Flipper

Flipper is the name of a pitch in cricket used by a leg spin bowler. To get such a throw, you need to hold the ball with three fingers (the index and middle are located in the upper part of the ball, the thumb holds the lower part). When releasing the ball, the bowler clamps or clicks his thumb and forefinger so that the ball flies out of his hand; there should be sufficient tension in the fingers; this will give a good rotation back or down.

The flipper delivery is also associated with the Magnus effect. Due to the reverse rotation, the ball falls slowly in the air but further than with a normal throw. With a slow descent, as a rule, the bounce from the pitch is very low. The batsman expects the bounce to be simple and predictable with a flipper, but this is not quite true. A flipper can cause the ball fly under the bat after the bounce and either immediately knock out the stumps or hit the batsman’s leg in front of the wicket.

If cricketers hear a clap at the very beginning of the throw, then the flipper will turn out to be of very high quality. The clap means that the bowler has squeezed the ball hard with his fingers, and the harder he squeezes, the better the rotation will be.

Sometimes the term flipper was used to describe other types of serves. So, the Australian cricketer Bob Holland served balls with reverse rotation, but he achieved this effect by pushing the ball with the underside of his palm. This rotation is easier to apply, but it is also less effective. Today, the serve that Bob Holland used is called a zooter.

As for the history of the flipper, it is generally accepted that the Australian player Clarrie Grimmett invented special serves in the 1920s. He was so passionate about such serves that he used only a flipper in almost every match. One day, another famous cricketer Don Bradman addressed Grimmett with irony, asking him about his ability to serve other innings. Soon after the conversation, at one of the exhibition matches, Bradman was hit with a base throw, where the ball hit the batsman’s protected wicket perfectly. Flipper was also the signature serve of Anil Kumble from India and Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne.

In matches, flipper throws are difficult to disguise as the characteristic click of the fingers stands out very much when serving. However, Clarrie Grimmett found a way out. He made a click with his other hand to confuse the batsmen, and, of course, he served other pitches. To be honest, that’s why we love cricket. This game will always be unpredictable, interesting and exciting.

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