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Author Topic: Pulling the ball  (Read 4846 times)

Scolai

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Pulling the ball
« on: June 08, 2003, 07:18:35 AM »
What is the deal?  I wish I could post a video of this.

Seems like pretty much every time I throw the ball, I pull it about 2 or 3 boards inside my target line.  I took video of myself and noticed that I had a huge figure 8 swing:  I pushed away to the outside, wrapped around my body, and corrected it in my forward swing.  To fix the problem, I focused specifically on pushing straight away and keeping the swing in line.  My swing is straighter, but I still pull the ball inside 2-3 boards.  It's not much, but it's enough to ruin the shot when I do it.

Now, what in the world can I do to correct the problem?  Pushaway suggestions?  Shoulder alignment?  Anything?  Help a guy out here.
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Scolai

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TyLytle

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Re: Pulling the ball
« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2003, 10:37:13 PM »
For me.... every time i pull the ball, I find myself not waiting on the ball. Meaning I am forcing the ball down on the down swing instead of letting gravity do the work. Which in turn means my timing was off getting to the line to soon and having to horse the ball to catch up. I will usually start my swing a tad earlier and it fixes my pulling..

Hope this helps.

Ty
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MI 2 AZ

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Re: Pulling the ball
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2003, 10:44:09 PM »
Since you have a videotape of yourself, check for the following:

1.  Shoulder up.  Dropping the shoulder could result in pulling.

2.  Shoulders parallel to your line.

3.  Hips parallel to line.

4.  Feet parallel to line.

5.  Forearm (elbow to wrist) aligned with line.

6.  Ball held in line with bowling shoulder.  You dont want to be holding the ball in center of body or too far away from body.

7.   Your pushaway should be parallel to your line.

Hope this helps.
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Re-Evolution

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Re: Pulling the ball
« Reply #3 on: June 08, 2003, 11:16:52 PM »
I would tend to think it is timing, getting to the line too soon. That is what causes me to pull the ball. Look over your video and pay attention to where your swing is when you plant your foot on your 3rd step on a 4 step approach or 4th on a 5, your swing should transition from back swing to forward swing just after you plant about the length of time it takes to say "PINS" if a stroker or tweener and "PINFALL" if a cranker. A local coach uses this method and it is how I check my timing it works quit well for me.
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CoachJim

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Re: Pulling the ball
« Reply #4 on: June 08, 2003, 11:32:00 PM »
Lurker check your timing on the video tape. Sometimes when your timing is off you will pull the ball because the ball is getting ahead of your feet. If you are consistently pulling the ball it is most likely a timing problem because you will repeat it over and over and it will feel fine to you except for the miss.

Check your timing: on your 4th step from the foul line (counting the slide as one and going back to the beginning of a 4 step) you should be pushing the ball away just past your big toe on your bowling side foot. Make sure you are not over extending your push away as this will lead to early timming and rushing your feet to catch up with your arm swing.

On your 3rd step from the foul line the ball should be at your side. Again if the ball is behind you when your heel is on the floor you will be early.

On your power step or 2nd from the foul line your ball should be at the pinnacle of the swing at the moment your foot compresses on the approach. If it is still going up you are late and if it is already started down you are early.

On the slide the ball should be slightly behind your bowling side hip when the foot stops sliding.

If you are drifting, your subconscious mind will pull the ball away from the target, feeling the drift and not wanting to throw a gutter ball. This is your survival instinct kicking in. Stop drifting watch your slide and make sure it is in line with your target and not away from it. People who get away with drifting inside do so by sliding back toward their target.

I hope this helps. Have patients timing is hard to correct.
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MI 2 AZ

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Re: Pulling the ball
« Reply #5 on: June 09, 2003, 12:40:09 AM »
Another thought:

When did you determine that you were pulling the ball 2-3 boards inside your target?  Right after your release when you watched the ball go over your target area or only after watching the video?  I think most bowlers miss their intended target inside by 1-2 boards and it only becomes apparent when someone else is watching or they view themselves on videotape.  But, at the time, it should look like you hit your target.  

So, if you know you are missing your target at the time of your delivery, then you have a problem.  If it only became apparent after viewing the tape, that might be normal.
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baiki

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Re: Pulling the ball
« Reply #6 on: June 09, 2003, 01:30:47 AM »


Could be thumb coming out late.

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10 In The Pit

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Re: Pulling the ball
« Reply #7 on: June 09, 2003, 03:19:34 AM »
MI_2_AZ beat me to my first guess.  Check on number 6 on his list, and see where you are holding the ball before your pushaway.  If your ball is not out in line with your shoulder, then this automatically sets you up for a wraparound armswing.  You could be holding the ball in towards the middle of the body before the pushaway.

I'll crawl back in my hole now, since there are several other good possibilities listed here already.
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Jerry Weller

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Re: Pulling the ball
« Reply #8 on: June 09, 2003, 05:05:18 AM »
There's nothing wrong with a figure 8 swing - a lot of good players throw the ball that way.

I can think of 3 potential culprits.

1) Your pushaway. You've tried pushing away straighter, now try the opposite. Try pushing away further to the outside. For example I typically push the ball 7 boards outside whatever I want to hit at the arrows

2) Timing - which relates back to your pushaway in a totally different way. Are you really letting the ball drop into the swing without muscle and letting it swing freely? Are you pushing away a little earlier or later than you should?

3) eye dominance issues. Are you absolutely sure what you are really hitting at the arrows? Do you have anybody who can stand behind you while you bowl and verify that what you see is indeed what you got?

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Nicanor

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Re: Pulling the ball
« Reply #9 on: June 09, 2003, 01:03:24 PM »
I worked this very probelm with John Jowdy.  I was doing several things wrong.  First my push away wa too soon.  I use a five step approach and I should have been pushing on my second step.  But I was pushing just before I made my second step making the ball get to the line too soon.

Second, I did not sit down enough on the shot bending more at the waist allowing me to pull the ball with much more ease.

I also chicken winged the ball a lot and he did teach leading with the ring finger.  This does help to keep the elbo tucked but uncompfotable at first and the release is not good for every condition.  He wsa just trying to help me from pulling the ball.

The other thing that I don't think was mentioned is eye dominancy.  Maybe I missed it. But a lot of bolwers have left or right eye dominancy and this induces pulling the ball or pushing the ball right too much.  What you think you are targeting is not what you're hitting.  So if this is true if you were two board eye dominate and pulling the ball, if you wanted to hit 10, you would look at 8 board.

Good luck.

V/R,


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Nicanor (Ten On The Deck)

Nicanor

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Re: Pulling the ball
« Reply #10 on: June 09, 2003, 05:16:06 PM »
I thought Sybil was bad,

Pchee2, you got to stop doing this to yourself

V/R,


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Nicanor (Fullfills California women's desires, then put out their fires)
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Nicanor (Ten On The Deck)

dead wood

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Re: Pulling the ball
« Reply #11 on: June 09, 2003, 10:06:28 PM »
When I pull the ball the problem for me is my timing or an open shoulder which makes my arm not consistent.  If it's timing your ball is ahead of your feet.  Try holding the ball higher for a higher back swing giving time for your feet to caught up, if you are comfortable with your swing you can speed up your approach.  I find staying square to the foul line with your shoulders helps your swing to become more consistent.
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