Bowling - Looking After Your Back
A sore back can be a common problem for cricketers, particularly if you're a young seam bowler. Bowling fast or even medium pace is a very dynamic activity, and even the best professionals in the world such as Glenn McGrath and Andrew Flintoff suffer from back soreness from time to time.
For young and developing seam bowlers, looking after your body - especially your back - is the number 1 priority, more important than whether you can swing the ball or bowl a good line and length. Though bowling quick can be hard work on the body, there are a number of steps you can take to minimise your chances of picking up a back injury.
1. Good Bowling Technique - It's vital to reduce the twist in your spine that occurs when you bowl a delivery. Ideally, you should have the hips and shoulders in line when you land after jumping into your bowling position. If you haven't, the chances are you may have a mixed action and this is likely to cause problems. Seek the advice of a good coach and get your action videoed to see what changes you may have to make to your bowling action.
2. Don't Bowl Too Much - For young quickies whose bodies are developing, particularly during the growth spurt years 12-16, bowling places a lot of stress on the body. If you're a good young bowler, you might find yourself practising with your school, club side, county, representative XI etc. all in the same week. This can be especially tough on your body if the training is taking place indoors, where the hard surfaces have very little give, meaning all the force generated when your feet make contact with the floor goes straight back into your legs and back. Adopt a sensible approach to how much bowling you do, particularly if you're practising indoors.
3. Get Fit - Fast bowling is a very dynamic activity and as such places great strain on your body, particularly in the 'core' region of your back and stomach. Try to develop a good base of aerobic fitness by running, swimming, cycling, rowing etc. whilst strengthening the vital muscles around your body's core. Ask your sports teacher or coach for advice on how to improve your core stability - there are lots of simple exercises that will really help you prepare your body for the rigours of fast bowling.
4. Good Equipment - So often young bowlers turn up for a practice session wearing a pair of fashion trainers, thin socks and a flimsy t-shirt. Footwear is the most important item of clothing in a fast bowlers kitbag, whether you're training indoors or playing in a match. During the off-season, use a strong pair of fairly new running or cross trainers. If you can, rotate the shoes you bowl in indoors to prevent wearing out a particular part of them. For bowling in outdoor matches, buy a good pair of bowling shoes or boots.
Get some good, thick cricket socks and wear them every time you bowl. In addition, it's a good idea to buy some absorption inners to put in your trainers. These are excellent at reducing the amount of force returning into your body when your feet land. Have a spare t-shirt handy if your original one gets wet with sweat, and try to wear a sleeveless sweater when you bowl. Both will help you keep your back warm.
5. Warm up, Stretch, Cool Down - It's very easy to arrive at a training session eager to start bowling straight away. If you do this, you'll be bowling without having prepared your body for the activity ahead. Just 5 minutes of warming up can reduce the chances of you picking up an injury. Go for a light jog or do some shuttles, making sure you're mobilising parts of your body needed for bowling such as your shoulders and legs. Then, do some core stretching, loosening your back and stomach. These exercises are best done on the floor - ask your teacher or coach for some advice here.
All of the above are commonsense ideas that are easy to implement. Remember, it's no use being a fantastic fast bowler in your teens if by the time your reach 20, you've injured yourself to the extent that you can't bowl any more. Follow these guidelines and you can be a great bowler for the rest of your cricket career.
Peter Wellings December 2007 PWCCE 2007
