Good Length
Also known as: good-length delivery, the corridor
A good-length delivery is one that pitches at the spot that forces the batter to be uncertain whether to play off the front foot or the back foot. This means the most dangerous line for any bowler.
The good length varies by surface and conditions but is broadly defined as the area that pitches about 6–8 metres (18–24 feet) from the stumps for pace bowlers on most pitches. It bounces at a height that makes it awkward for either a front-foot stroke (the ball is too short to drive) or a back-foot stroke (the ball is not short enough to cut or pull comfortably). Forcing this indecision is the foundation of tight, effective bowling in all formats. Reliably hitting a good length means the bowler offers few loose balls and pressures the batter into mistakes. The corresponding full-pitched extreme is the full toss and the corresponding short extreme is the short ball.
Pick a spot on the pitch one pace in front of the crease and aim every ball at it. This means the habit of targeting a specific landing spot is the fastest way to develop consistent good-length bowling.
Learn the specific good-length zone for different pitch types by tracking whether batters are stepping forward or backward to your stock delivery. This means adjust your target zone until they look reliably unsure.
Example
The bowler fires in six consecutive good-length deliveries on off stump, forcing the batter to play and miss twice before finding the edge.
Why it matters
Hitting a good length reliably is the single most important skill in pace bowling. SwingVantage's cricket analysis (in development) will map landing zones relative to the stumps so bowlers can measure their length control with precision.
How it shows up on video
A good-length ball is visible on video as one that lands in the zone where the batter cannot comfortably decide whether to play forward or back. This means typically 6–8 metres from the stumps. This means forcing an ambiguous half-step and a hurried contact. Contrast with a full ball where the batter drives freely on the front foot or a short ball where the batter rocks clearly onto the back foot to play with height and time.
Common mistakes
- Bowling too full, allowing the batter to drive comfortably on the front foot without footwork difficulty
- Bowling too short, giving the batter time to rock back and play safely with the ball at a controllable height
- Misreading how pitch pace changes the good-length zone — faster pitches require a slightly shorter good length
- Failing to vary the good-length ball with pace and subtle trajectory changes, making it easier to pick and counter
In SwingVantage Motion Lab
SwingVantage cricket analysis (currently in development) will map ball-pitch coordinates relative to the stumps to generate a real-time length heatmap and identify a bowler's good-length consistency across a spell.
Related terms
- YorkerA yorker is a delivery bowled to pitch right at the batter's feet. This means under the swinging bat. This means one of the hardest balls to score off and a key death-overs weapon.
- BouncerA bouncer is a fast, short-pitched delivery that rears up toward the batter's head or chest, used to intimidate, disrupt balance, and set up the fuller ball.
- Seam BowlingSeam bowling is a style of pace bowling where the ball is gripped. As a result, the seam is upright and the ball lands on the seam. This causes it to deviate unpredictably off the pitch.
- Swing BowlingSwing bowling is making a fast-bowled ball curve sideways through the air. This means toward the batter (inswing) or away (outswing). This means by exploiting the pressure difference created when one side of the ball is shinier than the other.
Put this into your swing
SwingVantage can spot this in your own swing — free to start.