Expert: - 3/23/2009

Question
QUESTION: I am a right handed person and i twist my wrist to the right when i release my ball so giving it a left handed spin on it.  i am consistent on a speed of 21-23 mph for speed. i am throwing a 15 lb Track Kinetic Pearl ball.  its drilled with a conventional finger setup.  i usually stand with my left foot on the far left dot and my right foot on the next one over.  but depending on lane conditions sometimes i have to stand with the right side edge of my right foot on the left side of the middle dot.  my ball will go straight down the lane with no hook n some spin.  this is how i have thrown since i started bowling when i was 10 years old.  i have tired to throw a normal right handed hook and its not for me.

what can i do to give my way of throwing a little hook?  also is my ball choice a good ball for this style of throwing or what do you suggest and why?  also what help can you give me to improve my way of throwing for a more consitent game?  also is there a technical term for this style of throwing and if so what is it?

thanks,
joe

ANSWER: Joe,
My computer isn't letting me complete your response. My software shut down twice. UUUUGGGGGHHHHH.

Your ball speed is VERY fast. How did you measure it? 23 mph is hitting the pins in less than two seconds (1.73 seconds approximately). A reverse spin to your shot would be very difficult to deliver at the speed you report.

A pearl ball for your speed, you better be bowling on VERY DRY lanes, or the ball is skidding all the way through the pins.

Why do you move? What happens with what kind of lane condition change? if the ball basically goes straight.

On your other questions: what can i do to give my way of throwing a little hook?  less speed, but speed is an asset. your delivery won't allow much hand, wrist, and elbow action without tremendous torque to your arm. Not easy, not a good idea. I encourage pain free bowling.

is my ball choice a good ball for this style of throwing? No (but the Track Kinetic Pearl is a good ball).

what do you suggest and why?  for speed - surface, strong cores, and lessons, for a rev challenged player stronger cores and layouts and lessons. Is your ball drilled as if you were lefthanded? pitches, fit, layout?

what help can you give me to improve my way of throwing for a more consistent game?  there is no way to make what you do easier, that's why no one does it.

is there a technical term for this style of throwing and if so what is it? Back-up ball.

I don't mean to discourage you but there seems to be a lot more going on then just trying to improve a long time (ineffective) approach to bowling? You are NOT fine tuning a Fosbery Flop kind of approach to the sport.  The NEW thing in bowling is a two handed delivery.

Look at other sports. In a (top player's) golf swing, tennis stroke, baseball swing, football pass, you see all the power, and intricacy of the action but the act seems simple, fluid, almost easy.

The trick to success in bowling is to teach your body the easiest way to deliver a bowling ball then let the body execute the action. A highly mechanical approach and delivery can provide improvement with lot of practice, but there are outside influence that get in the way of the mechanical execution including: stress, fatigue, temperature, humidity, lane condition, condition changes, etc.

Thank you for the questions. Please follow-up with me.

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

QUESTION: first off i would like to say thanks for the reply.  its greatly appreciated.  as for my ball speed.  we have a bowling alley that has a radar system built into every lane and shows your speed.  my normal average number is 22.9 mph.  the fastest i have ever thrown is 30.5 mph.  i am not forceing the ball to go fast either.  i just simply let it out of my hand and it goes that fast.  i can easily make it go faster.  everyone keeps telling me that i throw fast when they watch me bowl.  as for the lanes i bowl on are usually medium to heavy oil.  as i only bowl in tourneys or on league for backup for a friend.  but next year i want to bowl league all year.  

as for moving i usually don't move. i usually stay in the same spot.  

as for pain free bowling.  i could bowl 24/7 and my arm won't get tired with the speed i am throwing.  

no my ball isn't drilled for a left handed person.  should i condsider this? from what i have read the way i throw they have there balls drilled for left handed and what change would it do?  it is just drilled for a conventional straight ball right now.  with changeing it to the left handed config, what change should i expect with my speeds?

you say my speed is an asset,  ok so now what can i do to make it to my advantage with the way i throw??  and which balls do you suggest for my style of throwing?

for me this is the easist way for me to bowl.  i will tell you i am the person that likes to be the odd ball.  like i race dirt track and my engine is comprised or ford and chrysler and small block chevy and big block chevy parts into one engine.  i am just one of those people that like to be different than what everyone else has.  

i had my friend do a light sand to my ball to dull it up, and the ball seemed a heck of alot better.  this was on sunday night.  i ended up bowling a 206 for that game.  i am a consitent 162-185 for scores with occasional 200 games.  

Answer
Joe,
No doubt you throw fast but the local center may be getting the speed wrong. The speed measuring devices can become miscalibrated and reflect way more or way less than actual speed. Does it take less than two seconds for your ball to hit the pins?

You roll with a lefty's rotation, the ball should be drilled appropriately. Your very shiny ball may not provide any change in reaction when drilled for your roll, but it should help.

The speed asset is that lane conditions change but don't change as drastically for leftys and speed dominant players (and your game features both characteristics).

The light sand is an indicator that both more surface (rougher cover) and changing the ball to reflect your roll would help. Have your local shop redrill the ball for your roll (put the pin, center of gravity and potentially weight hole in more advantageous position and adjust the surface, leaving it rougher).

Let me know how it works. Thanks for the questions. Good luck and good bowling.