Top Ten Cricket Bowling Tips

Dale Steyn
Mitch Gunn / Shutterstock.com

Top Ten Cricket Bowling Tips


1. In elite cricket, bowlers know what they want to make happen during practice and during matches.

2. Set goals for each practice and match, they need to be challenging and achievable.

3. Break your cricket strategy and goals down into achievable, small steps.

An over is six balls, plan your over, how you want to build pressure and when you are going to look to take a wicket during the spell.

Your spell maybe 6 balls in T20 Cricket, 5 overs in a one day game and it could be 4-8overs for a seamer or 15 to 20 overs for a spinner in a declaration game.

Plan your spell, know that you want to build pressure in each over and in your spell.

Pressure brings wickets.

Be patient, take a leaf from the great Glenn McGrath’s book, sit on the batter with patience.

4. Know your role …

Discuss what your role and responsibilities are with your Captain and Coach.

Be clear about it, if you aren’t comfortable with it, accept it as a job you need to do for your team. There will always be another game and an opportunity for a change of role, more to your liking in another game.

5. Elite bowlers get their head and body slightly forward in their run up … your body angle wants to be

leaning toward your target.

Keep your head still when you run in, allow your brain to get a good, still picture of the batter and your target length.

Dale Steyn is wonderful at this, strong and stable in his run up and through his action.

6. Bowl each ball with full intent.

Each ball is an event, it is an opportunity to build pressure and to potentially take a wicket.

7. Manage your energy during your over and during your spell.

Relax and breathe into your belly between balls, quiet your mind and then set a goal for each ball, be clear about the delivery you are going to bowl at the top of your mark,

8. Learn to control your stock ball.

You’re not a bowler unless you can land your stock ball consistently, practice it.

Variation is a variation around your stock ball, it isn’t 6 different balls an over.

9. Keep your bowling hand close to your body as you run in and cock your wrist back a little, Brett Lee as a fast bowler and Shane Warne as a spinner are great examples of this. It keeps the energy of the delivery loaded close to your body and the wrist action gives added whip to the delivery.

10. Tap into your subconscious mind.

Model excellence, ‘pretend’ to be your favourite bowler, copy their action and their strategy.

Visualize and Imagine achieving your goals, see and feel yourself perform as you desire, your brain doesn’t know this is different to real practice and it is just as powerful.


Transform Your Fast Bowling Now – Cricketlab Elite Fast Bowler – Gold Academy


Transform Your Spin Bowling Now – Cricketlab Elite Spin Bowler – Gold Academy


Back To Cricket Tips

Back To Cricketlab From Cricket Bowling Tips

Richard Pybus

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.