FAQ's Manual

BOWLING MACHINE BASICS

Freebowler superthrower is the Cricket'sCricket's 1st non-electric and portable ball thrower. It solves the limitations with the existing ball throwing aids in cost, portability, and electricity use. Most bowling machines are either expensive or can't handle real cricket balls. The handheld ball thrower is more for experts and specialists. freebowler superthrower is an accessible, affordable, and convenient ball throwing solution that fulfills the everyday cricketing needs and completes the training experience.
You may not always find somebody who can consistently bowl at you, especially at decent speeds at desired lengths and lines for more extended periods to help you with your batting practice. So that's where freebowler Superthrower can fill in the gap. It can help your players rest, recover, prevent injuries, and let everybody get a lengthy batting session without tiring out the bowlers. It can be used to consistently map the balls on a specific area to help batsmen work on their strengths and weaknesses, which bowlers can find it hard to replicate. Sidearm/Speedarm/Roboarm handheld ball throwers are great. They are the next best bowling simulation after a real bowler. Still, only trained professionals can use them effectively to achieve the desired results. Also, it's taxing on the arm. So, a freebowler superthrower is an alternative ball throwing option for your team if there are no bowlers or other ball-throwing options.
Yes, it's purely mechanical and requires some effort to use it. But nothing more than exercising your arms and legs. It's easier than actually running in from 15 yards and bowling. You can assemble the machine in under 5 minutes, just about the time taken by the batsman to pad up and get ready to take the strike. Then you lock back the arm and push down on the foot pedal, and it's ready to fire. It weighs around 55 pounds, and you can fold it down and wheel it away once you're done practicing. It takes a few sessions before you find it easy to operate.
You can assemble the machine in less than 2.5 minutes, simply by the time the batsman is padded up and ready to take strike. Then you just lock back the arm and push down on the foot pedal and its ready to fire. It weighs around 55 pounds and you can fold it down and wheel it away once you’re done practicing. It takes a few sessions before you find it easy to operate.
Thanks for the interest and feedback. Yes, we see and hear those challenges when bowlers can execute the balls to the batsman's requirements. Unfortunately, they either lack pace, consistency, or the ability to bowl for long periods. And most times, it's the other way around too, where bowlers are capable of bowling fast and for longer durations, but unfortunately can't produce what the batsman wants. Either way, there's a level of lack of execution at most categories of representative CricketCricket. And it's helpful for bowlers to work on it and improve. But a training aid like this can come in very handy during such times to help fill in the gap of bowlers and produce natural variations consistently to suit the batman's requirements. You should give the freebowler superthrower non-electric and portable cricket ball a try. And we are sure you'll fall in love with it as it produces most things a cricketer wants. We hope this helps. Thank you ❤️🏏
This machine is capable of being used on a variety of playing surfaces. It can be taken to the center of a cricket field to practice wide range of shots. freebowler can be used turf wickets, matting surfaces, backyard, garage, basement, indoor, outdoor and anywhere you can practice.
It's going to be consistently inconsistent. It's designed for Inconsistency to recreate the most natural and realistic match scenarios where the bowler doesn't bowl every ball in the same spot. We've designed the ball thrower to simulate a real bowler's strategy that of a real game. We don't want the batsman to premeditate every ball and set him up, for he's not going to get in a real game. One needs to understand that it's a mechanical ball thrower and many external factors affect the performance of the ball thrower in terms of achieving the highest consistency possible. The factors include but are not limited to the nature of the playing surface and its evenness on which the machine is used. The weight of the operator. The cricketing background, knowledge, and technical understanding of how the whole system works to balance body dynamics with the machine's mechanics. It's advised to slightly lean forward to counterbalance the machine's weight and stabilize its vibrations to attain maximum efficiency. A slight change in how one leans