Alternatively, they are hesitant on the crease as Sodhi's stock ball zeroes towards a good-length, middle-and-leg target before scything towards the edge of their bats or pads adjacent to the stumps. Then there is his googly which, when it convinces bat and pad to 'open sesame', is clinical in its execution.
If Sodhi can reduce the four balls which release pressure each over, he'll threaten the West Indies and whittle down his average.
Leg spin, however, is arguably the trickiest bowling art to master. The force needed to generate spin can diminish accuracy. In a game of centimetres, the nerves of a surgeon and steady hand of a bomb disposal expert are paramount when spinning via the wrist.
The West Indies tour presents Sodhi with the opportunity to assure himself he belongs at test level. In a New Zealand rarity across six tests, he hasn't played in a losing team but is yet to put in a pivotal performance.
All great spinners tend to experience a cricketing epiphany.
For Shane Warne, it came midway through his third test in Sri Lanka, when he had taken one wicket and had a bowling average of 335. With Sri Lanka needing 31 runs to win chasing 181, Warne took three wickets in 13 balls without conceding a run to eke out victory.
Vettori's moment came in the fourth test against Sri Lanka at Hamilton in 1997. He took nine wickets, including his first five-wicket bag in the second innings, to secure a 120-run win.
Sodhi has been training in Christchurch with Paul Wiseman, a confidante since his national under-19 apprenticeship, and rookie off-spinner Mark Craig. Wiseman will tour the West Indies as a mentor.
"It's good to have a base of six tests to prepare from and I welcome the responsibility," Sodhi says. "I wouldn't want to play international cricket if it was easy. I'm looking forward to tackling it head-on in partnership with Pudgy [Craig] and Kane [Williamson].
"I've watched as many videos as I can find on Youtube, including footage of Sunil Narine, Shane Shillingford and Nathan Lyon, to get a gauge of how the three wickets behave, but you only really know once you get there."
Sodhi's also been working closely with test wicketkeeper BJ Watling, his Northern Districts team-mate, to improve their dynamic.
"We got into a good rhythm towards the end of the Ford Trophy one-dayers and I'm more comfortable about how we work together."
Sodhi is less concerned about focusing on variations because he expects the Caribbean wickets to assist his stock ball. His practice has involved varying his position on the crease to change his angle and trajectory, as well as preparing to bowl at a left-hand heavy West Indies top order. He has also been actioning tips gleaned from his tutorial with Warne during the Boxing Day Ashes test which he described as "the best leg-spin session of my life".
Peripheral areas of New Zealand's approach could impact on Sodhi's performance. Captain Brendon McCullum has faith in his charge and they share an attacking mindset but field placement will be critical to Sodhi's approach.
Responsibility for his future also lies with the top-order batsmen. Too few runs limit the capacity of using a leg-spinner as an attacking weapon. It's unusual for a leg-spinner, Warne excepted, to simply dot up an end with maiden overs when they're searching for wickets with high-risk deliveries.
Sodhi will also engage in some batting coaching with Bob Carter next week as he shapes as a viable No8, with an average of 25 and top score of 58 in eight innings.Vincent supporters rally, p58-59
