I’ve always kind of Poo-Pooed bowlers who talked about using lots of different releases.

Most bowlers, particularly on house shots, that have a solid “A” game can make it work.

Now I’ve seen some good ones in league play. Chris Barnes, Rick Steelsmith, Lonnie Walicek and others. And they can do it.

But most of the average bowlers I have watched who do change their hand position at address end up having the same position at the top of their backs wing and at release as they do for their other shots and I can’t tell any difference in their roll.

And I have would pretty much have contended that I don’t practice this myself…. Until last night.

My Monday trio league has been following high school matches. After the matches are over they have putting a short run (about 17 feet) on the heads but leaving the rest of the lane alone. With this condition we have been running into some carry down. I start with a pretty good reaction then end up chasing the shot right for a couple of games. The backends end up pretty tame while they are normally strong in the house.

Anyway I caught myself subconsciously changing my release as the carry down occurred. I got more aggressive at release with both my turn and lift. This seemed to give me that extra pop to get the right backend reaction.  

I would presume that I have done this for years but just never really thought about it. In my case I apparently change my feel at release (how exactly I don’t know) to get the ball reaction I’m looking for.  

Still a hack but apparently practicing different releases.

Bowlfishing - I think I understand the point(s) you're trying to make.  For clarification, changing your axis tilt changes your track, or did you mean axis rotation?  A true spinner is a spinner because his/her axis is tilted on end like a top.  A true full roller is a full roller because his/her axis is parallel to the lane surface like a baker's rolling pin.

Changing axis rotation by changing hand position does have an effect on your ball reaction (up-the-back for an earlier roll and hook, on-the-side for more push/skid and a later hook), but I can understand how Bowlfishing says that your release is not truly "different".  You're just releasing at a different angle.  (Of course, I can rotate my hand all the way around the ball so my fingers are pointing at the pins at release and my thumb comes out after my fingers do).  Keeping the same axis rotation and "hitting-up" on the ball will cause it to hook more without really changing your release.  Of course, slowing your ball speed down does the same thing

We're all interested in the end result, did we get the ball to do what we wanted it to do considering the condition we're on?  Sometimes a different rotation is all you need.

Pinbuster - way to go.  It's good you found something that works for you and added another adjustment to your bag of tricks.



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Kill the back row