into the machine or hangs his/her body weight behind every time also determines the ball landing. Another factor in conjunction with the body dynamics is the pressure exerted to pull the release handle and thus the throwing arm to fire the ball at the batsman. There's only a minimal force required to pull the release system and trigger the throw. The amount of force less or more also determines the ball landing and its consistency in terms of achieving the desired line, length, and angles. Furthermore, the ball's landing also depends on the quality and the nature of the ball, depending upon whether it's an old, new, rigid, or soft leather ball. On top of it, the ball's positioning in the ball throwing cup determines the ball landing, just like a bowler does in a real game. Where the bowler holds the ball in the hands, pointing towards third-man, fine leg, or across the seam to generate natural variations on and off the pitch. The ball placement in the cup at various angles also varies the ball landing on the playing surface because the gripping of the metal section on the seam varies every time. This is where the machine's mechanical nature comes into the picture, where every ounce of force and weight redistribution matters: every millimeter and degree matters in achieving the desired outcome. Not to be overwhelmed, these are all just the basics. And it's barely going to take a couple of sessions to get a complete hang on the entire machine operations and its natural variations offering. It's like driving a car; at first, it's a little scary. But over time and practice, every interaction in changing the gear, applying brakes, and pressing down on the accelerator peddle all becomes involuntary. We don't overthink while the subconscious part of the brain takes over. The same happens with the ball thrower, where even 13-year-olds end up perfecting the machine within a few sessions. It's possible to achieve maximum consistency and desired results to understand machine mechanics and practice. Just be a little patient and allow yourself to get the hang of it, and you'll master the art of tricking the batsman just like a bowler does in a real game. That's what this is all about - Reproducing the best possible moments and experience of a game for the ultimate batting practice. Just wait till you thoroughly start enjoying the fun the freebowler superthrower offers. More importantly, it adds value to your game.
Appreciate your keen attention to details and observations. Yes, it may seem as if though the slinging action of the throwing arm could be distracting. Still, in reality, it's not even 1% distracting the batsman because the throwing action is after the fact. The ball would have already reached the batsman, and the batsman would also have already played the shot. Because all this happens in such a small fraction of time, there's absolutely no way for the batsman to get distracted. The batsman is only focusing on the ball from the arm. And the machine is also at least 18-22 yards from the batsman, so the vibrations or the noise wouldn't carry out that far and affect the batman's gameplay. But you're right about the distraction for the operator and people around it as there's noise from machine vibrations. We are working on dampening the vibrations through shock absorbers, weight stabilizers, and customized rubber-based springs. It's always a work in progress. I hope this helps. Thank you 🏏❤️
It may seem like 80-100 kmph. But it's much quicker than you realize or see it. The ball thrower's design is pretty unique in the sense that it generates instantaneous velocity stored up in the spring energy, unlike bowlers who generate speed through run-up momentum. You can line up a bowler based on his run-up action, jump, and other cues that he provides, or a batsman can pick. But here, there are no such options, and the batsman has to adapt to play to the ball's merit every time without premeditating the shots. So, the ball thrower's slingy action with a bowling arm simulation feels pretty quick on the bat hence improving the hand-eye-feet coordination. So, even 80-100 feels much higher. We hope this helps.🏏❤️🙏 Thank you
Thanks for the interest. Unfortunately, we are not a cricket academy at this point. Maybe shortly, we might consider opening a cricket excellence center. We now specialize in developing non-electric and portable cricket ball throwers for batting training. You could try using this product innovation to help get better at your game. Please signup and subscribe on our website www.freebowler.com. We'll notify you about the latest updates, developments, and progress regarding upcoming training aids and new about the academy.

