One of the most essential factors too realize in fast bowling is the difference between immediate deceleration, slowing down, controlled deceleration and acceleration maintenance. Fast bowlers should aim to maintain acceleration as apposed to decelerating on front foot contact [FFC]. There is a difference! At no stage is it about stopping at the crease. It’s about maintain the energy stored and transferring it up the chain sequentially.
Key to speed is simple: Apply large mass-specific force to the ground quickly
“Energy can’t be destroyed only transferred. Fast bowling isn’t about deceleration. Deceleration is slowing down the rate of transfer from one form to another. Collision control takes care of that automatically and doesn’t need help. The fastest bowlers never stop running”
In the study by Worthington, King and Ranson in 2010 ‘Relationships between fast bowling technique and ball release speed in cricket‘ it was concluded the pace potential was correlated with approach speed.
‘Bowlers who lack the ability to maintain momentum through the full sequence will never truly reach their pace potential’ 2010 Worthington, King & Ranson.
In Male elite performance, ball release speed was correlated to total horizontal impulse between front foot contact and ball release. Ball release speed was also correlated to run up speed and plant angle at front foot. No trade-off between higher GRF and release speed, also lower release heights reported than previous research.
‘The aim of this study was to identify the key aspects of technique that characterize the fastest bowlers. Kinematic data were collected for 20 elite male fast bowlers with 11 kinematic parameters calculated, describing elements of fast bowling technique that have previously been linked to ball release speed. Four technique variables were identified as being the best predictors of ball release speed, explaining 74% of the observed variation in ball release speed. The results indicate that the fastest bowlers have a quicker run-up and maintain a straighter knee throughout the front foot contact phase. The fastest bowlers were also observed to exhibit larger amounts of upper trunk flexion up to ball release and to delay the onset of arm circumduction. This study identifies those technique variables that best explain the differences in release speeds among fast bowlers. These results are likely to be useful in both the coaching and talent identification of fast bowlers’
In simple terms-‘Fast bowling is about applying as much force into the ground in as little time as possible’. It’s about how much force, the direction and the time taken.
In testing using the ‘1080 sprint’ for fast bowling, when the numbers are higher on the run up speed in m/s and power highest in watts the ball velocity was always higher.
The ‘Pacelab system’ of training places a premium on improving running speed. Three years of in-house research has demonstrated that improving the speed bowlers run in at will have a positive correlation with ball velocity. Hitting FFC faster with more force will help you bowl faster. However this increases the dynamic complexity of the sequence and places a higher premium on eccentric strength. To be in control of the collision requires the ability to avoid deformation on ground contact. Flexing on contact increases ground contact time which is not favorable to bowl quickly. However, don’t all rush to stand under the barbell to squat until you drop. That won’t help you if your ground contact time is less than 0.20sec, and if it isn’t, then you definitely won’t be bowling quickly!
This also supports the below study:
“The HP group was able to bowl significantly faster than the AM group and had a higher center of mass speed at back foot impact” Kane J. Middleton, Peter M. Mills, Bruce C. Elliott & Jacqueline A. Alderson
Cited from: “The association between lower limb biomechanics and ball release speed in cricket fast bowlers: a comparison of high-performance and amateur competitors “
The aim of a fast bowler should to be to generate as much momentum into impulse stride, then maintain that into BFC to FFC. I believe the ideal approach velocity based on 1080 motion sprint testing is between 7-8m/s. Any more will cause dramatic implication for the dynamic complexity of the sequence. It’s pretty impossible I believe to run in faster. One aspect of the approach that gets ignored is the action of the arms in the “sprint” to the jump and delivery portion of the sequence. Due to the short distance of a fast bowlers run up the majority of it is about acceleration. Very few bowlers get into top speed mode when bowling. Those bowlers with longer run ups are more likely hip dominant and tendon driven and rely less on strength and more on momentum. Knee dominant and muscle driven bowlers have the shorter run ups as it’s more about overcoming inertia and strength. The arm action influence the optimal position of the hips. If the arm action is not optimal the hips will drift too far back leading to hinging which causes the chest to drift farther in front of the BOS( Base of support) – vertical axis through the hips. This inhibits full extension and the subsequent lack of force application on ground contact. This is why there is a global habit with bowlers to approach the wickets with short strides. This inhibits the ability to produce max force on impulse stride into BFC. This leads to bowler’s foot planting in front of the center of mass [COM] and decelerating on the penultimate stride, also called the impulse stride. This in an attempt to apply vertical force and jump high!! This is not conducive to bowling quickly. Bowling quickly is about maintaining the cyclic motion of the legs and keep moving forward. In fact there is a key feed forward mechanism that should be coached.
One of the new kinematic terminology made popular and reintroduced into athletic preparation recently thanks mainly to the work of @fransbosch is ‘swing leg retraction. So, what is it and how is it relevant for fast bowlers? I’m here to tell you now it is essential.
