Looking for feedback

[Bowling Wonder]

Today I went practicing, and recorded some shots with my new iPhone. I should probably give a little background of myself: my disability is paraplegia at the T-8 vertebra. Basically what this means is that the only muscles that I have use of are all of my arm muscles, my chest muscles, and my upper back muscles. As a result, my balance is impaired, but I think that I've dealt with that somewhat well. My coach says that the biggest issue in my game is bending my elbow on the backswing. He told me to focus on nothing but straightening my elbow, which seemed to work. I also seem to have great difficulty with the right gutter, as 99% of my gutterballs seem to go there. Also of note is that my fellow wheelchair bowlers have told me that I drop the ball before the foul-line. However, I felt that this wasn't an issue today. If you could direct me to some flaws in my game, including bending the elbow or dropping the ball, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you very much!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2Af1BtqAxI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xS82Ene1Pg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGU6ne1P_GM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyPbPketA5M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlT08V2Vnus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5obQemmURs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QibrvQMQ_zM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq6oAksHPrA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CRuiHMF-p4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12HO3GcqNwU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-aXP-KzROA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8e1xMjDnTc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=762xl2JLYsY

[scottymoney]

First I would like to applaud you for still bowling with your disability. You are definitely an inspiration to many as I read what you wrote and didn't think it was feasible but man I have to say keep up the good work! It is tough to really critique what you are doing as normally I would say to straighten your back swing but that is pretty tough as the wheelchair limits that. As far as the gutter balls go have you thought about playing a straighter line (moving your aiming spot a bit closer to the center)?

Not sure if you have seen this video but these guy actually incorporate a rolling approach and it looks like they get a bit of speed on the ball.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgE0rRv-LE8&NR=1&feature=endscreen

From watching that video maybe you could try angling your wheelchair a bit as they do to promote a more free arm swing.

[AZBowla]

Here's a video I was able to find that might be of help:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRwCcg58RWI&feature=plcp

I think if you incorporate a similar style you should see your scores go up quite a bit. Good luck and keep at it!

[ArtVandelay]

I'm amazed by what people can do! I looked at your profile, and noticed you enjoy weight lifting. There was once a wheelchair bowler in a league I was in, and that guy was STUPID strong. He carried about a 160/170 average, if memory serves... I believe he was throwing a 15 pound ball.

I don't know what his disability was, to tell you the truth. I don't know if a heavier ball is something you would consider. It doesn't really matter, just keep having fun with it, and time and practice will take care of the rest.

You truly ARE the Bowling Wonder! hahaha.

[Bowling Wonder]

First I would like to applaud you for still bowling with your disability. You are definitely an inspiration to many as I read what you wrote and didn't think it was feasible but man I have to say keep up the good work! It is tough to really critique what you are doing as normally I would say to straighten your back swing but that is pretty tough as the wheelchair limits that. As far as the gutter balls go have you thought about playing a straighter line (moving your aiming spot a bit closer to the center)?

Not sure if you have seen this video but these guy actually incorporate a rolling approach and it looks like they get a bit of speed on the ball.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgE0rRv-LE8&NR=1&feature=endscreen

From watching that video maybe you could try angling your wheelchair a bit as they do to promote a more free arm swing.

Thanks for the feedback. I agree, it's very tough to promote a straight arm swing. I hadn't thought about the fact that my wheelchair might inhibit a straight arm swing. Maybe that says something about my perspective.... I'll also work on trying a straighter line, as you suggested. I've watched the video (even before you posted it), and while I do think those individuals have talent, this style most likely wouldn't work for me. Foremost, it seems that they don't put on their brakes. When I enter wheelchair tournaments, and even in my league, the rules mandate that brakes must be applied. I'm reminded of a quote from a (really the) wheelchair bowling book. It basically says that, due in part because of brakes, wheelchair bowlers can be far more deliberate in their movements. I guarantee that these bowlers are forfeiting some of that deliberateness. If these were able-bodied bowlers, you would quickly notice excessive drifting, which also concerns me. I'll also try angling my chair. Again, I appreciate the feedback.


Here's a video I was able to find that might be of help:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRwCcg58RWI&feature=plcp

I think if you incorporate a similar style you should see your scores go up quite a bit. Good luck and keep at it!

Excellent video! I haven't seen this before. My only concern is that swinging the ball so many times might make my swing path more erratic. I'd also be interested to know if this individual actually uses a wheelchair.


I'm amazed by what people can do! I looked at your profile, and noticed you enjoy weight lifting. There was once a wheelchair bowler in a league I was in, and that guy was STUPID strong. He carried about a 160/170 average, if memory serves... I believe he was throwing a 15 pound ball.

I don't know what his disability was, to tell you the truth. I don't know if a heavier ball is something you would consider. It doesn't really matter, just keep having fun with it, and time and practice will take care of the rest.

You truly ARE the Bowling Wonder! hahaha.

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I would consider heavier equipment. But, as you know, bowling balls are very expensive. Do you happen to remember the name of the guy you're talking about? There's a chance I might know (of) him.

[ArtVandelay]

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I would consider heavier equipment. But, as you know, bowling balls are very expensive. Do you happen to remember the name of the guy you're talking about? There's a chance I might know (of) him.

I couldn't even venture a guess, I'm afraid... Sorry! If it helps, it was about 5 years ago in a league at AMF in Euless, TX (Euless is a town close to Arlington, which is where Jerry Jones built that new stadium for the Dallas Cowboys, which we like to call Jerryland/JerryWorld/The Death Star, and the Texas Rangers play. It's almost directly between the cities of Dallas and Ft. Worth.).

[AZBowla]

Excellent video! I haven't seen this before. My only concern is that swinging the ball so many times might make my swing path more erratic. I'd also be interested to know if this individual actually uses a wheelchair.

I think he does - he has other videos of himself wheelchair bowling. I can't imagine anyone bowling in a wheelchair that didn't use a wheelchair, but it's possible.

What he does in the video is basically get a pendulum swing going. It probably will be more erratic at first when you try it but once you get the feel for it I think you'll find it works well and lets you put more speed on the ball. Worth a try!

[billf]

I will try to find a wheel chair to use so I can get a better feel for what you may be able to implement. Now that I'm back from the funeral I will have more time. I see several things that could help from the hand and ball perspective but want to see what's needed to for you to incorporate them. I can only imagine how frustrating it is for an able-bodied person to make a suggestion that you just simply can't do. I know when I was blind it drove me crazy and that only lasted for 14 months.

[Bowling Wonder]

I will try to find a wheel chair to use so I can get a better feel for what you may be able to implement. Now that I'm back from the funeral I will have more time. I see several things that could help from the hand and ball perspective but want to see what's needed to for you to incorporate them. I can only imagine how frustrating it is for an able-bodied person to make a suggestion that you just simply can't do. I know when I was blind it drove me crazy and that only lasted for 14 months.

Thank you for the feedback, Bill. My deepest sympathies go out to you.