Another disaster one the lanes.

[RoccoRock]

I am furious right now, and I can't decide if I want to go out and bowl 100 games to try and break my current slump, or quit and never bowl again. The night started great, I went to my pro shop and picked up my new Marauder. That's about the end of the good news for tonight. I got to the lanes, pulled out the 607A first just to get started. Once I got warmed up, marauder time. I was using my thumb, and despite hours worth of drills this week, same old crap. I can't hit the same spot twice. One shot never gets right of the 10 board, the next almost ends up in the gutter, or actually does end up in the gutter. So end of game 3 I take my thumb out, and try the Marauder that way. A little odd being it has a Sarge Easter grip on it, but not bad. Threw it well. League warmups start, Marauder no thumb, great in warmups. First game spare strike spare double. Decent start, then the issues started. I left 3 straight spilts in the same lane, ruining that game. Next game, I couldn't control the Marauder, it was just hooking too much. Third game was a full on nightmare. Went to the 607A, that didn't work well at all. Went to the frantic, just as bad. Since the night was shot I decided to go two handed to finish, just so I could suck at 3 styles in one night. It felt better than I extpected, usualy my balance stinks two handed, but it was really good tonight. I didn't have time to find the right line two handed, so no good results there either, aside from making a split. I left in a hurry, and forgot my brand new glove that I bought this week, so that's more money down the drain. The worst news of all, my shoes fell apart. Don't ever buy 3G shoes, they are straight up garbage. The push off shoe fell apart 6 months ago. I figured it was just because of the way I slide, my last shoes it wore a hole right through the side. Now the sliding shoe is ruined. It split all along the seams where the shoe meets the sole. If I had to bowl another game, I would have had to do it in my sneakers. Just a terrible product. So I'm pissed, and I don't even have a clue as to what style I will use from here on out. I can tell you this, I'm not going to waste money on another glove. I have 2 that fell apart, and one that I left behind now. So that pretty much eliminates thumbles, cause I need my glove for the extra grip. I guess I'll use my thumb, and see how much I can lower my average before I quit.

[Loyer807]

Bummed to hear dude, I know the slumps. The best medicine for me was to take a week off. No matter how bad I wanted to bowl I didn't go.
When I finally got back I felt awesome, if I felt like I was going back to doing whatever I was doing that was making me so off, I would just take a walk around the alley watch someone else for awhile then get back to it.

[noeymc]

you need to go bowl but not 100 games and when u do go focus just on basics

[RoccoRock]

I just watched video I took during practice. It's all in my legs. I am not throwing off a solid base. I need to work on my footwork.

[Fuzzifus]

I think you really need to pick a single style or delivery and stay with it. The footwork from style to style though similar, cannot be the same. Hence some of your issue......

[Tampabaybob]

Rocco, I'm almost in agreement with Fuzzi here except to say that having various styles does allow you to do many adjustments others may not have the advantage to do.

But lets start from the beginning. You start out and you're missing your target both left and right. Correct? The question you need to ask yourself is why am I missing the target. Answer: It's because of a couple of things; #1- 99% chance you're eyes are leaving the spot "BEFORE" you release the ball. You CAN'T hit what you don't see. #2 - something in your approach/swing/release is happening right at the foul line. Answer: Post a video and let's have a look...maybe we can find something that you're doing that YOU are not aware of. Many certified coaches regularly post her with many years of experience. And best of all? It's FREE advice !

Being able to switch styles, as I said is a plus, but switching back and forth in a league two or there times would not be my best answer to the situation. Maybe 1 switch a nite if you think one style would be better suited to the lane conditions of the nite.

Also on those 3 G shoes. I agree, they're crap. My Daughter had to buy a pair when she was bowling on her College team and they bother her every time she bowls. They refused to replace them as well. I wear Dexters, have one new pair (2 years old) and my spare pair I carry is almost 20 years old and just like new, probably 5,000 + games on them.

Will look for a video of you soon.

[GeoLes]

Bummer. I hate when that happens. Some days you just have to go back to the drawing board. Enjoy the new Marauder.

Like Lance Armstrong once wrote:

"It's not about bike......errr ball."

[GeoLes]

I just watched video I took during practice. It's all in my legs. I am not throwing off a solid base. I need to work on my footwork.

I get my best result when I bowl 1 or two games at a time. I focus on what I want to improve, emphasis on delivery, not pinfall. 80% of the frames are technique practice. Bowl the last two frames for integratrion - Just put it on the lane as I normally would. Resist the urge to bowl more. Pack up bag. Leave the lanes. Repeat short practice sessions a couple of time a week with same format until I feel the new adjustment has been assimilated. I bowl league at my local lanes, so I can come anytime and practice at discount rate. This is why they offer it.

I would look at some of the finish positing drills on Youtube. Slowinski has some great stuff out there that can help.

[Greenday]

I had a rough night at league this week. Only thing was, I was throwing the ball perfectly. Pocket shot after pocket shot all night long. On the left lane, I couldn't stop striking. On the right lane, I kept getting splits or leaving a solid pin standing (Not the ten pin or seven). All those splits destroyed any hope of a 600 series. I nearly made one of my 7-10 splits in the third game.

[Hammer]

Back to the drawing board of fundamentals. In the pushaway step the ball should be pushed straight out from the throwing shoulder.
Don't straighten out your throwing arm in the pushaway, let the weight of the ball do that. Let the weight of the ball take the ball back and up into your backswing

On the forward swing don't muscle the ball forward. The weight of the ball when you go into your slide step will bring the ball to the release position with good enough speed and will give you a more accurate shot so you hit your target on the alley.

