Why are bowlers not getting faster?
Fast bowling is the only area in sport that is not getting better.
Usain Bold smashed the world 100m record and while waving and almost moonwalking across the line. Marathon runners are closing in on a sub-two hour mark.
We are faster, higher and stronger.
But where are the truly fast bowlers?
Despite obvious improvements in batting and fielding, fast bowling lags behind. Bowler's are stronger than ever thanks to advanced training techniques but they don't turn that into raw pace.
The fact is, bowling has made few strides forward in the last 70 years.
And the only people to blame is coaches.
“Slow down and hit your areas”
I don't know for sure, but I bet Usain Bolt's coach never told him to slow down.
Why would he? The 100m is a dash to the line. As long as you stay in lane you are golden.
But coaches all over the world tell fast bowler's to do it.
The difference is that bowlers need to take accuracy into account. And most coaches thinks that you can either be fast and wild or medium paced and accurate.
So they tell you to slow down.
So those with the ability to bowl fast are happy to cut the speed down in order to be more accurate. The classic 'Glenn McGrath'.
Speed kills
But this approach is poor because bowlers are paid to get wickets and one of the best ways to get wickets is to bowl really, really quick.
Speed kills the hopes of batsman.
Of course, speed without accuracy is useless, but to paraphrase Ian Pont: the two are complimentary, not exclusive.
It's quite possible to bowl at your maximum potential speed and still hit the right length.
Yet us coaches keep up the 'slow down' mantra and bowler's don't move on.
But it can be different. We can be more like sprinting, jumping, batting, fielding and just about everything else in the field of human performance.
We just need to get over the idea that speed is a bad thing.
Because despite saying otherwise, that's what we think.
Don't believe it? Go to any club nets and listen to the coaches. It won't be long until you hear someone being told to slow down.
And the solution is as simple as the problem.
Coaches must tell bowler's to bowl as fast as they can.
Coaches must coach the right ways to bowl fast and accurately at the same time.
And if you are a coach you can learn the secrets of that by enrolling on the online coaching course: How to Bowl Faster, by Ian Pont
What are you waiting for? Fast bowling is relying on you to get speeds up to speed!
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Comments
One thing to consider is that while bowlers may not be breaking (or annihilating, in Bolt's case) speed records, maybe mroe bowlers are getting relatively faster - meaning the average speed for international bowlers might have risen a fair bit, but that's hard to know.
It's easier to slow a fast and innacurate bowler down than to improve his accuracy - that's the really hard part!
It's all in the action!
Tbh, I think bowlers have got considerably faster. There are more bowlers at around 85-90mph than ever before. The fact is that you can create bowlers of up to 90mph, that is what this site and people like Pont have drilled in. However, to bowl 95mph, you have to be something special and this is something that you cannot teach - there will always only be a handful of Tait, Lee, Thommo, Akhtar, Tyson, etc because it is something which cannot be taught.
However, you need to merely look at the past few years to see pretty much all new pacers (Amjad Khan, Bresnan, Harris, Siddle, Aamer, etc) bringing the speedo up to 90mph - this was not the case 10 years ago.
Best athletes dont play cricket- the standard of physical conditioning in cricket doesnt compare to other sports.I know some people will say it doesnt need to but i maintain it will make cricketers faster and more powerful which will impact their own games. Once cricket raises its levels of strength and conditioning bowlers will get faster. Look at the difference between Australia's pace bowling history and India's. Australia's cricketers are and always have been physically superior- Bigger, stronger and faster. I read an article recently where gary kirsten said he (retired now a coach) was fitter than most of the indian players.
Fast bowlers need to get closer to the strength and power levels of javelin throwers if they want those speeds to go up. Remember- javelin throwers want maximum release speed also- they feel making themselves super powerful will give them this in addition to their scientific techniques.
While the average speed may have risen in the last decade, the top speed has remained the same since Jeff Thompson. The only reason bowlers aren't getting faster is conservative coaches. With the exception of Ian Pont, I've yet to see a coach NOT give the same "slow down" advice.
Another reason is that people think the likes of Akhthar, Tait, Lee etc have ungodly genes and their pace can't be replicated. Not really. Almost all of the fastest bowlers have had strong shoulders, strong arms, and a strong back, plus none of them look "wiry" like some fast bowlers these days look. The physical attributes can be replicated by pretty much anyone - you just have to put in the effort.
I couldn't agree more. I'm a young fast bowler and I can bowl very consistently now but when I used to bowl a bit wide all the coaches told me to slow down and get my line and length. In the next fifteen-twenty years we could have all the english bowlers as boring medium pacers who hit the same spot every time.
The most important element is persevering! Also don't pay attention to your critics, I've met many pessimistic "cricketers",whose mind set is only to bring you down because they are lacking. BACK YOURSELF and have faith!
I use to bowl a mediocre 70mph but thanks to coaches like Ian Pont who understand cricket, I now bowl in the region of 85-90mph. I remember growing up hearing "slow down, get your line and length... Do it this way and you must do it that way..." These stereotypical coaches shouldn't coach at all to be honest.
Also if your not happy in the environment that your in than change it, it works wonders! Positive thinking,energy and a dream that's what you need!