MECHANICS OF THE FRONT ARM TECHNIQUE IN CRICKET FAST BOWLING

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyse the kinetics of front arm motion in fast bowling. A sample of 34 fast bowlers was divided into four speed groups. A three-dimensional (3-D) 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 3-D 15-segment inverse solution model of the human body, which used a Newton-Lagrange multiplier iterative method to generate the kinetics equations of motion. The calculations show that the front upper arm torques are time-varying cyclic, challenging the coaching notion recommending fast bowlers to pull the front elbow down as fast as possible into the front hip.