How to Bowl a Leg Break: 9 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow (2024)

  • Categories
  • Sports and Fitness
  • Team Sports
  • Cricket
  • Cricket Bowling

Download Article

Explore this Article

parts

1Gripping the Ball

2Setting Your Approach

3Releasing the Ball

Other Sections

Tips and Warnings

Things You'll Need

Related Articles

References

Co-authored bywikiHow Staff

Last Updated: May 3, 2024References

Download Article

A leg-break in cricket is a difficult technique which involves turning a right-handed pitch from the leg side of a right-handed batsman. A leg break can be incredibly successful if bowled correctly.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Gripping the Ball

Download Article

  1. 1

    Position your fingers. Hold the ball between your index and middle fingers. Slot the ball between these fingers, so they’re split wide but comfortably and the seam runs between them horizontally. Bend your ring and little fingers, so the inside of your ring finger touches against the side of the ball. Your little finger should rest along your ring finger.[1]

    • “Two fingers down and two fingers up” is a quick way to remember the grip. Your index and middle fingers are straight and point “up,” while your ring and little fingers are bent and point “down.”
  2. 2

    Keep a small gap between the ball and your palm. Make sure there is space between your palm and the ball. If it is pushed too far into your palm, then you won’t have the leverage you need to properly spin it. Your wrist and middle finger will do all of the work.[2]

    Advertisem*nt

  3. 3

    Keep a loose grip. Holding the ball too tight also prevents you from getting the right leverage and from controlling the spin. Let it gently rest between your middle and index fingers, with your thumb held close to the index finger but off the ball. Your whole hand will give the ball motion, but only these contact points will give it rotation and curve. Keeping your grip loose allows for more freedom of motion when you spin it.[3]

  4. Advertisem*nt

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Setting Your Approach

Download Article

  1. 1

    Get your wrist in position. Bend your wrist at a 90-degree angle to prepare your delivery, so that if you put your arm straight down and flat at your side, the palm of your hand (and the ball) face upwards. Holding your wrist at this angle will allow you to quickly rotate the ball from right to left when you release it. Remember that the leg break’s rotation comes from the motion of the wrist and middle finger, so set your wrist so you’ll be able to co*ck it correctly.[4]

  2. 2

    Line your feet, hips, and shoulders up with the target. Aligning the left side of your body with your target. This will help you aim and control your approach. It will also allow you to gather momentum when you rotate your body when you throw the ball.[5]

  3. 3

    Set your approach and run up at a slight angle. Get your stance ready for your approach. Your run up cannot too straight nor too angled. Either extreme will prevent you from rotating the ball properly and from using your non-bowling arm for momentum.

  4. Advertisem*nt

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Releasing the Ball

Download Article

  1. 1

    Use your non-bowling arm to steer. Right before you bowl, lift and slice your non-bowling arm down hard in front of you. Use your arm and the left side of your body to give you more momentum. Let this motion draw your bowling shoulder forward.[6]

  2. 2

    Rotate your body to the front. Use the left side of your body to guide your motion. As you throw, bring your back foot around and step forward. At this point, bring your bowling arm up and over your head towards the front.[7]

  3. 3

    Spin your wrist and ball from right to left as you release it. The movement is generated from your middle finger as your wrist turns, so the ball makes a counter-clockwise motion upon release. If bowled correctly, the ball will bounce quickly to the left when it hits the ground (in the direction of its spin). The back of your hand facing you the whole time, and your palm ends facing downwards.[8]

    • Your stride should be shoulder-length apart.
    • You should complete your follow-through with your bowling shoulder facing the target.
  4. Advertisem*nt

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

  • Question

    What is wrong if I try to bowl a legspin, but it always turns in the offspin direction?

    How to Bowl a Leg Break: 9 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow (15)

    Community Answer

    Simple! You're rotating your wrist in the wrong direction! Practice by doing slow wrist flicks in the right direction until you have found the right momentum.

    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support wikiHow

    YesNo

    Not Helpful 12Helpful 58

  • Question

    How do I drift while bowling a leg break?

    How to Bowl a Leg Break: 9 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow (16)

    Community Answer

    Drift depends on 4 (maybe 5) factors. The ball will drift to the right from a right handed bowler. The more spin you get the far more lightly you are to get drift, so get working on those revolutions. The ball is more lightly to drift on a clear, non-humid day. When trying to drift you have the get the seam as horizontal and upright to the pitch as possible. Make sure the ball gets lots of flight -- the longer the ball is in the air, the more time it will have to drift.

    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support wikiHow

    YesNo

    Not Helpful 4Helpful 17

  • Question

    Is a leg spin or off spin better?

    How to Bowl a Leg Break: 9 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow (17)

    Community Answer

    It depends on how much experience a bowler has had bowling the spin technique. Leg spin looks amazing if you can bowl around the legs of a right hand batsman/woman, but takes some skill. On the contrary, off spin when bowled well can keep the run total low as you'll keep on forcing the batsman/woman to block or face Lbw or to be bowled.

    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support wikiHow

    YesNo

    Not Helpful 4Helpful 19

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

      Advertisem*nt

      Tips

      • Don't get frustrated if you're having trouble learning these. They are difficult to bowl and can only be mastered through a lot of patience and practice.

        Thanks

        Helpful1Not Helpful1

      • Practice. This is a really difficult technique, so putting in the time and practice is essential to perfecting this move.

