PRACTICE TIPS
GET THE MOST OUT OF EVERY PRACTICE SESSION AND SEE IMPROVEMENTS QUICKLY
Your local cricket club practice might consist of going for a quick jog around the cricket ground, followed by some fielding drills and then straight into the cricket nets. Although net practices can be useful, it is important to realise that you can do much more with your training sessions, especially as a fast bowler.
A local club gets ready to practise in Pune, India (original) - CC2.0 Photo by P.L. Tandon
TOP 10 TIPS FOR PRACTISING FAST BOWLING
GET READY TO MOVE!
Always do a dynamic Warm-Up before bowling and make sure you are fit and well enough to train. You're much more likely to get an injury and under-perform in cricket practice or matches if you are not physically and mentally prepared.
TECHNIQUE IS KEY
Spend time practising and improving the different parts of an efficient fast bowling action. Being able to bowl fast and straight is heavily influenced by technique, so it is worth setting aside time in cricket practice sessions to improve your bowling technique so that you can bowl faster and straighter, more easily.
Rene Farrell practises her bowling technique (original) - CC3.0 photo by YellowMonkey
PROCESS vs OUTCOME
Be clear whether you are practising to improve your processes (e.g. improve your technique) or to improve your outcomes (e.g. hitting the stumps). Most of the time these should be kept separate so that it is easy to focus on what you are doing during any cricket practices.
James Anderson & Chris Woakes (ENG) practising bowling
TRACK YOUR PROGRESS
If you want to practise an outcome, be specific and measure your success e.g. "how many times in 2 overs did I bowl a good length?". Keep a note of your scores to start with, and monitor how you get on over a period of time - that way you will be able to see whether you are improving or not.
Speed (KM/H)
Week No.
ONE STEP AT A TIME
If you want to improve your fast bowling technique, make sure you work on one technical point at a time before progressing to the next one. There's plenty of research about how long it can take to learn a new skill, so take your time to learn each part of the fast bowling action and how to link them together.
NO BATSMAN? NO PROBLEM!
Practise your fast bowling technique outside of a live net, sometimes without a cricket ball. Although batsmen can provide useful feedback on your bowling outcomes, you do not need batsmen to develop a good fast bowling technique. You should feel comfortable working on your skills and drills in an empty cricket net.
Hardik Pandya & Jasprit Bumrah (IND) practicing bowling
RIGHT HAND, LEFT HAND
Remember to practise bowling to right AND left-handed batsman (you can either bowl at a batsman or place some targets on the floor). You should be confident bowling over and round the wicket, to left and right handed batsmen. Don't wait until a cricket match to practise bowling against a left-hander!
DON'T OVER-DO IT
Be aware of how many balls you bowl in each session. Studies have shown that managing your fast bowling workload can help keep you fit and ready during the cricket season. Bowling too much or having sudden increases in your bowling workload can put you at greater risk of getting injured. This is especially important for teenagers and young adults who are going through growth spurts as this is a common time for injuries to occur!
New Zealand White Ferns train Indoors (original) - Embed from New Zealand Cricket
SET YOURSELF A CHALLENGE
Create scenarios during cricket training sessions that will challenge you to execute your fast bowling skills under pressure in a competitive environment. Set your fields by using cones to simulate fielders, or use middle practices as an opportunity to test your cricket skills under match situations.
Yorkshire CCC players set themselves goals for a net / middle practice
NEVER SACRIFICE SPEED
With a good fast bowling technique, you can bowl with speed and accuracy; you don't have to trade one for the other! Develop and practise a technique that allows you to bowl fast and straight; don't give in to the cricket coaches who tell you to "slow down to bowl a line and length".
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