EXERTION SPECIFIC BOWLING

You can bowl every day, but you can’t have intensity and volume in the same session. You can either bowl for longer at a lower intensity or bowl max effort as fast as you can for a short bust. That’s it. That is the most important information I’ve given in this book. I’ve saved it until the end otherwise nobody would have read the book!?

I split the bowling sessions into 4 key focuses. Working on accuracy and tactical awareness, OU weighted ball bowling, tempo bowling to work on the oxidative system or max intent, run and gun session. You can only focus on two during each phase or block. Why? It’s about avoiding neural confusion. Don’t confuse the system. Limit what you are trying to work on and you’re more likely to benefit from them. Don’t try and be a sprinter and a marathon runner in the same phase/block/session.

To avoid neural confusion the combination of focus has to be periodise. Technical grooving and skill stability can be performed throughout based on individual needs.

Essential information

1. Accuracy (Tactical) and INTENT (Rate) can be performed in the same session/phase

2. Load (Magnitude) and Energy system development (Duration) can be performed in the same session/phase

Magnitude, rate and duration are ‘Inno-sport’ and DB hammer terminologies and they refer to the neural drive. Fast bowling is 80% neurally driven. Every action, in particular the high velocity skills start by a neural action. Either a voluntary one or a reflexive one. The call to action is sent to the appropriate motor units. The motor units are then activated and primed to perform the skill and produce force. The neural drive has 3 distinct characteristics that impact on sport and in our case fast bowling.

1.?????How fast can the neural drive turn the motor units on and off?

2.?????For how long can it keep the units on/activated?

3.?????How much force over time /impulse can it activate?

These are seen as the RATE/MAGNITIUDE AND DURATION ability of the CNS. This is called ‘neuro-dynamics’ and forms the basis of the PTS fast bowling programme. It also encompasses the strength and power training aspect but for the purpose of this section I will relate it to fast bowling.

In the ‘Pacelab training system’ I categorise load/ magnitude as Overload weighted ball bowling. Intent/rate as normal ball and light ball bowling. ESD /Duration as tempo bowling.

Magnitude [power], rate [speed] and duration [hypertrophy/TIME/TUT/oxidative] all have an impact on CNS stress. A high magnitude is extremely demanding on the CNS by itself. In fact, the more important the magnitude of the neural drive is, the greater is the CNS fatigue. Bowling is high magnitude due to the forces involved. More precisely the POWER and the effort involved.?

·???????Power = Force x Velocity?

To increase power, you either produce more FORCE [F=MA] or increase velocity [V=D/T]?

The duration of the neural drive has an impact on the CNS. A long duration by itself is not really stressful: if you maintain an extremely low magnitude for a long duration the actual CNS stress is virtually nil. That’s why bowlers who bowl mid 60mph and spinners can bowl for longer, both in games and in training. There is actually some truth in the advice from coaches to slow down and you can bowl for longer. The high magnitude bowlers [knee/muscular/grunt/effort/grind] can only go flat out for about 20-30mins before they begin to fatigue, increase the pace drop off % past what is acceptable for velocity enhancement and increase the likelihood on CNS fatigue- which is not good! These bowlers drop off very quickly within and between bowling spells. The variation in performance on different days is also larger than the more ‘rate dominant’ fast bowlers. We all know of bowlers who are awesome genuine fast bowlers one day but very average medium pace bowlers the next day.

·?KNEE DOMINANT BOWLERS – MUSCLE DRIVEN- MAGNITUDE DOMINANT

·?HIP DOMINANT BOWLERS- TENDON DRIVEN- RATE DOMINANT

It’s also important to mention that a fast bowler will always lean towards their dominance. In terms of whether hip or knee and tendon or muscle driven. Hip dominant bowlers are more RATE efficient whilst knee dominant bowlers are more MAGNITIUDE efficient. Careful periodised planning and AREG understanding is needed as bowlers tend to over train on their strengths. They’ll keep doing what they are good at until fatigue sets in. This leads to ultimate failure- neural fatigue/burn out. This is why it is essential to profile the bowler and work on their weakness at least 30% of the time.

