Expert: - 11/17/2009

Question
QUESTION: My 14 year old son bowls two-handed and is throwing a Storm Street Rod and is finding on medium to dry oil lanes that he is getting too much reaction and is finding it difficult to control it down lane.  Do you have an equipment suggestion for a ball that has a little less violent hook on the backend?

ANSWER: Gary,
One of the nice things about a two handed delivery is you can use the top hand to control the tilt and rotation of the ball. Try to work with a good coach (that knows about tilt, rotation, ball speed and rev rate) and have him learn how to control the ball better.

It's such a new phenomenon, two handers that I've seen don't have a set PAP (Positive Axis Point). They have such flexibility with ball speed and rev rate on today's easy lane conditions that they seldom need to roll the ball consistently. Therefore a consistent set-up and delivery will start to establish a base line of ball reaction. Adjusting the set up can then control how quickly the ball will rev up, and how hard it might hook down lane.

Without knowing more about your son's game (rev rate, ball speed, axis tilt, axis rotation and idea of his Positive Axis Point) it's difficult to know (easy to guess) what to suggest. Knowing more about the current layout of the Street Rod and how your son plays the lanes would help, but two handers can be violently more rev dominant than speed dominant. Recovery for the rev dominant player is easy, dry lanes or dry heads are killers.

The violent ball reaction is more a measure of his rev rate, then the ball, then how it interacts with the lane conditions (surface and layout). What weight ball does he throw? Do others have problems with the lanes hooking? Has he done anything with the surface of the Street Rod? How many games does he have on it? Does he own any other equipment?

Thanks for the question, I wish this was an easy one but if he gets into the wrong equipment, it might cause him (at his young age) to build his game around a bad ball reaction and that leads to lots of frustration. Please bare with the questions. If you can provide more info, picture of the ball/layout, maybe even a video, I'd gladly suggest some options. Good luck to your son and thank you for being concerned about his development as a player.

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

QUESTION: The irony of your answer was that it was so much more helpful then just answering my novice approach to the question!  I will try to give you at this time all that I know about his game and I appreciate you taking the time to answer my question.

First, I don't know how you would measure rev rate without say the CATS system being available but I would say from watching the 13lbs ball go down the lane that he is getting what most intermediate/advanced league bowlers are getting (he's only thrown this way maybe 50-60 games), ball speed is around 16mph, and it rolls out of energy maybe 20% of the times he throws it.  I don't know the drill layout exactly but I know that it isn't something crazy.

Our house shot is on synthetic lanes and they tend to be medium to light oil (I know that I and others have more issues throwing through the nose then at other houses). He usually does a 4-step approach from the far left side of the lane and throws (right-handed) over the 3rd arrow.  He sometimes tries to throw it further out but it usually runs out of lane before it has a chance to come back.

He received some tips a couple of weeks ago by Jason Belmonte during his Next Revolution tour that I think is helping (nothing like tips from the master!) so I think approach was one and holding the ball higher during the approach before staring the swing has kept him more consistent.

He is full out committed to this approach which I think is good that he isn't going back and forth and I think the longer he does it the more he will see how to control it.  I might look for something like the Storm Tropical Storm that is known to not have as much reaction on the lane as others (I've read only a little about RG and Diff and it makes my head spin).

Thank you again and I hope this helps others that read this thread.  

Answer
Gary,
Your son's 13 lb ball doesn't have much of a core. So, surface on a lightly oiled synthetic lane is important. Getting a Street Rod Pearl or Fast from Storm will give him more length but still the dynamics of what he's used to. A shiny Tropical has a VERY strong Reactor cover. A true pearl would be a better idea. Maybe even a shiny three piece pearl ball.

Rev rate can be determined using a video camera and some tape (placed on the ball from PAP to the fingers). 16 mph sounds pretty fast, does it take less than three seconds to go from foul line to pins?

How he directs the roll of the ball, is the key factor to flexibility as a two-hander. As he plays more and more, getting someone that can help him develop rotation and tilt options, will expand his skills. Two handers are typically hook monsters, BUT Belmonte won his first title going down the boards with a plastic ball (on one lane). So, developing the skill to control roll is important.

Options in his bag can be helpful, but skills in his head (and body) are priceless. Before you expand his equipment options (a bunch) let him practice and develop. Keep in mind as the balls get heavier the core becomes dramatically more dynamic, so heavier bowling balls have greater and greater hook potential. That's why Belmonte has to throw so hard, to match rev rate and ball speed. Guys like Robert Smith have reduced their rev rate so it matches their speed better (using today's modern bowling balls), to be more effective on the pro tour. While speed is a good asset, it must match the rev rate for optimum carry.

Thanks again for the follow-up. Good luck to you and your son.