Expert: Chip Aki - 12/9/2006

Question
I joined a league about two months ago, but before that  I was just a recreational bowler.  With that said, I am really hooked and am looking to get as much information about form and approach as I can as aquickly as I can. I am a right hand bowler and my handicap so far is 48 with a house ball.  At first my scores were all over the place, (one week's three game scores were 118, 183, 145) but now seem to be getting more consistent since I changed my approach. I start with my right big toe on the second dot from the right and throw to the second arrow from the right and this usually puts me somewhere in the pocket 85% of the time (is this setup and approach OK).  Since making this change I have eliminated the big swings in score (now typically in the 150's). I am getting less strikes but more spares and am leaving less open frames (I just bowled an all spares game two weeks ago).  One problem I notice is it seems I get more strikes when I hit left of the head pin instead of on the right(do they call this "brooklyn")  Anyway, if I leave pins on the left side then I can move over "X" number of dots and aim at the corresponding arrow and can confidently pick it up.  However, if I leave pins on the right side I start out on the far left dot and approach and aim at the particular pin I am trying to hit. Is all of this ok or should I be doing something different.  Finally, how long should I wait to buy a ball of my own and is there a particular one you would recommend.

Answer
A couple of things.  If you can, line up using the foot you slide on.  This will give you the ability to make adjustments better in the future.  It will also show you if you are walking towards the foul line the same on each shot.

It sounds like you throw the ball pretty straight at this point.  I would line up for spares the same on each side.  If you leave the spare on the left, move right on the approach and if you leave the spare on the right, move left.  I would do this and use the same target until you start throwing a hook.  At that point, you will need to move the way you are now, but look at the arrows instead of the pins.

If you want to buy a ball of your own, the type of ball will depend on the performance you are looking for.  You can not buy a ball that hooks, but you can buy a ball with hook potential.  It sounds like you are a comptetive person so I would look at an entry level performance ball.  This type of ball will grow with you as you learn more of the game.  It will give you better pin action right away and give you more power as your technique improves.  This type of ball would be a Brunswick Power Groove, a Columbia Scout, and Ebonite Tornado, or a Storm Tropical Storm.

Good luck,
Chip

It sounds like you are on your way to some better scores in the future.