Lately ive been working on my straight game since i usually play inside majority of the time. Ive even changed my spare game and go straight and hard at everything like barnes, page, jones etc. Im still opening up my hips and shoulders. Ive positioned my feet to my target as well as my shoulders and this help a bit. I there any other way my squaring up to the pin can be helped?
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I feel bad for the bowler''s defenceless equipement when the bowler is not bowling up to par. . . .don''t you?

When I'm playing outside and squared up, I have a different release than when playing inside and swinging it.  I use a free armswing with very litle hit at the bottom and keep my shoulder up, trying to stay behind the ball more and walk in a straight line toward my target.  All this helps me stay balanced and straight at the line.  And when playing inside, I try to turn my body right toward my target so that I don't have to drop my shoulder and throw away from my body as much -- this helps me be more consistent.

My best advice would be to start slow and work your way up.  Go practice some day and work your way through each aspect.  Slow your feet and your armswing a little and don't hit it at the bottom of the swing for a few frames.  Focus only on keeping your hips and shoulders more squared up, especially at the point when you bend your knee and get into the flatspot of your swing.  Just worry about rolling the ball straight up a board, don't even worry about hitting the pocket.  Just try to get the ball to go directly up the 5 board.  Then as you start to feel more comfortable, work your way back up to moving your feet and arm at a more normal speed.  You still probably won't need to hit the ball as much as you would playing inside, however.

And go on Youtube and watch some videos of Norm Duke playing outside.  That's a thing of beauty and a great example of how to do it right.

The way i think of it is pretend there is a board across your shoulders and to play straight up that board has to stay parallel with the foul line and that keeps me square.

also think of this in relation. when you are playing inside you "open" your shoulders but in reality you are just having your shoulders square with your target to which is to the right. so when you play straigh up, lets say 5, the same thing has to happen now you are going to "square up" but its just getting your shoulders in line with your target. you open up to still be facing your target nothing changes when playing straight up. this is how i apply it.

if i am inside i just get my shoulders to the target even though its not square to the foul line it is directly facing my target. this doesnt change no matter when i am playing. squaring is all in relation to another place or thing such as the foul line. but being square is also having your shoulders facing your target.
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Shawn

Edited on 7/7/2008 4:47 PM

the down and in shot is my "a" game. my entire body is parallel with the foul line.......shoulders, hips, knees, feet, etc. when i need to move left and swing the ball, my "b" game, i stay parallel with my target, which is righ of where i'm standing on the approach. i just make sure that i align my entire body with my target.

Squaring up is a loose term in that many people have problems with different aspects of it. Here is my simplified definition of squaring up... shoulders parrallel to the lane surface and your bowling shoulder at a right (90 degree) angle to your target line. If you do both then the ball will travel over your target (provided your feet finish on the right spot).

To help with both the parrallel and right angles I use the NON bowling arm (left arm for right handed bowlers as I am) during the release.  By placing the left hand forward or back during release I can control the right angle issue. By placing the left hand higher or lower during release I can control the parrallelnes of my shoulders.

I can go into much more detail but I wont be long winded. Let me know if this helps.

As a side note: I heard the following story about this issue... David Ozio was struggling to understand why he viewed his targeting inside of his actual target. Bill Taylor over heard his complaint took him on the lane, used this left arm method and squared him up. Suddenly he saw what he was hitting and he won the next PBA event. I am not sure if the story is true but squaring up helps so many things such as release, balance at the line and not to mention confidence that you will repeat shots more percisely.
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thanks everybody . . ive really been improving my game

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I feel bad for the bowler's defenceless equipement when the bowler is not bowling up to par. . . .don't you?

Great response Scolai!

ALSO....I have been terrible at this shot unless there was lots of oil on the lanes....

UNTIL....I saw a Fred Borden tape on U tube titled controlling your hook.
In it he recommended 3 wrist positions including wrist bent back....for cutting down on the hook!

VOILA....for me....this does the trick!

In addition he also states that to play the dryer lanes and make this wrist position work one should focus on 80% armswing and only 20% hand....(where the normal shot is 50/50 arm and hand!).

THe bent back wrist position and the 80/20 image have been helping me greatly!

Man is a genius....for me.

REgards,

Luckylefty
PS this revelation for me is as similar to when I discovered I should take a different grip on the club for sand shots in golf.  All of sudden they went from hard to get out of the bunkers to close to the hole!


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Open the door...see what's possible...and just walk right on through...that's how easy success feels..