Off and Leg Cutters
Advanced Bowling Drill 3 – Off and Leg Cutters
Because the fingers rotate to spin the ball on delivery, the ball is released at a reduced pace so it is a great way of bowling a slower ball.
Use the middle finger to spin the ball on release
- Look at the grip (left) for an off cutter and notice that the middle finger is gripping just above halfway up the ball. This finger will be used to spin the ball as you release it.
- With the seam vertical, the index finger is placed along the seam with the middle finger about two centimetres away. The thumb is underneath the ball, also on the seam, and the ball rests against the third finger.
- As the ball is released, the index and middle finger work down the side of the ball so that the thumb passes over the top of the ball.
- This action generates all the spin on the ball and it moves the ball off the pitch from the off-side of a batsman towards the leg-side. The hard work is done by the fingers because they cause the ball to spin on delivery.
The ideal spot to land an off cutter would be on or outside a right-handed batsman’s off stump.
An off-cutter (as bowled to a right-handed batsman) can be effective against left-handed batsmen, drawing them into a shot as the ball leaves them increasing the chance of an edge to slip or keeper.
- Use the index finger to spin the ball on release
- The leg cutter works in the same way but spins the ball so that it moves the ball off the pitch from the leg-side of a batsman towards the off-side.
- The grip changes so that this time the middle finger grips the seam and index finger is used to spin the ball as you release it, or you can impart wrist spin.
- The ideal spot to land a leg cutter would be on or outside a right-handed batsman’s leg stump.
The next skill drill will look at variation.
