For Pete's Sake - SLOW DOWN!

The last two lessons I've had have been extremely interesting. Last week I was 10 minutes into one of the best sessions yet, and I threw my back out (ouch!), so we turned the rest of the hour into a discussion ABOUT bowling instead. So that was cool.

Today, I've had another great lesson. I'm FINALLY starting to see my release "work" and my follow through is not too bad. What feels like me topping the ball apparently isn't - so part of the problem is that I've been holding back on getting around the ball at the point of release worrying that I was forcing too much spin on it.

However, the biggest change has been that I'm going far too fast getting to the foul line. This has always been an issue because it seems counter-intuitive to me for two reasons. First, momentum is carried to the ball when you go from your approach to stopping at the foul line, so one would THINK that speed means more momentum, and greater ball velocity means more kinetic energy put onto the pins. Second, getting to a stopped position in advance of the ball should mean that you can come through your shot more.

But it's not as simple as that because, well - timing is everything. You can beat your arm swing to the line, but then you run the risk of forcing the shot. Also, overcoming all that inertia is tough and what typically happens is that you'll start rise into your shot.

If you're rising into your shot, odds are you're rushing to the line. SLOW DOWN! :-)

So, I really forced myself to slow down on the last two steps - not so much that I exaggerated it, but enough that it SEEMED a little more "leisurely" than I would have usually taken it.

Big improvement - the release started happening more in synch, and my follow through was greatly improved.

OK - so how do I know where to aim?

One of the first things you want to establish is a "home" position on the approach. From here you'll make any alterations for attacking spares, or adjusting to changing lane conditions.

Going back to the diagram of the lane markings:

you'll recall that the lanes are 39 inches wide, and each board is about one inch wide, so there are 39 boards across with #20 being the center board (#1 is on the right for right handed bowlers, and on the left for lefties).

The basic rule-of-thumb for beginner bowlers is to set up around board 15-17, trying to put your ball such that it rolls over the third (from the gutter, in) arrow. So, how do you "set up"?

For a four-step approach, if you're right-handed you put your NON-BALL foot "on" board 15 (it will have a dot) such that the inside edge (facing your other leg) is also along the crack between board 15 and 16. Your BALL foot should be 2 inches apart (two boards!) and half-way "back". In a five-step approach, swap the roles of the ball and non-ball foot. (In case it wasn't clear, by "BALL" foot, I mean the foot on the side of your body that's has the ball: right foot for righties, left foot for lefties. I try to use ball and non-ball so as to avoid having to give separate references for each handedness).



Here, the set up for a left-hander is with white feet, for a right-hander, grey.

Next, as you complete your delivery, follow through with your ball arm such that the ball "goes over" the third arrow. If things are aligned for your stance (and ignoring horrible lane conditions) you should hit close to if not in the pocket.

Some things might require additional alterations. First, if you have a small or large frame then board 15 might not be the best fit. Move inward if you have a larger frame (if the ball is crossing the head pin too much, i.e., "going Brooklyn"), or out if you have a smaller frame or the ball isn't reaching the pocket. You might also be drifting (I'll tackle that in another post).

With some experimentation you should find things centering around one particular board, and can use that as your "home" position for pocket-target shots. From this, every single adjustment can be made - for spares, splits, and to handle changing lane conditions. Try it out!