PRICE, SHIPPING & PAYMENT

It's currently available for Rs. 19,999 in India is including shipping and taxes. And it's Rs. 34, 999 INR (USD 475), including shipping outside India. It generally takes 7-14 days from the time of placing the order to receive the machine. ***Customs, Duties, and Import VAT as applicable in the respective country/region. We accept Credit Cards, Debit Cards, PayPal, Direct Bank Transfer, NEFT, RTGS, Net Banking, and UPI modes of payment.

FEATURES & DEMONSTRATIONS

Yes, you can vary the speeds, line, length, angles, and swing to suit your needs. One can vary the speeds between 50-140KMPH. The machine can "simulate" speeds up to 130kmph from 22 yards, and for higher speeds, you can place the machine a yard or two closer to the batsman to generate speeds higher than 130kmph up to 140kmph. You can also vary the length, line, angles and partially control the ball's swing (in-swing and out-swing) according to batsmen's requirements. You need to adjust the ball throwing cup's angle to vary the length. And move the machine to change the orientation either left or right by tapping/kicking it by a few millimeters to change the direction of the ball throw and its line. By placing the ball in the ball throwing cup at various angles, pointing towards the 3rd man or fine leg, you can partially vary the swings. Also, stimulate the ball's line either over or around the wicket bowling by merely aligning the machine to the batsman's right or left. The machine's release point is matched with the release point of the average height of a cricketer who's about 5'.8"-5'.9". We cannot vary the height in the current version. Still, we have plans to have a version that could also have height variability features in the future. For the higher point of release, one could place the system on a plank to simulate higher release points.
On average, it takes 3 min to complete bowling six balls. Somebody like us who's been using the machine for years could complete bowling 35 overs or 200 balls under an hour with a set of 20 balls placed in the ball bag. So, once users get used to it, one can take anywhere between 10-15s between each ball. Technically speaking, freebowler simulates the realistic batting experience and allows just enough time for the batsman to think, analyze, and be prepared to face the next ball.
This machine is capable of being used on a variety of playing surfaces. It can be taken to the center of a cricket field to practice a wide range of shots. freebowler can be used turf wickets, matting surfaces, backyard, garage, basement, indoor, outdoor, and anywhere you can practice. We recommend using it on a yoga mat/workout mat to avoid vibrations and noise on hard surfaces, thus any mechanical damage to the machine.
You can simulate spin bowling by bowling it slower. It cannot turn the ball (leg or off) and impart other spin properties like drift, loop, and revolutions. But can bowl slower through the air, looping and flighting the ball to work on foot movement.
We strongly believe that cricket batting is a 2-member activity. It should always be that way to allow the batsman to operate safely. With an auto feeder, the batman's could tire down faster, and the feet trigger movement could get affected. And we feel having an operator to assist and continuously provide feedback on the batting form is ideal. So auto feeder is not in the pipeline just as it takes out the realistic match like batting experience.
Please write to us at admin@freebowler.com or reach out to us directly on the phone lines available in the 'contact us' section. We'll see if we can make arrangements for a demo in your region and hook you up with one of our existing users. Or we might also have a dealer or an indoor facility housing our system, and we can set you up with them.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS, MAINTENANCE, SERVICING & WARRANTY

It weighs 33kg in total and 38kg when packaged in a box. The packaged box dimensions are 106cm x 42cm x 33cm. The packaged box contains - Machine Frame, Spring Cable System, Tool Kit and Spares, Ball Bag, and the entire system is shipped as one single package. It's made of mostly mild steel mostly, partially constructed using stainless steel and plastic parts.
Yes, each machine is manually tested by a human being for safety and quality. We've followed ASTM standards for the product guidelines categorized under 'Unsupervised outdoor recreational equipment.'
The machine comes with a 1-years manufacturer's warranty, and we'll cover any manufacturing defect within the period. And any damage or misconfiguration to the machine caused due to failure to follow the instructions may not be covered under the manufacturer's warranty. But rest assured that we'll provide any support and assistance you may need to bring back the machine to its original and working condition in no time. The machine is designed specifically for faster and easier servicing and maintenance. You may not wait for us at all. The construction of the machine is simply designed for DYI servicing. Or you could just take it down to a local fabricator or a mechanic who'll help you set up the machine in no time by following the servicing and maintenance video tutorials on our YouTube channel. In case you need any additional assistance and support, we are always here to help you and available through a quick WhatsApp video call or any other form of communication that you are comfortable with. The springs are rated for 30,000 cycles that's about 5000 overs. So if you feel that there's a loss in speed, you can replace the springs with the new ones. Depending upon how much you use the machine at what time, you may have to change out the springs. In case you receive a defective unit, don't worry. We've you covered. Just reach out to us at admin@freebowler.com with the details. We'll process the new shipment and make arrangements to pick up the defective one.
Yes, you can reach out to us directly at admin@freebowler.com and request us to ship additional spare parts along with the machine or later. We'll do it at your convenience. Each spare and replacements component costs Rs. 2,500/$35, including shipping.
It's straightforward. Just take care of it as you would do with any mechanical equipment. Just follow the fundamentals like tightening the nuts and bolts, keeping it clean and removing dirt now and again, and keeping it away from rain and moisture. There's no oiling or greasing required. Check for the consistency of nuts, bolts, pins. Keep it dry by wiping any water. In the case of rusting, you may use WD-40 spray to remove the rust stains. We have made it easy on you and us so that any maintenance required is DIY and usually a quick fix.

