I have posted about switching hands in the past, but I don't feel like I have a choice anymore. Last night during league, I was part of the way through the third game and I felt something pop in my forearm and my thumb started hurting and tingling. Had to go find my wrist strap and brace to finish off the night. I have had this issue in the past, which is why have considered it before, though I have never acted on it. Anybody have any tips on switching hands? I think I am going to have a storm rocket drilled up first

Your timing is going to SUCK (more than likely)

You are going to have days that everything feels great, your timing is good or great, and then the next time at the bowling alley it is like yoy have never bowled before. Get as many reps with your opposite hand as possible. Don't worry about score, go to a local bowling alley and get as many reps as you can. If the local alley has a deal where you get X hours for a few $$, take advantage.

I would expect your ball speed to be slow. A Rocket might be too much ball to start with (no kidding).

There are going to be times you want to end on your current slide foot and you don't (timing issue again). To overcome my issues, I initially switched the # of steps I took from 5 to 4 so I started with the same foot but ended with my new slide foot. That helped my initial timing as i was wanting to start with the same foot I started with for my opposite hand, and finish with the opposite foot as well.

I would also go to a slightly lighter ball to start as well. You have bowling memory in your current arm and have built up certain muscles/strength relating directly to that. You don't have that strength or muscle memory right now in your opposite hand.

A good first ball might be a Pitch Black or any other urethane ball. Until you have better timing and decent muscle strength built up, the urethane ball will help with your misses from not overreacting on your poor shots/slow ball speed.

Good luck to you. This is not a short process. Don't expect to be great by the summer or even next fall league season. Don't get frustrated and make sure you remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint, and if you were not oing through the struggles of trying to switch hands, your only rememdy is probably to quit. Is quitting better than struggling? To me it was not, so I struggled for a few years until things started to click.

I didn't find timing to be that big of a deal.  Personally I kept the same number of steps, just because it made more sense to my head.  But yeah, you're most likely going to be pretty slow, so a Rocket will be way too much ball to begin with.  I'd also suggest a Pitch Black. 

Basically take it slow and don't force anything.  I found solace in knowing that anyone switching hands isn't supposed to be any good anyway, so I never felt any pressure to progress up until recently, but that was more self imposed.  You're going to need time for your bowling muscles to develop, plus you're also going to need time for your coordination to develop too.  Also, the left side is a bit different from the right, so let your eyes be your guide, don't try to mirror everything.  Some things are similar, some aren't, so just take it slow and easy.  Focus on mechanics, and you'll build your way up just fine. 

I also found it helpful to do as many other things as I could lefthanded just to build coordination, and found it interesting that a lot of coordination is the way your head processes and thinks about things.  Some of it is muscle memory, but I feel like more of it is the perspective you see it from.  The more you get your head to think lefthanded, the easier and the more quickly coordination will develop, in my opinion at least.  Good luck, it's a lot of work, but I find it to be more rewarding.  Small successes lefthanded FEEL bigger because of the challenges present, and yes, some of that comes from the admiration/support of other bowlers.  The support and encouragement from other bowlers actually helps a lot. 

I can say that without a doubt, the one 300 I have thrown since converting to lefty after my injury is MUCH more special to me than my 9-300's or my 3-800's I threw as a righty.

I also found there to be less expectations. Many nights I bowled average when I was a righty, (averaged 220-225 my last few years before my injury) and felt horrible about the night.

I bowl average now (around 190) and I feel great walking out of the alley.

I shot 650+ now, and I am smiling for days.

Shoot 700....icing on the cake.

I remember shooting 700 and walking out pi$$ed off because I didn't win a bracket or I did something stupid one frame.


It is a completely different mindset. Sometimes the relief of the pressure is enough to bring much more fun back to the game. It has for me.

Good luck!

When I quit bowling years ago, I took up golf.

At the end of a day bowling, I would only remember the few bad shots I made.

With golf, I would remember the few good shots.....

Make that the VERY FEW good shots.

That nails it on the head.  I don't have a 300 lefty yet, but I have several in the 270s with a high set of 769, and yeah the perspective is so much different.  The whole experience just constantly feels like icing on the cake no matter what. 

I can say that without a doubt, the one 300 I have thrown since converting to lefty after my injury is MUCH more special to me than my 9-300's or my 3-800's I threw as a righty.

I also found there to be less expectations. Many nights I bowled average when I was a righty, (averaged 220-225 my last few years before my injury) and felt horrible about the night.

I bowl average now (around 190) and I feel great walking out of the alley.

I shot 650+ now, and I am smiling for days.

Shoot 700....icing on the cake.

I remember shooting 700 and walking out pi$$ed off because I didn't win a bracket or I did something stupid one frame.


It is a completely different mindset. Sometimes the relief of the pressure is enough to bring much more fun back to the game. It has for me.

Good luck!

Based on what you guys are saying, I have a few things going for me. I am 22 years old and in pretty decent shape. I am naturally ambextrious, leaning more towards the left hand for fine motor skills. I was considering dropping to 14# to start with so you guys confirmed that idea for me

I hurt my right shoulder sometime last year, so at the start of the 2nd half in January I decided to try LH.  Really a work in progress at this point.  As others have said, no muscle memory really shows up especially in my spare game.  I am 64 and so far, I have my averages up to the low 150 range in my three leagues. 

I did have to drop down to 13# as I found 14# to be too heavy.  If you can build up your opposite arm it would help.  I also had problems the first month or so with my new sliding leg aching badly during bowling and for about 3 hrs afterwards.  Now, it is fine. 

For me, I prefer going a bit weaker when starting out with the opposite hand.  My thinking is that I am not going to have any kind of accuracy or consistancy so it is better for me to have a weaker ball so that when I am off, it won't be too badly off at the pins like a stronger ball would be.  Plus, I don't have the ball speed to help keep the ball online.