Thursday 29 April 2010

Introducing the "Baffler"

I've just been bowling in the garden and I'm really encouraged by the results. My accuracy wasn't too much improved but the amount of spin and drift seems to be on a whole new level, as I was really concentrating on rolling that ring finger over well. There were a few that turned a very long way and the flight was just enough and more consistent. With nets tomorrow night I'm hopeful I can replicate them then and have a few more "round the legs" moments.

Also I've developed a new variation, which I've given the working title of "Baffler", as it's sort of like a baby flipper. I bowl it by changing my grip slightly to something more akin to an off-spinner, then at the moment of delivery I rotate my wrist in the opposite direction to a leg break, let the ball stretch my index finger back before pinging forward and underneath the ball. The ball comes out of the hand about 10mph faster than my stock delivery (which is quite slow), with backspin making it float and bounce low. The thumb is hardly involved at all, so it's not a bona fide "click-your-fingers" flipper, although the effect seems very similar. It's not a particularly well disguised ball at the moment as I'm quite clearly putting more effort in and bowling with a lower arm, but it looks good for getting someone out bowled or LBW, at my level at least. It's ridiculously easy to bowl I've found, so I'll be trying that out tomorrow night as well.

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