How do I get more Revs?

[Keithalw]

I was wondering what I could do to get more revs... I am lil odd at bowling as I am right handed but land on my right foot. For the life of me I have tried to change that but can not. My ball speed is roughly between 12.75-13.75. I have noticed since we got a new pro shop guy he switched my insterts to a way smaller size cause the other guy had them way big and I didnt know much about all that. Either way is there anything I can do to get more revs?

[Ball99999]

How about accelerating through the release point?

[striker12]

another thing you could do is cup your wrist and on the back swing uncup jsut alittle and when coming back down try to cup it again and do was ball99999 sead accelerate and on the release snap your wrist and u will put alot of rev on it

[The German Shepherd]

Revs can be most easily achieved by concentrating on two things:
- As you have already read, you can accelerate through the ball as you release;
- Concentrate on coming up the back of the ball more as you release it. This will give you more "end over end" revs which adds power to your shot.

Jay

[billf]

All these suggestions are wonderful but won't work. I've tried with a friend/fellow bowler who until this past season landed on the wrong foot. This young man has Cerebral Palsy so it was a long, slow process changing his landing but he worked his butt off and accomplished it. He finished 3rd in our PBA/sport league this summer.
Landing on the wrong foot robs you of all the leverage and power needed to get beyond a basic speed and rev point. Have you tried practicing using the 1 step release? Add a step? What have you tried?

[Hot_pocket]

I know a couple of right handed right foot slide bowlers they are pretty good bowlers but i do notice they get alot out side roll and generally play straighter up . But try adjusting your hand position different ways while practicing to see what works for you.

[Hot_pocket]

http://youtu.be/8S8n9CGjBwY this was actually posted in the video area first

[Keithalw]

A buddy of mine and a old timer there has been helping me and one my biggest problems was coming over the ball or my wrist breaking alll through my swing so I got a brace and that pretty much fixed those problems but hot_pocket is right i pretty much play straight up... usually straight up 5 or 10 board down and in.

Bill I have tried the one step approach and even my usual four step approach. I know that its prolly me not giving it time or what not but it throws my timing out of whack bad. I been told by the old timer that Ive come a long way how I am now. I asked him bout the left foot landing he said itd be pretty much breaking my self down and starting all over that of course I wouldnt be as good as I am now right off the bat but says that generally it would give me the leverage you was talking about...

[The German Shepherd]

All these suggestions are wonderful but won't work. I've tried with a friend/fellow bowler who until this past season landed on the wrong foot. This young man has Cerebral Palsy so it was a long, slow process changing his landing but he worked his butt off and accomplished it. He finished 3rd in our PBA/sport league this summer.
Landing on the wrong foot robs you of all the leverage and power needed to get beyond a basic speed and rev point. Have you tried practicing using the 1 step release? Add a step? What have you tried?

While billf has some good advice about trying to learn to land correctly, I will need to (for the first time) disagree with him regarding whether or not the above suggestion willor will not work. Even if you are landing incorrectly, you can still learn to stay behind the ball and come "up the back" more. I likewise have known some bowlers who landed wrong footed (one in particular from Elmira New York some years ago named Dan Kalec) and were able to turned the ball well. For sure you should try to land correctly and billf's idea about building good footwork is extrememly important. I would suggest that you try the other ideas listed in this thread as well.

jay

[JaMau24]

Well, I will say it again. You really should learn to throw off the correct foot. If it takes you a while, then so be it. Start by just standing at the foul line, with the correct (left) foot in front, your right foot kicked out behind you to the left (like you see for a traditional bowling form), and just throw the ball with your arm. Don't move your feet. Then as you get used to it, transition to just walking slowly up to the foul line, and throwing off your left foot. Then as you start to get good at it, perform your approach at your desired speed. It won't be a quick process, but stick to it, I'm sure you can do it. Also, consider getting a coach or some lessons if you can't figure it out on your own.

I'm sure there are good bowlers who bowl off the wrong foot, but they are the exception, not the rule. I would say it's imperative you do everything you can to fix it.

Also, while Jay may have seen bowlers that can get around the ball landing on the wrong foot, I would go as far to say that they could definitely get more revs if they were leading with the correct foot. Getting good revs on the ball isn't just arm and hand, the whole motion and form is very important.

[AngeloPD]

http://www.bowlingknowledge.info/images/stories/slowinskiapr08.pdf

[bowl1820]

I'm surprised no one has asked this,

But what's your Rev rate now?

