Ok so you are at the ball return, What do you do?

[The KingPin]

Ok so your in your weekly bowling league or city tournament...

You grab your bowling ball of choice and then...


Walk us through your set up and drills.

Do you have any weird things you do?

Do you tap your ball?

Maybe you talk to the ball?

Let us in on your game.

[Jord_84]

I grab my ball, hold it in my left arm. Play with the air while I wait for people on either side of me to finish....I take a while on the approach so I don't like to make them wait. Slide up to my spot on the approach with my left foot. Sometimes I'll swing my right arm and follow through hitting my shoulder blade. Sometimes I smell my ball....but that's Storms fault for scenting them....lol....Then I go.
My funnier rituals are before I get to the bowling alley.
I'll stretch my legs and my arm out....and sometimes I like to play AC/DC's "Big Balls" in the car on the way to the alley.
I'm a dork lol

[ThongPrincess]

I try to have a pre-sot routine. It goes something like this, pick up the ball and wipe it off with the towel. Hold the left hand over the air for a few seconds. Check both sides to see if they are clear. I step up on the approach move to my space, aligning the right foot with the dot or board I am using. Ball is put in position, elbow tucked in at the side, right hand nearly under and supporting the ball. My eyes are on target and I think ball/foot and begin my approach. As I am walking up I am thinking short-short-then-slide.

I spend little time on the approach. The ball/foot is a reminder to get them out together and the short-short-then-slide is a Ritger drill a friend told me about to keep a consistent tempo. I don't always wipe the ball, but usually do, and I don't always use the air. I don't like to talk to anyone between shots in a frame.

[NoTapNorm]

Enroute to the center, its either Santana or Buffett for tunes. Stretch out the hand/arm before practice starts. Once at the return, pick up ball, wipe off, hand over blower while waiting for others to finish. Step up on approach, right toe on start board, blow into thumbhole, insert fingers then thumb. Remind self to swing ball out and let it rip....

[bowl1820]

Lets see
1-pick up ball with towel on bowling hand, so you don't get oil on fingers.
2-rub slide foot on approach to check that nothing on sole that will make you stick.
3-think about the shot before getting on approach, once on approach just make the shot.

if bowler on other team is hot ask them if they inhale or exhale when they release the ball just before their next shot.
watch what happens.

[The Bowling Guru]

1 - Pick up ball and cradle it in my left hand
2 - Bounce Black Widow grip sack on my hand several times, then drop it on the ball rack
3 - Hold hand over air for a few seconds
4 - Bounce grip sack once or twice more if needed to remove excess moisture
5 - Clear my head so I don't overthink my next shot
6 - Line up and let it rip

[jmainville]

I think everyone has a preshot routine that might have some weird things in it. My self on every pre-shot I pick up my ball,glare down to the pins, rub my slide foot 3x on the approach while I dry my hand, step up to my mark, get my hand position were I want it, then I start humming a song to clear my head of BS.(usually meatloaf, eddie money or pinkfloyd) and then I start my approach. I've done it like that for years and it just gets me in the "zone"

[Bobgpaa]

I guess my routine is the same as most. Hold my ball in my right hand, use my microcloth to wipe off any oil around my finger holes. Walk to my spot, place my left foot on my mark, bring my right foot to the side of my left, half a foot in front. Place my fingers into the holes, blow into the thumb hole then place the thumb. Position the ball on my left side low-mid waist high. Lock my wrist, push out straight down the lane, eyeing my target through my 4 step approach. Keep my swing straight reach for my target, usually 7-8 board, follow through to the target and watch the ball pass over my target to the pocket.
I've been pretty lucky, I love the Black Widow Venom. I roll relatively a straight ball with few revs, 15.5-16.5 mph. It's been working pretty good thus far. ;)
I have to keep my thumb at 10-11 o'clock the get the proper roll. My worst fault is occasionally swinging the ball behind my back. A habit I'm trying to break. Good luck.:rolleyes:

[MH1313]

I don't have a specific routine that I think about...I just do it.

Step 1. Get up/walk up to ball return
step 2. make sure no one adjacent to me is on the approach
step 3. hold hand over air for a moment
step 4. pick up ball avoiding the oil
step 5. line toe up on starting board
step 6. get my breathing in rhythm (if my breathing is off I'm off)
step 7. do approach and release ball
step 8. wait on sliding foot for ball to hit the pins
step 9. return to waiting area (assuming I got a strike)

I also avoid eating while bowling...the grease from fries or a burger much less chips can really goof things up!

