Three Muscles Every Cricketer Needs to Release

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04/22/25 • 8 min

Cricket Matters - Expert Cricket Coaching, Mindset & Performance Tips

In this episode of The Cricket Matters Podcast, we’re diving into three muscles that every cricketer absolutely must release to perform at their best. We break down what these muscles do, why they get tight, and how you can effectively release them to avoid pain and play better. Whether you’re a bowler, batter, or just battling shoulder stiffness, this one’s for you.

You'll Learn:

Why the Teres Major, Obliques, and Tensor Fascia Latae (TFL) are crucial for cricketers. These muscles often get overlooked but play a huge role in movement, performance, and pain prevention.
Foam rolling techniques and manual therapy suggestions to release deep muscular tension. From massage balls to dry needling, we cover methods to help you recover faster.
Why Rotation is Key for Cricketers. We highlight the chain reaction poor mobility has on your entire performance.
How Often You Need to Work on These Muscles. We share how to build these practices into your training routine.

Key Takeaways:

Teres Major Is More Important Than You Think
This deep shoulder muscle often becomes overactive, leading to restricted rotation and pain. Addressing it can significantly improve shoulder function and throwing mechanics.
The Obliques Aren’t Just for Aesthetics
Overactive obliques inhibit trunk rotation, which is essential for batting and bowling. Foam rolling and targeted release techniques are essential for restoring full movement.
The TFL Plays a Hidden but Powerful Role
Located at the side of the hip, the TFL helps with hip and knee stability. When tight, it interferes with hip mobility and overall athletic movement.
Release Equals Performance
Releasing these muscles improves flexibility, power transfer, and body coordination. It's a non-negotiable for serious cricketers who want to stay injury-free and sharp.
It’s a Repetitive Process
These techniques should become a consistent part of your training routine. Long-term gains come from short-term discomfort—lean into it.

Quotes:

“Most people have never done their obliques before, and it hurts like hell—but you’ll thank me later.”

“You can’t just do it once and expect magic—it’s something you have to revisit.”

“Rotation is everything in cricket, and these muscles are usually the reason it’s not happening.”

Find James on:

Instagram: @jamesbreese
Twitter: @_jamesbreese

To learn more about Cricket Matters and download your FREE copy of The High-Performance Handbook, please visit www.cricketmatters.com

You'll Learn:

Why the Teres Major, Obliques, and Tensor Fascia Latae (TFL) are crucial for cricketers. These muscles often get overlooked but play a huge role in movement, performance, and pain prevention.
Foam rolling techniques and manual therapy suggestions to release deep muscular tension. From massage balls to dry needling, we cover methods to help you recover faster.
Why Rotation is Key for Cricketers. We highlight the chain reaction poor mobility has on your entire performance.
How Often You Need to Work on These Muscles. We share how to build these practices into your training routine.

Key Takeaways:

Teres Major Is More Important Than You Think
This deep shoulder muscle often becomes overactive, leading to restricted rotation and pain. Addressing it can significantly improve shoulder function and throwing mechanics.
The Obliques Aren’t Just for Aesthetics
Overactive obliques inhibit trunk rotation, which is essential for batting and bowling. Foam rolling and targeted release techniques are essential for restoring full movement.
The TFL Plays a Hidden but Powerful Role
Located at the side of the hip, the TFL helps with hip and knee stability. When tight, it interferes with hip mobility and overall athletic movement.
Release Equals Performance
Releasing these muscles improves flexibility, power transfer, and body coordination. It's a non-negotiable for serious cricketers who want to stay injury-free and sharp.
It’s a Repetitive Process
These techniques should become a consistent part of your training routine. Long-term gains come from short-term discomfort—lean into it.

Quotes:

“Most people have never done their obliques before, and it hurts like hell—but you’ll thank me later.”

“You can’t just do it once and expect magic—it’s something you have to revisit.”

“Rotation is everything in cricket, and these muscles are usually the reason it’s not happening.”

Find James on:

Instagram: @jamesbreese
Twitter: @_jamesbreese

To learn more about Cricket Matters and download your FREE copy of The High-Performance Handbook, please visit www.cricketmatters.com

Previous Episode

Cricket Lessons from Serbia

We’re back with a fresh episode of the Cricket Matters podcast! In this one, James returns from Serbia with plenty of stories and most importantly insights from an elite-level coaching conference. From eccentric training to athlete pressure, we dig into the performance secrets of some of the world’s top sports minds.

