Talent development

I frequently get asked how I develop fast bowling talent, whether when I was at school or with young bowlers of varying abilities remotely or during camps. This article is extensive because I want to thoroughly explain my methods and assure you that my work is based on practical coaching experience. I actively coach and advise many bowlers globally.

Before starting the talent development process, it's crucial to identify, detect, or select the potential bowlers. Here’s how this process works:

Identifying Bowlers (Talent Identified)

These are bowlers I recognise as having the attributes necessary for quick bowling—based on physical, technical, and mental traits, combined with my gut feeling from experience. For school players, this might have been linked to a cricket scholarship. Potential candidates are screened, assessed, and have their abilities analysed. For external remote bowlers, I initially have them complete a questionnaire about their level of play and perceived pace, along with a 'neurotyping' questionnaire followed by a video submission. Promising bowlers are invited for a one-on-one profiling day. Here, I run various tests to evaluate their potential comprehensively. Using isometric tests, jump profiling, ball discrepancy tests, sprint profile using 1080 sprint and various more tech driven tests. Mostly, I rely on my own judgment due to often differing talent identification methods used by other teams, states, boards , coaches and clubs.

Detecting Bowlers (Talent Detected)

Sometimes, I observe athletes from other sports who may possess the physical and athletic qualities to become fast bowlers. While fast bowling might not be on their radar, with appropriate coaching, they could excel. Often, these athletes primarily see themselves as batters who bowl occasionally but discover a combination of talent and desire to bowl quickly as they develop. I’ve detected talent this way before and am exploring future collaborations with javelin coaches and pitching coaches in baseball.

The fastest bowler on our recent USA trip was a triple jump athlete only recently started bowling.

Selecting Bowlers (Talent Selected)

This involves bowlers already recognised by others and included in the system, such as those selected for academies or county or national honors. Despite previous identification, I often re-evaluate them based on my criteria.

Once identified, the talent within bowlers must be developed considering five key factors:

Key Factors of Talent Development:

1. Physiological Make-Up

  - Determine their physical attributes—are they naturally strong, fast, or somewhere in between?

  - Young bowlers generally need a general strength phase to build robustness before moving on to specialised strength training.

  - Strength training in the form of powerlifting or bodybuilding should not hinder speed, power, mobility, and technique.

2. Fiber Composition and Training Methods

  - Test the bowler's fiber make-up with the 80% reps test or other advanced methods like upper body box jumps.

  - Older bowlers may use tools like ‘output’ for power output monitoring.

- Work out their dynamic strength index and reactive strength index. Do they need more speed or strength. Jump profiling and throw profiling

3. Strength Deficit

  - Analyse the difference between the possible and actual strength a bowler can exert, focusing on their central nervous system (CNS) efficiency.

  - Ensure training involves all facets of strength and speed across the continuum appropriate for bowlers (static to spring proficient).

4. Bowling Technique and Type

- Are they hip or knee dominant and why? Does their training match up to their bowling type needs?

- Assess the bowler's training age and physical limits to tailor their technical and physical training plans.

  - Work with their unique technique to maximise performance without causing injury by integrating exercises like weighted ball bowling and specific medicine ball throws.

- Is their bowling technique safe, repeatable and built on their own action capacity. Are they trying to be someone else? Can they improve via technical [visual] changes or through improving mechanics [inside]

- Is it a software or hardware issue?

5. Maintaining Robustness , mobility and extensibility

  - Perform postural analysis and range of motion testing to ensure each bowler’s structural integrity while preventing injuries.

- Can they get into the positions and when there hold them?

6. Sensitivity to neurotransmitter

- What is their 'neurotype', and their personality profile in relation to training.

- What is it? Neurotyping is based on the ‘Cloninger Temperament and Character Inventory’ (TCI)

“The TCI is an inventory for personality traits based on a psychobiological model. In a nutshell, people have different personality types because they have different genetic levels of certain neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. When scientists measured neurotransmitter levels and compared them to the personality types, they indeed found them to match up. This dictates how we perceive a training stimulus and how we can benefit from our training and coaching sessions” -C ThibaudeauThere Are Three Main Profile Types In Neurotyping:

Neurotype 1: This type has low dopamine levels, so he or she seeks out novelty or new things to stimulate their naturally low dopamine. In psychobiology, they call this the novelty seeking type.

Neurotype 2: These types have low norepinephrine levels. Since norepinephrine is associated with confidence and a sense of well-being, these people seek out rewards to boost their norepinephrine levels. It’s referred to as the reward dependent type in science.

Neurotype 3: This type is associated with low serotonin. They don’t like change; they like to master a repetitive activity. “Technique geeks” fit this profile. In psychobiology, they call this the harm avoider type

This understanding has a huge impact on training and coaching methods for fast bowlers. Its the future!

Developing Talent: Personalised Programs and Technical Framework

- A systematic approach involving initial physical and biomechanical assessments, followed by technical drilling to build bowling mechanics gradually.

- Focus on improving posture, flexibility, mobility, structural integrity and strength to handle stresses from optimal bowling techniques.

- Ensuring trainee bowlers understand the importance of the static-spring continuum and reactive training principles.

- Ensuring an appropriate technical and mechanical model based on their own style.

Conclusion

This comprehensive process of identifying, detecting, and developing bowlers leverages both innate talent and tailored training programs. These methods, although sometimes unconventional, have demonstrated success in helping young bowlers develop their speed and overall performance. Skepticism can exist around these approaches, but targeted and individualised training consistently yields significant improvements in fast bowling. Pacelab Ltd training system is world leading in both research, experimentation and application. We just don't only research for PhD studies, we apply real world coaching to real world performing bowlers.

Through consistent monitoring, individualised coaching, and constant evaluation, this multi-faceted approach can help nurture bowlers who possess the potential to consistently bowl at speeds of 90+mph and beyond.

Think differently, trust the process and respect the principles