Grip the Ball to Bowl Offspin

Whether an armchair fan, or a budding Muttiah Muralitharan, wikiHow will give you a start at improving your technique. A good spinner can be the difference maker in your team, and knowing how to throw an off spin is will definitely make you one.

Steps

Grip Bowl

  1. Understand the off spin effect. An off-spin, or off break, delivery turns from the offside to the leg side when bowled at a right-handed batter, or from left to right as you look down the pitch. That means, it moves into a right-handed batsman and away from a left handed batsman.
  2. Grip the ball. The grip for spin bowling is very different from seam bowling.
    • Notice that the seam turns from vertical to horizontal in the grip.
  3. Position the fingers. The middle joints of the index, middle finger and third finger are well spread across the seam. The little finger and thumb are not involved.
  4. Spin it. With off spin, you are looking to rotate or spin the ball from your forefinger to your third finger
  5. Release. The fingers rotate as the ball exits the hand.
    • This is almost like turning a doorknob as you release it from the front of your hand.
  6. Aim. You should aim to bowl the ball outside the off stump. If you bowl too close to the stumps, the batsman may dispatch your ball to the boundary on the leg side.
  7. Get ready to play. Following the steps above, you should now be able to bowl off-spin and hopefully take some wickets.

Caliber Bowl

  1. Press the ball with your thumb on one side and four fingers on the other.
  2. Start bowling. As you do, rotate your hand slowly until your hand stands perpendicular to the shoulder.
  3. As soon as your hand attains this position, spin the ball. Do this by moving your hand slightly turned to the leg side.
  4. Bowl.

Slipper

  1. Grip three fingers each side of the ball.
  2. Run a medium pace.
  3. Bowl leg side. It will slip under the bat and clip the wicket.
  4. Make sure you rotate off your second finger to add this spinning effect.

Tips

  • This can take a lot of practice; keep at it until it becomes second nature.
  • Once you have mastered spin, try to throw a Yorker spin.
  • Make sure to not grip the ball too tightly.
  • An easier hand position and one that looks like you bowling a medium pace is to hold it as if you were going to bowl it normally but at the last second twist your fingers as if you are opening a door.
  • The ball should be pitched just outside off stump turning back to middle and off. It should bounce about three metres from the batsmen.
  • You should attempt to drift the ball out slightly and deceive the batsman in the flight.

Things You'll Need

  • Cricket ball
  • Cricket bat
  • Measured pitch
  • Set of stumps for wicket

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  • VideoJug A video demonstration of gripping ball to bowl offspin. Original source of article. Shared with permission and appreciation.
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