How many steps do you take in your approach?

Which foot do you start off with?

[ztbowler15]

I have a friend that is a right handed bowler but stops on his right foot as well, he averages 195 at the moment, and he is 19. but he is by no means consistant, he tells me that he wishes he bowled differently but his parents never got him out of it. so what i have to say is, get out of that bad habit as soon as possable because you could be putting your whole bowling career in jeapardy. Are you in any Leagues? if so, what are you averaging? do you have any videos of you bowling?

[Keithalw]

@Bowl1820 I do not know my rev rate I do not know how to figure that out. I know I saw a video on it but lost it. I start my approach with my left foot with a four step approach.

@ztbowler15 I am in a league and I started out with a 152 average and when I went to the pro shop and the new guy realized that the old guy had way too big figertips in my ball (i didnt know it matttered on how big just if they was too small) my average the last month of league jumped to a 162 and fell finally to a 158. when I go to bowl a few games (3) and last few weeks of league before it ended recaping I was averaging anywhere from 175-185. Unfortunatly I know I need to get in the habit of video taping myself and had a friend do it once... I always say I look weird when I bowl lol but my cam on my phone sucks big time and I do not have a video camera.

I really want to be good at bowling I enjoy it a lot. I just want to be good at what I do and enjoy kind of thing.

Far as working on the left foot thing when league starts up again in two weeks should I try to do loeft foot still or wait till I am decent at it and do my normal or what? I will try to work on the left foot thing but I have tried few times before it feels weird and it seems oh so wrong when I do it lol ...

[bowl1820]

@Bowl1820 I do not know my rev rate I do not know how to figure that out. I know I saw a video on it but lost it. I start my approach with my left foot with a four step approach.

Since you don't know what your rev rate is, you don't really know if you need to increase it.

Watch this:
How to find a bowler's PAP, ball speed, rev rate, axis rotation and axis tilt from Powerhouse

http://youtu.be/aicFPNb0YHw


Your finishing on the wrong foot because your starting with the wrong one.

With a four step approach start with your right foot. You'll finish on the left foot then.

right>left>right>left

[JaMau24]

Far as working on the left foot thing when league starts up again in two weeks should I try to do loeft foot still or wait till I am decent at it and do my normal or what? I will try to work on the left foot thing but I have tried few times before it feels weird and it seems oh so wrong when I do it lol ...

I would do as much practicing as you can if I were you before league started. If you start bowling off the correct foot, I wouldn't go back to doing it wrong. So if you are doing it in practice, do it in league. It'll just slow your progress of bowling off the correct foot if you go back to bowling off the wrong foot.

[ztbowler15]

you really should try to stop on your left foot as it will give you better balance and it is more natural for the body to move that way. but as for now with league starting in 2 weeks, You should completely quit sliding on your right foot, and only stop on your left everytime you bowl. It may take some time to get used too but it will definetly pay off in the long run. BUT MAKE SURE when bowling in league play, to NOT switch your stopping foot from the beggining to the end of the session, you could get called on that for an un-fair advantage. now im not sure how picky your house is about that, but just to be safe. And i would really like to see a video of you bowling while stopping on the left foot, maybe i could give you some pointers. This is just my suggestion. Its wayyyy better for you to change it now while your still learning than to switch to the other foot later on when your average is higher.

[Keithalw]

tonight I practiced it. I shot a 117 151 110 119 147... it was all up and down. I tried doing my normal four step but my timing was off of course but literally I couldnt keep balance and kept tripping over my own feet. One guy there told me to try the one step approach and it felt ok but know I am going to need a lot of practice which sucks cause rest of the week I will be working less I can get up there thursday maybe. And zt I am going to look for my old flip camif I find it I will try to take a video or see if one my buddies minds doing it on there phone or hell try it on mine and see how it is. By the way thanks all of you who are giving me tips and pointers.

[Keithalw]

Bowl1820 thanks for posting that video... although some of it I didnt understand fully but I get the jist of most of it

[JaMau24]

tonight I practiced it. I shot a 117 151 110 119 147... it was all up and down. I tried doing my normal four step but my timing was off of course but literally I couldnt keep balance and kept tripping over my own feet. One guy there told me to try the one step approach and it felt ok but know I am going to need a lot of practice which sucks cause rest of the week I will be working less I can get up there thursday maybe. And zt I am going to look for my old flip camif I find it I will try to take a video or see if one my buddies minds doing it on there phone or hell try it on mine and see how it is. By the way thanks all of you who are giving me tips and pointers.

