What We Do
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Pace Doctor is a celebration of all things fast bowling in the great game of cricket.
We aim to be the worlds' most trusted source of knowledge, research evidence and know-how for the development and coaching of fast bowlers. Our mission to achieve that is to help you, and the people assisting you, become the best fast bowler you can be. Hence our mantra "Making better fast bowlers".
If you, someone you treat or coach is struggling with a back injury, can't swing the ball, needs more pace or bowls with a doubtful bowling action, we can help.
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We provide a range of services to assist bowlers, parents, coaches and support staff implement best practice coaching, fitness, injury prevention and management for developing and elite fast bowlers.
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Our first range of services are bowling technique analyses and we will grow our service offerings into other areas with time. Suggestions are welcome at info@pacedoctor.com.au
How we do it
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We deliver our services online, some of it as free education and entertainment, through our blogs, vlogs, and Pace Doctor membership community, while personal analysis products are on a fee for service basis.
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Our specialist technique analysis services can be viewed and ordered online through our Shop page. You'll need to film the bowling action as per our filming guidelines and submit the video files with your order. Depending on which analysis you have ordered, you'll receive your report within 2-7 business days. We also offer video debriefing options with our analyses, where you can discuss the findings and next steps with our biomechanist and/or coach.
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We scan the latest research regularly, either through our roles as researchers, reviewers or practitioners to ensure we understand what best practice really means for the modern day fast bowler.
Why we do it
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Quite simply, this is a lifelong passion for us.
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Everyone who contributes to Pace Doctor has a track record of either supporting, analysing or conducting research into elite fast bowlers, or is a dedicated world class specialist in their area, and loves watching and helping fast bowlers execute their craft.
In many cases, they are all of the above!
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Period.
Why We Do It (Part 2!)
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OK, so we said 'Period' in the last bit about why we do it.
That was a little white lie. There's a second part to our why we do it story!
This page is dedicated to Dennis Lillee.
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The image series above is from the famous delivery where Dennis bowled the great Sir Vivian Richards on the last ball of the day in a Test match against the West Indies at the MCG in 1981.
Dennis had one of the great fast bowling actions, and was one of the greatest fast bowlers, of all time.
You can check out the delivery to Viv here on YouTube.
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He also is a great story on the injury setbacks - lumbar spine stress fractures no less - hard work and specialist expertise he used at the University of Western Australia to regain the glory of his esteemed fast bowling career, after almost 2 years out of the game from 1972-74.
Much of his story inspires the work of Pace Doctor today.
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Can we help you
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If you are a fast bowler, a coach, parent or work with fast bowlers, and would like specialist expertise in the following areas, Pace Doctor can help:
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Improving Consistency & Control
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Increasing ball speed
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Swinging the ball
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Reducing risk of back injury
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Illegal or 'doubtful' bowling actions
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We also plan to add more services in the injury prevention, injury management and physical conditioning areas as we grow.
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How It Works
Who We Are
Marc Portus
Founder
Cricket Biomechanist
Australia
Marc Portus is a qualified sport biomechanist from Australia, obtaining his PhD from The University of Western Australia. In a career spanning 20+ years he has worked as a full-time cricket biomechanist at the Australian Institute of Sport, the SSSM Manager for Cricket Australia, the Head of Movement Sciences at the AIS, and for the International Cricket Council as a Sport Science and High Performance Systems consultant. He has biomechanically analysed more than 250 developing and elite fast and spin bowlers, including Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Elyse Perry, Mitchell Johnson, Harbhajan Singh, Stuart Clarke, Shane Watson, S. Sreesanth and Ryan Harris. Much of his research has informed back injury and illegal action policy and education programs across the cricket world. He holds an adjunct position at the University of Queensland within their Human Movement department. Marc was also a keen fast bowler himself, having played first grade club cricket in Sydney and West Yorkshire in the 1990's.
TA Sekar
Specialist Advisor
Pace Coach
India
A tall and well-built fast-medium bowler, TA Sekar ("Shaker") was probably the fastest bowler in India in the early 1980s. He played two Tests in Pakistan in 1982-83. He bowled with some hostility but had little luck and was, rather harshly, not considered for any more Tests. He played four one day internationals, the last against England in 1985 and briefly came back into the reckoning for the tour of West Indies in 1989. He became chief coach at the MRF Pace Foundation from 1987 to 2008, working alongside Dennis Lillee, helping to produce leading pace bowlers across the world. He has since held multiple management and talent advisory roles for franchises in the Indian Premier League. He is currently the Advisor for Talent Scouting Strategy at the Mumbai Indians. Shaker loves watching, studying and coaching fast bowling.
Stuart Karppinen
Specialist Advisor
Strength & Conditioning
Australia
Stuart has over 25 years’ experience in physical preparation & development of elite fast bowlers at international and domestic level. He works for the Australian Institute of Sport as the Science, Technical & Development Lead, engaged with Olympic & Commonwealth Games Sports. Previously he worked for Bangladesh Cricket as GM - High Performance, Physical Performance Manager and Men’s National Team S & C coach. He trained many of Australia's best fast bowlers with both Cricket NSW and Cricket Australia as Men’s Team S & C coach. He has co-authored several articles on physiological demands of fast bowling, has been on peer review panels and served on advisory groups on fast bowling research.
His fast bowling journey started with selection to the CA/AIS Cricket Academy, the same year he made his domestic List A debut for the Canberra Comets. He went on to play with the Western Warriors playing both List A and 1st Class cricket.