[ArtVandelay]

I wipe the ball off. Then I towel off my bowling ball too.... :eek:

I just try not to think about anything. I know where my spot is, I clear my mind (sometimes think about a rhetorical question such as what's the sound of one hand clapping? If a tree falls in a forest, does it make a sound?). I carry my ball low, below the waist with relaxed arms (I've always done this, I don't know why....). My first two steps are very slow and deliberate. My teammates like to make fun of me, they say I'm like Elmer Fudd tip toeing up on his prey. The whole time I'm taking those steps, I just stare at the exact spot I want the ball to break at. The steps are faster, and on the final step, I slide on my left foot. After that, I release the ball, and pray....




I try to have a pre-sot routine. It goes something like this, pick up the ball and wipe it off with the towel. Hold the left hand over the air for a few seconds. Check both sides to see if they are clear. I step up on the approach move to my space, aligning the right foot with the dot or board I am using. Ball is put in position, elbow tucked in at the side, right hand nearly under and supporting the ball. My eyes are on target and I think ball/foot and begin my approach. As I am walking up I am thinking short-short-then-slide.

I spend little time on the approach. The ball/foot is a reminder to get them out together and the short-short-then-slide is a Ritger drill a friend told me about to keep a consistent tempo. I don't always wipe the ball, but usually do, and I don't always use the air. I don't like to talk to anyone between shots in a frame.



RIP It's going to be eerie seeing her posts around here, and sad when her threads are gone.....

[BowlingChica]

1. Walk up to the ball return.
2. Pick up my ball and towel it off.
3. Hold ball in left arm while I put my right hand over the air waiting for others to finish next to me.
4. Walk to my spot.
5. Put my fingers and thumb in the ball, stare at my spot, do my 4 step approach and let it roll!

[Whitelightning]

No specific routine, I go with "it" as it comes. But once the grove hits, (usually mid to 2nd to 3rd frame) I keep routine, what ever that mayeb be.(if that makes sense);)

As said earlier, no eating, just can't do it.

[No Open Tenths]

Thumb and fingertips get a go in the rosin bag, pickup ball with towel in right hand, clean ball.hand over blower, check slide foot, line up with toe of right foot(which I know is wrong for a right handed bowler, but it is ingrained habit now) fingers then thumb in ball, target mark, draw shot shape in my mind, start approach.

That's my preshot routine.

[Strike Domination]

My pre shot routine is just wiping my ball off with a towel and putting my hand over the fan. Unless I start using a grip sack or rosin, that's all it consists of. I also slide my foot into position to start my stance, which helps a lot because if I got anything on my shoe I know right away. I look at my breakpoint and back to the arrows and go.

[Evilash71]

I do the same thing everytime. Pre release routine.

I grab ball. Place it in my non throwing hand. Walk up to my spot. Slide my sliding foot in tight to the spot.
Blow air into thumb hole. Place fingertips in ball up to crease. Allow thumb to slide in effortlessly.
Flip ball over with hand underneath. MOve ball to side under shoulder and lined up with target.
Tip my hand forward allowing pressure to lay on the fingertips and not thumb. squeeze slightly with fingertips(not thumb at all).
Cup wrist back bit. Now turn wrist inward towards my body slightly lining fingers up at 7 oclock.

Eye my target, take deep breath, begin approach.

[tbrownie]

..and sometimes I like to play AC/DC's "Big Balls" in the car on the way to the alley.
I'm a dork lol

I want to thank you.. I listened to that song on youtube, and the related videos lead me to the funniest things ive ever seen in my life. heres a link for what im talking about ... I had tears rolling from my eyes at these.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxJ5d8Kqx-o&feature=channel_page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1cpq0IQJO4&feature=channel_page

________________Anyways, my preshot routine...

I wipe the ball off, and wait for anyone around me two lanes to each side to go.. If someone is in the corner of my eye within two lanes i completely mess up. Then i slide my left foot all the way to my spot instead of walking, mostly to check incase i stepped in something. I then get to my spot, blow into my thumbhole, get a nice feel on the ball, and go.

[mrbill]

I wipe off my ball (all the while trying not to ware out my swing arm)
Then I move to my spot and wisper to my ball 1 of a few diffrent things "You got this" or "np right in the Pocket"
then I remember to tell my self to bend my knees and follow through and flick my fingers at the end of my release.
After that it gets crazy...............

[Hammerguy529]

1.I stand at the fan, drying as much as humanly possible.
2.I grab my ball with my right hand, fingers inside, place it in my left hand in towel.
3.Wipe the excess oil off as much as can be done.
4.I blow in the thumbhole then fit my fingers in the ball then thumb
5.I slide my left foot in my starting location and just move forward and have at it.

(I try not to count boards or anything at that aspect, and maybe that i my downfall in some shots!)