Expert: Susie Minshew - 2/9/2010

Question
I'm a new bowler and really starting to have fun.  I'm throwing what everyone is telling me is a backup ball. I started the season with a 84 average (I did mention that I'm new). I'm now 107 average and bowled my highest game of a 156 last night.  Why is everyone advising me to get away from throwing my backup ball?  Also, is there a particular ball and/or drill pattern best for back up bowlers?

Answer
Hi, Denise!

Great question. the term backup ball refers to the way your ball is rotating. Assuming you are  righthanded bowler, your backup ball will fade to the right as it moves down the lane. A semi-roller or three-quarter roller will hook to the left. There is nothing wrong with a backup ball. It just has limits.  

The space between the 1 and 3 pins is called the pocket. A shot with 3/4 rotation will hook left and into the 1-3 pocket and properly deflect so that pins can knock other pins down. (Your ball only hits four pins, the 1, 3, 5, and 9 pins - you depend on them to roll around and knock the others down). If you hit the 1-3 pocket with a ball that is rotating to the right, you will hit the 1-3 pocket 'going away'. In other words, your ball is moving away from the pocket. When it hits the pins, the pins knock the ball even more to the right resulting in lots of pins standing.

You have a couple of choices. You have said that scoring is more fun. Yes, it is! You will score more by changing your roll from backup to 3/4. Or, you could just move to the left and play the left side of the lane. Since a backup ball fades to the right, you would move over and play the 1-2 pocket instead of the 1-3 pocket. Your ball would 'hook' into the 1-2 pocket rather than past the 1-3 pocket.

If you choose not to change your roll, you can probably average between 170 and 180 pretty consistently. There will be shots where you are shut out. There will be times when you can't get far enough left to play the lanes the way they need to be played.

If there is the slightest chance that you won't be happy with what will happen according to the above paragraph, change now. It's way easier to do it now before the backup release becomes ingrained. Whether the change is worth it or not is entirely up to you. With a backup ball, you have a ceiling. With a 3/4 roller, you don't.