80.000 Fans, Googly and Walk/Run!

A well-placed ball, high to the corner, will not be stopped by the goalkeeper even if he anticipates it. Blast it or place it? Wait for the keeper to move? Or pick a spot and stick to it? There are many thoughts going through a penalty taker's mind as soon as the referee points to the spot. Some players blast the ball straight down the middle, assuming that the goalkeeper will move, but it's not always successful. Is there more thought involved in scoring a penalty than just running up and blasting the ball? Penalty takers mention not thinking too deeply, yet trying to fool the goalkeeper. We do many things on two levels, such as thinking where to put the ball (or where to fake it), but not thinking about what the feet, legs and body will do to achieve it. The more we practise, the more our actions become automatic skills. These memories take over when thinking fails, such as in front of 80,000 fans.

The leg-spinner's prize weapon - bowled properly, a googly is almost undetectable. A googly is a delivery which looks like a normal leg-spinner but actually turns towards the batsmen, like an off-break, rather than away from the bat. Unlike a normal leg-break, a googly is delivered out of the back of the hand, with the wrist 180 degrees to the ground. Hold the ball as if you're about to bowl a normal leg-break. At the point of release, the palm of your hand should be open upwards, towards the sky, with the back of your hand facing the batsman. Your wrist should be 180 degrees to the ground, while the seam of the ball should point towards fine leg. As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect. Use a tennis ball to help improve the flexibility of your wrist.

Many people, when the begin running, shoot for the stars. I was one of those. Let me tell you right now: hold yourself back, and start out slowly. Progress gradually. It takes some patience, but this is the best advice I can give you, and I know that it’s important because of experience. It’s best to start out very easy, at a slow jog, and focus not on intensity but on how long you’re on the road. Start out with a small amount of time — 10 minutes or 20 minutes, depending on where you are — and run or walk/run comfortably the entire time. Do this for the entire first week, and even two weeks if you can stand it. Gradually increase your time until you can run 30 minutes. From there, you can stay at 30 minutes or increase the amount of time you run gradually, every two weeks. But do not overdo it in the beginning!

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