'Become the Ultimate Coach'

Is a fast bowler born or can they be nurtured?

The first answer may upset some but from experience of playing, training, observing, researching and coaching it’s unfortunately a very real one: To bowl genuinely fast, upward of 90mph you need the right genetics. Unfortunately you cannot choose your parents! If you were lucky enough to be born with a better genetic profile and gifted with faster-firing muscle fibers in the relevant areas of the body then you will probably “naturally” bowl faster than the general population. However that’s not to say that guarantees success and pace can’t be increased for those more ‘normal’ bowlers.

Power and speed-strength can still be developed but getting the right coaching intervention methods and training techniques is the difference between pace enhancement and pace consolidation or as Anatoliy Bondarchuk refers to it as positive, negative or neutral transfer of training.

So how can we get bowlers bowling faster?

As we know the body is a complex system and it doesn't work in isolation. Training in isolation is a reductionist approach and doesn't transfer to performance. Strength, speed and power training is more than just numbers.

'Strength training is coordination training against resistance'- Frans Bosch

It's about transferring those gains into a highly coordinative and unique closed skill of fast bowling. Training in this way, combining technical intervention, skill based drills, power and strength work is the best way to train at all levels. I think bowlers see through the normal strength programmes and want to see something specific and relevant to them. They also want to see 'on field' performance gains.

Not only do we need to focus on coordination in strength training, but also we need to bring a variable and ever changing approach to coordination. If we create rigid rules and framework that only apply in certain situations like technical drills, then bowlers will fail when they encounter something new. I think this is why many bowlers who spend time drilling give up or don't see any improvements in their actions. The new 'rigid changes' that have been made need to be progressed and challenged. Due to the fact fast bowling is a closed skill in a flexible environment it requires a highly specialized and unique training approach. Basic technical drilling is essential but progression into a more 'realistic' environment is key for transfer of performance.

I’ve recently been experimenting with a ‘team sport’ training approach called ‘tactical periodization’. It’s more applicable to an open skill team sport like football and rugby however with careful understanding and appreciation of it’s principles I believe it can be adapted to fast bowling. In simple terms it’s about respecting all physical, physiological, tactical and technical dimensions and training at least one in ‘key moments’ of a game. So this leads to positive transfer into game readiness, as all training is highly specific to match day situations [moments]. It also allows more regeneration time as all training is done synergistically. This is why I’ve been experimenting with the method as it fits my ideology of ‘complex training’ perfectly. I believe there are 4 key moments when bowling

• A. Initial stage. Bowling focus on hard length
• B. Consolidation stage. Bowling focus on mixing up the length
• C. Momentum stage. Bowling focus on mixing up pace
• D. Finishing stage. Bowling focus on bowling Yorkers

‘Creating habits is possible only when the brain has experienced the same or similar situations and recorded them'- Tactical periodization

So all training is centered on a particular stage. Without giving too much away all the current OU Weighted ball training is on the Initial stage [‘hard length’ day] and the ‘tempo bowling’ and reduced rest periods is trained on the ‘finishing stage’. The bowlers learn to bowl Yorkers using the bowling master in a fatigued state. There is more stress placed on the body that they would experience in a game situation. The bowlers are trained in an ‘unstable’ environment whereby they have to adapt to different stresses placed on their system. This enhances the likelihood of a positive transfer of training. As coaches we manipulate the environment and the system organizes itself to cope with these constraints. Whether task, environment or organismic.

"For me training means to train in specificity. That’s is, to create exercises that allow me to exacerbate my principles of play"- Mourinho J.

"Stability limits performance before perfection limits performance"-Bosch F

'Fatigue maybe not an obstruction, but a basic tool for learning'- Bosch F

So, how to make a difference?