Swing leg retraction can be seen as a feed-forward motion where the swing-leg is retracted at constant angular velocity throughout the second half of the swing phase during sprinting or any high velocity locomotive motion like fast bowling. The stiffness on back foot contact has a direct impact on the effectiveness of this motion. Crossed extensor reflex due to the stiffness of the contralateral leg sets up a sequence concluding with swing leg retraction and foot plant form above. Foot plant above guarantees a stable pelvis and a fulcrum at the hip joint as opposed to at the knee joint. This is why I place a premium on training the stiffness on back foot contact and the isometric and eccentric strength on front foot contact.
The idea is that the footstrike should not “slide into” contact with the ground but rather should be directed from above with the line of expected Ground Reaction Forces (GRFs) we are hoping to create.
The most important direction for a fast bowler isn’t the vertical but rather the anterior/posterior direction. Here is a direct quote from a recent study.
“Force imparted by the stride leg against the direction of the throw appears to contribute strongly to achieve maximum throwing velocity” Stride Leg Ground Reaction Forces Predict Throwing Velocity in Adult Recreational Baseball Pitchers (McNally, Borstad, Onate, Chaudhari; JSCR Oct 2015)
The fact that the stride leg is applying force AGAINST the direction of the delivery means that this force is being applied in a posterior direction.
Fast bowlers ability to produce HORIZONTAL VELOCITY is directly related to their ability to exceed the VERTICAL FORCE demands of the skill. In both the initial/acceleration/start up strides of the approach the vertical velocity demands placed on the bowler is unavoidable. Increase in GCT requires relative strength and in my opinion the only stage that strength becomes a factor. This is why if a bowler has a walk in/roll in part to the approach and not a standing dead-start to overcome inertia strength becomes even less important.
From a dead-start, vertical force is required to stop the body’s downward velocity and launch the bowler into first stride and airborne. So the difference between the vertical demands of the Approach/Sprint into impulse stride, and the bowlers maximum force potential will result in their ability to produce horizontal velocity.
A lower total force production is not the only factor involved in producing a decrease in the ability of the approach. The bowler can lose productivity if they waste their available force in an inefficient manner. This can take the form of wasting forces in the lateral direction by moving the body sideways towards the crease in particular the arm movement, over producing vertical forces by projecting the body too high in the air, or generating excessive horizontal braking force at every ground contact by landing too far ahead of center of mass. All these can be improved by technical work and not necessarily biomotor improvement.
Fast bowlers-Learn to run properly! Everything in fast bowling is the same as running. Remember the collision that occurs while walking is different than the collision that occurs while running.
Notice the switching of limbs in the air whilst sprinting and the claw back and under that occurs as fort contacts on the inside edge of the foot. Momentum is maintained every stride. We now 70% of running speed occurs after 7 strides, the remainder is about maintaining momentum and avoiding decelerating on ground contact due to poor technique. This is the same from impulse stride to BFC. Fast bowler should aim to become better sprinters whilst becoming strong enough to manage the collision. Spend more time getting your sprinting technique effective and efficient. The switching of the limbs and the claw back swing leg retraction is a key determinant of the approach and delivery. A Collision is how the body absorbs and redirects energy. The knee being bent extends the collision time. This can happen in two different fashions.
- The knee bends prior to impact.
- The knee bends after the collision or the foot coming in contact with the ground.
Understanding the impact forces have on the body is key. Do they flex on contact due to anthropometry or do the fail to control the collision die to poor eccentric capabilities. Hip dominant bowlers, who due to myelination stay ‘rigid’ on back foot contact [BFC] may not necessarily have the bio motor qualities to utilize this capability.
Knee / Static / Strength / Contractile / Muscle Driven
Lower Level / Static / Knee Dominant Performer Spends Too Long on BFC
Hip / Spring / Reactive / Tensile / Tendon / Fascia Driven
High Level / Spring / Hip Dominant Performer Spends Less Time on BFC
A good fast bowlers knee is bent prior to ground contact and maintains that angle throughout the ground contact phase. It is not bent after. A weaker bowlers knee will bend after ground contact occurs whether hip or knee dominant.
Fast bowling training should be treated as running or sprint training. The better you run the better you will deliver a cricket ball.
Speed of the Run Up is Essential
20% of the Ball Velocity is From the Run Up
Spend more time learning to sprint than focusing on lifting more weights in the gym. Get as strong as you need to be, then get sprinting. Change your mindset. Fast bowling happens too quickly for gym numbers to impact on its performance.
About Steffan Jones
Steffan Jones is the former Somerset, Northamptonshire, Kent and Derbyshire fast bowler who forged a career out of getting the best out of himself physically. He is an ex-pro cricketer of 20yrs, and is the last dual pro between rugby & cricket. Steffan is recognized as a global Fast-bowling performance expert.
Steffan is currently one of the small number of people in the world who hold an ECB level 3 qualification as well as a UKSCA accreditation in strength & conditioning. He is the leading coach in England on teaching and using heavy ball contrast training for fast bowler development.
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