win a ball from Bowling.com
« previous next »
Pages: [1] 2

Author Topic: To hit it or to roll it, that is the question.  (Read 2295 times)

Ragnar

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 14084
To hit it or to roll it, that is the question.
« on: March 02, 2005, 12:46:30 AM »
Early this year my driller was watching me bowl one night and made a comment about how much I hit up on the ball at the bottom.  That prompted me to work on rolling the ball off my hand, rather than hitting it.  It's been 4 or 5 months now and I'm beginning to feel that, at least sometimes, I'm actually doing it.  How long did it take you to get away from hitting the ball and letting it just roll out of your hand?  It's amazing to me that on those shots that I do just roll I seem to get at least as many revs as I do hitting it while having a much more controlled shot, ie, less reaction, fewer boards covered, more accurate, but at least as much "hit" as ever.  For example, lately I have been having major problems controlling the back ends (lots of oil in the front 40 feet, double stripped on the back).  Last night I noticed that on the shots where I hit the ball it went left much harder on the back than when I just rolled it; but when I hit the hole I had better pin reaction when I rolled it.  At first I couldn't really feel the difference, but now I can tell immediately, even before the ball is out of my hand, if I've thrown it the way I want to.
--------------------
"To plunder, to slaughter, to steal, these things they misname empire; and where they make a wilderness, they call it peace."  (Tacitus)
Logged
Wyrd bið ful aræd!
(Thought to be a member of something called the PMS club by some.)

 

Jeffrevs

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11890
Re: To hit it or to roll it, that is the question.
« Reply #1 on: March 02, 2005, 09:17:00 AM »
Rags,...
had my first real lesson during the holidays last year, dec. 2003....and now everything is starting to come together.....so all changes take some time....especially if youv'e been doing something else for a long time.

My game totally changed once I started lessons and it's all come together in the last few months....scores don't show it...but I know I'm throwing the ball much better.....
--------------------
JEFF
"what, by the time I get back..they won't be dead anymore ?.
Logged

pagnouch

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 619
Re: To hit it or to roll it, that is the question.
« Reply #2 on: March 02, 2005, 09:29:34 AM »
What article on Ron C's web site has the fan report?
--------------------
Champions Train-Losers Complain!!
Logged

hallofamer

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 207
Re: To hit it or to roll it, that is the question.
« Reply #3 on: March 02, 2005, 06:59:50 PM »
I'm there with you old farts Ragnar and Sawbones. I taught myself how to hit up on the ball and loft it in the plastic and urethane era so the ball wouldn't pick up too much head oil and finish hard for carry. I couldn't use resin for 2 years when it came out, Xcalibur, Beast 'cause they hooked, but hit very weak. With a little help I learned how to roll the ball off my hand with no loft and a lot less hit, the modern game. I now usually look at a mark at least 45 feet down the lane, many times at the reflection of the pins or the pins themselves to help me extend my arm and roll ball toward target, not hit it. It works great. Good luck making your changes.
Logged

pagnouch

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 619
Re: To hit it or to roll it, that is the question.
« Reply #4 on: March 02, 2005, 07:55:04 PM »
ttt
--------------------
Champions Train-Losers Complain!!
Logged

Overhand

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1053
Re: To hit it or to roll it, that is the question.
« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2005, 09:01:17 PM »

took me a year...


--------------------
"Heres a Llama, Theres a Llama and another little Llama, Fuzzy Llama, Funny Llama, Llama Llama Duck. Llama Llama, cheesecake Llama Tablet, Brick, Potato Llama Llama Llama, Mushroom Llama, Llama Llama Duck. I was once a tree house, i lived in a cake, but i never saw the way the orange slayed the rake. I was only three years dead, But it told a tale, And now listen little child, to the safety Rail. Did you ever see a Llama, Kiss a Llama on the Llama? Llama Llama's, Taste of Llamas, Llama Llama Duck.
Half A Llama, twice a Llama, Not a Llama, Farmer Llama. Llama in a car, Alarm a Llama, Llama Duck Is that how its told now? Is it all so old? Is it made of Lemon juice? Doorknob, Ankle, Cold. Now my song is getting thin, I've run out of luck! Time for me to retire now, and become a duck! "
http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/llama.php
Logged

TheBowlingKid25

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6133
Re: To hit it or to roll it, that is the question.
« Reply #6 on: March 02, 2005, 09:07:34 PM »
Still working on it. Its so hard not to, because I get a lot more revs when I hit the ball. I am learning to tone it down though.
--------------------
....BRUNSWICK!
¡Viva la nación de Brunswick!
Nothing more to be said.
....DEATH BY CHEETOS!!!!
Logged

stanski

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2709
Re: To hit it or to roll it, that is the question.
« Reply #7 on: March 02, 2005, 09:29:38 PM »
If you watch the pros, almost all of them seem to "hit up" on the ball at release.

