What makes swing?
The pitch The ball What you do The science
Weather Construction Length Grip It all comes down to pressure. If a pressure
D.
Sir Donald Bradman said that ‘the swinger which dips Some say that a light wind from the right Sir Donald Bradman once said ‘for some Pitch the ball up. The fuller the ball, the more In his autobiography, Sir Donald Bradman
difference can be created on either side of
the ball, the ball will move toward the lower
late, the ball which apparently is dead straight three direction is essential to swinging the ball1.
Others say that cold, humid (or wet) weather
reason I do not profess to understand, a
two‑piece ball will swing ever so much more
chance it has to swing. (Take care though: a
full toss may be easier to hit, and too full may
said that ‘the grip for swing bowling must
always be in the fingers – never in the palm’. pressure side. That’s swing.
quarters of the length of the pitch and then suddenly means more swing2 , although science says
not3. Certainly, rain is swing’s worst enemy –
than a four-piece ball.’ And some balls just
don’t swing.
give away a no-ball.) Hold the ball with the seam
upright, between your index
Release the ball with the seam
dips one way or the other, is the very devil.’ Just what a wet ball won’t budge. Experiment as best and middle fingers at the top,
A.
and the rough side of the ball
C.
you can and form your own opinion. with your thumb balancing
every bowler hopes to conjure up during their spell. the ball at the bottom.
Keep your wrist behind
aiming towards where you want
the ball. Don’t let the ball to swing to. When you release the
your ring or little ball, make sure it’s spinning backwards
A well-guarded secret (mainly because of the varying finger touch
the ball.
along the seam, with the seam as upright
as possible.
degrees of opinion about the physics of the matter),
how a cricket ball swings is complex. A quandary of B.
As the ball moves through the
air, a thin layer of air called a
variables relating to the pitch, the ball itself, and what boundary layer forms on the surface
you do with it, all play a part in the science of swing. Pitch Age Line Release of the ball.
B.
The closer to the sea a pitch is, the greater As the ball ages, it becomes rougher – an Give the ball room to swing. Start the ball With a strong wrist, give the ball a gentle That layer of air can’t stay attached
C.
To make it work for you, try to alter just one of the
the grass coverage, and the higher the important ingredient in swing. The rougher wide of the batsmen on the side you’re flick as you release it. The ball should spin
moisture content, the more the ball will swing. the surface, the lower the critical speed expecting to swing the ball towards. (Not too backwards along the seam, with the seam
to the ball. When it leaves the ball,
it creates air pressure. Where it
variables at a time, until you stumble upon a recipe that
needed to make the ball swing. wide though, and not the wrong side, else upright, by rolling off your index and middle
you’ll risk giving away a wide.) fingers. Angle your wrist slightly, and the separates from the ball determines the
works for you. The best starting points are the variables
seam by about 20°, towards the side you’d
like to swing the ball to.
pressure on that side of the ball.
that are in your control – what you do.
D.
The smooth side of the ball, with
the seam pointing away, creates a
A.
E.
smooth flow of air (called a laminar
flow). That laminar flow of air causes a
pocket of high pressure to form.
Air leaves the ball later on the
E.
rough side, because the seam (and
rough) cut it up, making it turbulent.
Seam Shine and rough Pace Action Turbulent air has lower pressure than
If the seam remains upright in flight, it acts as Keep one side of the ball polished (legally, You’ll get maximum swing out of the new The position of your head as laminar air, and because objects move
a rudder for the ball. When air hits the seam, you can use only sweat, saliva, and elbow ball at about 70 miles per hour, or 112.6 you deliver the ball, the arch from high to low pressure, swing happens.
it becomes turbulent, creating a pressure grease), and allow the other side to roughen kilometers per hour. That speed changes as of your back, the brace of
difference between the air flowing past the (it’s illegal to be proactive here). These are the ball ages. your legs, the action in your
other side of the bal. That causes the ball to key ingredients in swing. shoulder, the direction of
move towards the lower pressure side. your trailing arm, the By swapping the shiny and rough sides
projection of your chest, around, but keeping the seam facing the
112.6
your leap, and your run‑up,
are all ingredients in your same direction, the ball swings in the
bowling action. Aim to get opposite direction – called reverse swing.
your action side-on for It happens when you bowl at a speed that
outswing bowling, or
[Link] front-on for inswing bowling, causes the air to separate from the shiny
Designed by Gareth Parry. and get a rhythm going. side early, and turbulently, reversing the
Researched from Wikipedia, BBC, the writings of consummate cricketer Sir Donald pressure difference.
Bradman, Professor Raymond A. Lyttleton, and NASA scientist Rabindra Mehta.
Week #3 20100730 Variables that apply mainly to outdoor cricket. 1
For inswing: from over third slip’s shoulder and heading 2
That’s because cold, wet air is dense, and dense air creates 3
Search for James Foster’s Science of Swing site.
towards the bowler. For outswing: from square leg heading lift force – a force that acts at a right-angle to the force of the
towards the keeper. air – creating swing.