The Kneel Down Drill Part 2

In ‘Wait for the Ball’ we explained how to perform the kneel down drill correctly. So: Why do we need to start by kneeling down?

Well, by lowering your hips and kneeling down on the floor you lower your centre of gravity, giving you increased stability. This helps you to eliminate any movement in the main trunk of the body whilst executing the drill.

A still upper body is vital to good bowling technique for good balance and a free arm swing, two fundamentals of bowling.

Troubleshooting

There are a number of common faults people make when performing the drill. These are:

1. Thumb not exiting the ball early enough Be sure not to bend the thumb to the ball. Try touching the thumbnail against the back of the hole throughout the swing. If the ball comes off too soon, try tightening up your thumbhole with tape. The thumb should feel quite snug in the hole and should touch the hole all the way around, not just at the front or sides. It may be that the general fit of the ball isn’t quite right (i.e. span, pitches) which will cause problems. So if you’re not sure, visit your local ball driller for advice.
2. Ball hitting the and before the correct point of release Make sure the shoulder is not allowed to drop throughout the swing. It is important to maintain pressure on the thigh of the bowling leg with the non-bowling forearm throughout. This should automatically keep the bowling shoulder firm.
3. Muscle in the downswing Again, fear of losing the ball of the thumb too soon is a major cause of a muscled arm swing. This fear means squeezing and gripping the ball, causing the forearm and upper arm to tense, resulting in the muscled swing and all the problems that go with it.

Throughout the series we will keep emphasising the absolute importance of keeping muscle out of the swing. It should be one of the fluid continuous motion. Many beginners will take instruction and will be told about important elements of the swing, such as grip pressure, hand position, setup, pushaway, free pendulum, release and follow through. Then they will try to execute all of these elements consecutively, as if they all happen at distinct times and independently of each other.

The truth is, the bowling swing is a very dynamic event, lasting about 4 seconds in total. This makes it impossible to pay attention to every part of the swing whilst bowling. When working on your swing, do so one element at a time.

As an example, one day your concern will be to keep your grip pressure tight, with the intention of taking away muscle involvement. Do the drill with no other thoughts in your mind. Repeating this many times will slowly build positive muscle memories which will begin to feel more natural. Remember things always feel weird when they are new.

On another day, you may want to work on your downswing, allowing gravity to return the ball to its proper release position (wait for the ball).

On another occasion you might want to work on the thumb exiting the ball at just the ankle. Whatever you decide to work on within the drill, be sure to isolate that skill, and over time all the different feelings will “blend” together. There is no set time limit on this; everyone has his or her own learning curve.