Hard work pays off!

I have been working with Callum Henderson over the past four years and it has been fantastic to see his hard work come to fruition with 32 competition wickets and 22 ‘2-day’ wickets in the QLD Premier Grade Competition this year. Whilst the statistics are always good indicators of performance, it is the speed, intent, and consistency of his bowling that is the most pleasing factor.

This video gives you a snippet into his journey both on and off the field. Callum has worked tirelessly at nailing the basics, following a periodised strength, speed, and conditioning program to get his body to a stage where he is able to withstand the forces going through his body at >130kph over a day’s play.

With a high training age, proficient movement patterns and hitting high numbers in some key lifts, this has allowed us to increase the specificity of his strength, power and running program to challenge his body. This has also enabled Callum to keep pushing his ceiling when it comes to what his body is capable of and the speeds that he can release the ball.

Over the past couple of years, we have been regularly experimenting with triphasic macrocycles. The triphasic principles of training aim to raise the athlete’s rate of force development which is key when working with a fast bowler. The nature of a bowling action also means that the faster and more efficiently the athlete can absorb and produce force, the faster and more effective the release can be. Whilst this has also added variety to the training program for Callum, the intent of the lifts and focus on bar speed have had an anecdotal correlation to his intent when approaching the crease.

Over the past four years, there have been clear focusses to Callum’s training with the following outcome goals in mind:

1) Increasing swing leg retraction
2) Limiting BF contact time
3) Reducing the amortisation of the front knee during FFC
4) Increasing velocity throughout the latter stages of the run up
5) Limiting GCT during the latter stages of the run up
6) Increasing bowling arm speed (Heavy and light weighted ball bowling)
7) “Attacking” the crease.
8) Creating clear pre-ball and post-ball processes

The above does not happen overnight and cannot happen without a baseline of strength, proficient movement mechanics, soft tissue resilience and joint stability.