RETURNS, REFUNDS & UPGRADES

Yes, we understand it's not for all, and our product offering may not fit your requirements. We are willing to work with you and make sure you have a comfortable experience with us and that the machine reaches the hands in need. You can return the machine within 14 days from the date of receiving the machine. You'll be charged a minimum of 25% of the product's total cost to cover the shipping costs and processing fees. And we can refund the remaining amount subject to the condition that the machine arrives in the original condition it was shipped. Damaged parts could attract higher processing fees.
Please write to us at admin@freebowler.com with all the details. We'll further review the product condition and decide whether you qualify for an upgrade. If the machine is in good condition, we can upgrade it for almost nothing (no cost) to a minimum essential difference amount depending upon the machine's condition.

SETUP, OPERATIONS, ASSEMBLY, CONSISTENCY & SAFETY

The machine is modular in its design. It's a DIY(Do-it-Yourself) set up in nature. It requires setting up the machine in full before operating it. And it's pretty simple and straightforward, so there's no need for additional assistance or human intervention in setting up the machine except for watching the tutorials and following the steps. It takes a good 30-45 min to set up the machine the very first time. And it only takes 5 minutes to fold down and erect the machine subsequently. One can start by thoroughly watching the setup, operations, assembly, and safety videos by scanning the QR code on the machine or the box.

DO'S AND DON'TS

*Always set up the machine with the help of 2 people. *Always carry the tool kit with the machine in the pocket provided inside the ball bag. * It's advisable to use a safety net in front of the machine and for the operator to wear a helmet during operation to avoid balls hit back in the opposite direction by the batsman. * It's the operator's responsibility to make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the ball thrower during use. *It is necessary to adjust the leveling feet evenly with the playing surface for higher efficiency. It's also advisable to use sand bangs in the front of the machine on top of the wheels for achieving maximum stability and dampening vibrations. * Unhook the spring cable system by disconnecting it at speed, changing the notch on the foot pedal when the machine is not in use. * It's advisable to throw the first ball at the stumps without the batsman in front of it to check for the safe ball landing as desired. And then make necessary calibrations to lines, lengths, and angles according to the requirements. * It's safe to 'dry throw' if the batsman is not ready or may need to change a setting. Means takes the ball out of the ball throwing cup and release the handle as if you were throwing the ball under normal conditions, and start the process all over again. *Do not hold the ball in hand until and unless both the throwing arm and foot pedal has been locked down. Take the ball from the ball bag and load it into the ball throwing cup only when the batsman is ready. Attempting to hold ball/s in hand while trying to lock down the throwing arm and foot pedal could be dangerous. * Always make any necessary changes to a line, length and angles under no spring tension, meaning when the springs are unlocked. *Change in angle and orientation of the ball placement(pointing towards third-man/fine-leg/across the seam) inside the ball throwing cup results in a change in lengths(ball landing) because of the way the ball seam grips the metal surface of the ball throwing cup. It takes a few sessions to get used to the natural variations the ball thrower offers and achieve consistency for executing desired results in line, length, speed, angle, and stability. (*** safety of the ball throwing cup is of utmost priority. Any physical damage resulting in slight deviation to the ball seating angle could prove inconsistent ball throwing, hence dangerous). * It's mandatory to keep your foot on the foot pedal during all times of the operation. The foot pedal is always under high tension and needs to be stabilized by the leg's weight by always keeping one foot on it as a part of safety practice. * Always take another fellow team member's help to check for the tightness of bolts, nuts, and consistency of pins positioning and tighten them quite frequently. Reposition the nails, especially at spring connection points, after every 25 balls. *Keep an eye out for wear/tear and repositioning of parts and fasteners over time with use, and that may also require replacement. Keep the machine safe from moisture and rain to avoid rusting. Make use of WD-40 degreaser/rust removal spay if needed. * Failing to follow these steps, safety instructions, recommendations, and tips may result in damage/misconfiguration to the machine is not covered under the manufacturer's warranty. The company shall not be held responsible for any injury or death caused due to such actions.
Nothing extra. Just wear sports attire, and we advise the operator to wear a helmet during the machine operation. Follow all safety steps and instructions.
Yes, but unhook the spring under no supervision.
During regular usage, check for the tightness of the nuts, bolts, pins, and knobs using the tools provided every 25-40 balls and before every session. Be sure to keep the tool kit with the ball bag so that it's always available.

PARTNERSHIPS

Yes, we are open to discussing collaborations. And we can engage on various models of your convenience, from revenue sharing to commission structure. Please write to us at admin@freebowler.com or reach out to us directly through the phone lines available in the contact us section. We'd love to hear from you.