Is spin old fashioned?

We all have different views on the development side of the game of cricket, a game steeped in history.
The game has changed in so many ways. Thicker and heavier bats that pick up like a tooth pick and shorter boundaries are the two most significent "dimension" changes in recent times.
Fifty and twenty over matches have played a major role in those two changes. The short form of the game is about 'sixers' being hit for the benefit of the crowds who flock to these games.
Spin bowlers are less successful in the fifty over game than in the twenty over run fest. That statistic surprises me greatly, but it is factual I am told.
Taking the pace of the ball forces the batsman to do all the work hence quick bowlers are in name only, as they grip the ball across the seam a lot of the time and present an array of slower balls. Clever stuff but you won't catch much of that bowling in four and five day cricket.
Likewise the spinners tend not to take the pace of the ball in the longer form of the game which leads to less spin.
Spin is one area where the game appears not to be advancing, as technology and mind set is working against it.
The ball is still five and a half ounces and the pitch is still 22 yards long so why are we not developing players who spin and flight the ball?
Part of the reason. I believe is that some (a lot) of coaches see flight as old fashioned.The coaches and the captains are more about economy than wickets hence the ever growing shortage of teen age spinners who actually spin the ball.
A former Australian player said to me the other day that there is no way the game will go back to "old fashioned" methods of coaching spin.
I don't believe it is going back, more it is continuing with tried and proven methods which have stood the test of time....until now that is.
In Australia there has never been such a shortage of wrist spinners. I believe the need to address the handling of these special bowlers requires urgent attention. There was a time when every Australian state boasted more than one wrist spinner of first class standard.
Currently there is not one playing in Sheffield Shield cricket apart from Steve Smith from New South Wales who is a batsman who also bowls.
It would be terrible to look back in 10-15 years and identify the lack of understanding of what spin is as the reason for the game being filled with quicks, seamers and diddly dobblers.
Yes the game continues to move forward but it must continue to take with it the successes of the past.

Drift

I receive a lot of e-mails asking about drift or curve.
For a right arm leg spin bowler the drift he/she is seeking is in toward a right hand batter which tends to square the batter up and then ideally the ball will spin away toward slip after landing.
Shane Warne created havoc with batsmen because of the drift and spin he achieved.
How does it happen?
Genuine drift, which should not be confused with the ball angling in to the batter by a slicing action at release, comes from several basic areas.
1) side on alignment toward the target area.
2) revolutions on the ball (mostly side spin)
3) strong shoulder rotation (180 degrees)

Breeze over the left shoulder can also encourage the ball to drift in toward the batter.
If, as a couple of boys have told me, the ball is "drifting" toward slip it is most likely the shoulders are rotating around the front leg creating an angle of release in that direction.
For a ball to genuinely drift toward slip the revolutions on the ball would normally be the opposite of the leg break eg; Googly or off spin.
The more over spin (top spin) on the ball at release the more the ball will "drop" on the batter and the less it is likely to curve inwards.
As a rule chest on spinners struggle for drift.
So, improve your alignment and impart lots of spin on the ball and await the outcome.

Overseas

I am looking forward to a couple of coaching trips early in 2009.
Firstly my third visit to the MAC Spin Foundation in Chennai has been pencilled in for 2-6 February and later in the same month I am hoping to return to the UK for a few Spin Doctor Clinics.
My initial plan is to endeavour to conduct a clinic either in Leeds or Manchester the weekend 14-15 Feb or 21-22 , depending on availability of indoor facilities and the number of spinners we can attract.
Closer to London the 23rd-25th Feb has been pencilled in at Westbrook Hay School in Hemel Hempstead.
We are seeking expressions of interest during the next fortnight before booking an airline ticket, accommodation and venues.
So, if you or your son/s are looking for coaching from the Spin Doctor prior to next season, now is the time to contact me at tjenner@tjevents.com.au

