Expert: Chip Aki - 9/11/2009

Question
Hi there.I'm from Malaysia. I have my first ball Scout/R Particle Hi Flare.  As a beginner, there are a lot of questions that need to be answered. I am quite comfortable playing at the wood lanes. I manage to score an average 189. I am a left handed, using 5 steps approach, stands at board 20 and targeting the board 10. The problems are :-
1. I cannot do the same on the synthetic lane. I have adjust my stand, on board 21 and target on board 12,it seems that i have difficult to put my ball on 1-2 pocket. It still goes to 1-3 pocket. While training we should concentrate on pocket 1 -2 isn't?
For you information I only balls 25 times in wood lane and 2 times on synthetic.
2. What should i focus as a beginner? Is it on the approach? Footwork? Timing?
3. What should I observed to understand my game better? That's all for now, thank you for listening.

Best regards,
Huzir
Malaysia

Answer
Sorry for the delay in the answer.  I was out of town for a couple of days.
Your target should be the 1-2 pocket.
Your timing is the most important thing to work on.  Without proper timing, your release and accuracy will suffer.
I would also focus on body position and your swing.
The previous two statements go hand in hand.  Without one, you cannot have the other.
I would observe the better bowlers in your centers.  Watch their footwork and their body position.  Pay attention to their hand movement at the bottom of their swing and their release.  Watch where their breakpoint is on the lane.  This is the point their ball makes its strongest move towards the pocket.  You will need to get you ball to that same point on the lane.  You may have to stand at a different point on the approach unless you throw the ball in the same way.

Learn to roll the ball and be consistent.  Then you can work on the power.

Good luck,
Chip