Does the bowler's run-up actually contribute anything useful?

Question

Bowlers run up before performing a little hop to get momentum going and bowl the ball. Does the run-up contribute anything to the speed/spin of the ball? Or could you get a similar speed/spin by just hopping to get your moment going, without running?
I know pitching in baseball is different from bowling in cricket, but wouldn't you be able to get a similar amount of force behind the ball without running up? Isn't energy lost by the hop that bowlers perform when they extend their legs and pivot with the ball?

dly · Answer

Running up does add some speed to the ball.
Simple physics:

Bowling speed = 130 km/h
Running speed + 15 km/h
=> Total speed = 145 km/h

The spin is different as well. While standing a bowler just has a circular movement based on their arm length. Running up causes that movement to be elliptical.
Example:

This isn't all, though. There's also velocity, air resistance and other factors which are missing in this example calculation. But yes, running up does help.

Does the bowler's run-up actually contribute anything useful?

One Answer

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question