ANALYSIS OF SHOULDER ALIGNMENT TO ASSESS PACE BOWLING ACTION : A PILOT STUDY

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the shoulder alignment to assess the pace bowling action from transverse plane. In this study seven (07) pace bowlers, (22.14±0.50 years) of Inter University level were tested using a two-dimensional (2-D) motion analysis system. The subjects were attached with 14 markers and asked to bowl six deliveries at a good length spot. One overhead video camera was mounted on a gantry, at a distance of 12 foot and aligned to have an optical axis of 90° with the ground to analyze the shoulder alignment at back foot landing, front foot landing and shoulder counter rotation. The shoulder alignment of the pace bowlers were used to categorize the bowling action. The result of the study shows that from the shoulder alignment point of view at back foot landing two bowlers were found front on action as the shoulder alignment was found 262° & 246° and the rest five bowlers were found as semi open bowling action as the mean shoulder alignment was found 227.6°.While analyzed as per shoulder counter rotation three bowlers were found mixed action and 4 were found non mixed action. It was concluded that the four out of seven bowlers were categorized as Semi open bowling action and rest three bowlers were classified as mixed action and this action may predispose a cricket fast bowler to lumbar vertebral stress injury.