4 step approach starting with your left foot!? RED FLAG! If you're going to do a 4 step approach you need to start with your right foot. Right when you take your first step with your right foot, the arm swing should begin and the ball should be coming down. You can also do a 5 step approach starting with your left foot (which is what I do). Don't start the arm swing until your second step though (with your right foot).

[JaMau24]

Here, watch these from one of the greatest bowlers of all time...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxmjBuun2zc

[JaMau24]

and...



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwyn8Thzf0I

[Keithalw]

Thanks for those video Jamau ... btw when I did the one step approach and my four step I did start off with the right foot I didnt mean to say left foor started first if I did I meant right.

[bowl1820]

BUT MAKE SURE when bowling in league play, to NOT switch your stopping foot from the beggining to the end of the session, you could get called on that for an un-fair advantage. now im not sure how picky your house is about that, but just to be safe.

OMG! Don't even worry about something like that! If you want to switch feet go ahead!

[Tampabaybob]

A buddy of mine and a old timer there has been helping me and one my biggest problems was coming over the ball or my wrist breaking alll through my swing so I got a brace and that pretty much fixed those problems but hot_pocket is right i pretty much play straight up... usually straight up 5 or 10 board down and in.

Bill I have tried the one step approach and even my usual four step approach. I know that its prolly me not giving it time or what not but it throws my timing out of whack bad. I been told by the old timer that Ive come a long way how I am now. I asked him bout the left foot landing he said itd be pretty much breaking my self down and starting all over that of course I wouldnt be as good as I am now right off the bat but says that generally it would give me the leverage you was talking about...


Keith.....I'm sure your Buddy helping you means well, but for you to learn the easiest and best way seek out a "good" certified coach in your area and have him work with you. Most guys and/or Lady coaches are not that expensive sand their experience can help you achieve your goal much quicker than learning on your own. Plus, you may not pick up bad habits that may be harder to fix later on. It's definitely worth the money. You'll be happy you did. You can go to Bowl.com and find coaches on the site that are in your area. Good luck and let us know how you are doing.

Bob

[Hot_pocket]

NO offense to anyone who has given tips. I'm a strong believer in finding what works for you i dont think there is a such thing as "landing on the wrong foot" because the word we need to remember is "natural". If thats what your comfortable with i say perfect it. When people told Belmonte that his 2 handed approach wasn't correct he showed them by becoming a professional and not only that winning as one. I do say try the advice that people give you BUT to your own liking, don't feel pressured to do it because they say its wrong. you don't have to change anything especially if thats your "natural" way of doing it there is nothing wrong with it. i know a couple of people who do it and nobody can walk up to them and tell them there style is no good and that there 300's or 800's arent accomplishments ...once again i hope know one is offended

[billf]

Did somebody say it was wrong? Counterproductive to what he wants to accomplish, yes. It can be done but that would be the exception, not the rule. Kind of hard to have your hand in the best position for revs when you can't even get it under your body due to no spine tilt, etc, etc, etc, due to landing on the same foot as the ball. It may feel natural but the physics limit what can naturally be done that way.

[JaMau24]

Exactly. Most people on here know that I don't like to tell people how to bowl, because if whatever they are doing is comfortable for them, and they are doing well, then so be it! I know I personally don't have a "perfect" approach and arm swing. When someone asks "How do I get more revs", the obvious answer is going to be "Start by throwing off what is widely considered to be the correct foot". If he is just beginning, I would suggest he learn to bowl a way that will help him progress quicker. Now I'm sure there are great bowlers who bowl off their wrong foot, but I have NEVER seen one in person, or on tv, and never heard of a pro that does it. It's completely counterproductive. It creates more problems then it solves. I'm not going to say "He will never be a good bowler if he continues", but I will definitely say "He will have a better chance of being a good bowler if it switches". He'll also get better faster. Most importantly, he'll get more revs on the ball if he does everything right, which is what the question was -- How do I get more revs?

[Keithalw]

I have thought bout getting a coach but never did.... It does feel natural to land on my right foot but I am also willing to try other techniques as well... I am going to practice some with it and see how it goes and of course will keep everyone updated... I will be practicing either tomorrow or thursday night and giving it some more practice. I been doing the one step approach cause the four step approach I was tripping all over the place like I never bowled before lol...

