Leaving 5 Pin - Lefty Straight

[Grizzly Adam]

A bit of back story--

I am a left handed, straight bowler with a three-step approach. I have been bowling regularly for about a year now-- minus the last two due to a torn Achilles tendon. I have just been cleared to return to bowling two weeks ago and have gone three times since. I feel like my approach is starting to become reliable again, but I have notice that I am leaving a lot of 5 pins. I suspect that my 11 pound ball (lingering shoulder injury) doesn't help the issue, but I have been using that same ball without much trouble until now.

I have a 16 pound ball that I plan to refinish this weekend and try Tuesday night to see if it helps, but after the first game (if not sooner) I expect that I will have to return to my lighter ball.

Is there anything else I am missing?

[RobLV1]

I think that 16 lbs will be too much for you. You might see if you can find a 14 lb used ball to try out. 14 lbs is the lightest ball that you can buy that still has a dynamic core. This will make a huge difference in your ability to knock down pins. You might also see if you can find a local coach that can teach you the basics. All bowling is based on 4 steps back from the line. Many bowlers use 5 steps, but the first step is just for feel... the ball doesn't move. Three steps does not give you the ability to let the ball swing and reach the line at the same time as your body. This "timing" is imperative in bowling. Good luck.

[got_a_300]

I agree with Rob a 16# ball may be just a tad heavy for you
since you already have a lingering shoulder injury you would
probably be better off to maybe check around for a 14# ball.

You might want to check with your PSO and see if they have
any used 14# balls laying around that you can get for cheap
and latter on maybe get you a new ball.

I do believe you're getting some deflection with that 11# ball
as it hits the headpin that is causing you to leave that nasty
old 5 pin.

[Grizzly Adam]

Thanks guys, I will give the 16 a try on Tuesday just because I already have it from before shoulder injury. Even if I can just use it for a half frame it might give me my answer before I go buying another ball that might collect dust. I just got done resurfacing the 16 pounder, and old Brunswick Axis from '92.

As for my three-step approach... It works, and I am not the only person that uses this approach. I wasted three months trying to get the standard four-step to work for me and I just couldn't convince my body to do that motion properly when bowling left handed. I can bowl ambidextrously (prefer left) and four step works when I throw right handed, but not left. I am told the main issue with the three-step is not getting enough ball speed, but I throw consistantly at 18.whatever mph, so I am not concerned.

[Grizzly Adam]

Here is the Axis freshly finished, just because.

https://image.ibb.co/fBA5dk/axis.jpg

[bowl1820]

As for my three-step approach... It works, and I am not the only person that uses this approach. I wasted three months trying to get the standard four-step to work for me and I just couldn't convince my body to do that motion properly when bowling left handed. I can bowl ambidextrously (prefer left) and four step works when I throw right handed, but not left.

Sounds like your more righthanded than left then.


I am told the main issue with the three-step is not getting enough ball speed, but I throw consistantly at 18.whatever mph, so I am not concerned.

Being able to throw a 11 pound plastic ball at 18mph, doesn't mean you'll be throwing a 16 pound ball at the same speed. Especially if you have a lingering shoulder injury.

Throwing a 11pd plastic ball at 18mph also explains the 5pin leaves, It's deflection the ball is not really getting into a roll going into the pins and there's no drive. Using a heavier ball will probably help, With the heavier ball your speed will slow down some which might help allow it to get into more of a roll going into the pins.

[Grizzly Adam]

Sounds like your more righthanded than left then.

That could be, it varies from sport to sport. I bat and golf right handed, but putt left, throw both with the left slightly better, play basketball left, fire guns left. I think most of it comes from being left handed with right handed coaches in my youth-- coaches don't always translate stances and mechanics properly to those with the opposite dominant hand.



Being able to throw a 11 pound plastic ball at 18mph, doesn't mean you'll be throwing a 16 pound ball at the same speed. Especially if you have a lingering shoulder injury.

Throwing a 11pd plastic ball at 18mph also explains the 5pin leaves, It's deflection the ball is not really getting into a roll going into the pins and there's no drive. Using a heavier ball will probably help, With the heavier ball your speed will slow down some which might help allow it to get into more of a roll going into the pins.

Yeah, it all makes sense. I will keep all this in mind and report back what happens on Tuesday. The reason I returned to bowling a year ago was as a sort of rehab to my shoulder-- it puts it through a good ROM and has really helped to keep it limber. I have been noticing lately that I am starting to want to skip the ball a bit on release, which tells me it's probably time to go up in weight anyway.