A magnitude dominant fast bowler will fatigue quickly if their asked to be the enforcer and bowl short pitch bowling for a spell. They love doing it and good at it because it’s about effort/strength and grunt, but they will fatigue from it quickly as they’ll overdo it. This is why coaches and captains need the knowledge on ‘neuro-dynamics’ and the differences that exist between bowlers.

Some fast bowlers when strength training are slower and stronger and should train their nervous system differently than the fast bowler who is quicker and weaker, etc. Again, similarities exist between the slow/strong bowler and knee dominance, and the weak fast bowler and hip dominance. There is a reason for everything, as every muscular action is instigated by the CNS.??So, you might give the quicker weaker hip dominant bowler more pure strength work (Neuro-Duration) while the slow but strong knee dominant bowler might need purer [Neuro-rate] speed work to provide balance to their bowling potential.?

Train their dominance carefully by adhering to the AREG principle 70% of the time and train their non-dominance 30% of the time.

This is where it gets complicated for fast bowling. For lower body muscle action, magnitude and duration are prevalent, however for the upper body is all about rate and magnitude.??For any given muscle action there will be a different type of neural drive. As mentioned earlier, neural drive can be rate-dominant or duration-dominant. A level of?magnitude occurs with both types of dominance?as I’ll illustrate.

Rate-dominant drive of a high magnitude: In this first type of drive, we can see that the rate of the drive is very important. That is, it doesn’t take long for the neural drive to reach its peak. On the other hand, the duration of the drive is short. In real life we thus have a very rapid force production lasting for only a brief period of time. The relatively high magnitude indicates a high level of force production. This type of drive is characteristic of the IMPACT ZONE and DELIVERY ZONE of the bowling action using overloaded heavy ball.

Rate-dominant drive of a low magnitude: In this second example we still have an important rate and a short duration of action. But this time the magnitude is lower. Meaning that we are still seeing a rapid and brief neural drive, but the actual force production is not that high. This type of drive is characteristic of the IMPACT ZONE and DELIVERY ZONE of the bowling action using underloaded light ball.

Duration-dominant drive of a high magnitude: This type of neural drive occurs when we need to produce a high level of force for a relatively long period of time. We mean long compared to the rate-dominant drive. Generally speaking, we are talking anywhere between 4 to 12 seconds when force production is concerned. This type of drive is characteristic of actions requiring a high level of force production that must be sustained. A good example is pushing a prowler as part of the SPE tier of the programme or bowling a heavy ball for max effort. This requires that the nervous system sends a sustain drive for the duration of the effort.?

Duration-dominant drive of a low magnitude: This type of drive is found in movements where you must produce a moderate amount of force for a longer period, when talking about fast bowling specific training, the 70% effort ‘tempo 2min drill’ is a good example. In this case the bowler can sustain the effort for longer than during a duration-dominant drive of a high magnitude, but the output is lower. This means that the neural drive is active for longer, but it is of lesser importance. This is why it has to be at 70% intensity. If a bowler turns it into a ‘fitness/lactic building/ego boosting’ session problems arise.

When a high magnitude, long duration occurs at the same time, the cumulative CNS fatigue effect is very important and can lead to burn=out and performance reduction in subsequent sessions/games.

YOU CAN BOWL FAST BRIEFLY OR SLOW LONGER!

This also explains why a?rate, hip dominant and tendon driven bowler has the capacity to bowl for long spells. The magnitude of effort from the muscular system is lower due to their tendon stiffness. However, with it comes the danger of over-bowling. Everything they do is about rate-duration and is the least CNS stressful aspect of neural drive. Whereas a magnitude knee dominant and muscular driven bowler relies on high magnitude, effort, intent spread over a long duration. That’s the most stressful. This is why I encourage my ‘strength’ bowlers to always train reactivity and tendon stiffness. It helps them, both in efficiency and effectiveness’. They have to give less effort, due to the stiffness in the tendon which takes the strain away from the muscle. Remember more compliance leads to less action from the tendons due to ‘muscle slack’

A high rate of neural drive is demanding on the CNS, especially when of a high magnitude. However, since it’s almost impossible to have both a long duration and a high rate, the cumulative CNS fatigue effect from rate work is harder to accomplish. It’s still possible to do so, by using too many total repetitions.

