Approach ?

[Judy clemons]

What is an appropriate amount of time for a bowler to be on the approach? I have 5 rituals that I go thru faithfully and if I get side tracked
I have to start all over.
1) standing mark
2) aiming mark
3) staying straight
4)ball hold 10 o'clock
5)stay down , liftup follow thru

[billf]

The amount of ritual isn't an issue. The amount of time to complete them could be. Usually less than 20 seconds seems to be the norm but there are exceptions. Every league has human game delays. What they could possibly be thinking all that time, I have no idea.

[bowl1820]

The PBA uses a 25 second shot clock, which starts when you pick up the ball on the first ball of a frame.

Since league isn't the PBA, I'd say 30 would be the max. Most won't take that long though.

If you get side tracked, I would suggest stepping off the approach. Allow the other lanes to go while you collect yourself.

Also before you get on the approach, know where your going to stand and your target.

That way when you get on the approach all you have to do is set yourself and make the shot.

[ecub]

At league, the shorter the better. You're dealing with loud, sometimes obnoxious people. With the addition of alchohol, will make their patients REALLY short. Plus, many are usually in a hurry to get home or get finished. Most of the leagues I'm in, no team likes to be the last one to finish during the night.

[ArtVandelay]

In golf, no one minds a bad golfer as long as they arent a slow golfer.

I think the same applies to bowling. Just keep a reasonable pace and keep with the flow.

Few things bother me more than the sloooooow bowler who is not only slow on the approach, but the ball is slow, and its all just to bowl a 60 game. Speed it up a little! Ya might knock a few more pins down.

[Judy clemons]

I want to say Thank You, Bowl 1820 for
giving good radical sound reasoning & adviice. I did not know about PBA timing
and now I have a goal set to work toward
( 30 seconds or less) and you gave me a
solution on how to regain composure withoutholding others up.

[Judy clemons]

I want to say Thank You! to ART, E CUB, BILLF for your responses on the approach. I definitely
realize i need to work on this issue.
A BIG Special THANKS goes to BOWL 1820 for
best response as noted on his tread.

[J Anderson]

I second Bowl 1820's opinion that if the pros, for whom a bad shot is money out of their pocket, can make a shot within 25 seconds, we amateurs should be able to do it within 30. If you know that you take a relatively long time on the approach, be sure that you're ready to go when its your turn. I don't have a problem with those who take a long time on the approach but people who have to be constantly reminded that they're up, or worse, hunted down because they're three pairs over talking to a friend, drive me nuts.

One other help in speeding things up is to do all your thinking in the settee area so that when you pick the ball up all you have to do is find your starting position and focus on your target. You're not still trying to decide what adjustment to make. You're already committed to executing the decision that you've made.

Likewise, if you have to shoot a spare, think about how to make it while the ball is on its way back. Having a system for shooting spares helps a lot with this.

[RoccoRock]

I don't mind someone taking their time while they are on their approach, what bothers me is the people who take 10 minutes to realized their name is on the board, and it's their turn. One team in or league is notorious for this behavior. They even brag about how they're the last ones out every week. The only reason I don't hate them with a passion is they're nice people, and fun to hang out with, just wish we weren't hanging out quite so long

[Judy clemons]

We bowled in the xtreme sat night and i put into practice adjustments for shortening my approach by knocking concentration down to 2 objectives which were 1 ball hold at 10 o'clock and my follow thru and I bowled a
214 that was 70 pins over avg. I can't wait
to go bowl in my monday night mixed league
tonight using this new approach method i just
know it is going to be helpful.

[swingset]

With the addition of alchohol, will make their patients REALLY short.

When I was a doctor, I had a lot of short patients.

;)

[GeoLes]

Experience will save you time in the future. You will learn to recognize the pin leave, and know where you are going to stand, how you are going to release, over which board from behind the approach (usually whlie you pick up and clean the ball). Stand on your mark, set your stance trust your muscle memory, pushoff and go. Don't over think it. Just walk the ball to your mark and let it go. In your mind all you care about is that mark on the floor. See the ball roll over that mark, then look up to the pins.

[RoccoRock]

Nice game, good luck tonight Judy.

[mxjosh]

I get annoyed if someone takes 1min or over. Just standing there in position. I may take the full 30secs sometimes that most people are ok with but only cause my coach told me to take my time. Its mostly to get my arm and grip relaxed. Also to make sure I have my target. but 30 secs is a long time when u just standing and staring.

