of under the ball, making sure that the ball goes downwards. This greatly reduces the impact of the ball going into the air, and the batsman getting out caught.

[King]

# What is reverse swing and how do I achieve it? Reverse swing is as the term describes the ball swinging unconventionally. Ideally the ball when delivered with seam upright should bend towards the shiny side. Reverse swing is when the ball moves in the air conventionally at first i.e towards the shiny side of the ball but late in its trajectory moves towards the rough side of the ball. This can be achieved by making sure the old ball is shone on one side (usually smoother side) and very rough on the other side. Taking care of the ball is the most important aspect when you want to achieve reverse swing. Rough grouns aid the reverse swing more simply because the ball gets very rough. Bowlers take utmost care while handling the ball by making sure the sweaty hands are not touching the rough side of the ball. Reverse swing is effective when bowled with some pace making it hard for the batsmen to react to it. # How to bowl a outswinger; how to position the fingers correctly Firstly the seam has to be upright. Cocking the wrist allows for generating more swing. Usually it is the action (side on) that aids away swinger. Side on action, with wrist, toes and follow through ending towards the slips generates good away swinger. It is also important to slant the seam towards the slips at the time of delivery. More than the position of the seam it is he bowling action and the wrist position at the time of delivery that produces more swing. Sidebottom's action is just the right action to swing the ball away consistently. #What is meant by rolling the wrists by the batsmen? The bottom hand going in front of the top hand after the shot is made is called rolling of wrists when it comes to playing front foot shots. The bottom hand ending over the top hand when playing back foot shots allows the wrist to roll. The rolling of wrist allows either to place the ball on the leg side usually behind square or to keep the ball on the ground when playing horizontal bat shots.

[mhr123]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=075O6fRJesQ]YouTube - Wasim Akram's comments about Seam & Swing Bowling[/ame]

[vroomfondel]

Movement under heavy cloud conditions is one of the mysteries of swing bowling. There have been numerous tests conducted in labs where the dependence of swing on moisture in the atmosphere has been sought to be studied but all experiments have found zero dependence whereas any casual observer/player of cricket will tell you with conviction that the ball does do a lot more in the air under a cloud cover.

i thought it made sense, at least the clouds part. afaik, swing happens when there is laminar flow on one side, and turbulent flow on the other side (seam side). laminar flow is easier to create when the fluid density is higher, as is the case with colder air, which is what happens during cloud cover. moisture should actually decrease air density, but i think it is made up for by decrease in temperature. ie, it will not swing on a 80% humidity day in chennai, but will at 50% humidity in england. or at least this is how i convinced myself it worked.

[Gambit]

Good thread ludhianvi.

# What is reverse swing and how do I achieve it? Reverse swing is as the term describes the ball swinging unconventionally. Ideally the ball when delivered with seam upright should bend towards the shiny side. Reverse swing is when the ball moves in the air conventionally at first i.e towards the shiny side of the ball but late in its trajectory moves towards the rough side of the ball. This can be achieved by making sure the old ball is shone on one side (usually smoother side) and very rough on the other side. Taking care of the ball is the most important aspect when you want to achieve reverse swing. Rough grouns aid the reverse swing more simply because the ball gets very rough. Bowlers take utmost care while handling the ball by making sure the sweaty hands are not touching the rough side of the ball. Reverse swing is effective when bowled with some pace making it hard for the batsmen to react to it.

ravi, are you sure that's correct? When the ball is new, if you want to bowl an outswinger, you point the seam towards the slips with the shiny side away from the slips. The ball then swings toward it's heavier side(rougher side) resulting in conventional outswing. In conventional swing, the ball moves towards the rough side.

[Gambit]

I have a question. What is a side-on action?

[King]

Good thread ludhianvi. ravi, are you sure that's correct? When the ball is new, if you want to bowl an outswinger, you point the seam towards the slips with the shiny side away from the slips. The ball then swings toward it's heavier side(rougher side) resulting in conventional outswing. In conventional swing, the ball moves towards the rough side.

Sorry that was a typo. I meant the rough side with the new ball and shiny side with the old ball.

[DomainK]

"Why a ball moves" has two different parts to it: 1. Why a ball moves/swings in the air 2. Why a ball deviates after hitting the deck. Lets look at the first one.

[King]

I have a question. What is a side-on action?