The?most CNS-demanding neural drive is thus duration-dominant and high magnitude. Example of which is a knee dominant bowler bowling long spells. The second most demanding being a rate-dominant high magnitude drive. The third most demanding is a rate-dominant low magnitude drive while duration-dominant low magnitude work is the least demanding on the CNS, which is why it’s often used as a restorative method following a period of CNS demanding work- tempo bowling.

Higher rate of progress by avoiding opposite types of drive within a single session which is why I designed the 4- session type model.

Each individual will have motor unit activation properties in which he’s more efficient.?

This is evident when they strength training which also translates into their bowling. Some bowlers may be very efficient at producing a duration-dominant neural drive. This means that when they are strength training, they can keep on producing the required level of force for a relatively long period. Most?‘knee dominant slingers ‘would fall into this category. They ‘self-organise’ themselves or the technique has been modified to create more time. This is what I call “grinders”: when lifting a maximal load, the speed will be extremely slow, almost static really, but it continues to move. Grinders can produce and sustain maximum force in 5-10 seconds; however, they often have problems with explosive or reactive exercises requiring a rate-dominant neural drive.?You rarely find a reactive, muscle driven knee dominant fast bowler

On the opposite side of the coin you have rate-dominant athletes/bowlers. The hip dominant reactive bowlers who often frustrate coaches. They are often “hit or miss” performers. They are either match winners or match losers. When everything is in rhythm, they bowl teams out for fun, they can complete a strength lift with seemingly room to spare, but on another day, are an absolute nightmare. As soon as things get tough or they miss a strength lift at the first sign of slowing down they quit. These bowlers can produce a very large amount of force in a brief period of time, but they cannot sustain it for long, hence the hit or miss phenomenon. Then you have mixed bowlers who I call the ‘inbetweeners’. They are neither rate nor duration dominant. They are pretty much equal in both types of actions and their training type and desire can take them either way.?

You can get a good idea of the dominance of a bowler by performing the ‘OU weighted ball test’ A duration-dominant bowler will bowl the heavier ball with the same ‘arm speed’ as their normal ball weight at similar ball velocity. However, a rate-dominant bowler will bowl the lighter ball at similar arm speed and ball velocity. When you know somebody’s strength (dominance) you also know his weakness: if someone is obviously duration-dominant, more rate work should be included in the program and vice versa.?

For maximum results you should not mix rate-dominant and duration-dominant exercises within the same training session. This would lead to sub-optimal neural adaptations, which would impair both short and long-term progress. You never have a MAX INTENT VELOCITY exercise/session/phase at the same phase/exercise/ session as an ESD EXERTION tempo bowling.

So weekly sessions would be;?

Phase 1- Tempo bowling and Run and Gun Weighted ball bowling

Phase 2- Accuracy and game readiness and Run and Gun Light ball bowling and Max effort full run up?

EXERTION SPECIFIC SESSION- Energy system development

The most misunderstood component of fast bowling is Energy System Bowling Development. As previously discussed ESD bowling would be regarded as a?Duration-dominant drive of a low magnitude?training. The volume of which can be limitless as long as the intensity / rate and magnitude is monitored carefully and scientifically!

Bowlers need to be bowling all year. Olympic sprinters will be running all year, Olympic rowers would be doing some form of rowing and Olympic weightlifters would be doing some form of lifting. So why in the cricket world is it seen as acceptable to totally remove the skill from their training schedule? There cannot be a phase of more than 4 weeks when the skill of fast bowling isn’t practiced.?

Rhythm and coordination of movement

One aspect of bowling that often gets forgotten is the ‘rhythm of the movement’. Full cessation of bowling from the programme leads to a decrease in rhythm and timing. This is what happens when bowlers are id season, they find their rhythm. However, it may be too late by then, they could have lost their place and worse still, due to the workload spike pre-season in an attempt to find rhythm they get injured. Workload spikes is the main cause of injuries in cricket. Speed underpins coordination and rhythm and that is detrained in 5-days!!

‘Rhythm determines the condition of manifesting speed and permits full utilisation of technical skills”-?Starzynski, Sozanski

To guarantee a positive transfer of training both strength, speed, power energy system development should all be periodically trained with the bowling sequence. Only then is it possible to achieve cohesion of fast bowling performance.