End of an Era

A lot has happened since posting my last blog.
I have been doing lots of coaching but in many ways the most significent happening since the previous blog was our decision to end Test Brekkies after 18years. We received some lovely compliments per letter, phone and e-mail after the curtain came down on November 28th.
While we were aware our function on the Saturday morning of the Adelaide Test match was well supported over the years we didn't necessarily realise how important it had become as part of the Test match calendar for those who attended year after year,
Comments like "what are we going to do now? It has been a ritual for 10 years!!" were common.
In explaining the decision to end 'our' ritual which started in 1992 we simply felt it was time.
We had become to rely on the same people year after year and it was not fair on them.
With Brekkie tickets at $75 and Test match tickets at $70 it had become an expensive day for the majority of our loyal band of supporters.
Guest speakers at the finale were Sir Richard Hadlee, Michael Slater, Barry Jarman, Ian Chappell, Eric Freeman and Ken 'KG' Cunningham. Some say it was our best ever. If so it was a great way to finish.
I am 65 next September so perhaps age also had something to do with the decision!!
Ann and I are delighted and proud of the impact Test Brekkies had on the lives of the many supporters.
Some had come to almost all (19 or 20), some for at least the last 10 years or so but only Bob Day of Homestead Award Winning homes had been every year since inception.
It was only one day a year (occasionally two when CA played with our dates) but it seemed like each Brekkie lasted until the next one.
We will miss it.

in a spin

We have recently completed a hectic 5 weeks of "live in" clinics at home in Adelaide. During that time four coaches from England and three leg spinners, also from England plus two from New Zealand attended.
The ECB sent Chris Brown and Andy Siddle for two weeks and they worked with the two NZ boys and one boy from Dorset in England, under my guidance.
The second pair of coaches and leg spinners were sponsored by the ECB and Brian Johnston Memorial Trust.
Former England off spinner Peter Such was accompanied by Richard Wilkins of Yorkshire as coaches of the second pair of leggies, also with my guidance.
All coaches commited to their respective programs and definitely benefited from their time here in Adelaide.
The Brian Johnston Memorial Trust support for this program has been ongoing for almost 10 years now and it is fair to say the rewards are shown by the number of young wrist spinners being contracted to English Counties.
"Johnners", a lover of spin bowling and in particular leg spin would be delighted to know his generosity is reaping these rewards and it is quite possible he is looking down from above with a huge smile on his face.
I deliberately do not name the boys for fear of adding unecessary pressure to them during their period of development.
Suffice to say the standard of young English wrist spinners is getting better and better.

Five ways to keep it simple

I often get asked by coaches and parents "what should I look for?"


Below are five simple parts of the action to look for whilst the spinner is bowling.


It is not possible to look at all five at the same time so my encouragement is to work from the bottom up or the top down during a bowling session.


Make a note of any variances from the five and then discuss with the spinner.





Simple coaching:


Align shoulders & hips toward target


Lead with front arm toward target. Pull down.


Bowl "up and over" with shoulders


Pivot- rotate shoulders 180 degrees


Complete action with bowling shoulder facing target, with bowling hand to left hip and front arm "out the back'.

Run up/approach

Whilst the approach is an indvidual thing, too many spinners have run ups which are either too angled or too straight. If it is too angled then when the spinner arrives in the crease the tendency is to pull the front arm to the side diminishing rotation and affecting the amount of spin. If the approach is too straight the tendency is to jump in at the crease causing the delivery stride to be closed off. Again this causes the front arm to pull to the side or encourages the bowling arm to become too high, both lessening the degree of spin obtained.

Look at Cameron White and you will see what I mean.

Below are some tips which can successfully be used when assisting a spinner with his/her run up/approach.



Fit run up into delivery stride

Slightly angled approach

'Twitch' into side-on position one step prior to jump (bound)

Run up/approach is for rhythm and balance

Slight lean forward an advantage

Long strides better for rhythm than short steps

Focus on target at commencement of approach



Comment:

Reverse chaining from the delivery stride, maintaining spin along the way, is a good method to discover the ideal approach.

If the spin stops, the run up is possibly too long, so move forward until spin returns.