Far as the discussion on it being wrong or not I dont think anything is wrong when it comes to bowling... maybe a littler unheard of or unusual but never can say wrong. Like when Hot_pocket referred to Jason Belmonte I know two handed is unusual but doesnt make it wrong.... But I am willing to try the left foot and give it an honest to god try though not just one night or two nights...

[Tampabaybob]

NO offense to anyone who has given tips. I'm a strong believer in finding what works for you i dont think there is a such thing as "landing on the wrong foot" because the word we need to remember is "natural". If thats what your comfortable with i say perfect it. When people told Belmonte that his 2 handed approach wasn't correct he showed them by becoming a professional and not only that winning as one. I do say try the advice that people give you BUT to your own liking, don't feel pressured to do it because they say its wrong. you don't have to change anything especially if thats your "natural" way of doing it there is nothing wrong with it. i know a couple of people who do it and nobody can walk up to them and tell them there style is no good and that there 300's or 800's arent accomplishments ...once again i hope know one is offended

Hot Pocket,

When i work with a bowler I will always try to keep them as "natural" as possible based on what I see them doing. I do not try to "remake" the person into a textbook type bowler, BUT, when someone asks the question, as he did, and you have as many responses as shown here, it becomes very apparent that the guy really needs to change something. That said, when you find out he's ending on the wrong foot, the first thing to try to do ( as Bill said) is at least get him into a starting position that will give him the best possible chance of getting the proper leverage he needs to stay under the ball.

I bowl in a league with a 'wrong foot Louie' , and he consistently is a 220+ average bowler. BUT, he's the ONLY one I've seen in years that actually has it mastered. So you have to decide when someone is trying to improve their game, how far should I try to change them? It's apparent he wants to improve, so you offer your "suggestions" that "might" help him achieve his goals. As I tell many of my students, when you decide to change something it may take a lot of practice to get it down where your muscle memory will just take over and you'll be able to do this totally natural. But the goal is "improvement". If it doesn't work, then go back to what feels natural and work on perfecting that.

By the way, "wrong foot Louie" was the only professional bowler I'm aware of, that made money on the PBA circuit. And that that was mannnnny years ago. Check him out http://bowlinghistory.wordpress.com/2009/11/15/lou-campi-famous-bowler/

And if you want to see him bowl.......... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c41lTrryWt8&feature=relmfu

Bob

[GoodGorilla]

Revs can be most easily achieved by concentrating on two things:
- As you have already read, you can accelerate through the ball as you release;
- Concentrate on coming up the back of the ball more as you release it. This will give you more "end over end" revs which adds power to your shot.

Jay

Could you elaborate on making end over end rotation? Is this from the un-cupping process and/or lifting with the fingers? How is this tied in with turning your hand to a 45 ish degree?

[Hot_pocket]

Hot Pocket,

When i work with a bowler I will always try to keep them as "natural" as possible based on what I see them doing. I do not try to "remake" the person into a textbook type bowler, BUT, when someone asks the question, as he did, and you have as many responses as shown here, it becomes very apparent that the guy really needs to change something. That said, when you find out he's ending on the wrong foot, the first thing to try to do ( as Bill said) is at least get him into a starting position that will give him the best possible chance of getting the proper leverage he needs to stay under the ball.

I bowl in a league with a 'wrong foot Louie' , and he consistently is a 220+ average bowler. BUT, he's the ONLY one I've seen in years that actually has it mastered. So you have to decide when someone is trying to improve their game, how far should I try to change them? It's apparent he wants to improve, so you offer your "suggestions" that "might" help him achieve his goals. As I tell many of my students, when you decide to change something it may take a lot of practice to get it down where your muscle memory will just take over and you'll be able to do this totally natural. But the goal is "improvement". If it doesn't work, then go back to what feels natural and work on perfecting that.


Bob

I understand that and i said i do agree with trying with people suggest I just want him to know that what he does isnt wrong because the statement was made that it was. What i said was only my opinion just like everyone else and it wasnt to be negative in anyway it was just how I saw it from the answers that suggestion that were given. I respect everyone on this site because they are bowlers trying to help other bowlers. I just may not agree with them. I just hope they didnt see what i said and took offense but understood what i was saying in terms of how he may feel most comfortable. Like i said i agree with taking ALL suggestions and trying them all but my main point is it isnt wrong that he lands on his right if thats his natural.

p.s. I hope that cleared up what i was saying and once again i meant not to offend anyone.

[The German Shepherd]

Could you elaborate on making end over end rotation? Is this from the un-cupping process and/or lifting with the fingers? How is this tied in with turning your hand to a 45 ish degree?