I know there are some exceptions (think pete weber), but for the most part, it seems to me that hitting up on the ball is not necessarily a bad thing. I am lucky, as I am naturally smooth, but can hit up on the ball if the shot demands it.
--------------------
stanski
Logged

MSC2471

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2080
Re: To hit it or to roll it, that is the question.
« Reply #8 on: March 02, 2005, 10:40:49 PM »
Yeah I was a victim for a couple of years of learning how to roll the ball as I grew up in the hitting up era of plastic and urethane. Resin to me was a hard concept to understand, letting the power of the ball do a lot of the work...

But I think over the past 5 years I've learned the 'modern' techniques fairly well and can tell when the ball is rolling well versus a shot that will be out of control.

Matt
Logged

Pinbuster

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4585
  • Former proshop worker
Re: To hit it or to roll it, that is the question.
« Reply #9 on: March 03, 2005, 06:29:35 AM »
Phsst!!! What’s that old smell.

Same issue for me, I have been working on it for a couple of years and still fight it all the time. The biggest issue is when I do grab at the bottom it jumps square into the nose almost every time.

As a side note. When I was doing CATS last year on the third shot of the ten I messed up and hit the ball, or as it said at the time I got after it.

When we were reviewing my stats that shot actually had the lowest rev rate of all my shots. It was around 290 and the others were 300 to 310. I also had the worst entry angle because it hook too soon.

Thus you get where even though it feels like a more powerful release in actuality it is not.

Logged

janderson

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2181
Re: To hit it or to roll it, that is the question.
« Reply #10 on: March 03, 2005, 04:23:36 PM »
quote:
took me a year...


ditto.

Congratulations, Rags - glad to hear you're improving your game.

As far as getting more revs by hitting up on the ball, you might be surprised - I certainly was.  Mike Jasneau proved me wrong during my CATS evaulation at Reno last year.  He had me first attempt to rip the cover off the ball by hitting up on it and had me release one parallel to the lane surface (there was no audible sound of the ball hitting the floor) "normally", that is, without trying to put anything extra on the ball.  My rev rate was actually slightly higher (20 rpms) with the 2nd, parallel release.

That may not be the case for everyone, but it was an eye-opener for me.
--------------------
Kill the back row (or maybe this should read "make your spares, dummy")
Logged

lefty50

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1822
Re: To hit it or to roll it, that is the question.
« Reply #11 on: March 03, 2005, 05:17:55 PM »
Not to throw cold water on this debate, but one thing sticks out that I have to mention....
If you get an avg 20 rpm more with a softer release, and a bowling ball takes 3 seconds to get down the lane, the softer release provided 1 rev! Although I can agree in principle with the reasons, I just don't see the power in that statistic.....
--------------------
Signature? I don't need no stinking signature...
Logged

Walking E

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2101
Re: To hit it or to roll it, that is the question.
« Reply #12 on: March 03, 2005, 05:38:50 PM »
I've practiced the fan release and the less-hit release for the past year and  I've found that for me it is a very condition-specific release. That is, the condition that I must have is "good backends", which is what I have at my practice house.
Unfortunately, my league is a late league with lots of carrydown plus fresh head oil, so when I try this new release in league play I get NO finish and NO power on the ball and have to revert back to hitting up on the ball.

--------------------
Official Member of the BrunsTrackColumStormHammEbonBuzzAMF Nation!
Logged

Walking E

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2101
Re: To hit it or to roll it, that is the question.
« Reply #13 on: March 03, 2005, 06:04:39 PM »
Bones,
It is possible that I'm fluffing the ball, because that is what it feels like to me. I probably haven't perfected the proper release point, although on lanes with dryer back ends and/or dryer midlanes it finishes wonderfully.
In addition, I have always thrown above average speed, which doesn't help the ball get into a roll on these types of conditions with a softer release.

As with the others, it will probably take a while for me to perfect the release. Practice, practice, practice.
--------------------
Official Member of the BrunsTrackColumStormHammEbonBuzzAMF Nation!

Edited on 3/3/2005 7:00 PM
Logged

Walking E

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2101
Re: To hit it or to roll it, that is the question.
« Reply #14 on: March 03, 2005, 07:01:30 PM »
I'm not a disbeliever at all, although I'm also not convinced that it is the premier release for every bowler. And I know that nobody is saying that. I guess I just need to determine if it's right for me. And I think I need to perfect the release (more studying of the proper way to do it + more practice) before I can make that determination.
I've definitely been using a firm wrist and some oomph, so I guess I wasn't fluffing it after all.

I'll keep you posted once I figure it all out!
--------------------
Official Member of the BrunsTrackColumStormHammEbonBuzzAMF Nation!
Logged
Pages: [1] 2
« previous next »