Drastic change in style recommended by pro-shop.

[kbucks]

Hi all.

I'm just getting back into bowling after a few years out. I never bowled in leagues, but went about 3 times a week when I was into it. I just purchased my first balls. I went to a pro shop and the guy watched me throw a house ball and asked if I always cranked it like that and if I regularly carried as much speed as I was. It had been a year since I bowled at all, but things seemed about right. I didn't get a look at the speed, but stuck around after ordering and rolled 3 games, the speed reader was averaging around 15-16 mph until I got tired. Ha.

My usual delivery was from the second dot on the left of the approach and I would roll usually somewhere around the center to 2nd from center arrow on a house shot. I used a very cupped wrist and would (I guess) get a lot of revs on the ball. It would usually carry over near the gutter and come back to the pocket. My high game with this approach was a 278 with a hand me down Storm (around 2003) that kind of fit. All I remember about it was it was blue and had a dull cover.

The guy decided that I needed a more aggressive ball than he originally thought so he suggested the HyRoad Solid. I also got a plastic spare ball.

The 3 games I rolled with a house ball that night were a 176, 117, and a 194.

The time came to pick up the balls and get them drilled, first time for me, so I was excited!!! He said he was going to drill the HyRoad for a long arc with a finger tip grip that would read the middle well. I'm new to this, so ok. After tweaking the fit a bit he had me roll them how I would normally roll. The HyRoad wouldn't make it to the pins. It went to the right gutter and came all the way back to the left. Ouch.

Then he had me try to throw it straight, which I did. He said he was shocked that I could throw straight because crankers usually can't. I threw it right to the pocket. That was how I learned as a kid though so... He then had me use my arm more like a pendulum (my usual style used a lot of muscle and wrist to move the ball) and just use a little rotation on the ball. I made the adjustment and he freaked out at how easy it was for me to change my form. I picked up about 1-2 mph on the sensor, but I am now terribly inaccurate and only get about 2-3 boards of movement on the ball if it doesn't just go straight or off into the right gutter. (Probably, I'm used to throwing the ball a little right because it bites with all the rotation and comes back...)

I swallowed my pride and rolled 3 games this way. I'm now throwing from the right side of the approach and down the right side of the lane. I didn't break 80 once. I persisted though and figured maybe he knows something I don't. I'm going to continue practicing this way this weekend and see what I can figure out, but I'm going to be honest, I'm disappointed with it. It is a huge adjustment and I know its going to take work, but I'm not sure if it is worth it? He pointed out that this way was going to be more accurate and better on my body in the long run, but I'm used to having big motion on the ball and was ok with my old style. I was even pretty (can always get better) accurate at hitting the 10 pin by cranking a plastic ball out to it. Now, I can't even hit those.

Sorry for the novel, any advice?

[Sourtower]

Hi all.

I'm just getting back into bowling after a few years out. I never bowled in leagues, but went about 3 times a week when I was into it. I just purchased my first balls. I went to a pro shop and the guy watched me throw a house ball and asked if I always cranked it like that and if I regularly carried as much speed as I was. It had been a year since I bowled at all, but things seemed about right. I didn't get a look at the speed, but stuck around after ordering and rolled 3 games, the speed reader was averaging around 15-16 mph until I got tired. Ha.

My usual delivery was from the second dot on the left of the approach and I would roll usually somewhere around the center to 2nd from center arrow on a house shot. I used a very cupped wrist and would (I guess) get a lot of revs on the ball. It would usually carry over near the gutter and come back to the pocket. My high game with this approach was a 278 with a hand me down Storm (around 2003) that kind of fit. All I remember about it was it was blue and had a dull cover.

The guy decided that I needed a more aggressive ball than he originally thought so he suggested the HyRoad Solid. I also got a plastic spare ball.

The 3 games I rolled with a house ball that night were a 176, 117, and a 194.

The time came to pick up the balls and get them drilled, first time for me, so I was excited!!! He said he was going to drill the HyRoad for a long arc with a finger tip grip that would read the middle well. I'm new to this, so ok. After tweaking the fit a bit he had me roll them how I would normally roll. The HyRoad wouldn't make it to the pins. It went to the right gutter and came all the way back to the left. Ouch.

Then he had me try to throw it straight, which I did. He said he was shocked that I could throw straight because crankers usually can't. I threw it right to the pocket. That was how I learned as a kid though so... He then had me use my arm more like a pendulum (my usual style used a lot of muscle and wrist to move the ball) and just use a little rotation on the ball. I made the adjustment and he freaked out at how easy it was for me to change my form. I picked up about 1-2 mph on the sensor, but I am now terribly inaccurate and only get about 2-3 boards of movement on the ball if it doesn't just go straight or off into the right gutter. (Probably, I'm used to throwing the ball a little right because it bites with all the rotation and comes back...)

I swallowed my pride and rolled 3 games this way. I'm now throwing from the right side of the approach and down the right side of the lane. I didn't break 80 once. I persisted though and figured maybe he knows something I don't. I'm going to continue practicing this way this weekend and see what I can figure out, but I'm going to be honest, I'm disappointed with it. It is a huge adjustment and I know its going to take work, but I'm not sure if it is worth it? He pointed out that this way was going to be more accurate and better on my body in the long run, but I'm used to having big motion on the ball and was ok with my old style. I was even pretty (can always get better) accurate at hitting the 10 pin by cranking a plastic ball out to it. Now, I can't even hit those.

Sorry for the novel, any advice?

