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A bowler who has the ability to bowl swing is an important asset in any cricket team as swing bowling is a great way to baffle a batman, add pressure and take wickets. The swing bowler has the ability to move the ball in the air either away from the batsman or in towards the batsmen. The swing is created by holding the cricket ball in a specific way so that when it is released from the hand the varying levels of air resistance combined with the position the seam is directed causes the ball to swing in the air.

The swing is accentuated by polishing and shining one side of the ball so that is smooth relative to the other side, which should get roughened up through the natural course of play. Select a side to shine at the start of the match and ensure all the bowlers and fielders know which side to polish. You can polish it by rubbing sweat into it and then rubbing it on your cricket trousers.

There are three generally recognised swing delivery types, in swing, out swing and reverse swing.

The out swing delivery is a ball which when bowled by a right handed bowler to a right handed batsman swings from the leg side towards the off side. The aim of the out swinger is to encourage the batsman into playing a drive and ideally the swing will increase the chance of getting an edge and getting the batsmen out caught behind, so make sure you’ve got some good catchers behind the stumps. You want to pitch the ball quite full, aiming at or just outside off stump so that the batsman is forced to play at the ball.

The grip for the out swing delivery is quite simple and provided the seam is up right at the point of release it should swing. You need to hold the ball as normal for a medium paced delivery with the seam vertical, however for the out swinger the seam needs to be vertical and pointing towards first or second slip at about a 15° angle, so that your fingers will be running slight across the seam. The shiny side should face the leg side of the batsmen, thus the rough side faces the off side and the direction of swing. The increased air resistance on the rough side and seam position will cause it to swing through the air towards the offside. The run up should be slightly angled and bowled from close to the stumps.

The in swing delivery is basically the reverse of the away swing in that when bowled from a right handed bowler it swings in towards a right handed batsmen from the off side towards the leg side. Have a straighter run up and deliver the ball slightly wider on the crease. In contrast to the away swing bowler, the in swing bowler aims to get the batsmen out LBW or bowled by pitching it up. Aim to bowl it so that it swings from outside off stump and pitches in line with middle and off stumps, be careful though because if you start it too straight it will swing down leg side and be easy for the batsman to hit away.

Tip – If you find yourself swinging the ball uncontrollably, hold the ball across the seam so that the seam runs horizontally, this will help negate and reduce the amount of swing.

You need to make sure that your bowlers and fielders are aware of which side of the ball in polished and that is constantly shined between deliveries. Most bowlers will shine the ball themselves but it is always useful to nominate one or two fielders to shine the ball as well while the bowler is walking back to his mark.

Changing weather conditions have an often noticeable affect on the amount that the cricket ball will swing. Dry hot sunny days don’t favour swing bowling, whereas overcast, cloudy conditions are found to be most influential at generating more swing. So take this into consideration when deciding who to bowl if you are captain.

In every sports or any activity that entails strenuous work, it is important to start with some warm up exercises first. This is to avoid any possible injury, which results from muscles that were not yet toned and conditioned before the activity.

In fact, most health experts say that doing warm up exercises increases the capacity of the person to withstand the activity or the game.

It has been clinically proven that warm up exercises can actually boost an individual’s working ability and can lessen, if not eliminate, the chances of injury. It is necessary for every bowler to do some warm up exercises since playing the game could put more strain on the player than anticipated.

Here is a list of some warm up tips that every bowler should learn in order to play the game well – minus the injury:

1. Stretching

When doing stretching exercises that involve the neck and shoulder, it is best to hold each stretch for about eight counts to get utmost results. This will give the muscles enough time to condition.

2. Sweat it out!

It is important to start sweating when doing some bowling warm up exercises. The purpose of the warm up exercises is to raise an individual’s body temperature, at least by 1 or 2 levels.

The point here is that when your body has been warmed up, it will no longer release more heat when it is already doing in very strenuous activity during the game.

3. Stretch those arms

The player’s flexers and extenders should be properly warmed up before playing the game. This will enable the player’s arms to be properly toned so that it can handle the weight and strain of the ball.

4. Breathe out

During warm up exercises, it is important to do some deep breathing. It is best to hold your breath for about 6 counts in between deep breaths in order to condition the lungs. This will enable the person not to tire so easily.

5. Warm up before stretching

Even if stretching is part of a bowler’s warm up routine, it is still important to do some warm up exercises before stretching those muscles. Keep in mind that stretching should never be painful.

These are just some of the few tips that every bowler must bear in mind when doing warm up exercises that will ensure safe and comfortable play throughout the game.

Bowling is a very interesting sport. It does not require that you be a professional to be able to play this game. However, there are etiquettes that should be considered when playing bowling so that bowlers will learn how to properly play the game and enjoy it at the same time.

Here are a few bowling tips that need to be observed all times:

1.    The bowler should aware of who bowls first on the lanes. The general rule is that whoever is up first is the first bowler who should play but the players can negotiate on who well bowl first.

2.    The bowler should always be ready to bowl. Be prepared to take your turn – no unnecessary delays – the player will need to throw down the ball to the lanes and hit the pins just as soon as he is comfortable.

3.    It is important to show respect to other bowlers whether they are your teammates, opponents or even those who are playing in the lanes on either side of you. They should demonstrate sportsmanship at all times and they need to be considerate of the other players.

4.    The bowlers should also learn to observe the rules and guidelines set of the game and the bowling alley. Rules are there to keep bowlers safe and create healthy relationship with other bowlers. It is important that these rules be observed at all times.

5.    One guideline that should be observed is choosing and using the same ball throughout the game. This is one way of showing respect to other bowlers. It is not appropriate to pick a ball that is already being used by another bowler.

6.    Bowlers should allow a healthy competition among players by learning to compete with other players in a friendly way. They should cooperate with teammates by not wasting time during the game and participating eagerly in the game.

7.    Cleanliness and neatness is extremely important. Know where to throw the used drinking bottles or other food waste they accumulate. It is not proper to scatter all the leftovers in the lanes – use the trash receptacle. Towels should always be placed inon their bags if not in use as a courtesy gesture to other players.

These tips are very helpful in observing etiquette in every bowling alley. Bowling should be a venue for enjoyment and fun and observing these tips will allow every bowler to enjoy every game in every bowling alley.