With regards Exertion specific session, there are 4 forms of energy system training in the PaceLab training system

1.?????Oxidative

2.?????Glycolytic

3.?????ATP-PC

4.?????Sport-specific endurance

However here is the main point, there needs to be a different focus to what currently happens globally. Exertion energy systems development needs to be the foundation and at the heart of all programme designs but needs to be specific. Bio-energetic methods are also determined by its specificity. I don’t cycle any fast bowler. Has not benefit to a fast bowler and in fact simply ingrains a knee dominant habit in the bowler. Session volume, intensity, the surface and frequency need to be managed accordingly.?We cannot be chasing the burn. It’s not about lactic training and total fatigue.?

Like Charlie Francis used to recommend, "STAY OUT OF THAT MIDDLE ZONE. Serves only to turn the intermediate fibres into the characteristics of slow twitch fibres"

ESD training needs to be maintained under the 70% zone

?“I think a chemical change in your muscles is a change in environment. That’s what DB hammer was talking about, when you dump some lactic acid in your system, your muscle becomes a different thing” – Holler and Korfist?

Speed will not improve in this environment. Too many bowlers are being de-trained and lose the ability to bowl genuinely quick due to the mismanagement of intensity, volume and purpose. Lactic acid is the enemy of speed training. Understand what you're trying to train. There are enough bowlers in the world who can bowl 10 over spells of 75mph!!! That's their role. If you have???the ability to bowl 90mph, you can always drop down to 80mph and bowl longer. The 75mph workhorse will never be able to go up to 90mph though!!!

Skill specific oxidative preparation ensures that the oxidative developments occur in the relevant muscles and the relevant motions as they relate to competition requirements.

Based on data taken during the Inidan Premier League [IPL] it is evident the importance of the Oxidative energy system (OS) for all players. In 6 weeks of competition the majority of players covered between 50k & 90k of various velocity bands in total at an average of 6-8km per game. 90% of which was covered in the Oxidative system

There are 3 bands + distance covered

3 velocity bands?

Band 1- OXIDATIVE. 20-25km/hr. /5-6ms/ 200-300 reps per game /2500-2700m total?

Band 2- GLYCOLYTIC 25-32km/hr. / 6-8m/s / 20-26 reps per game / 350-400m total?

Band 3- ATP-PC 33+km/hr. / 8 -10m/s / 3-6 per game / 100-110m total (if that!)

So how do you train the Oxidative energy system in an explosive skill like fast bowling?

A. Oxidative system [OS]?(Tempo bowling or technical grooving work as active rest between glycolytic work). Can be performed on grass/soft ground for an added training effect based on 'Achilles' needs and TENDON TUNING or inside (nearer to season) -"2-3MIN DRILL"

The benefit of this method goes beyond capillarization.

1.?????Build muscular stiffness through large amount of repetition (foot contacts)

2.?????Ankle strength

3.?????Rhythm & Relaxation

4.?????High speed coordination

5.?????Improve workload perception

6.?????Recovery capacity

REMEMBER THE RESIDUAL EFFECT OF AEROBIC TRAINING IS 30 DAYS.

It doesn't need to be trained all year round. Just a top up every 4 wks after an initial phase of aerobic training. Split into

A. Aerobic power

B. Cardiac output

C. Aerobic capacity

Through the improvement of the oxidative system the other performance qualities can be developed to a greater extent. Without a solid foundation created by the OS bowlers will not be capable of recovering throughout the course of a game appropriately.?

The OS functions at lower intensities to allow longer distances to be covered at a slower pace. This quality is also vital for recovery from high- intensity activity, such as fast bowling or running between the wickets, and serves as the foundation for the other two energy systems required in competition.?

A bowler with a highly trained OS can complete every over at a much lower heart rate than an athlete not trained in this performance quality. This means athletes trained in this quality can function at much higher intensities while maintaining an extremely high level of physical and technical efficiency, ultimately meaning they can do more work while expending less energy at a higher skill level. Clearly the OS functions as the support system for all other physical performance qualities.

