I'm sick of having a low rev rate. No seriously...I've been bowling for 12+ years already. Try as I might, I just can seem to get more revs without literally yanking the ball on release (which kills my accuracy and burns my fingertips). Seems like every young turk around me can get tons of revs on the ball with little to no effort, whereas for me I'd be lucky if I could rev it up like Norm Duke. I get killed on longer patterns

Maybe its something to do with me being born with small hands. My fingertip span is only 4 1/2 inches, with my thumb pitch being 0 and both fingers having 1/8 reverse because of my lack of flexibility at the joints.
Other info:
4-step stroker. I've been bowling with a Pro-Release wristguard for the past 4 years and my backswing is at about shoulder level.

So I am appealing to the bowling experts on this forum...the coaches especially: please give me tips on how to get more revs. Are there any particular exercise regimes or foul line drills I could do to improve my rev rate on a long-term basis? And please do not tell me to take off the wristguard...I just can't bowl without it.


Edited on 3/26/2004 10:57 AM

Thanks for the quick replies guys.

Seadrive: The wrist guard I'm wearing locks my wrist in a cupped position. I've always been a high tracker...and I'm more of a forward roller. My PAP is approximately 4-5 inches and at about 2 o'clock from the grip center. I've had people telling me that I'm unable to get more revs because the wristguard is preventing me from breaking my wrist at the release point, which when done correctly can get you alot more revs. I find this hard to believe.

If you like, I could send you a small mpeg file of me throwing a shot during practice.

Would it help if I practiced lifting the ball with the fingers at the foul line without putting my thumb it?

Edited on 3/26/2004 11:33 AM

Rev-less

  Many factors participate in obtaining high rev-rates.

First reconsider your grip. Getting the ball off of your thumb earlier leaving your fingers in the ball alone allow you to "hit" the ball. You need the time on the finger without the thumb in the ball to obtain "hit". The thumb should already be clearing (if not already cleared) as the ball passes your ankle at the bottom of your swing. Strokers tend to clear the thumb at or just beyond the akle (this would be late to increase your rev-rate).  To obtain this you need to be confident that you have proper pitches in the thumb and properly fitted thumb hole. This allows you to relax your arm without using grip pressure to helod the ball.

Secondly consider your wrist postion. If your thumb clears and your wrist is "broken" as some strokers have, and your thumb clear at or just before the ankle you will throw the ball into the lane or drop the ball. The wrist should be cupped in order to have your fingers at least in the bottom half of the bowling ball (termed "under the ball"). Extremely both the thumb and fingers are "under the ball" to gain maxium time in allowing the finger to do the work.

Thirdly consider your timing. Strokers tend to have "early" timing in that the ball is at the ankle  exactly  or silghtly before the completion of the slide. In order to facilitate more rev-rate you need to to be slightly late in timing. Tweeners typically have stopped there slide and the ball is just behind the ankle and the thumb has or near already cleared. Crankers are even later typically and theyby can impart upperbody to create more ballspeed and more revs.



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Getting all the pins I can.