After helping out my good friend FBM357 last night, I thought this would be a good tip for you guys.
I still watch so many of my friends, customers and teammates hook by 10's even with plastic, it made me start to analyze why. It boiled down to the fact that many bowlers out there are literally still turning the ball like normal thinking plastic won't hook at all, WRONG! Some of you younger guys were not around then but plastic and even hard rubber WERE our strike balls. They would and still will hook when it encounters the right amount of friction or dry boards. You can't really turn it up like normal and just expect it to go dead straight.
First of all, I recommend to reduce your lift effort. This will help the ball not turn over as hard on the backend or the dry area when it encounters that part of the lane. This will actually help it stay straighter longer.
Secondly, we can make a slight timing change in when we push our ball away in our approach. For most tweeners and stronger releases, we are typically a little late with the ball relative to our feet at the foul line. That is created normally in the beginning of our approach as to how late we want the ball to be relative to our feet. The longer we delay the movement of the ball to our feet in the beginning of our approach, the more delay it will create at the end of the approach (release point). If this is how we create power, then we don't necessarily want to or need to create that same amount of power with our spare shot.
Instead, from where you normally push the ball away in your normal timing, let's push it away a touch sooner so it catches up with your feet sooner and you won't be waiting for the ball at the foul line. This is where the old school teaching comes from about starting the ball with your 1st step, did anyone from the 50's or 60's crank the ball? NO...they were primarily all strokers and this is the way to create more of a "stroking" motion. By doing so, we really won't have the time to hit up on it because the ball will be there sooner then before.
Imagine a forehand in tennis, our leading foot is out in front of us "planted" and "waiting" for the racquet to drive thru for power. The same goes for a pitcher who has his leading foot out in front of him "planted" and "waiting" for his arm to drive thru with the baseball. Now try and throw the baseball while your foot and arm arrive at the same time, kind of awkward isn't it? Main thing is that it doesn't allow for any leverage or power. On killing a 10 pin, we don't need or want the same power as our first shot.
Hope this helps some of you guys. Good luck and good bowling from your Track Prez.
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Rick Leong - Ten Pins Pro Shop
Track Intl. - Amateur/Pro Shop Staff
Vise Inserts Staff
www.Trackbowling.comwww.startabowlingrevolution.comSee profile for Track Ball videos
*El Presidente of the Track Revolution
Edited on 2/19/2006 6:25 PM
