How to Bowl the Googly: Wrist Position and Disguise Tips

Photo by John Oswald on Unsplash

Learning how to bowl a googly is one of the most exciting skills a leg-spin bowler can develop. It is a delivery that looks like a leg break but turns the opposite way, and when bowled well, it can bamboozle even the best batters. This guide breaks down the wrist position, grip, and disguise tips you need to start bowling this wicket-taking weapon with confidence.

What Is the Googly and Why Does It Work?

The googly is an off-break delivered with a leg-spinner’s action. A right-arm leg spinner bowls it to a right-handed batter, and instead of turning from leg to off, the ball spins from off to leg. The deception comes entirely from the wrist position at the point of release.

The reason it works so well is simple. Batters read the bowler’s action and expect a leg break. When the ball turns the other way, the brain takes a fraction too long to adjust, and that hesitation is enough to take an edge, bowl through the gate, or trap the batter lbw.

• The googly was invented by B.J.T. Bosanquet in the early 1900s
• It is sometimes called the wrong ‘un in Australia
• Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, and Rashid Khan all used it to devastating effect

The Grip: Setting Up How to Bowl a Googly

Before you change your wrist, you need to start with the right grip. The googly grip is almost identical to the leg-break grip, which is precisely what makes it such a hard delivery to pick.

1. Top knuckle grip: Place the ball across the top two joints of your index and middle fingers. Spread them slightly apart across the seam, just as you would for a leg break.
2. Thumb position: Rest your thumb lightly on the side of the ball. It should not grip tightly. Keep it relaxed so it does not restrict your wrist rotation.
3. Third finger control: Your third finger does most of the spinning work. Make sure it sits comfortably on the seam and can flick through at release.

Practise the grip at home without bowling. Spin the ball in your hand repeatedly until it feels natural. The grip should feel comfortable and identical to your leg break grip when viewed from outside.

Step-by-Step: How to Bowl a Googly With the Correct Wrist Position

The wrist is everything in the googly. This is where leg-break bowlers and googly bowlers part ways. Follow these steps carefully and practise each one in isolation before combining them.

1. Start with your standard leg-break action: Run up and load your bowling arm exactly as you would for a leg break. Your batter and fielders should see no difference at this stage.
2. Rotate the wrist over the top: As your arm comes through, rotate your wrist so that the back of your hand faces the batter at the moment of release. This is the opposite of a leg break, where your palm faces the batter.
3. Flick with the third finger: Use your third finger to flick the ball out of the hand in an anti-clockwise direction (for a right-arm bowler). This imparts the off-spin rotation that makes the ball turn in.
4. Follow through naturally: Complete your bowling action as normal. A rushed or shortened follow-through is a giveaway. Keep it smooth and identical to your other deliveries.
5. Land on the seam: Aim to land the ball on its seam. This maximises the amount of turn you get off the pitch and makes the delivery harder to play even on flat surfaces.

Key coaching point: Many club bowlers make the mistake of slowing their arm down when attempting the googly. Keep your arm speed consistent with your leg break. That is what creates genuine disguise.

Disguise Tips to Make Your Googly Unreadable

Knowing how to bowl a googly is one thing. Making it impossible to pick is another. Here are the best disguise tips used by professional wrist spinners.

• Keep your bowling side shoulder up through the crease. Dropping the shoulder telegraphs the change of wrist position.
• Look at the same spot on the pitch regardless of which delivery you bowl. Bowlers who change their eye line give away the googly.
• Vary it within an over rather than saving it for special occasions. Batters who face it regularly find it much harder to read.
• Bowl it at full length to start. A short googly gives the batter more time to pick the deviation off the pitch.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Even talented leg spinners struggle with the googly early on. These are the most common errors and the fixes that work fastest.

• Dropping pace: You slow the arm down subconsciously. Fix this by shadow bowling in front of a mirror and focusing on maintaining arm speed throughout.
• Losing the seam position: The ball tumbles rather than spinning cleanly. Fix this by isolating the release in the nets and bowling to a target on the ground before worrying about a batter.
• Bowling too short: The googly loses its effectiveness when short. Fix this by marking a landing cone in the nets and practising hitting a full length consistently.

Remember: It takes time to master the googly. Most professional bowlers spend months getting comfortable with the release before they trust it in a match.

Putting It All Together in Match Conditions

Once you are consistent in the nets, introduce the googly smartly in a match. Do not overuse it. Bowl two or three leg breaks to establish the turn, then slip in the googly. The contrast is what creates wickets.

Understanding how to bowl a googly is a process that rewards patience and repetition. Work on your wrist position every session, film yourself from behind to check your action, and trust the hours you put in at training.

The googly is one of cricket’s great art forms. With the right grip, consistent wrist position, and smart disguise, you will have a delivery that can win you matches at any level of the game. Keep practising, stay patient, and enjoy the process of adding it to your bowling arsenal.