Cricket Bowling Tips: Spin Bowling / Left Arm Finger Spin

by PAUL
(BRISBANE)

Hi coach, I have a left arm finger spinner who controls the ball quite well but tends to drop short and let the batsmen off the hook.

What can I do to correct this?

Hi Paul, this is quite common, firstly I would suggest during games he drops his point and midwicket into deeper sweeping positions so that he can relax into his work. As his control and rhythm come he can bring them up and hold a more aggressive field.

Secondly, at the nets or in the middle (without a batter) I want you to get him to bowl for a while and watch his front arm action, you’ll probably find he doesn’t get it high and drive his body up and over his front hip and leg.

He literally gets stuck in the crease and there is no vigorous pivot.

Get him to stand in the crease, he is going to bowl off one pace. This is to isolate the movement so that he can control it. We isolate it and then take it from one pace, to three paces and then full run up.

Standing in the crease, sideways on, he raises his front arm high, vertically, to extend the body up, he lifts his front knee at the same time, he then bowls, the front arm and leg snap down and he drives through his action,sweeping into his follow through.

It’s important he exaggerates holding his front arm up so that the body stays up and sideways on, then he drives through the action.

When he does this well you’ll see he pivots up and over his front toe.

As he becomes efficient at this and begins to develop a feel for it, take him back three paces and repeat the drill, then progress to full run up.

Graeme Swann does this beautifully and you can use him as a biomechanical model.

This should help, I use this drill with both finger spinners and quick bowlers.

best wishes Coach

About Richard Pybus

I'm Richard Pybus, I've coached Pakistan, Bangladesh, Middlesex, Titans and the Cape Cobras in South Africa and the goal of this site is to help you to play winning cricket.