The Flipper: Leg Spin's Most Deceptive Delivery
The flipper is leg spin bowling's most difficult delivery to bowl and most dangerous to face — a ball that skids through low off the pitch to defeat batters expecting the normal leg-spin trajectory.
The flipper is a delivery bowled by leg-spin bowlers that skids through low and fast off the pitch rather than spinning or bouncing as the batter expects. It is created by squeezing the ball out of the fingers with an unusual clicking action rather than spinning it from the wrist. The flipper does not bounce as high as a leg-break and arrives at the batter faster than the stock delivery, catching batters who have anticipated a spinning leg-break and committed to playing it with a high bat-swing. The result is frequently a low LBW or a base of the stumps dismissal.
The Mechanics of the Flipper
The flipper is bowled by holding the ball between the thumb, index and middle fingers and then clicking the fingers to produce back-spin on the ball as it is released. The back-spin causes the ball to skid off the pitch and keep low rather than gripping and turning. The delivery point is slightly earlier than a conventional leg-break — the ball is released before the usual point in the action, giving the delivery a slightly flatter trajectory. Most leg-spinners who attempt the flipper find it the most physically demanding of all spin variations because the clicking action places strain on the fingers and wrist.
Shane Warne's flipper was considered the most devastating in cricket history. His flipper to Alec Stewart at Lord's and to Andrew Strauss in other series produced LBW dismissals in which the batter had committed to the front foot expecting a leg-break, only for the ball to skid under the bat and hit the stumps at shin height. Warne described the flipper as his 'ace in the hole' — used sparingly to maximum effect after setting a batter up with conventional leg-breaks that built the expectation the flipper would punish.
Learning and Teaching the Flipper
The flipper is not recommended for young leg-spinners because the clicking action and the strain it places on finger joints can cause injury to developing hands. Richie Benaud, one of cricket's great leg-spin coaches, recommended that bowlers not attempt the flipper until their stock deliveries — the leg-break, top-spinner and wrong 'un — were fully developed and reliable. The flipper should be treated as an advanced variation rather than a foundational delivery, introduced gradually in the mid-20s when the hand has fully matured and the other deliveries are settled.
Frequently asked questions
Can right-arm and left-arm spinners both bowl the flipper?
The flipper is primarily associated with right-arm leg-spin but the mechanics can be adapted for left-arm wrist spinners (chinaman bowlers). Left-arm orthodox spinners rarely bowl it. The key is the wrist and finger positioning rather than the arm angle, so any wrist-spinner with sufficient finger strength and flexibility can theoretically develop it.
How do batters pick the flipper from the hand?
Experienced batters watch the wrist position at the point of release. The flipper typically comes from a slightly lower wrist angle and a more extended bowling arm. The ball exits the hand differently from a leg-break. However, skilled flippers disguise these cues — which is why Warne's was so effective against Test-quality batters who specifically tried to identify it.
Is the flipper used in T20 cricket?
Yes, the flipper can be very effective in T20 cricket because batters playing aggressive shots are often undone by the low, fast trajectory that doesn't suit the pull or sweep shots they are attempting. Several T20-specialist leg-spinners have used the flipper as a wicket-taking delivery in powerplay and death-bowling situations.