If you go on YOUTUBE, you will see some slo-mo vids of some pros and their releases. Give that a try...

Jay

[billf]

I'm not offended. I think part of it is semantics. "Wrong" foot was stated several times instead of posting "ball side foot". As long as the ball goes down the lane nothing else is "wrong" in bowling. It's a great sport that allows for a degree of individuality.

[bowl1820]

Regardless of the terminology used, sliding on the "ball side foot" I think should be avoided. IMO It can introduce problems into your form.

About sliding on the non-"ball side foot" there's this From -"Fine Tuning the Physical Game"

Moving the ball-side foot to the outside of the slide foot accomplishes several positive things:
• It helps open the hip to allow more clearance for the bowling ball as it moves past.
• Creates a path or a hole that armswing will fill when delivering the ball.
• Armswing has an opportunity to be close to the slide foot creating a strong leverage position.
• It provides a counter balance or action to all the motion that must occur on the ball-side of the body.
• It shifts the weight of the body toward the side opposite the bowling ball for better balance.

So by sliding on the "ball side foot" you wouldn't be benefiting these things

[Keithalw]

Well rather it be landing on wrong foot right foot or whatever foot lol I went and practiced tonight... I stated before I want to get more revs and seeing as I landed on the same foot I throw with some people suggested that I try landing with the left foot instead... I did so and here is what I shot tonight 142 110 157 165 161. I averaged out the practice session with a 147 which is only about 10-15 pins below my normal average. Not bad I do not think. I had two buddies one saying if right feels better then do it the other saying if your going to try to change choose so and stick with it... so they had teh idea bowl three frames left landing three right so I did... the first time I did ok with my right foot landing but the second time without noticing so I landed on my left without thinking about it... it wasnt the best but it was almost like natural dare I say lol....

I will say that usually practicing at the tens my first few times when I landed on my right I usually hit gutter right before the pin. tonight when ten was left up me landing on my left foot I either hit the ten or barely missed it just a tad left of it never went gutter.

I do see how landing on the left opens up my body and even get a little higher back swing. I do know that the timing is off a good bit and also my ball speed isnt where it was but also know that this is going to be different seeing as I am trying something new with my approach.

i did how ever do a four step approach the whole time without looking like I was drunk lol I just had to take my time and and practice at it. I do not think I did to terribly bad and who knows maybe I can get the hang of it in a shorter time than I thought i would lol.... btw I want to thank all of you for your input and opinions on this matter. So glad that there is this forum of people online trying to help other bowlers improve there game....

[bowl1820]

One thing to remember is things take time, if you make a change you have to stick with it and get use to it. Then the improvement will start to come,then you'll see a better swing and with improved leverage your rev's should improve also.

[Tampabaybob]

No harm or offense taken here either. Every bowler has their own unique style and it'e important to work on the style that fits them the best. The intent of most of the people that commented (including me) was that Keith is more likely to improve faster and increase his revs (which was the original question). If he choses to continue to slide on his right foot then so be it. Whatever his comfort zone is he needs to work on it. Making a drastic change from sliding on his right foot to his left is not easy and would take plenty of practice. But that should be his decision.

Bob

[Tampabaybob]

Keith.... Glad to see you tried a regular 4 step approach and I think your scores for this attempt are good. It shows you have the balance to be able to pull this off if you want to make the change. From those scores you will definitely improve with practice. If you can find a local coach, that should speed your improvement process. Good luck and keep us informed.

Bob

[JaMau24]

Keith, glad to see that you are already showing improvement in such a short amount of time. It's only been a few days and you're feeling more comfortable. Just imagine another week of practice, or a month! Good luck and keep it going!

[billf]

Good job. Ten pins seem to be half the battle so it looks like you're adapting well (and quick).

[Keithalw]

I have been bowling on leagues for about two years now every sunday and even practicing a lot through the week and I fgured it would be super tough for me to switch my landing foot since the right foot always seemed so natural. I practiced again tonight as well lol... I am trying to get in all the practice doing this before league as I can. For some reason when going at the ten I start off with my left and wanna land with my right but thats the only time and only happened once tonight. If it wasnt for the fact that me wanting more revs and some people on here saying switching foots would help with that I do not think I would have really given it a second thought for a while lol....

