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[PedalsMcgrew]

Hi Guys,

I'm a left arm spinner. I have been an SLA for a long time and have been coached by some great players so I think the basics of what I do are pretty good. Up until this season I'd been the top wicket taker in my league for the last 3 seasons and top wicket taker for my Sunday side for 2 seasons. This season I have played 7 games and not taken a wicket! I've been smashed a couple of times as well which is not something I want to get used to!

I have always had the ability to turn the ball and although I'm not getting the huge rip I used to I can still turn it enough to beat the bat. I get big drift, nice dip and I have a ball that goes the other way and an arm ball. All of which I can bowl, pretty much when I want although the wrong 'un can be a bit unpredictable! My issue seems to be that after a winter of bowling indoors and pushing it through a bit I am now unable to slow it down and bowl with the flight that I used to. When I get it right I can bowl the odd jaffa but that only occurs when I get sufficient dip on the ball at the same time. Most of the time I am overpitching and bowling too full. The extra pace I am bowling with is making it harder to turn the ball so I am basically left bowling in swingers! Really annoying as I know exactly what I want to do but seem completely incapable of actually doing it! I reckon I am probably 5mph faster than I used to be. So not much but enough to mean I am bowling much flatter and not giving the ball time to turn.

Has anyone got any drills or simple advice on how I can slow everything down a bit so I can get back to bowling at the pace I always used to? Is this something anyone else has suffered with? Too flat, too fast? All help gratefully received!

Thanks

[RossViper]

Stay patience, keep practising, and practising, it will suddenly click.

Try not to bowl slow, just try to spin it. Not sure what standard you play at, but even if your only "decent", it should come back, if you just believe it, a few wickets and you'll be back on track - I'm sure.

2 things - This is not the yips!!!, Do not use any weights or rubbish like that, just bowl, and trust yourself.

Good luck!

[PedalsMcgrew]

I was hoping for a quick fix involving either drugs or paying someone! 

Because I have spent so long this winter basically practising the wrong thing (ie spearing the ball in) it seems to be hard to break that habit. Your comment about not 'trying' to bowl slower really rings true. During spells when I have thought about it, I end up holding the ball back in my action like that Indian guy (Jadeja??) and almost stopping completely, so much does it effect my rhythm!

It's driving me nuts as of all the technicalities in my action it was the one that I never had to really think about. Throw it up there, get a bit of drift and dip and then let the ball turn. Now I'm bowling so much flatter I've lost a lot of turn, a lot of dip and my drift has turned into inswing! I'm only coming in off 4 paces but I just can't seem to slow down my arm speed.

Thanks for the advice!

[fatbats]

Try bowling slightly more over spin rather than side spin and may help may not but works for me

By that I mean rather than bowling with seam sidewards maybe angle it towards slip and may get more loop than flat

[PedalsMcgrew]

So I'm 'getting over the top' of the ball a lot more? Hmmm.......got to be worth a try! Thanks mate....

[Manormanic]

Okay, slightly left field idea but - spearing the ball in requires a gain of impetus at some point in the action. Why not get a mate to stand there as a batter whilst you literally walk through your action for an over or two.  Thereafter, remember that whatever pace a spinner bowls, the key is the actiopn of pivoting over their front foot and focus on that, trying to grind a big hole in the crease where your foot lands.

[fatbats]

Might work might not but worth a try

I find when I'm trying to spin ball big its as simple as my arm is dropping so slinging ball and I end up bowling too quick as the rip I'm trying to put on increases pace I bowl so i try to keep arm as upright as possible and helps me but loads of ways to try to correct just what works for you as we're all different and there's no 1 solution but I'd ask fattus as he's the truest left arm twirler since vettori

[RossViper]

Also..... make sure you'r doing some practice just at cones, with a keeper - if you have not been.

Batsman are w@@@kers! 

[FattusCattus]

Get down the nets with a chubby chum who needs some batting practice - bowl at him for 2 hours, then go for a curry.

I have found the fatter I got, the slower my bowling, as I couldn't get as much 'action' onto the ball.

Thats the answer, give me some batting practice and get fat.

[ajmw89]

Get down the nets with a chubby chum who needs some batting practice - bowl at him for 2 hours, then go for a curry.

I have found the fatter I got, the slower my bowling, as I couldn't get as much 'action' onto the ball.

Thats the answer, give me some batting practice and get fat.

Sounds like the right philosophy to live by FC!

[PedalsMcgrew]

Get down the nets with a chubby chum who needs some batting practice - bowl at him for 2 hours, then go for a curry.

I have found the fatter I got, the slower my bowling, as I couldn't get as much 'action' onto the ball.

Thats the answer, give me some batting practice and get fat.

Sounds like a plan Fattus! 

[smokem]

I assume your a left arm orthodox although the mention of a wrong 'un threw me. If so, might look at rotating more on your front foot as you deliver. I find it helps me to get more flight and turn.

Something else I've read is to put 2 pieces of string across the nets and try to flight the ball between those two strings. You'll need to play around with the position of the two strings until you get it right for the trajectory you're after. But that seems like a good drill. Good luck mate.