        Thanks

        Helpful1Not Helpful1

      • Use targets and a net when you practice your bowling technique.

        Thanks

        Helpful0Not Helpful1

      Show More Tips

      Submit a Tip

      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

      Submit

      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      Advertisem*nt

      Warnings

      • Don't try too hard to spin the ball as this will disrupt your action and lead to no-balls.

        Thanks

        Helpful37Not Helpful11

      • Keep your grip loose and don't over-co*ck your wrist. Keeping both relaxed helps maintain flexibility and range of motion.

        Thanks

        Helpful12Not Helpful5

      Advertisem*nt

      Things You'll Need

      • A cricket ball
      • A crease-like area to practice on
      • A target (preferably a set of stumps)
      • A new to catch the ball

      You Might Also Like

      How to Throw a Hook in Bowling: A Simple TutorialHow toBowl an Easy Bowling Strike in Wii Sports
      How toPlay CricketHow toGrip the Ball to Bowl OffspinHow toBowl Fast in CricketHow toBowl in CricketHow toBowl Leg SpinHow toAdd Swing to a Cricket BallHow toBowl a YorkerHow toBowl the Leg Spinner's VariationsHow toBe a Good Fast BowlerHow toBowl an Outswinger in CricketHow toReverse Swing a Cricket BallHow toSeam a Cricket Ball

      Advertisem*nt

      About This Article

      How to Bowl a Leg Break: 9 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow (33)

      Co-authored by:

      wikiHow Staff

      wikiHow Staff Writer

      This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 117,302 times.

      134 votes - 79%

      Co-authors: 22

      Updated: May 3, 2024

      Views:117,302

      Categories: Cricket Bowling

      • Print
      • Send fan mail to authors

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 117,302 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • How to Bowl a Leg Break: 9 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow (34)

        Vikki Benki

        May 21, 2017

        "I am learning this technique for the last 2weeks, but I didn't learn correct movement. Now I've got some..." more

        Rated this article:

      More reader storiesHide reader stories

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisem*nt

      How to Bowl a Leg Break: 9 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow (2024)
      Top Articles
      Arrested for drunk driving in North Carolina (NC) – Drunk Drivers
      Bladen County Detention Center, NC Inmate Search: Roster & Mugshots
      Great Clips Mount Airy Nc
      Www.1Tamilmv.cafe
      Tlc Africa Deaths 2021
      Mountain Dew Bennington Pontoon
      Math Playground Protractor
      2024 Fantasy Baseball: Week 10 trade values chart and rest-of-season rankings for H2H and Rotisserie leagues
      Doublelist Paducah Ky
      Hertz Car Rental Partnership | Uber
      Best Transmission Service Margate
      Kris Carolla Obituary
      Prices Way Too High Crossword Clue
      Ree Marie Centerfold
      Enderal:Ausrüstung – Sureai
      Reddit Wisconsin Badgers Leaked
      U/Apprenhensive_You8924
      Hair Love Salon Bradley Beach
      Tcu Jaggaer
      10-Day Weather Forecast for Florence, AL - The Weather Channel | weather.com
      Dirt Removal in Burnet, TX ~ Instant Upfront Pricing
      De beste uitvaartdiensten die goede rituele diensten aanbieden voor de laatste rituelen
      Unterwegs im autonomen Freightliner Cascadia: Finger weg, jetzt fahre ich!
      Lehmann's Power Equipment
      Ally Joann
      Closest Bj Near Me
      Sulfur - Element information, properties and uses
      Sodium azide 1% in aqueous solution
      Dewalt vs Milwaukee: Comparing Top Power Tool Brands - EXTOL
      Troy Gamefarm Prices
      Suspiciouswetspot
      Manuela Qm Only
      Plost Dental
      Farm Equipment Innovations
      Jailfunds Send Message
      Where to eat: the 50 best restaurants in Freiburg im Breisgau
      *!Good Night (2024) 𝙵ull𝙼ovie Downl𝚘ad Fr𝚎e 1080𝚙, 720𝚙, 480𝚙 H𝙳 HI𝙽DI Dub𝚋ed Fil𝙼yz𝚒lla Isaidub
      Allegheny Clinic Primary Care North
      Desales Field Hockey Schedule
      Kamzz Llc
      Ff14 Sage Stat Priority
      Publix Coral Way And 147
      Craigslist In Myrtle Beach
      Magicseaweed Capitola
      Lucifer Morningstar Wiki
      Craigslist Antique
      Penny Paws San Antonio Photos
      Squalicum Family Medicine
      Gander Mountain Mastercard Login
      Race Deepwoken
      Automatic Vehicle Accident Detection and Messageing System – IJERT
      Unbiased Thrive Cat Food Review In 2024 - Cats.com
      Latest Posts
      Article information

      Author: Gov. Deandrea McKenzie

      Last Updated:

      Views: 6397

      Rating: 4.6 / 5 (66 voted)

      Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

      Author information

      Name: Gov. Deandrea McKenzie

      Birthday: 2001-01-17

      Address: Suite 769 2454 Marsha Coves, Debbieton, MS 95002

      Phone: +813077629322

      Job: Real-Estate Executive

      Hobby: Archery, Metal detecting, Kitesurfing, Genealogy, Kitesurfing, Calligraphy, Roller skating

      Introduction: My name is Gov. Deandrea McKenzie, I am a spotless, clean, glamorous, sparkling, adventurous, nice, brainy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.