Very interesting blog post from Steffan Jones (former County player/coach (Somerset CC, and Derbyshire CC, ECB Level 3 & UKSCA Certified) and a Strength & Conditioning expert), on the “four tent pegs” drill, as expounded by Ian Pont.
“Drop step and block” (go on, buy the book!) certainly feels like a very dynamic start to an explosive delivery, and the whole drill offers a solid set of basic principles for bowling fast.
But the video highlights one challenge I have to the tent pegs, and that is the transition from “tent peg 1” (essentially, back foot landing) to “tent peg 2”.
I like to try out any skill I might coach – I won’t ever be able to perform the skill as well as the players, but I don’t feel able to introduce a new idea unless I can at least give an approximate demonstration.
Maybe it is my 51-year old right ankle and knee, but this transition feels very awkward.
Transition from peg 1 to 2
Drop-step requires back foot to be pointing straight down the pitch, so the back knee can drop along the same line, towards the target.
But for any action except the pure front-on, the back foot has to pivot after landing to reach this position. Even with the lightest possible impact on back foot landing, this feels like quite a strain for a bowler running in at any pace.
As I say – maybe younger legs would not have the same discomfort as I did.
But the sharp back foot readjustment in the video clip suggests I might not be alone.
The Teesra 