Expert: Chip Aki - 10/9/2008

Question
QUESTION: I recently figured out with the help of Brunswick staff member Chuck Gardner I am a full roller. Is it neccasarily a bad thing to be a full roller. Would it be better if I change to semi roller. And why are there not that many full rollers out there. Im bowling in college and I really want to do better, but I don't know if I should be ok this way or change.

ANSWER: I am guessing that since you mention that you are bowling in college that you are fairly young.  Do you throw the ball with two hands or without your thumb?  Most of those bowler throw a full roller but it is not the traditional full roller.  They can create more MPH and revs than the full rollers of the past.
If you are a more tradional full roller, you may have some trouble on lane conditions that require you to play deep inside.  Ball layouts can help some as can different ball surfaces.

Chip

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I am young I'm 19, I do not throw two handed or throw with out a thumb, just normal two fingers and thumb deal. I will be honest I grew up bowling on lanes that always oiled the inside and pretty much stripped the outside 5 which I learned to throw it out more than any other lines, but now after I have really been bowling I am capable to play the 10 board or inside if needed. I dont prefer it really, but am able to do it. Just wondering about how many layouts are there for a full roller I know there is not many.

Answer
We are all a product of the environment we from up in, and the condition you learned on would be good for a full roller.  It would have been the most controllable of any of the releases.

There is on or two layouts for a full roller, so options are pretty few.  

A full roller is usally the most accurate and easiest release to control.  It normally is not as powerfull as the other releases and I would worry that if  you have to play deep inside, you will not strike as often as the other players.

Someone that can watch you bowl should be able to tell you if that would be the case with you.  I have seen a couple of full rollers that could strike with the best of them.

Good luck,
Chip