Slow ball speed

[DT]

Hey guys,  Heres the story...
I'm a 29 year old guy.  I'm not a big guy but I would say I'm average.  I work for a living(Boilermaker) so I'm not a weakling or anything.
I'm throwing a Shock and Awe right now and my ball speed is between 11.5 and 13...WTF!

I guess I would say I'm a stroker but thats only because I don't have the speed or revs to do anything else.  I've tried raising the ball in my stance and getting my feet a little faster to no avail.

I'm not looking for a instant fix,  just a few tips on bringing up my speed.

Thanks,  Dave

[Bowler19]

If you don't already have a free/loose backswing that can help a bit. Try just letting the ball swing free like a pendulum.
Also when practicing try to release the ball right at the end of your slide so you can get your body mtoion helping you. This will help to add the speed of your slide to the ball. Please DON'T confue this with putting your weight behind the ball. Watch some of the bowlers with higher speeds to see what I mean.

If you have anymore questions feel free to PM or post them on the forum.
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Bowler19
But be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.-W. Shakespear
"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, other get it as a graduation present"
Robin Williams

[Injury]

agree with bowler19

grab a camcorder and watch yourself making a couple of shots. Instant feedback helps when working on this stuff.

I used to think I had a free arm swing until someone took a picture of me with a camera phone while bowling. Low and behold my arm was bent enough in the backswing I could pass for Popeye.

I was able to increase my speed by focusing on locking that elbow on the pushoff and feel for the top of my backswing to keep it high (if you use any muscle at all in the swing it should only be straight down after the top of your backswing so as to keep it straight and repeatable). I went from 15.8-16.5 to being able to hit 20-21 working on that one night. Though I don't usually throw that fast in league because my accuracy isn't there when I do because I still have to rip up on the ball to get it to hook at that speed.

Also look for your release point, lofting the ball up (my wife does this) really kills the speed. I always remind her Out not Up.

Watch where you release that ball in relation to your slide as well as your body position overall. If you are sticking and stopping short with your upper body falling forward that robs your speed. Keep an "athletic" stance much like y ou would for other sports, and don't let your shoulders pass your knees.

Also try different timings in your approach. I was able to see a good increase when I held the ball after the push off for a split second instead of dropping it right away. It retarded the swing in relation to my feet just enough to get more of a spring effect upon release.