The aim of any bowling coach is to create anti-fragile bowlers and not fragile bowlers. Bowlers who simply specialize and perform strength sessions and bowl in indoor centers all off-season without exposing themselves to other sports become fragile bowlers. They excel when environments are constant like the indoor centers or fitness testing but break down when things are constantly changing. There are also bowlers who are great with the drills but when that new framework is put into a game environment it breaks down. How do we improve technique and movement patterns? The common mantra is that perfect practice makes perfect performance, but in reality movement is improved not by exploring its core (i.e. perfect technique), but by exploring its limits (i.e. where it breaks down). You have to constantly test and push the body to its limits in order to improve. Fast bowlers will fail in this zone, but in the right environment they can also learn to do things better in the process

Improving performance is a fine art and like I've said before understanding how the brain works and how we learn is key. Drills for drills sake won't work. Put those drills into a stressful environment to encourage adaptation, progression and transfer to 'game readiness' will work. Having the knowledge and the skill sets to make a difference is ultimately what we need as coaches. Identifying and prescribing is the easy bit. Making a difference is another thing.

Let the subconscious mind take over. Make it a habit!

When a novice bowler delivers a cricket ball for the first time and executes the highly complex action they consciously talk themselves through it.

Running technique-hip to lip-knee drive-land soft on back foot-keep driving forward-dont jump too high-dont fall away-throw arm towards the batter-pull down behind the ball-full shoulder rotation-follow through towards the target

The same happens when a coach intervenes and prescribes certain drills to 're model' an action. What happens? It's awkward, unnatural and performed one step at a time. This is because learning occurs in the 'conscious mind' . The conscious mind can actually only think of one thing at a time. After many failed attempts and 'clunky' efforts over may repetition and time the action becomes more fluid, natural and more coordinated. The bowler has gone through the stages of learning and with time the action becomes habitual. The process has now been delegated to the subconscious mind. The bowling action now looks effortless and graceful [traditional way of describing a skilful player] due to the fact that your subconscious mind can handle an unlimited number of tasks at one time without conscious thought. It's more natural because they don't have to think about it! Thinking only hinders a bowler. Think 'Yips'. When a bowler feels out of rhythm and out of form they begin to think about their action and everything else thats going on;

Thinking of all these things will cause the bowler to ultimately fail and hinder performance.

Each ball bowled needs to become a habit and performed at the subconscious level. This is why 'corrective strength' produces remarkable changes in a bowling action. The drill itself is the coach whilst the conscious mind simply focuses on putting maximum effort into every repetition. Providing external feedback and knowledge of results will also enhance learning. For example; Using power monitors to make sure the bowler is aware of how hard they are actually throwing a medicine ball  

Telling a young bowler too stop falling away will never work as it's an internal cue and ultimately when they bowl they will think about 'not falling away', which means they are thinking about 'falling way'. Now falling away becomes the goal of the subconscious. This is why everything we do and say as coaches has a an impact on our bowlers. We need a large pool of knowledge and understanding on a number physical, technical, tactical and psychological dimensions.

I've often wondered why the cues I give bowlers work. I've recently researched and read a vast amount of books and papers on motor learning which has validated all my methods. Along with 'corrective strength' which is the best method a technique I use a lot of is either giving a visual image for them to copy [action-intent model] or silly verbal external cues. These methods work at all levels. For example; when drilling there needs to be a focus on dragging the back foot from position 3 to 4. What I tell my bowlers is pretend to scrape mud of the front of the shoes. The subconscious mind is radically different from the conscious mind and the more immature and silly the cues the better.

The subconscious also communicates differently. The subconscious mind doesn't talk in words [ever dreamed in words], it talks in emotions and pictures. This is why Frans Bosch intention-action model resinates well with me. When I grew up I wanted to bowl like a certain famous bowler in the 80's. As talented and gifted as he was it technically wasn't the ideal way to bowl as he jumped too high. However due to me constantly watching videos and studying pictures it become ingrained in me and become one of my flaws all my career. So with this in mind , it is essential that the right 'model' is shown.

Many can identify a flaw. Some can tell you what to do. Very few have the tools to make a difference

Along with experimenting with ‘tactical periodization’ in cricket here is the main 'point of difference' in my methods. It's the synergistic partnership of strength work with technique work and I call it 'corrective strength' training which is split into 2 sub categories. It's about letting your subconscious become you coach.