But far as practice went tonight I guess I am not doing bad I just have to take my time and hard as it maybe be not to think of my timing and steps I just went up there and bowled. Some of the throws I know my form wasnt the best but I will be working on that as well... My scores was 96 161 185 178 160 182 ... i do think as well though bill that i am adapting quick... I think two years is a long time but I am sitting here wondering if it would have been 5 years how hard it would be to transition from this... And again as always I want to thank all of you for your help tips and advice...

[Tampabaybob]

Looking good.......you will not have a problem, just stick with it. Great job.

[Keithalw]

Thanks Bob.

[Keithalw]

I am just going to keep practicing and working on my release timing and form and of course I know it will take some time but it will come with practice though

[JaMau24]

Again, fantastic job. It's coming around quickly and you're right, the more practice the more normal it will feel.

[itstyler]

How has landing on your left foot helped you? do you see a difference?

[Keithalw]

Landing on my left foot tyler has been a big switch on the approach lol... I do see some more movement in the ball but now I got to focus on where my line is and speed and basicly getting it fine tuned and working at it hard. Although I been chasing that 600 series and I was starting serious about when league started inmay and came close a few times... Tonight less than two weeks being a left foot lander lol I shot a 598... I hate that I didnt get the 600 but I am seeing improvement and just need practice practice practice lol

[Tampabaybob]

That says it all.........you'll have your 600 soon. Determination, focus and practice is going to get you there. Congratulations, Great effort !

Bob

[Keithalw]

Thanks bob

[itstyler]

you will get there man. its mostly mental game. just remember that. dont over think. good job.

[billf]

598! Great job. What makes it even more impressive is how quick it has come. You will be shooting 700s soon and laughing as you look back to dreaming of 600

[Keithalw]

I figured I would check back in... I was going through some of my old post looking for something and saw this so now I am sidetracked to this lol... I didnt keep going with my left foot landing. I tried so for about a month or so and it just kind of all went down hill and I just slipped back into landing on my right foot. Since then I have increased my average and shot two 600 games. I guess the left foot wasnt for me but I did give it a shot. Just wanted to update and let everyone know.

[AZBowla]

Well if you're still looking for more rev's a couple of things I have tried that seemed to work was to curl my pinky rather than have it lay flat against the ball and also make sure your fingers are in the grips nice and deep, and keep your thumb loose and relaxed so you can get it out fast and then really spin it with your two fingers once your thumb is clear. Then again, there is such a thing as too much rev's - I found that out this past weekend. I was hitting the pocket fairly regularly but was leaving 7's, 10's and some nasty splits all night. Gotta work on that next.

[billf]

Tonight my teammates mentioned my revs were high, even for me so I paid more attention to it. Really wish I had tape on the ball and the camcorder going. I know it was in excess of 500rpm. I calmed it down once I noticed they were right.

[noeymc]

why do people always want more revs why not just move your mark and feet and keep the same release i am confused on this one can someone please clear this up

[AZBowla]

This article gives a good explanation, IMHO: http://bowlingknowledge.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=62

[Ball99999]

This article gives a good explanation, IMHO: http://bowlingknowledge.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=62

That article never seemed to clarify this part

"As a rule of thumb, changing the number of revs is an important skill that will allow you to change the amount of skid (length) as well as strength (backend reaction) of your bowling ball. "

[AZBowla]

That article never seemed to clarify this part

"As a rule of thumb, changing the number of revs is an important skill that will allow you to change the amount of skid (length) as well as strength (backend reaction) of your bowling ball. "

He clarifies it here:

"First and foremost, as a bowler, you need to have an understanding of how revolutions impacts both skid and push. A skilled bowler knows that several factors will increase the amount of skid. These include both ball speed and revolutions. But, in addition to skid, revs and speed also effects what we call push. Push is the distance that the bowling ball will go past the end of the oil pattern prior to reacting and making a move toward the pocket. So, due to speed and revs, the ball pushes past the end of the pattern a certain distance. More will be further. Less will be shorter. "

So if you really spin the ball up and throw it fast, it will slide farther down the lane and hook more sharply than if you just threw it normally or slowed it down. The key is to be able to read the lane and vary both your speed and rev's so that it's not too fast or slow but instead just the right amount of revs at the right amount of speed, so it hits the pocket perfectly. Much easier said than done. Anyone can whirl the ball down the lane like a tornado and have a massive, crazy and uncontrollable hook (you see people doing that at the lanes all the time), but to get the rev rate just right so it hits the pocket at exactly the right angle, well, that's an art that takes a ton of practice to master.