These are things that I've learned to work on with my coach's help. When playing a deep inside line, you have to be willing to pivot your front foot a couple of boards towards the target you wish to hit while trying to keep your back leg almost parallel to the foul line. Chances are if you want to start the ball out at 4th or 5th arrow, you will be probably starting your approach around 25-27 board for 4th arrow and 30-32 board for 5th arrow. Be aware of the fact that you will probably have to throw the ball at a slower ball speed if you are covering more area on the lane in order for the ball to save its energy for the back end move you desire to make (unless the lanes in the center are drier...). I've learned in order to play the twig trust is a must. Chances are you will start your feet around the 10 board and walk towards your target, finishing your feet around the 5 board.  For more power when playing the down and in off the twig, look longer down the lane and release the ball probably 6 inches past your last step. If you are pulling the release by 5 boards there are some timing issues that need to be worked out. Don't be afraid to throw a couple of gutter balls when learning to play this line.

Hope this helps...

Matt

Go to this web site: www.bowlingcoach.com

Download this PDF file: CEAug02.pdf

to start with. Read the ALIGNMENT section.

I would recommend reading every coaching file on the site.
They are all excellent.
After you read them, you will have a good grasp of lane play, and will know which questions to ask.

Hope this helps.
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Duke Harding

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The pins know when your swing is tight.

My ebay auctions & store . . .

It's about getting your shoulders/body lined up correctly in both situations.

When playing the gutter, you want to be more square to the foul line, feet more even in your stance.  If you are looking at 2nd or 3rd board, you don't have alot of room for error, you also don't want the ball going right off your hand.  Paul Fleming told me once to think about pushing the ball away slightly to the right (into the gutter), caused a slight loop in my swing, and the ball didn't go to the right off my hand.  May not work for everybody.  The gutter is probably harder to get used to, most right handers don't ever have to play there, and with more traffic on the right side, you spend more time moving left (away from the gutter).  You have to practice it, don't be afraid to spend some time ramming plastic up the crack.

When you are playing deep, you have to have your shoulders open, and you want to be walking more toward your target than straight toward the foul line.  You want your right foot back in your stance to help you keep your shoulders open.  For me there are more varieties of deep shots.

If the lanes are hooking alot, then you want your target down the lane, to help you project the ball and also gives you (me) a little more margin for error.  If you miss your target by two boards at 40 feet, the ball will probably still go in the pocket.  If you miss your target by two boards at 15 feet, the ball may miss the head pin.  If the lanes are hooking you don't want to hit the ball very much if any, let the lane hook the ball for you, you want to use as little effort as possible, and keep your speed as firm as possible.  If you have the right surface to your ball, you will have tons of area, and this can be a very high scoring condition.  Don't be afraid to get in front of the ball return, there is still air to breathe over there!

Sometimes the lanes are slick, but you still need to be playing fifth arrow.  This happens alot on PBA conditions, the pattern is very long, and when the ball comes off the pattern, it still skids some, and heaven forbid you get a little carry down, there just isn't very much dry board area to hook the ball.  You can't get the ball off the gutter, because there is not enough dry at the end of the lane to make the ball hook, even with the monster balls available!  So you see guys playing way in, usually with medium surface.  You are just trying to get the ball to the right of the pocket at the break point, and use the small hook area to create a slight angle enough to carry.  The big hand players usually have an advantage here, because they can make the ball turn harder, and strike more.

You gotta practice both ways.  I'm lucky to be short, getting in front of the ball return for bowling on the right lane has never been much of a problem for me.  There are not many players who can do both, most have one line they are better at than the other.  Chris Barnes, Jason Couch, Norm Duke, Brian Voss, and Danny Wiseman or guys off the top of my head that can play both very well.  Duke, David Ozio, Walter Ray, Mike Haugen, Mike Scroggins and Major Mika are all guys that are really good gutter players.  Chris Johnson, Chris Barnes, Mitch Beasley, Wes Malott and Jason Hurd are all guys that I have seen get air time over the left gutter playing 5th and 6th arrow.

Hope this helps ya, keep working!!!!!
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Mike Austin's Precision Pro Shop
Houston, TX
Drilling and Tech Advice BirdDogbowling.com

Driller to many "Stars" and Tony Melendez too!

Thanks so much for all the advice everyone. I have read Cliftons tips and they are useful but I was wondering what others had to say. I think I will download those files from bowlingcoach and check them out. Responding to some of the posts: about my drift...I walk very straight now, mid-season I had to learn to stop drifitng because it was so inconsistent, my coach helped me and I taught myself how to walk straight. I do have one more question for you guys though. When playing these lines do you think it is better to try to use more forward roll or side rotation? Also when talking about going to the outside I was actually thinking about using the twig on heavy oil. My new house soaks the inside but leaves the outside dry. Thing is swinging it out means no carry. So I want to learn to play the twig and try that. Deep inside will help also because of all the oil, keeping the ball on the headpin will be key when the outsides get TOO dry. The reason I think I pulled some 5 or more boards left was because of my fear of the gutter. I do have a little bit of an eye drifting problem but it is like a malfunction I have of wanting to NOT start and stay on the gutter for the entire shot (swinging it is fine, playing up the twig is not). Anyway thanks a lot everyone and I will practice as much as possible.
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-If you're not willing to change, you're not willing to improve.

-Life is like a coin, you can spend it any way you want, but you can only spend it once.

-I will forever love this great game, I love the people and the competition, I only wish the best would get the recognition of an ATHLETE that they deserve.