Corrective strength split into 2 categories

1 Structural dysfunction [SD] 2 Specific Technical flaw intervention [TFI]

The key question a coach needs to ask when observing a fast bowler for the first time is it about the brain or the structure? This is why some coach intervention methods simply don’t work. Why does the bowler struggle to achieve the KPBI [Key pace bowling indicators]? Is it the body or the mind that lets them down? Corrective strength training method can provide the answers and the solutions to the problems.

Coaches should understand the difference between a technical fault and mechanical dysfunction. One is brain-driven - the bowlers technical understanding of the technique needed; while the other is limited by the musculoskeletal system - the body's ability/inability to efficiently move into the positions fast bowling requires.

?  Technical is the software (Brain- Motor learning)

?  Mechanical is the hardware (Physical limitations)

A fault in either requires an entirely different coping strategy. It's beyond the scope of this article but if a flaw occurs only at key 'nodes' in the bowling action it is normally mechanical, a physical limitation and 'corrective strength' training should be implemented in a specific way. Does the bowler struggle to hold position 2 in an isometric contraction in phase 1 of the stability-overload model? If so they will find it difficult when external force is added in the full bowling action!

One key point to remember whatever method is implemented is that technical intervention needs repetition to encourage change and adaptation craves overload. You have to overload technique for it to change. Just doing 10,000 normal bodyweight repetitions on a dysfunctional framework won't work or may work at the novice level but won’t, as the bowler gets older, has muscular imbalances, has a higher training age and is more skilled. Firstly boredom will kick in and therefore motivation to perform reps will be low and the body will not adapt and change. Remember it’s done thousands of the ‘poor versions’ before. You need to stress the key positions. It’s more likely that the changes needed are relatively small so doing something similar to what you’ve been doing will have little or no effect. Coaches, we are stress managers and knowing how and when to stress the bowling action is essential.

'Motor system only tries to learn if it's challenged. Monotony stops the learning process'- Frans Bosch

This is why fast bowling coaches need a broad range of understanding of anatomy, performance training, skill acquisition, motor learning and biomechanics.

The days of coaches being a specific S&C coach or simply a technical coach is a dying breed in my opinion. The effectiveness of a coach is ultimately limited by his/her knowledge. On occasions it is not the fast bowlers fault but the coaches inadequacies that limit development and progression. Track and field coaches and some pitching coaches are the ultimate in my opinion. Coaches like Stuart McMillan, Frans Bosch, Dan Pfaff, Eric Cressey, Keir Wenham Flatt, Kyle Boddy, Matt Van Dyke, Matt Daniels and James Smith are the future of coaching. Here’s a great quote from James Smith;

Dysfunction leads to poor performance

As coaches if we don't begin to embrace other methods beyond what's taught in coaching qualifications the fast bowler is a dying breed. The badge/certificate is the key to open the door. Once in there it needs to be filled with vast array of knowledge on how the brain and body works.

I genuinely feel modern day bowlers , whatever their age [within reason] are under-bowled . This is the main reason why I feel in T20 cricket fast bowlers are not as effective as they could be. They lack practice!

Due to the differing nature of the 'power hitting' skill and the skill of fast bowling, repetition of practice needs careful monitoring in the modern era. The reason why bowlers aren't practicing as much is the general reluctance to overload the body. However if the body was 'functional' and able to cope with repetition I believe the skill levels of fast bowlers in T20 would be higher. Bowlers are not getting injured to due workload. They are getting injured due to dysfunction and poor bowling mechanics. It is a give away in my opinion as the same injuries keep cropping up every year!

We can't wrap bowlers in cotton wool! The intensity of matches are increasing but the intensity and volume of training is decreasing. There is a huge discrepancy in how we prepare fast bowlers.

Great research from Tim Gabbett

Making sure the bowling action is both effective, safe and efficient is a key to bowling coaches. Ultimately by stopping a fast bowler from bowling we are making them extinct! They can't practice to get better and therefore will ultimately go out of the game. They key is making sure their action can tolerate repetition and coming up with solutions as opposed to removing them from a bowling programme.

Think differently and question the status quo

Steff