My advice is to just keep practicing. Even though your old way seemed like it was good, it will take a big toll on your body in the long run. There's a reason the PBA bowlers are able to bowl a bunch of games per day and still not be tired. I used to bowl with a Brunswick Zone bowling ball that unfortunately the pro shop guy never even offered to drill finger tip drill for me. I was considered a cranker by friends but I bowled with a conventional grip and I muscled the ball and had my wrist very sore after 3-4 games because of the hook I was putting on the ball. Even though I was averaging 190+, I could tell it wouldn't last long.

I decided to take bowling seriously back in February of last year and got a bowling ball (Black Widow Assassin) drilled finger tip by a pro shop near my work. After relearning how to throw my bowling ball properly and allowing gravity and the pendulum make the ball move instead of muscling the ball, I started getting scores in the 130-140s (bleh). After bowling in my first league over the summer, my average was 165. Now I'm in 3 leagues, and bowling around 192 with at least 6 600 series under my belt and a new high of 257. Just hang in there and keep practicing. You'll eventually be able to throw at the same speed with more accuracy and maybe even more revs. It's discouraging at first, but you'll definitely be glad you switched up your style. I know I did.

[Amyers]

I agree continue to work on it you will eventually adapt to the new grip and style. The extreme wrist cupping will eventually damage your wrist if you bowl a lot. See former PBA bowler Mark Roth. It is an adjustment to change but worth it in the end. The transition from conventional to fingertip takes a lot of work for some people keep at it.

[kbucks]

Awesome! Thanks guys! That was my mindset as well, and yes, my wrist would get sore after 5 or 6 games. (Now its more like 3, haha.) I'm planning on spending 2 hours tomorrow practicing, I'll stick with the proper form and see what I can figure out as far as getting some revs on the ball.

[Sourtower]

Somebody posted this link about 3 months ago so I figured I'd share with you the link now. It has helped a lot as I transitioned from muscling the ball to throwing with the pendulum.

https://www.youtube.com/user/YourBowling/feed

[kbucks]

Thanks! That looks like a great resource.

[kbucks]

Went in on Saturday and practiced for 2 hours. Didn't worry about high scores or strikes, but I did make an effort on all the spares. I tried to focus on approach, release, hitting a target, and ball speed. I'm beginning to see the light! Got in about 8 games, wrist was only a little sore, but my arm wasn't at all. (I attribute the wrist soreness to trying to stay behind the ball and it is only sore because it isn't quite strong enough yet and 8 games is a lot after bowling maybe once a year in the last 10.)

The release, is feeling comfortable. I was able to get enough rotation for the ball to react, and it wasn't a crazy giant hook from one side to the other. I feel like that is pretty good progress. My thumb is a little torn up, the hole is just a liiiiiittle tight, I'll get that fixed Tuesday.

I didn't worry about the scores... but I did look. I had 2 games over 140, one over 150, and the rest were around 125. Feeling better about that.

Just wanted to say thanks for the advice and encouragement to stick with it.

[rv driver]

Went in on Saturday and practiced for 2 hours. Didn't worry about high scores or strikes, but I did make an effort on all the spares. I tried to focus on approach, release, hitting a target, and ball speed. I'm beginning to see the light! Got in about 8 games, wrist was only a little sore, but my arm wasn't at all. (I attribute the wrist soreness to trying to stay behind the ball and it is only sore because it isn't quite strong enough yet and 8 games is a lot after bowling maybe once a year in the last 10.)

The release, is feeling comfortable. I was able to get enough rotation for the ball to react, and it wasn't a crazy giant hook from one side to the other. I feel like that is pretty good progress. My thumb is a little torn up, the hole is just a liiiiiittle tight, I'll get that fixed Tuesday.

I didn't worry about the scores... but I did look. I had 2 games over 140, one over 150, and the rest were around 125. Feeling better about that.

Just wanted to say thanks for the advice and encouragement to stick with it.
You'll find lots of good help, encouragement and camaraderie here. The folks are pretty patient with noobs and "returnees" like me.

[Blomer]

I have the same ball and I love it. Keep practicing and you will get where you want to go. All ball are drilled different but I stand on the 30th board and throw at the 15 board for my target.

[kbucks]

Going in tonight to get the thumb hole opened up a little bit, its eating the skin off both sides... gross. The lights are coming on one at a time though and I realized that once the thumb hole is bigger and I can get it all the way in... (haha) the release will be better and everything will get easier. My wrist has been a little sore from trying to stay behind the ball, I think it isn't back up to strength yet, so I took a week off.

The scores are coming back up though. I was hovering around 150 last week, just on a house shot. But it is all making more sense now.

[kbucks]

Update... went in Saturday and got the ball sanded down to 1000. What a huge difference! I was having trouble getting the ball back to the pocket, no matter where I played from. If I started from the left, it would go through the oil and not come back to the pocket... hitting the 3 pin, if I moved left it would start to come to the pocket but hit the head pin so light it would just go straight to the left and not hit anything else.

The guy said I was either burning the ball up and we should polish it, or that it wasn't rough enough to read the lane, but he didn't really have time to go watch it, so I just opted for the sanding and figured if it didn't work, we could polish it and try that. (I'm not sure how to tell which problem it is, he explained it, but I cant tell the difference.)

It took me a few shots to find my spot, but as soon as I found it, I started stringing strikes together. Now I'm starting at the 3rd dot, throwing the ball between the 1st and 2nd arrows and it comes back to the pocket nicely. 2nd game after sanding was a 210. I rolled about 10 games and managed a 254 after about an hour. 9 on the first frame and strikes the rest of the way through until the 10th. (Some were very lucky, but I'll take it.)

[kbucks]

It won't let me edit... I should have said "if I moved Right" instead of Left.