On the forward swing to the release zone which is by your sliding foot make sure that your wrist stays straight or a little cupped and behind the ball until your thumb comes out. If your hand starts turning before the release area with your thumb still in the ball your thumb will hang up and you will end up with a pulled shot that will miss your target on the alley. Plus gripping the ball too hard with your thumb will raise the knuckle of your thumb which will also make it hang up in the ball and make you miss your target.

When you stay behind the ball to the release zone the weight of the ball will make your thumb fly out suddenly and when it happens the full weight of the ball will drop onto your fingertips at which time you leave your fingertips at the angle they were in the ball and make just a little turn of your hand and a lift with your fingertips to put revs on the ball. What you should never do is straighten your fingertips
to let the ball fall off your hand unless you don't want to put revs on your ball. Doing this will give the ball no hook or very little hook.

Bowl 2 or 3 practice games trying to get the feel for each of these things. What might be a real good idea is to take one or two lessons
from a qualified instructor to watch you bowl. The instructor would be better able to correct something you are doing wrong instead of you trying to figure it out yourself and just getting more frustrated to the point of giving up on bowling. Good luck and I hope you can find your way through this problem. Good luck.

[RoccoRock]

I am going to go ahead and respectfully disagree with those saying my problem is I don't stick to one thing. While I can understand where you are coming from, it's not something you see people do, and most people can't do it. However, I don't think going from one to the other bothers me in any way. In fact, my best series of the season, I bowled the first 14 frames with my thumb in, then switched to thumb out because I had trouble making spares. Shot 633 that night. Like I said, i watched the video, and my slide was awful last night. My balance was bad, and because i didn't have a solid foundation to throw off of, I couldn't be consistent. I know what I did wrong. I was setting up too far away from the foul line. It's something I do every now and then, I start further and further back each frame. It's a lack of concentration. I am hoping to get my buddy to come down and work with me. He is a high level bowler, he just missed qualifying for the Masters.




But lets start from the beginning. You start out and you're missing your target both left and right. Correct?

Here's something interesting that I noticed doing some drills today at work, I don't miss left, I miss right. I miss 2 to 3 inches right almost every throw. I tried aiming left of where I really want to throw, hoping that I would "miss" by the same amount, and therfore I would hit the spot I want to hit, and when i did that the ball went exactly where I was aiming it.

[panbanger]

simply dropping by to say hi

me too!

[unclemantis]

Take a week off. Escape the game entirely for.a week.

Relax. All in all It is a game :)

Look who's talking... Right folks?

[J Anderson]

Here's something interesting that I noticed doing some drills today at work, I don't miss left, I miss right. I miss 2 to 3 inches right almost every throw. I tried aiming left of where I really want to throw, hoping that I would "miss" by the same amount, and therfore I would hit the spot I want to hit, and when i did that the ball went exactly where I was aiming it.

I wish I had a sure fire technique to get you to hit your mark. Usually your mind and body eventually figure out how to make make the ball go where you're aiming with out thinking about it. Its a process of trial and error and some people adapt faster than others.

The thought that just occurred to me is that it would help to start by taking your motion out of the equation. try hitting a target from a standing position at the foul line. after you get that down pat, try a one step drill, again just focusing on hitting the target.I'm thinking you need to get it so you can hit the mark ten times in a row.

I may try this myself tomorrow.

[RoccoRock]

I wish I had a sure fire technique to get you to hit your mark. Usually your mind and body eventually figure out how to make make the ball go where you're aiming with out thinking about it. Its a process of trial and error and some people adapt faster than others.

The thought that just occurred to me is that it would help to start by taking your motion out of the equation. try hitting a target from a standing position at the foul line. after you get that down pat, try a one step drill, again just focusing on hitting the target.I'm thinking you need to get it so you can hit the mark ten times in a row.

I may try this myself tomorrow.

I will try that. I did notice when I opened my wrist at the top of my swing like Mike Fagan it seemed to make the ball feel weightless in my hand, making it easier to hit my mark. I'll be fine, I just needed to vent. Now that I've cooled down after a few days, and I know what I want to work on, I feel better.

[RoccoRock]

I will say this, as much as I am disappointed with the quality of my 3G shoes, they're customer service is great. I sent them an email last night describing what happened, and pics of the damage, and they are sending out new shoes to me today. Kudos to 900 global for great customer service, I look forward to talking to them again in a year when these shoes fall apart.

[TheSheibs]

I think you need to spend some time with that new ball and learn how it moves on the lanes. A new ball will be slightly different from the balls your use to. Also if you see a problem with your foot work start there. Also watch that new ball and mess around with trying different things with it. It seems that because you weren't getting the expected results from it that you started to get frustrated. Remember, part of this game is mental. Getting angry or frustrated can make things worse. As for sticking with one style. I agree that is the way to go. Another aspect of bowling is muscle memory. Your body remembers how something feels and if you are changing back and forth so much you can start having issues like the one you are seeing with your foot work. Just a suggestion and you can take this with a grain of salt if you wish.

I also know what it feels like to be in a slump. I'm going on a two week slump of not even hitting my average but I stick with it and go back to where and how I usually bowl. Sometimes you just have to work through the slumps and hope it doesn't last too long. Maybe go back to what you were doing when you were having some good results.