THE KINEMATIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE LEG-SPIN AND OFFSPIN BOWLING TECHNIQUES IN CRICKET

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to determine kinematic differences between the off-spin and leg-spin bowling techniques in cricket. The two techniques are often coached similarly; however, a comparative biomechanical analysis of leg-spin and off-spin bowling has not been performed. A 3D Cortex motion analysis system was used to track 52 markers strategically placed on all the major segments of 23 off-spin and 15 leg-spin bowlers of district level. It was found that the two techniques varied in terms of stride length, but other variables which were not previously differentiated in coaching manuals also displayed significant difference. These results highlight potential technique points that will be of benefit when coaching bowlers of each spin direction.