How to Add Swing to a Cricket Ball

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Updated: March 28, 2019

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Bowling with Conventional Swing

Bowling with Reverse Swing

Bowling with Contrast Swing

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Article Summary

The basic idea of swing bowling is to get the cricket ball to swing sideways as it moves
towards the batsman. The most important factors in achieving this are the amount of
wear and tear on the ball, the speed at which it is bowled, and the bowler’s grip. A swing
bowler can use a conventional swing, a reverse swing, or a contrast swing.

Method 1
Bowling with Conventional Swing

1
Use a new ball. Cricket balls swing best before they experience any wear and tear. It should
have a prominent seam, and one side that is very shiny.

2
Hold the ball along the seam. Grip it with your middle and index fingers on either side of the
seam, with the ball resting on your thumb and third finger. The shiny side should be facing in
the direction of the batsman.[1]
3
Release the ball with the seam pointing in the direction of the swing. A ball that swings
from the leg side toward the off side is an inswing, and a ball that swings from the off side
toward the leg side is an outswing.[2][3]

 To bowl an inswing, release the ball with the seam pointed at about a 20 degree angle
towards fine leg.[4][5] The last point of contact with the ball should be your middle
finger.[6]
 To bowl an outswing, release the ball with the seam pointed at about a 20 degree angle
towards the slip fielders.[7][8] The last point of contact with the ball should be your
index finger.[9]
 A conventional swing will work best between 30 and 70 mph.
Method 2
Bowling with Reverse Swing

1
Use a ball 40 or more overs old. A new ball will swing naturally in a conventional direction,
but at about this age, wear on ball changes its aerodynamics. It begins to swing in opposite
direction of seam, towards the shine.[10]

2
Keep the ball in good shape. Reverse swinging works best when the smooth side of the ball is
very smooth, the rough side is very rough, and the seam is prominent.[11]

 Continually polish the smooth side of the ball during play. Keep in mind, however, that
scratching the rough side constitutes tampering, and is illegal.

3
Hold the ball along the seam. Grip it with your middle and index fingers on either side of the
seam, with the ball resting on your thumb and third finger. The rough side should face the
direction of the swing.[12]

4
Bowl as you would a conventional swing, but with the sides of the ball reversed. This
means the shiny side will now be facing away from the batsman. The difference between a
conventional swing and a reverse swing is that in the former, the ball swings in the direction of
the seam, while in the latter it swings in the opposite direction.[13]

 To bowl an inswing, release the ball with the seam pointed at about a 20 degree angle
towards the slip fielders.[14][15] The last point of contact with the ball should be your
middle finger.[16]
 To bowl an outswing, release the ball with the seam pointed at about a 20 degree angle
towards fine leg.[17][18]The last point of contact with the ball should be your index
finger.[19]
 Bowl hard. The faster you are able to bowl, the more effectively you will be able to
achieve a reverse swing. The speed necessary also depends on the state of the ball; the
rougher the rough side of the ball is, the less speed you will need.
Method 3
Bowling with Contrast Swing

1
Use a ball with a prominent seam. As with conventional and reverse swings, one side should
be distinctly shiny, and the other side distinctly rough. Keep the ball as dry as possible.[20]

2
Hold the ball along the seam. Grip it with your middle and index fingers on either side of the
seam, with the ball resting on your thumb and third finger.
3
Bowl with the seam pointing straight down the pitch. The direction of the swing will
be determined by the speed at which you throw.
 At a low speed (under 70mph), the ball will swing toward the rough side.[21]
 At a high speed (over 70mph), the ball will swing toward the smooth side.[22]
 Note that the exact speed that determines the direction of the swing will vary
based on the amount of wear on the ball.[23]