BOWLING ARM MECHANICS IN CRICKET

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the biomechanics of the bowling arm in fast bowlers in cricket. A sample of 34 fast bowlers was divided into four speed groups. A 3D motion analysis system was used to track and analyse the motion trajectory of forty-eight reflective markers placed on each subject to determine the kinematics of segment joint centres. Ground reaction forces were measured with a force platform. These data were used as input to a 3D 15-segment inverse solution model of the human body, which used a Newton-lagrange multiplier iterative method to generate the dynamic equations of motion. The calculations show that the bowling arm segments undergo a sequence of active and controlled motion during the power phase, which tends to vary bowling speed.