When is adjusting axis of rotation appropriate?

[bobforsaken]

I need someone to set me straight. As I understand it, increasing the axis of rotation both increases the skid length and also increases the angularity of the reaction (entry angle)

I'm looking for improving my game so that I'm able to make more subtle adjustments on the same line before moving. So let me post a question with regards to a recent practice session.

I was working on playing straight up the 11 board on a fresh house shot (42'). I was using a pretty aggressive ball so I was keeping a flat wrist and trying to stay behind the ball a bit more. The line was working great for me and then I started to notice the ball come in a little high due to it reading earlier and hooking a pinch earlier. I want it to skid a bit longer so I change hand positions and try to add more axis of rotation (which involves a slight cocking+cupping for me) The ball may have read a bit later but really jumped off the end of the pattern much more and hit higher. So I went back to the straight wrist and, Yup... still coming in high. So I closed my index finger closer to my middle finger and that reduced my Axis of Rotation. The ball read even earlier but the flare was less so it came in a bit weak and didn't carry.

Maybe I'm just making too much of a move when trying to increase my axis of rotation but it seems adding entry angle is not what I'm trying to accomplish when attempting to increase the skid length.


So to boil down the question, when should I be looking to increase my axis of rotation and how best do I accomplish this in an incremental way. (rather than going from, say 30 degrees to 60 degress when changing hand position)

[Aslan]

I responded to the other question in the other thread...but my advice would be NOT to change your release to add/subtract axis rotation. I gotta think changing your release would be a worse alternative than changing balls, changing loft, or changing speeds. All 3 of which could just as easily solve your problem.

[bobforsaken]

Thanks.. to this point my only "moves" are lateral adjustments and ball changes. I'm experimenting with different releases to give me some more time on an existing line or to help bridge the gap when my current line is hitting too high and after my move I'm hitting too weak.

[bowl1820]

Here's a article related to this:

http://www.billspigner.com/pdf/0202_Bill_BD.pdf


Also:
https://cmgbb.wordpress.com/2008/04/03/axis-rotation/

Excerpt:

Ok, Great! Now When Do I Use Them?

The No Rotation release is good for shooting straight at spares. It might also come in handy if you find yourself in a position where you have to point the ball at the pocket, but even then, the Minimal Rotation release might be better suited that type of shot.

The Minimal Rotation release is a great starting release on tighter/sport conditions. This release will give you a much more even response at the breakpoint. It is also good on a house shot when you are experiencing an over/under reaction with a higher axis rotation release. Finally, on heavier oil, this release will promote an earlier read of the lane, which is generally what is needed, at least until the pattern starts to breakdown.

The Moderate Rotation release is often times a good starting point on a house shot. Usually, with these types of shots, you will start out playing a moderate angle, and you will need a bit more rotation to make it back to the pocket from the breakpoint. Also, when you start moving in from an outside line with a lower axis rotation release, you may need to start increasing your axis rotation to get the ball to turn the corner.

As you find yourself moving farther and farther inside, you may need to move to a Maximum Rotation release. This release will provide you with the most skid downlane, but it will also react most violently to dry boards.

[mc_runner]

Good article... thanks bowl.

[bobforsaken]

awesome.. thanks bowl.

[Mike White]

I responded to the other question in the other thread...but my advice would be NOT to change your release to add/subtract axis rotation. I gotta think changing your release would be a worse alternative than changing balls, changing loft, or changing speeds. All 3 of which could just as easily solve your problem.

Someday when you learn to roll the ball properly, you will see how bad this advice is.

[Mike White]

I need someone to set me straight. As I understand it, increasing the axis of rotation both increases the skid length and also increases the angularity of the reaction (entry angle)

I'm looking for improving my game so that I'm able to make more subtle adjustments on the same line before moving. So let me post a question with regards to a recent practice session.

I was working on playing straight up the 11 board on a fresh house shot (42'). I was using a pretty aggressive ball so I was keeping a flat wrist and trying to stay behind the ball a bit more. The line was working great for me and then I started to notice the ball come in a little high due to it reading earlier and hooking a pinch earlier. I want it to skid a bit longer so I change hand positions and try to add more axis of rotation (which involves a slight cocking+cupping for me) The ball may have read a bit later but really jumped off the end of the pattern much more and hit higher. So I went back to the straight wrist and, Yup... still coming in high. So I closed my index finger closer to my middle finger and that reduced my Axis of Rotation. The ball read even earlier but the flare was less so it came in a bit weak and didn't carry.

Maybe I'm just making too much of a move when trying to increase my axis of rotation but it seems adding entry angle is not what I'm trying to accomplish when attempting to increase the skid length.


So to boil down the question, when should I be looking to increase my axis of rotation and how best do I accomplish this in an incremental way. (rather than going from, say 30 degrees to 60 degress when changing hand position)


Once you have a ball that will read the pattern in the midlane, you will find that lateral movements don't really change the position of the ball much.

The ball will only go out to the right until if finds enough friction to hook back up to the edge of the oil.

When the ball reaches the end of the oil pattern, there no longer is enough oil to keep the ball from hooking (assuming the ball hasn't gone into the roll phase)

What you need to do to make adjustments from there is adjust the Axis of Rotation so that the ball ends up rolling towards the pocket.

