There are so many different styles out there and so many variables on how to get each individual bowler to develop a style right for them. I just thought I'd give you guys some insights on what I had to do to fix my timing. We have all heard the clashes to keep those first 2 steps slow. I just wanted to dissect my problem beyond just slowing down the first 2 steps.
I quit bowling in September 2009 because I was really getting tired of the game. I was getting a lot of top spin on the ball. My steps and swing were quick and choppy. Then came the beginning of 2012 and I decided to buy 2 new bowling balls and begin practicing after the Women's State Tournament after work since I worked at the bowling center. I was way too out of sync to walk up to the line quick and throw it with any decent timing. It forced me to start slow and accelerate at the end. That made a huge difference. Even though I was not league bowling, I probably turned into a 215 average bowler during my times open bowling. Then I took some summer months off and got back into it in August. In mid-August I had a 290 game along with a 736 series. I thought wow my game is better than it's ever been.
Here's what happened. Because I haven't bowled for almost 3 years, I needed my first 3 steps to be slow. I needed my push-away, down swing of my back swing, and my first 3 steps (since I have a 5 step approach) to be slow. Then I would accelerate on the last 2 steps. After I kept on repeating that motion, I felt like I knew exactly what to do on every step. I knew I needed to start the push-away right after my second step touched the ground. Again I threw it this way because that's all I knew how to do from not bowling for a long time.
Here's the thing I had to watch out for though. I needed to take slow and smooth normal steps. If they got too short, slow, and choppy then it was over. I would say my slowest step was actually step 3 because that's when my arm started to get into motion and on its way down. Once I reached the top of the back swing is where I really wanted to speed up.
But it wasn't only about timing. Balance was also important. Again because I was re-learning how to bowl, I tried to keep my right arm and whole body as relaxed as possible while setting up. I especially tried not to grab hard with the middle and ring finger. I also bent my knee and leaned forward. Here's another thing I think gets over looked. I also bent from my waits and leaned from my waist and shoulders. When you bend from the waist you are offsetting some of the weight you are putting forward which means better balance.
The results were great. I had my first 300 game, 800 series, and 2 299 games at 2 different bowling centers. My highest average was 231.
I'm not saying this slow to start and quick at the end tempo works for every bowler. There's Ryan Shafer who is quick and Steve Jaros who is slow. The one thing no bowler does is starts fast and slows down. They either keep constant speed or starts slow and speed up.
