Leg Spin Accuracy Progression

[MagicDave]

Apologies if this has been done to death (but I'm just thick and the searches aren't giving me the information I think I'm looking for). I'm happy my basic technique is progressing so I'd like to start tackling accuracy (if nothing else this would make me a useful nets bowler - I'm rather hot and cold at present).

My most accurate balls are normally rather lofty which whilst the occasional one might get a wicket (I play at a low level so often the bad balls are the ones that take wickets but I want to be better than 5 bad balls an over). The flatter balls are often wide. I suspect this is one and the same problem with release point but I like to gamify my training sessions (10 balls - 1 point for a good delivery, 1/2 point for partially good - best score of the day wins)

1. In which order should I rank my accuracy in? Height - length - width

2. In which proportions should I have an acceptable standard. E.g. is 2foot short of a length worse than 1 foot wide?

3. Which attributes are worth working on order. E.g. work first on height - flat deliveries - and the rest will come to you?

Ta.

 

[SLA]

Get your action consistent and repeatable, with the same run-up each time, the same momentum through the crease, and the ball coming out at the same speed and in the same direction. Obviously spinners sometimes deliberately vary their pace, but this is quite an advanced skill and something a beginner should try to avoid - at the stage of development you are at, your aim should be to bowl 60 identical stock balls in a row.

Its impossible to control length if you're not bowling a consistent pace with a consistent release point. For spinners, the other thing that can go wrong is getting the ball sliding out of or stuck in your fingers - try to keep the firmness of your grip, the placement of your fingers, and the way the ball comes out of your hand, identical for every delivery.

Controlling line is largely about controlling your alignment through the crease. Some people have actions that make controlling line more difficult (for example they have a particularly low arm, an inconsistent stride, or a big counter-rotation and rotation). Its difficult to ascertain this without watching you bowl. Again: for spinners, there is the additional complication of the wrist position (hence the reason we normally teach kids to bowl straight before introducing spin - we can get their fundamental actions sorted out before introducing the additional complicating factor of wrist and finger movements)

 

[Chino#21]

Old spinning mantra - "Line is optional, length is crucial." If you are a good mathematician then you'll enjoy working out which length is ideal. First you need to know the pace you bowl at, then what the reach of the batsmen and his reaction time is, and this will tell you approximately where you need to pitch the ball so that his reaction time is too slow to adjust after the ball has pitched, and have it pitch on a length where he cannot reach far enough to hit the ball on the half volley.
This area will be quite small, so you can adjust it a bit but in reality you have about a meter x meter square in which you can pitch the ball for it to be a possible wicket taking delivery, in my experience at least. Anything shorter or fuller will be ineffective depending on the skill level of the batsman.

 

[MagicDave]

Thanks. I'm definitely not trying to vary pace. I have a reliable off-cutter for my variation ball which is a faster delivery.

Sounds like it might be worth starting to video some stuff and work and examine to see what differences between good and bad deliveries.

 

[SLA]

Old spinning mantra - "Line is optional, length is crucial."

Mostly true, but it also depends on the pitch. On a slow turner, you can bowl pretty much whatever line you like, as long as you pitch it up.
On a hard skiddy track, you have a bit more leeway with your length as long as you keep a really tight line.

 

[SLA]

Thanks. I'm definitely not trying to vary pace. I have a reliable off-cutter for my variation ball which is a faster delivery.

Sounds like it might be worth starting to video some stuff and work and examine to see what differences between good and bad deliveries.

We video every bowler we coach as a matter of course: however just because you spot something that looks odd, doesn't mean that a) its what is causing the problem and b) its actually that easy to fix!

 

[MagicDave]

Thanks. Good to bear in mind. Was hoping I could spot odd bits in the kinesthetic chain if I reviewed enough footage. Wouldn't want to do it in the summer when I have light evenings to make the most of but in the winter it might be a way of keeping out of the pub.

 

[mail585]

Great

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[someblokecalleddave]

Great

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Have a look at this - I find this helps http://wristspinbowling.blogspot.com/2017/10/spin-bowling-line-length-and-accuracy.html

 

[MagicDave]

Thanks for that link. I think I may have seen it before but its a good reminder. I have only just returned to training after 6 months off with injury so its timely too!

I tried adding a bit of pace onto the ball for the first time and it made such a difference to my accuracy. I mean, proper night and day difference. Makes me think I must have been really floating them along in the past.

 

[someblokecalleddave]

Yeah just go with whatever seems to work, as long as you're not injuring yourself and you're getting the ball to land in the areas you want with a decent bit of spin on it. I'm forever changing things up, less so now having been doing this for 10 years, but at the end of the summer having bowled coming in off a few steps to the crease, like you I found that if I came in off of a run-up the accuracy was okay and there might be a reason to bowl with a bit more pace. I've got an interesting season coming up - we've changed leagues, so it's going to be new players, different venues and possibly a chance that we might win a few games.

 

[boogiespinner]

Thanks for that link. I think I may have seen it before but its a good reminder. I have only just returned to training after 6 months off with injury so its timely too!

I tried adding a bit of pace onto the ball for the first time and it made such a difference to my accuracy. I mean, proper night and day difference. Makes me think I must have been really floating them along in the past.

An issue with a higher launch angle is that it requires an adjustment to the spinning action to land the ball on the seam, this is why I would do standing start practice from a shortened distance.

 

[MagicDave]

An issue with a higher launch angle is that it requires an adjustment to the spinning action to land the ball on the seam, this is why I would do standing start practice from a shortened distance.

Out of interest. What would you suggest would be an appropriate shortened length? I would generally target about 15.5m for a full run up. How would you scale it down so as to get the same release point and trajectory for a stationary release?

 

[boogiespinner]

Out of interest. What would you suggest would be an appropriate shortened length? I would generally target about 15.5m for a full run up. How would you scale it down so as to get the same release point and trajectory for a stationary release?

For technical practice, I simply varied the length so I was bowling reasonably flat and pitching on a good length, at the pace I was using at that moment. Generally in a practice session, I'd start off several metres in, and then come back as I felt my way into a faster action. I think when I was firing nicely, I'd be around two to three metres in from the crease. My strategy was not to force the pace but discover it. My experience was while doing this, I made excellent progress with spinning the ball to the point where I was getting a definite hum from the ball as it went down and would draw spectators! But accuracy still eluded me and I was still to master running up in a way that was synergistic.