answered
Q: My son is 15 and bowls off spin and we’d like to ask about the difference between bowling overspin or side spin. He bowls more side spin now but as he gets taller the coaches are saying he needs to bowl more overspin.
Can you help about the benefits of both?
A: Great question Michael.
Many parts and depths to this……….including a whole physics lesson…
Basic parts to spin bowling.
1 – Speed
2 – Flight
3 – Drift
4 – Dip
5 – Side spin
Firstly, sideways spin looks great, but good batsman can play this from the crease….and is subjective to pitch conditions.
The art of being able to deceive a batsman usually come from the flight of the ball, drift and dip (over spin) a bowler is able to get.
Flight – is subject to the pace you bowl individual balls, subtle variations in pace and flight trajectory.
Drift and Dip – comes from the number of revolutions a spin bowler is able to get on the ball. (this is a physics lesson on seam position and positive and negative air pressure) Can also be affected by weather conditions.
This is a great weapon for a spin bowler, as he or she is trying to deceive the batsman with poor footwork and head position.
The side spin and bounce are subject to the pitch conditions.
Teaching young bowlers to get their run up and delivery strid rhythmic and a stock ball right should be the main objective, as natural variations will happen.
Lots more to comment on, including ball pitching lengths and wind directions.