You’ll Learn:

How focusing on the "down phase" of movement can improve strength, control, and injury prevention—especially for cricketers and rotational athletes.
How breaking and changing direction separates good athletes from great ones—and how it applies across multiple sports.
How elite athletes use focused attention (without distractions like music) to sharpen their performance and make every rep count.
W some of the best insights for cricket conditioning come from explosive sports like triple jump, and how to reverse-engineer their methods.

Key Takeaways:

Eccentric (lowering) strength builds control and explosiveness.
Athletes who master the "going down" phase of movement tend to be stronger, faster, and more resilient. It's not just about pushing up—it's about how you absorb and manage force.
Deceleration training is underrated but essential.
The best athletes aren’t always the fastest in a straight line—they're the ones who can stop and change direction efficiently, like a high-performance Formula One car.
Intentional training beats distracted workouts every time.
Tuning into your body during a session leads to better movement quality, deeper focus, and more meaningful progress.
Learning from other sports expands your coaching toolbox.
Insights from triple jumpers and baseball pitchers are helping James refine how cricketers move, jump, and rotate efficiently.
Pressure in sport is real—but so is perspective.
Hearing from a 7’2” pro basketball player about pressure-packed Serbian games reminds us that handling the mental side is just as critical as the physical.

Quotes:

“The best athletes are better on the eccentric version—the going down section.”

“If you can improve the brakes of the athlete, you change their ability to recycle energy.”

“Most people aren’t in tune with their body enough to know what’s really going on.”

Find James on:

Instagram: @jamesbreese
Twitter: @_jamesbreese

To learn more about Cricket Matters and download your FREE copy of The High-Performance Handbook, please visit www.cricketmatters.com

Next Episode

Why Walking is One of the Best Things You Can Do Pre-Season?

In this episode of the Cricket Matters Podcast, we dive into why walking remains one of the most underrated yet effective pre-season strategies for cricketers. We just got back from a charity walk through the Welsh valleys, and it reminded us exactly how crucial endurance and volume training are—especially for club-level players.

You'll Learn:

How consistent walking builds endurance, strengthens your joints and bones, and prepares your body for the demands of cricket season. It’s a simple but powerful way to boost recovery and maintain match fitness.
How gradually increasing your walking volume helps develop baseline endurance, reducing injury risk when the matches start. Volume matters more than intensity for sustained pre-season progress.
How to kickstart your walking routine with practical advice—whether you’re short on time, balancing family life, or just getting off the sofa. Hint: it starts with just 30 minutes a day.

Key Takeaways:

Walking Builds Durability. Pre-season cricket requires more than nets and drills—it demands leg volume and general endurance. Walking is a low-impact way to build this durability.
Most Cricketers Are Underprepared. Many club-level players skip fitness prep and jump straight into matches, leading to stiffness, soreness, and preventable injuries. Walking helps bridge that gap.
Walking is Scalable for Everyone. Whether it’s 30 minutes a day or a weekend hike with the family, walking is easy to scale based on your fitness level and schedule. Small steps lead to big gains.
Don't Skip the Basics. Everyone wants to sprint or bowl at full pace—but if you haven’t walked regularly, you're not ready. Start with walking, and let your body adapt from the ground up.

Quotes:

“As simple as it sounds, go walk more. Start walking more.”

“Endurance is a big part of cricket. You’ve got to last the whole day.”

“People start running, and I ask—when was the last time you even walked for 30 minutes?”

Find James on:

Instagram: @jamesbreese
Twitter: @_jamesbreese

To learn more about Cricket Matters and download your FREE copy of The High-Performance Handbook, please visit www.cricketmatters.com

Cricket Matters - Expert Cricket Coaching, Mindset & Performance Tips - Three Muscles Every Cricketer Needs to Release

Transcript

Josh Kennedy: [00:00:00] This is the Cricket Matters podcast, and today we're talking about three muscles every cricketer needs to release. What are we started with? Tenture. Tensor, tenture, tensor, fa. No. Stop. Top down. Let's go. Let's go. Top down you go. You're going Top down. Top down. Sorry. Okay. Okay. Shoulders first. Tear is major.
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