Side on is when the back foot at the time of delivery is parallel to the crease, shoulders aligned with the hips with hips facing leg side (for a right hand bowler and off side for a left hand bowler considering the batsman is a right hander) and the head is over the front arm at the time of delivery. Kapil Dev's action is a good example of side on action. Front on is when the back foot at the time of delivery is fairly straighter, hips pretty much facing the batsman and the left arm (for a right hand bowler) is over the head. Walsh was an open chested or a front on bowler. Safe action is when the bowler is either completely side on or front on. The mixed action (for eg. hips facing leg side but the shoulders open) if considered unsafe action and is bad for the back. This is the type of action that causes a lot of stress fractures.

[DomainK]

A ball moves in the air mainly because of difference in air pressure on each side of it. That difference comes from shining the ball. The rough side happens to get more air pressure/friction with the air than the shiny side. Hence the air pushes the ball towards the shiny side. Thats why the ball swings.

[DomainK]

A ball deviates after hitting the deck owing to 1. Air pressure and 2. Difference of weight between the two sides. The shiny side weighs more than the rough side and hence the ball gets pushed towards the shiny side.

[Gambit]

"Why a ball moves" has two different parts to it: 1. Why a ball moves/swings in the air 2. Why a ball deviates after hitting the deck. Lets look at the first one.

From what I understand, wind/air prefers to travel on the rougher side of the ball as it's heavier and offers more friction. Hence, when the new ball is bowled with the shiny side pointing towards the batsman, depending on the pace of the ball, the wind/air will act on the rougher side of the ball making the ball move away from the batsman. In case of reverse swing, the previously rough side has become so rough that it's almost smooth and the previously shiny side has arrived at the optimum level of the roughness, the kind that the wind/air prefers. Therefore, it will act on this side making the ball come in to the batsman resulting in reverse swing.

[King]

"Why a ball moves" has two different parts to it: 1. Why a ball moves/swings in the air 2. Why a ball deviates after hitting the deck. Lets look at the first one.

1. Why a ball moves/swins in the air The turbulance causes the ball to move in the air. The wind causes the ball to swing to one or the other side. The ball moves because of the way it is produced. An international cricket ball is a four piece. On every side of the ball the ball is stiched from inside. After the two parts are formed the two parts of the ball is stiched with a 6 or 9 line thread running parallel to each other. The duke, SG balls use thick threads to sew and Kokaburra ones use thin threads. Thicker the thread more the swing. In the past ball tampering was done by lifting the seam with finger nails. When you lift the thread you allow the wind to pass through the seam that causes the ball to swing more. 3. Why a ball deviates after hitting the deck Presence of grass or cracks on the pitch helps the ball deviates that is only if the bowler is able to land the ball on the seam. If the splice of the ball hits the grass you get more bounce but because of the smoothness on the splice the ball does not deviate even if it hits the grass.

[King]

A ball deviates after hitting the deck owing to 1. Air pressure and 2. Difference of weight between the two sides. The shiny side weighs more than the rough side and hence the ball gets pushed towards the shiny side.

You defined swing not seam. Deviation pretty much means seaming off the pitch. The ball seams when it hits the seam because of the uneven surface on the seam. If there is a uneven spread of grass on the pitch the seam deviates. The reason why the ball does not deviate in the outfield is because the outfield has even spread of grass.

[msb1991]

Side on is when the back foot at the time of delivery is parallel to the crease, shoulders aligned with the hips with hips facing leg side (for a right hand bowler and off side for a left hand bowler considering the batsman is a right hander) and the head is over the front arm at the time of delivery. Kapil Dev's action is a good example of side on action. Front on is when the back foot at the time of delivery is fairly straighter, hips pretty much facing the batsman and the left arm (for a right hand bowler) is over the head. Walsh was an open chested or a front on bowler. Safe action is when the bowler is either completely side on or front on. The mixed action (for eg. hips facing leg side but the shoulders open) if considered unsafe action and is bad for the back. This is the type of action that causes a lot of stress fractures.

Recent research is finding that there is something called a 'mid-on' or 'semi open' action which involves the chest and back leg pointing to fine leg (assuming it is right arm over to right hand batsman) and rotating, as all other actions do, to release in the front on position. The important thing is to ensure there is no unnatural twisting of parts of your body that act against other parts. As long as everything points in the same direction, you should be fine.