[SmilingBowler]

A few weeks back I heard something I never thought I'd hear during the Monday Mens League, which is by far the most competitive league I'm a part of; after struggling with pace early in the first game and starting with two opens, I hear from the next lane over, "Take your time and breathe kiddo!" and that changed the night for me. Now, whenever I feel I'm a little "off" I generally just slow everything down a bit. That was the key tonight. After throwing 147 and 159 (-26 and -14) in the first two games, I slowed it down and threw a 193 (+20) in the 3rd.

[ecub]

When I was a doctor, I had a lot of short patients.

;)

Pa dum dum. Tish..

[Judy clemons]

Hi! I know I have impoved my approach time tremendously and I have not been hurt too bad.
my avg series 432 ended up just 10 pins below due to the first game last night. am totally satisfied
with the improvement which is what I was focused on doing. just wanted to drop in say thank you,
for your support it is appreciated.

[GeoLes]

There is a balance between taking forever and rushing the shot. Normally 10-20 seconds is about right. Your time on the approach should be a ritual. I look at pins, look at my mark, look where will stand. Grab and clean my ball thinking of how I want to release my shot. By then, I should be all set mentally. Stand on my mark, check stating positiion and grip, go. If something seems wrong, step off the approach, reset and do it again.

However, remember not everyone is there yet, so patience is sometimes required. Give people time to catch up. Ranting may not always help. Last year, I was the guy 2 hours on the approach. (Is my grip right? Am I relaxed? What mark am I using? Roll the ball, don't pitch it this time. Remember, stay down through the release. The list is endless. Someone on another team made a rude comment on more than one occasion and I got the hint, but never felt the same way about that person thereafter.

I would have taken it better. Once I learned, I made a point of bringing it up to him several time until he conceded that I did not take too much time. I really developed a resentment. If only he said to "You know it take up a lot of league time. If you plan your shot while the other guy is bowling, before you step up, things go faster. - just a friendly suggestion" - It would have gone over better.

Please. Don't be that guy.

[ecub]

Taking too long can be a bad thing. I've seen some people who setup in the approach, stand still for about 5-10 seconds and do nothing. When you take too long, you could over think it and may tense up your muscles. The best thing is minimize the tasks you do while at the approach. Most of the things can be done prior to stepping up on the approach.

Here my routine...

Still sitting down on the chair, prior to getting up on the approach:
The pins won't move, so at least I know where they are. I know how my ball already hooks, so I know what line I'd like to see. If my previous shot was a little high or light, then I already know which way to move.

When it's my turn:
1. I would grab the ball immediately and wipe the oil (if any) from it with my towel.
2. As I'm drying my hand on the air blower, I would look the lanes next to me to see the bowlers. I would wait extra long for bowlers who like to walk a lane or 2 to their right or left when they release their ball. Or if there is a left handed bowler to my right, I would wait for the bowler to finish their release, before I continue. I'm used to the 1 lane courtesy, except when there's a left handed bowler to my right.
3. Once the other bowler is already set on the approach, I would put one foot on the approach to signal to the other bowlers that I'm next. While waiting, I put my fingers in the finger holes. I then repeatedly insert/remove my thumb from the thumb hole to make sure I have a nice smooth thumb release. If not, step back, go to my chair, change thumb insert, then go back to step 2.
4. As soon as the other bowler left/right releases their ball, I setup, place my feet on the boards, set in my position, look at my arrows, then go.

Step 1 and 2 can take from 20 seconds to a minute or so. Step 4, takes no more than 5 seconds.

[noeymc]

i just say hit what i am looking at and i go after i look at my mark for 2-5 secs and make sure i got my eyes locked on it

[75lockwood]

Taking too long can be a bad thing. I've seen some people who setup in the approach, stand still for about 5-10 seconds and do nothing. When you take too long, you could over think it and may tense up your muscles. The best thing is minimize the tasks you do while at the approach. Most of the things can be done prior to stepping up on the approach.


*Cough* Machuga *Cough* lol


my routine involves removing a kid for the lane, then picking up the ball, lining up, hand in ball, bend knee's, 3 point targeting, and go!

[ShortChanged]

As soon as my foot hits the approach and i'm lining up my feet for the shot, I usually take somewhere between 5-10 seconds during league or tournament play. I find that's it's sufficient time for me to focus on where I want to throw the shot, giving me more consistency. Any less than 5 seconds, and 90% of the time, I'm not throwing the ball where I want it to go.