Pace Bowling | Cricket coaching, fitness and tips

Streetwise Bowling: The Seamer's Subtlety

This article is part of the "Streetwise Bowling" series from PitchVision Academy. To view the full list of tactics click here.

As a seamer, you lack the subtle variety of seam and swing. You are probably not that quick. You are McGrath, relentlessly hitting your length and relying on the seam for variety.

But even the metronome needs something else.

Batsmen get well set on a flat pitch. You come up against a player who you know is a little sluggish to get forward early in his innings. The ball gets old and worn at the end of an innings.

It's time to take a wicket through subtlety.

Streetwise Bowling: Your Guide to Planning the Destruction of Batsmen

Every bowler needs a plan.

For most, especially the inexperienced, it doesn't get more complicated than "hit the top of off stump". Of course, there is nothing wrong with that plan. It often works. But batsmen are canny. They don't always do what you want.

That's why the really good bowler is able to bowl to a plan that goes beyond the basics and into the wicket-taking stratosphere.

Indian Fast Bowlers: BOOK NOW for Ultimate Pace Foundation

Filed in:

In in this article on how to bowl faster, Ian Pont explains how his methods at the Ultimate Pace Foundation in Bangalore will help you bowl faster. Click here to book now.

Fixing Fast Bowlers: Back Foot Contact

This is the first series of troubleshooting to repair inefficient or physically dangerous fast bowling technique.

The bowling action is complex and prone to breaking down. While we want bowler's to bowl with natural actions, in many cases when we see a flaw we will be quick to try to iron out. This is because injury, and reduction in pace and performance is often associated with the flaw.

One of the most common of these flaws is; as a bowler comes out of her bound and into her back foot contact (BFC). We often see the back leg sweeping underneath the body and then land in a position towards the return crease. As the action is a chain of events only one thing can happen: A misalignment between BFC and front foot contact (FFC).

Your Chance to Bowl Fast in India

Filed in:

Ian Pont has launched the Ultimate Pace Foundation in Bangalore: The chance for any Indian fast bowler to learn how to bowl faster. Ian explains why he set up his fast bowling academy, and how to join.

Every fast bowler would take an extra yard of pace.

Yet, India has not produced genuine fast bowlers. There is no genetic or physical reason for this. The only thing it can be is that young bowlers are not encouraged to bowl straight and fast like in Pakistan.

That's what I want to change at the Ultimate Pace Foundation.

I want Indian bowlers to come and take their chance to become a fast bowler. I want to have bowlers who have a heart for bowling fast. I want to break the tradition of being satisfied with being a trundler.

The Zaheer Khan Guide to Building Bowling Stamina

It's well documented that Zaheer Khan returned to fitness in 2013 by attending a "performance camp" in France. What can you learn from how Zaheer did it to help you improve your bowling stamina?

The exciting part for me is that he did it without the old fashioned mantra of "putting miles in your legs" and jogging. That's not to say he needed a lot of special expensive gear either. Everything the paceman did is simple to recreate at home, in the gym or even in the nets.

In fact, it's a great overall plan for any fast bowler who wants to bowl longer spells and come back for second and third times with equal fire. So lets take a look at what he did:

Ask the Readers: Help Khalique to Bowl Faster

Khalique dropped me an email recently for some advice on his bowling. I thought you might be able to give him some tips. Leave a comment and let us know.

"I am struggling with my pace: I had good pace with natural in swing but now during the last 3 years it has all gone. I am 6.3" tall and 68kg in weight. kindly help me to get my pace back and bowl like a fast bowler."

We have spoken a lot about bowling fast, from the action to fitness to mental approach. So I thought it was time to see if you can add to the suggestion pile, and also help Khalique reach the goal that many site readers also desire: searing, destructive pace.

How to Be A Nasty Fast Bowler (When You Are a Nice Guy)

Picture the typical fast bowler personality. You are probably thinking of an angry, red-faced man with a face full of bristling moustache. He is bent on everything short of murder and not short of a few choice words or a bouncer aimed straight at your teeth.

But what if you have a bit of fast bowling talent without the aggressive personality?

Can you ever be a success as a quickie?

Ask the Readers: Swing Bowling Against a Breeze?

Phil sent in a question and, frankly, it's one I thought the PitchVision readers would be able to help.

Here it is:

"Having played league cricket 26 years and taken a wicket or two, I have now moved city. The ground where I now play is very open and there is a strong breeze blowing from left to right. As an away swing bowler I have quickly accepted that I cannot swing it away to a right-hander when the wind is blowing across. Is this incorrect of me? Of course, I would assume a high class swing bowler would have no trouble but I am unsure whether it is possible or not"

So, what do you think?

Hot like the Sun: Coach Bowlers to Bowl like Broad

Graeme Swann described Stuart Broad as "hot as the surface of the sun" at Durham after his match-winning 11 wicket Ashes haul.

So how did Broad do it, what happened to give him such an edge in the match? And what lessons can we learn from it.