Cricket is all about speed. The more speed you apply in the game, the more you can dominate the field. Fast bowling can set you apart on the field. However, raw speed doesn't come from just throwing the ball hard, but it is a mix of technique, practice, and mental focus. So, no matter what type of bowling it is, speed is an essential element to outwit your opponent. In this blog, we'll talk about practical tips on how to increase bowling speed, improve your performance, and become a more dominating bowler. So read more to know more.
How to Increase Bowling Speed?
To increase your bowling speed, follow these steps.
Practice Right Bowling
Practising the proper bowling technique is essential to ensure that your energy isn't wasted and is transformed straight into the ball. Please focus on the basics, which I have mentioned below.
1. Run Up
A smooth run-up is essential to build momentum in the game, which serves as the foundation. It is not necessary that you need to sprint the ball completely, but what is most important is that you need to be consistent.
2. Practise Pre-Delivery
Practising a pre-delivery posture is also necessary to help you stay balanced, aligned, and upright. It also helps you to keep your body in the correct position and practise the perfect position.
3. Rotate Your Arms
Arm rotation is also essential as it gives you a better pace and a bounce. Do not try to sling your arm; rotate it with power and control. Therefore, make sure you follow a high arm action while practising bowling.
4. Follow Through
Make sure your energy moves forward after release. A strong follow-through helps transfer the whole body movement into the ball.
Strengthen Your Core
It's not just that you need your arms to bowl, but your legs play a vital role because the power is generated from the ground up. A strong leg helps in driving forward and support core stability and balance. So to strengthen your legs, you need to practise certain cricket drills to make your core strong and support stability and balance.
1. Leg Workouts
Try practising leg workouts such as Squats, lunges, calf raises, and box jumps to improve your explosive strength.
2. Core Exercises
Try practising core exercises such as the planks, russian twists, leg raises, and crunches. These exercises help build the trunk muscles, which are vital for speed and stability.
3. Balance Drills
Balance is also essential in cricket to make sure that the ball reaches the right spot. Try doing single-leg balances and also the stability ball exercises to improve your coordination.
Strengthen Your Shoulders
It is your shoulders that will keep you going with accurate and amazing shots in the field. And your shoulders go through a lot during bowling; this is why it becomes necessary to strengthen your shoulders, as it helps increase the speed. Your shoulder muscles need to be both strong and flexible. However, you can do the following exercises to strengthen your shoulders.
Resistance Band Exercises: Resistance band exercises are great for strengthening the rotator cuff.
Arm Circles and Stretches: Performing these arm circles and stretches improves mobility and reduces the risk of sports injury.
Push-ups and Shoulder Presses: Performing push-ups and shoulder presses is an effective drill to enhance and build your muscle endurance.
Work On Run Up and Momentum
The more you practise running up, the finer and accurate your delivery will be. A disjointed run-up can lead to a disruption to your pace. Hence, it becomes vital to practise the run-up drills. Here are a few key steps to inculcate a proper run-up in your routine.
Find an optimal length that gives you a proper rhythm without overexerting.
Try maintaining a steady rhythm throughout the run-up.
And build forward momentum, so that your last few steps feel like a controlled explosion.
Focus on Bowling Techniques
Make sure you do not just randomly bowl, but note down the points at which you need to stay cautious, and also look at the points at which you need steady practice for improvement.
Focus on your release point, follow through, and consistency.
Also, try target-based bowling to improve line, length, and aggression.
Another best tactic to improve your performance is recording your moves and analysing your faults, and the small aspects of your actions.
Fuel Right
To do all these activities, you need energy, which you can obtain only from a proper and balanced diet. The following are some key points to know and essential fitness tips for sports enthusiasts.
Make sure to stay hydrated, as this will affect your performance and recovery.
Eat clean, focus on consuming lean protein, carbs, and healthy fats.
Also, make sure to rest properly along with intense training because your muscle grows only when you rest, not while you are training.
Train Further the Arm Effectively
No matter if you are a right-arm bowler or a left-arm bowler, what matters is that you do not let your other arm stay at rest. But instead, train that as well.
Pull it down sharply during the delivery.
Use it properly to drive your body rotation.
Also, make sure to keep it aligned to keep your target before the release.
Frequently Asked Questions on How To Increase Bowling Speed
Can I Increase Bowling Speed Without Going to the Gym?
Yes, bodyweight exercises, sprint drills, and flexibility training can still help. However, the gym offers more resistance options to speed up your progress.
How Long Does It Take to Increase Bowling Speed?
With consistent sports training, visible results may come in 2–3 months. Everyone's body responds differently, so stay focused.
Does Running Daily Help in Increasing Bowling Speed?
Yes, sprinting especially improves your stamina, leg strength, and run-up speed, and is also crucial for fast bowling.
If you're genuinely wondering how to increase bowling speed, the answer lies within you. Don't expect results overnight, but stay patient. With time, you'll notice the ball flying out of your hand with more speed and precision.
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