In the nets in the last couple of sessions I've been doing okay, but today I had a 48 ball session over at the paddock and that didn't go so well. Joe and me had a bowl off and Joe hit the stumps more times than I did and a lot of my balls were very wide down the legside. Again I've got that situation with how do I bowl, what should I work on and should I look to correct thing that people observe?
My own observations, coupled with Joe's, lead me to believe that I'm doing a few things wrong. Joe's observation was that my approach and bound isn't at all dynamic and he recommends I get more of a bound going. I'm inclined to agree with him to some extent so will work on that.
Feelings?
It's kind of depressing that I feel that I've found myself having seemingly gone several steps backwards. Again I'm in that situation where I feel that I need to learn something that I could already do or is it just the case that I'm unfit and a year older and I've got that sense that at some point things will go permanently wrong with no chance of ever recovering. So I don't feel particularly optimistic or positive at this point. I'm hoping that if I bowl regularly this week things will come together if I manage to keep the right frame of mind and work on some aspect of my action that I know should in theory cause improvements.
Evaluation
The good thing is the weather is fine and I should be able to get out every day now for the next 2 weeks and bowl regularly and I'll also be doing generally fitness activities with my younger son Joe. That latter end of the 2 weeks I'll also get the chance to bowl against people I don't know and I'll be able to judge whether there's any improvements.
Bad - todays bowling was poor, but a part of me thinks that might be down to the fact that the ground I'm bowling off is very uneven and distracts me somewhat.
Analysis
Last year someone made the valid point that I bowl with very upright action as opposed to most wrist spinners who bowl with a low action. They also said that this might be one of the factors that makes it very difficult to get the ball to drift. They added that, this shouldn't necessarily be seen as an issue, but, rather than bowl looking to get loads of turn off the wicket, make use of the action and bowl with a good stock ball action and a smaller leg break with more over-spin and dip. Add to this a Top-Spinner with the propensity to be a wrong-un and I've potentially got a half decent armoury.
I know that getting side on is going to make a significant difference and getting up on the toes at the top of the delivery, so these are obvious things to work on, a more dynamic bound might be an option too, maybe also a longer run up.
My grip I'm okay with... ridiculously loose and I know this works because the ball comes out of the hand and rips off the finger causing abrasion to the spinning finger.
I think the use of a big rubber mat at the bowling end will work as it'll make me feel more secure in the bowling action.
Conclusion
More general fitness and safer more level area at the bowling end will improve most aspects.
Action Plan
Work with the more dynamic run-up, get side on out of the bound, make the bound more dynamic and work with the leg break, top-spinner and flipper and get them all working well.
