I posted a topic discussing the specifics, here it is:  http://www.ballreviews.com/miscellaneous/need-some-technical-minds-to-weigh-in-the-release-angle-t298431.0.html

To the Original poster Gizmo....please explain?

Regards,

Luckylefty

I also did some research on the dual angle "sweet spot," and I'm honestly not sure that I like it that much.  It's a bunch of information and calculation and considers too many variables only to get you a really wide range of options that still leaves everything completely up to you.  I went through it a couple times and found myself right back where I started in the first place, with a lot of decisions to make. 

This still leaves you with about the same amount of decisions, but a tenth of the process, but it honestly does apply and work AND it locks down the angle sum to a much closer range than the sweet spot does.  Everybody factors in whether they're going to be playing straight up or deep into their layout and ball choice, and that's exactly what this is, it's just a way to be more accurate.  I know where to put the fingers to get a ball to do what I want it to do without using the dual angle, it's just simply more accurate. 

You're not going to play 2nd arrow with the same ball you play 4th arrow from unless several things change, but then you've significantly changed the parameters of everything to begin with.  If you throw the ball 17 mph, 350 revs, 40 degree angle of rotation and 10 degree axis tilt from 2nd arrow, by the time you're forced into 4th arrow, if you're using the same ball, the lanes have gotten drier AND you've changed a lot of that stuff.  That also however doesn't mean that another ball with a different drilling wouldn't be better suited for where you're playing now. 

At the same time, I'm old school, I'd RATHER use the same ball all day long no matter what I have to do to it or make it do.  HOWEVER, if we're talking conceptually only considering ideal situations, I can't poke a hole in this and have a reasonable explaination for every question, concern, or criticism. 

Getting better, but by and large it's been difficult.  Sometimes it's hurt, and sometimes it's helped.  I'm largely analytical for customers, but for myself, give me a plastic ball and I'd like my chances from anywhere you tell me to play.  I think bowling is more about intuition and laneplay than it is about numbers, BUT my mind still runs wild looking at things and watching everybody else when it comes to that.  I look at pinspots, I look at the approaches and just across the foul line for debris, I watch every shot of every other bowler on the pair and compare it to their previous shot to watch how the lanes are transitioning, I pay attention to THEIR mental game to see if there's any subtle ways I can get inside their head . .

I'm pretty sure I get what your angle is on this, and the answer is that yes, sometimes I'm so mental that I can't let go of the ball because I'm constantly calculating and know EXACTLY how and where I want to throw every single ball, and I don't think even EARL the robot could do what I try to do on every shot. 

Rick Benoit describes it as either thinking in colors or black and white.  He says bowlers who think in colors generally aren't as good as those who think in black and white.  Pete Weber for example thinks in black and white.  He knows what he needs to do and just makes his best shot.  Chris Barnes thinks in colors, though he's been the most successful at overcoming it.  All that really means is that colorful thinkers try to consider too much and do too much, or what's going on in their head can negatively effect what happens.  But yes, I'm a mental case trying to bowl myself . .

Random question.  Are you able to turn off this type of thinking off as a bowler?

Gizmo?>  Is that part of this thread?

REgards,

Luckylefty

Yeah . . I HATE listening to college bowlers talk to each other.  "Well, I moved 2 and 1 left," or "I went 3 and 2 left."  Ok, I get that you're all trying to speak the same language so you can explain to your teammate what the lanes are doing better than just saying, "Ball was a little jumpy last shot, so I went a little deeper and tightened it up a tad," but was it the CORRECT move?  If you don't know how to read ball reaction well enough to know whether it was the ball/lane's fault or something that you did, saying that may or may not be relevant.  That's why I just pay attention myself, because if a teammate comes back and says the ball jumped so they moved, but they got slow, overhit it, or missed by an arrow, I'm going to totally disregard it. 

I'm a feel bowler myself, I couldn't tell you what boards I'm aiming at.  I just watch the reaction I get, and know what kind of shape I need, and work from there.  I think that's why I "get away with it," so to speak.  Yeah I'm mental, but it's not with numbers personally.  If I have a customer that's a math junkie, I want to be capable of being as technical as they want to get, but sometimes you can have too much information or be too prepared.  Give me a ball, some shoes, and I'll go figure it out from there.  If I go into it with the idea that I need to play outside, inside, early and rolly, skid/snap, etc, and then I get on the lane and it's not working out, well then I've got a problem.  Lol but I'll spend a long time preparing and thinking about not being too prepared . .

I see that you get it.  To think like this as a bowler you have to be able to execute at a CB level to take advantage of this type of knowledge.  Pretty much everyone except him that is a great bowler is all feel and touch.  Not too many young guys that I deal with get that.  They are always looking for the magic reaction.  They look at me cross eyed when I tell them that sometimes you just have to bowl.