How to Bowl the Googly: Wrist Position and Disguise Tips

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If you want to add a match-winning weapon to your leg-spin arsenal, learning how to bowl a googly is one of the best investments you can make as a bowler. The googly is a deceptive delivery that turns the opposite way to a leg-break, confusing batters who expect the ball to spin away. Master it, and you will become a much harder bowler to read at any level of the game.

What Is a Googly and Why Does It Work?

The googly, sometimes called a “wrong ‘un,” is bowled with a leg-spin action but spins from off to leg for a right-handed batter. That is the opposite direction to a standard leg-break. When disguised well, the batter reads the same wrist position and release as a leg-break and plays the wrong shot entirely.

The delivery was famously developed by B.J.T. Bosanquet in the early 1900s and has since been used by legends like Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, and Yasir Shah. It is not just a trick. It is a proper wicket-taking weapon when bowled correctly.

The Grip: Setting Up the Googly Correctly

Before you can understand how to bowl a googly, you need to get the grip right. It starts almost identically to the leg-break grip, which is part of what makes the disguise so effective.

• Index and middle fingers: Rest across the seam, spread comfortably apart.
• Third finger: This is your primary spinning finger. Bend it so the top joint grips the seam firmly.
• Thumb and little finger: Light, supporting contact only. Do not grip too hard.

The key difference comes at the point of release, not in how you hold the ball at the start. Keep the grip looking identical to your leg-break for as long as possible.

How to Bowl a Googly: Step-by-Step Wrist Action

The wrist is everything in the googly. This is where most club bowlers go wrong. Work through these steps carefully and practice each one before combining them.

1. Start with your standard leg-break run-up and load: Your approach and body position should look exactly the same as any other delivery. Batters and fielders should see no difference at all from side-on.
2. Cock your wrist inward at delivery: As your bowling arm comes over, turn your wrist so the back of your hand faces the batter at the point of release. This is the opposite of a leg-break, where your palm faces the batter.
3. Release over the third finger: The ball rolls out over the back of the hand and over the top of the third finger. Think of it as the ball spinning out of the back of your hand rather than the front.
4. Follow through fully: Complete your follow-through just as you would for any other delivery. Stopping your arm short is a common giveaway that a different ball is coming.
5. Keep your seam upright: Aim to keep the seam as upright as possible during release. This gives you better control and a cleaner revs on the ball.

It will feel awkward at first. That is completely normal. Stick with it. Most bowlers need several weeks of consistent net practice before the googly starts coming out cleanly.

Disguise Tips: How to Hide the Googly

Knowing how to bowl a googly is one thing. Hiding it from the batter is another challenge entirely. Here are the best disguise techniques used by professional bowlers.

• Consistent run-up: Never change your speed or stride pattern when bowling the googly. Any hesitation tells an alert batter something different is coming.
• Delay the wrist turn: Keep your wrist in the leg-break position for as long as possible and only rotate at the very last moment before release.
• Use it sparingly: The googly is most dangerous when the batter has faced several leg-breaks first. Do not overuse it or it loses all its value.
• Vary your flight and pace: Changing the pace of your googly slightly can add another layer of confusion on top of the spin direction.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Even experienced leg-spinners make the same errors when developing the googly. Knowing these will speed up your learning process.

• Dropping the shoulder too early: This changes your action visibly and alerts the batter. Keep your shoulder high through the action.
• Not rotating the wrist far enough: A half-turn means the ball will not spin correctly. Commit fully to the wrist position.
• Releasing too high or too low: Aim to release the ball at the same height as your leg-break for consistency.

Record yourself bowling in nets whenever possible. Watching your own action on video is one of the fastest ways to identify what you are giving away to the batter.

Building the Googly Into Your Bowling Attack

Once you are comfortable with how to bowl a googly in the nets, start introducing it in low-pressure match situations. Bowl it when you are already on top, not when you are desperate for a wicket. Confidence comes with repetition, and repetition builds control.

Set up your googly by bowling three or four strong leg-breaks first. Get the batter expecting spin away from the bat. Then slip in the googly to the same length and watch the batter play for the wrong turn.

Conclusion

The googly is one of cricket’s most exciting and rewarding deliveries to master. Focus on your wrist position, commit to the full rotation at release, and prioritise disguise above all else. With dedicated practice and the right approach, you will soon be bowling a googly that troubles batters at every level. Keep working at it, stay patient, and trust the process.