How to Double Your Spin Bowling Effectiveness
Menno Gazendam is author of Spin Bowling Project. Get your free 8 week spin bowling course here
You are either an off-spinner, or a leg-spinner.
But, you know you can be both.
Spinners are mixing it up more and more.
Things are changing. Spin bowlers are realising that to limit yourself to one of the two is restrictive.
Why have 5 variations, when you can have 10?
Why only be able to spin the ball away when you can spin in as well?
Mendis, Herath, Ajmal and Narine are all bowling spells in which they spin the ball both ways. They do it with different techniques, but that is not the point. They are not limited to only being one type of bowler.
They do have their stock ball. But, they do not let that limit them.
Swing bowlers try and swing it both ways.
No one will ever question a swing bowlers if he expands his game by being able to swing the ball both ways. Then why do we as spinners not consider it natural to work on bowling leg and off-spinners?
Don't worry (too much) about hiding your deliveries.
So what if the batsman can spot what you are about to bowl? Hundreds of batsman knew Warne was about to bowl them a leg break and it didn't help them very much. Don’t be obsessed with hiding what delivery you want to bowl.
Being able to bowl both leg and off-spin will add a dimension to your game where you will be able to exploit any situation. Left handed bat who struggles outside off? No, problem I will bowl offies. Footmarks outside leg? No worries, I will bowl leg breaks from around the wicket.
It leaves you in a position where captains and selectors can easily pick you as you are so adaptable to any situation.
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Comments
Very interesting article! Do you think a left arm chinaman can be successful? There haven't been many in international cricket, and the few that have been at that level of cricket have never been amongst the top bowlers. So should I continue bowling left arm wrist spin or should I rather switch to orthodox? I see no reason why I should since I know I can be more successful with chinaman, but why haven't there been successful chinaman bowlers EVER in international cricket? (By successful I mean a very good bowling average under 30 and more than 200 or 300 wickets)
How many club level spinners can put in the time to develop both leg breaks and off breaks, and land them consistently? This is a good idea but perhaps something only applicable to higher levels of cricket.
Tom
Well I assume you do have other variations beside your stock ball? How did you put in the time to master those?
Just remember that a bowler with no variations is limited.
I suppose the question, Tom, is what is the best way to spend your practice time to maximise your effectiveness. Obviously accuracy and getting a good stock ball going are the most important assets a club spinner can have, but you reach a point where further practice on the same thing suffers from diminishing marginal returns. Perhaps if you spent that time working on a second delivery, your effectiveness would increase quicker?
Its something worth considering anyway: I think there is a strange stigma against bowlers bowling both deliveries that I have never really understood. If you can bowl both a leg break and an off break, why NOT practice them both and use them both?
AB
Many coaches disapprove of this and have theories like bowling leg breaks and off breaks will mess up your action. These are completely false but most coaches believe they know best, and nothing is ever going to change that. Because so many people believe it is wrong it just isn't very common for bowlers to do it, so I doubt if we can do anything about that.
It really doesn't make sense, why don't more spinners use both leg and off breaks as their stock ball? I know most leg spinners have utter contempt for off spinners, but still...
There are videos of Muralitharan bowling perfect leg breaks into the rough outside a left handers off stump. And Shane Warne bowling about 12 consecutive wrong 'uns to Brian Lara. If the two best spinners of all time do it, why shouldn't we? As the article says: It doubles your efficiency! It does take a bit more practice, but both don't have to be 100% accurate. After all there will be one which you prefer to bowl most of the time. As a chinaman bowler I find it neccesary to also have a good off spinner when a batsman shows a particular weakness, or if there is a big rough patch outside leg stump.
Shahid Afridi uses an off break sometimes, and I'll be willing to bet that there are many more international spinners that use both of the breaks! Leg, and off! It just shows how brilliant we spinners are at adapting to different situations. Who knows, maybe Swanny will rip a few leggies in the next Ashes:)
Good point, I've been a left-arm offie for years but have secretly wanted to bowl chinamen, lured by the big turn and bounce. No reason why I can't bowl offies to the right hander (with the ocasdional wrong un) and leggies to the left-hander.