Help: I lost my pace off the wicket

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CricBoy

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Help: I lost my pace off the wicket

Last season I used to bowl at a better speed and also got more pace off the wicket. This time I am struggling for pace off the wicket. I amended my action a bit (now it's a bit like Munaf Patel). Now even if I bowl with my former action I can't get the same pace.
 
Re: Help: I lost my pace off the wicket

I don't have a handycam/webcam but my former action was like harmison and now it is like munaf patel.
 
Re: Help: I lost my pace off the wicket

People's actions do not tend to change too often, they merely think that they've changed, unless somebody tells you that your action is like someones, it likely isn't.

Onto the action, you need to find out where you get your pace from. If your pace is from a quick arm, watching someone like Munaf Patel (on his first series for India) or Wasim Akram would be ideal. Alternatively, if you wish to extract bounce with use of your height, Glenn Mcgrath and Steve Harmison would be good idols to watch. The best long term idol as far as biomechanics goes is Brett Lee since many say that in most aspects, he has the perfect action, Ian Pont (Essex bowling coach) says that Allan Donald 'had it all' when it came to the action so he could be a possible one to watch.

I realise I have rattled off a lot of names but you should pick one to follow and not several, you should also integrate certain aspects with what feels natural to you.

As I said before, get a video of yourself bowling (can't be that hard to find a digital camera), pop it on youtube to get more specific help on you particularly.
 
Re: Help: I lost my pace off the wicket

Thanks, I changed my action for better accuracy and thats spot on now. I get my pace from my arm. I think I'm not using my left (non-bowling) arm much.
 
Re: Help: I lost my pace off the wicket

Ian Pont's Fast Bowlers Bible is a good book for people who want pace and accuracy. Not only does it cover advanced biomechanics, it explains everything and there are chapters on accuracy, seam bowling, swing bowling, reverse swing and preventing of injury.

Here is the site of the book: http://www.maverickscricket.com/welcome.htm

If you generate pace from a quick arm, don't be fooled into thinking that not using your front arm will speed it up, quite the opposite. The front arm (used correctly) creates momentum to help bring the arm over. It is a myth that Wasim Akram never used his front arm, just check this image out.



You briefly touched on your action being like Munaf Patel's. I was just thinking about it and just recommend you to stop it, just look at him, his pace is inconsistant and one slip up with the front arm and the ball goes all over the place. Also, when he does not charge in, his low front arm means that everything drags down short and he has to float it to pitch it up.
 
Re: Help: I lost my pace off the wicket

Manee, that is some sound advice you've given.

One thing to add is that you need to have someone to watch you bowl, from all angles. They may be able to pick up on small flaws in your action that you're missing out on.

It's useful to break the action down into separate parts, such as the run up, take off and gather and finally the release. Analyse each part of your action and you may find small changes that can be made and that will help to generate pace.
 
Re: Help: I lost my pace off the wicket

Don't forget the follow through, a good way to build that up (if you are having problems with it) is to bowl with weights strapped around your wrist.
 
Re: Help: I lost my pace off the wicket

dont worry about not getting your pace its about accuaracy that will get the wickets putting the ball on the spot if you do that speed will come later. ;)
 
Re: Help: I lost my pace off the wicket

That's what every one says but pace does matter to a degree.

Make sure you're run up is smooth ;)
 
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