Tempo Running

‘Tempo running, which is repeated sprinting under 70% of one’s maximal ability, done on short rest intervals, such as 1-3 minutes, is a bit of an anomaly in the training world, since it is not “maximal” in nature, yet can help many levels of athletes achieve both capacity, recovery, and even allow for better top-end speed from a complementary effect. Some athletes thrive off this work in the sense of its ability to decrease neural inhibition and create a feeling of “looseness”, while building or maintaining general fitness levels. It also carries the benefit of a strong parasympathetic stimulus due to its aerobic component, which is important for regeneration and recovery after a series of tough workouts’. Joel Smith

“Tempo is a great tool, it’s loose, open flowing. They get a lot of great contacts if their posture is right. It’s also a great system check”

The repetition of the sprints at lower intensity allows the training of tendon stiffness in the ankles and feet. Sustained sprint work can have a big positive effect on the fascial system, as well as neural efficiency and inhibition of antagonistic firing patterns.?

Tempo bowling

Based on the above principles and the clear benefits of tempo work I utilse it with the bowling sequence. 2 min non-stop bowling off a full run at 70% intensity, based on run up speed [speed gates, ‘Exsurgo’ Gsprint, 1080 sprint or stopwatch]. Bowler delivers the ball and jobs to retrieve the ball in a net or runs to touch the opposite stumps. He/she return to the top their run up and repeats continuously for 2 mins. To increase intensity the rest periods are manipulated, never the intensity or the total duration. In a game an over last 2 mins. I would advise bowlers to also wear ‘heart rate monitors to also ensure the right intensity is performed. Choose either HR or approach speed.

B. Glycolytic?(Threshold bowling or anaerobic circuit using SDE. Split the action into parts and perform 20secs flat out work with adequate rest)

Glycolytic training is general endurance that provides the capacity to train, not perform at a degree of difficulty and load.?

In my opinion as a former player who performed countless amount of deliveries and now a physical and technical preparation coach, I don’t believe this form of ESD to be specific and relevant to fast bowling. However, it can serve to build the athlete within the bowler.?The glycolytic energy system is utilized within the body to complete high-intensity activities of?greater than ten seconds, up to two minutes.?Although the nature of bowling is an extremely intense and short action, as the number of deliveries increases, the utilization of this energy system in performance also increases. However, even though the glycolytic energy system becomes the primary source of energy utilized in high-intensity efforts greater than ten seconds, training time must reach a minimum of twenty seconds in order for maximal effects to be realized in the improvement of this system. It is for that reason, even with high-quality training, the minimal training time for the glycolytic energy system is twenty seconds.?This performance quality is necessary in bowling due to the repeated efforts accumulated during competition, especially during a longer outing but it’s more about building the capacity to repeat as opposed to increasing actual performance. Bowling happens between 5-7 secs. For me this then becomes sport specific endurance or power-endurance. Ability to repeat maximal effort. Bowling is like a form of ‘cluster’ training, and that is regarded as very ATP-PC explosive method of training.?

I tend to limit running in this zone, instead use medicine ball extensive and intensive circuit training.

For specificity with regard ESD I firmly believe in always TRAINING ABOVE or TRAINING BELOW but never the same as you do in a game. This adds to building SPEED BARRIER I discussed earlier but also over training as everything occurs in this one zone.?Most bowling take place in the no man's land intensity zone between 75% and 95%. This is what happens in nets and most games so there is no need to perform ‘running session’ at this intensity in my view.

C. Sport-specific endurance

This is the zone where competition occurs. I’m a firm believer in never entering in this zone in structured training sessions. Competition itself will train this zone.?

Sport specific endurance is the ability to overcome a sport-specific load for the time required by the conditions of competition. This form of endurance is associated with the specific demands of a given sport discipline. It’s about the combination of technique and endurance and the ability to perform under the stress of competition. To guarantee success in fast bowling you need to develop specific endurance that allows the adequate effort for the whole duration of then game. Only competition can truly train this ability. Net bowling will never train this system- the intensity just isn’t there.?

Remember the game itself is also a training session and has a training effect.

Conclusion

Bowling is not about repetition. We need a shift in mindset. The stresses involved are too high for repetition to be beneficial. When we focus on repetition we develop poor habits and train bowlers to bowl slower for longer. As coaches we need to determine the focus of the session.

The main message is simple. Improve the top end speed and let competition train the ability to bowl that top end speed repetitively. To help recovery and the ability to repeat don't chase the burn, train the oxidative system. Being tired is not an indication of a quality session.

Think differently

Steff