If this point is too far away from the pins, the ball will die before it reaches them, and that would dictate a ball change. (higher RG or lower surface friction)

Then again, you adjust the AoR to get back to the pocket again with hopefully better carry.

[Aslan]

Someday when you learn to roll the ball properly, you will see how bad this advice is.

That 'may' be true...but I stand by the REST of my statement (that you left out) which says I'd change balls, speed, or loft/vertical target BEFORE I'd mess with axis rotation. It's like the advice people always give with timing and approach changes...it's usually the LAST thing you want to change. Not that you can't do it....not that it's never done...and higher level bowlers may do it as part of their game...but you start getting a beginner/average bowler changing how much he hits up on the ball...I gotta think thats more of a last resort. Just my opinion.

[Blacksox1]

Aslan, I believed you have missed the point Mike White was alluding to. It is up to him to guide you forward in your quest for greatness. But at this time you are standing on the beach, and cannot see the water.:)

[Hampe]

That 'may' be true...but I stand by the REST of my statement (that you left out) which says I'd change balls, speed, or loft/vertical target BEFORE I'd mess with axis rotation.I still have to agree with Mike (that one day you will realize how wrong you are here). Changing release is just as fundamental an adjustment as changing balls, speed, loft, etc. Depending on the situation you will NOT "just as easily solve your problems" by changing balls, speed, or loft. For example, on really short patterns you will generally have to take some hand out of the ball, or (to quote a wise man), "you're gonna have a bad time".


It's like the advice people always give with timing and approach changes...it's usually the LAST thing you want to change. Not that you can't do it....not that it's never done...and higher level bowlers may do it as part of their game...but you start getting a beginner/average bowler changing how much he hits up on the ball...I gotta think thats more of a last resort. Just my opinion.Well who are we talking about then? A beginner/average bowler is going to be just as confused by changing his balls/speed/loft as he will by changing his release slightly. It's a fundamental part of the game and something that every serious bowler should practice regularly. In certain situations it will be the absolute best adjustment you can make.

[bobforsaken]

For what its worth, I'm ball changing way to much as it is. The purpose of my quest to be more versatile using AOR is to avoid changing balls all the time and throwing bad shots when I realize the tape isn't just right.. Changing loft for me is the most difficult since I have a bad habit of dropping the ball on the approach as it is.. my mental key to avoid this is to "Throw it to the arrows" which gives me acceleration through the ball and helps me stay behind the ball more. So lofting the ball (which is what I do all the time) actually increases my revs negating (as I understand it) the purpose of lofting the ball. Trying not to loft the ball just kills any effective rotation. Someday I'll improve enough to do that.

Speed, for me is doable in smaller increments. I do find that ifl I try to increase the speed a lot I lose balance and lose effective revolutions.

Axis of Rotation is actually getting to be a bit easier for me, but I think I need to work on some type of incremental adjustments. I'm going to work on the finger positions as outlined by Bowl's articles. Currently my axis of rotation is directly tied to my cup or cup/cocked.. In other words, my cup is only very slight before tendons in my wrist start directing my wrist to a cupped+cocked position. My normal comfortable release is cupped and slightly cocked. I'm probably around 45 degrees AOR when I do this When I go deep inside my Cocked position increases even more an I probably have 60 to 90 Degrees AOR and a really ugly "Yo-yo release" Going straight wrist seems to be the way I accomplish a lower AOR (say 30 degrees) but if I'm not careful I throw a straight ball.

And of course in all of this, I"m loading my hand differently to currently accomplish change in AOR so I'm of course changing the revolutions.. maybe that is really my problem. I'll work with finger positions today when I practice.

[bowl1820]

Axis of Rotation is actually getting to be a bit easier for me, but I think I need to work on some type of incremental adjustments.

Might take a look at this:

VAR-E System: Changing Axis of Rotation to Change Ball Motion

With the VAR-E Axis of Rotation System, learn how-to alter ball motion more easily. I have found it easier to teach axis of rotation variation by focusing on the center of the palm as compared with teaching it referencing the fingers and thumb. With VAR-E, the key to altering ball motion easily is to envision a clock face relative to the center of your palm.


Click here for VAR-E System: Changing Axis of Rotation to Change Ball Motion PDF (http://www.bowlingknowledge.info/images/stories/var-e-system.pdf)

Righthanded worksheet
Click here for /var-e-evaluation-worksheet-rh.pdf (http://www.bowlingknowledge.info/images/stories/var-e-evaluation-worksheet-rh.pdf)

Lefthanded worksheet
Click here for /var-e-evaluation-worksheet-lh.pdf (http://www.bowlingknowledge.info/images/stories/var-e-evaluation-worksheet-lh.pdf)

[dnhoffman]

That 'may' be true...but I stand by the REST of my statement (that you left out) which says I'd change balls, speed, or loft/vertical target BEFORE I'd mess with axis rotation. It's like the advice people always give with timing and approach changes...it's usually the LAST thing you want to change. Not that you can't do it....not that it's never done...and higher level bowlers may do it as part of their game...but you start getting a beginner/average bowler changing how much he hits up on the ball...I gotta think thats more of a last resort. Just my opinion.


We AGREE!

Changing axis rotation is definitely not for below-average bowlers!

You have to have a consistent and relaxed release, allowing you to properly roll the ball before being able to learn this technique.

So, it's not for Aslan. But it is an important technique none the less.