[J Anderson]

That could be, it varies from sport to sport. I bat and golf right handed, but put left, throw both with the left slightly better, play basketball left, fire guns left. I think most of it comes from being left handed with right handed coaches in my youth-- coaches don't always translate stances and mechanics properly to those with the opposite dominant hand.

Yeah, it all makes sense. I will keep all this in mind and report back what happens on Tuesday. The reason I returned to bowling a year ago was as a sort of rehab to my shoulder-- it puts it through a good ROM and has really helped to keep it limber. I have been noticing lately that I am starting to want to skip the ball a bit on release, which tells me it's probably time to go up in weight anyway.

Always good to hear from a fellow member of the 1%, I mean ambidextrous bowlers - not that other 1%.

You are the second person I know who could not switch sides with the same number of steps. My friend Jeff made the switch as a teenager and had to add a fifth step to make it work.

As for three steps: I know a number of bowlers aside from myself at my local center who still only take three steps, one of them being a local hall of famer who still averages between 210 and 220. It was not at all uncommon in the mid 1970s when I learned to bowl. When I took the silver level coaching class last year, one of my fellow students told me that he switches back and forth between 3, 4 and 5 steps. I also attended a clinic coached by Norm Duke and Pete Weber a couple years ago where I tried four steps and could not get the hang of it on my own. Pete saw my three step and said my timing was pretty good and don't worry about it. Norm came over and said you've got to switch to four steps which resulted in me trying to slide on the wrong foot, falling, and tearing open a finger tip. I did try working on a five step this summer but stopped be cause the conditions on the approaches at the local AMF/Bowlero were so inconsistent that I wound up doing nothing but foul line and one step drills for the remainder of my summer pass. Last of all, PBA hall of famer Mike Durbin won the Firestone Tournament of champions three times, using a different number of steps each time, including a three step approach.

Note to Rob: as a coach I do not encourage new bowlers to use 3 steps. I do follow the USBC progression of staggered stance, one step, four step.

[Grizzly Adam]

Norm came over and said you've got to switch to four steps which resulted in me trying to slide on the wrong foot, falling, and tearing open a finger tip.

Yeah-- that's a concern for me as well. When your feet get tangled an injury can easily happen. In fact, my dad had an experience back in June when he did an extra stutter step, ended up past the foul lane and onto the oil. Long story short, three broken ribs. And as I said, I have given it a fair shot and it just didn't work for me and I feel to keep pursuing the four-step approach for my left-handed throw is foolish and asking for trouble.

[got_a_300]

3 step, 4 step, 5 step or more I guess it all depends on
what works for you. Take Mark Roth for example some
times he'd take 5 steps sometimes he'd take 6 or more
steps it just depends on what works at the time and
what works for you at that moment.

I switch between 4 and 5 steps at times and if I'm having
to stand in front of the ball return I'll use either a 3 step
or really shorten my 4 step approach it just depends on
what it takes for me to get the job done at any particular
time.

[Eddy]

Take Mark Roth for example some
times he'd take 5 steps sometimes he'd take 6 or more
steps

If he did, it's because he's been bowling since he was born. You haven't. Comparing the best pros vs. average joe means nothing.

[Grizzly Adam]

I just got home after bowling three games-- all with the 16lb Axis. The first game it felt like the ball was throwing me around a little bit, but things smoothed out in the second and even more so in the third game. My shoulder held up good and is touch sore, but it's good sore-- like after I do my rehab exercises. The only five pins that I had issue were on the Wii when I was loosening up before we headed out :P

All in all, I quick liked the ball and I look forward to using it again the weekend.

[got_a_300]

Just take it easy on that shoulder for a while until
you get used to throwing the heavier ball.

[Grizzly Adam]

I am. I actually took the day off work after putting in a bunch of extra hours last week. I took quite a bit of extra time to stretch and loosen up the arm all day and really worked to get my body ready and up to the task.

I forgot to mention in my last post, I only saw a slight drop in speed. I rolled between 17.2 and 17.5 all night, so my three step approach is still giving me plenty of ball speed.

[Amyers]

First off if you can make it work do what suits you. The disadvantage to the three step is to be on time the ball has to start first which is a difficult timing mechanism to master. The 4 or more step approach trigger with the footstep so it is easier to keep in time. Many PBA bowlers can use multiple step approaches as needed. A 4, step approach does allow easier change up a 4,5,6, our all the same approach with just a step added or removed.

Ball Speed really isn't determined by the length or number of steps in the approach but by the speed of the feet and length and speed of the arm swing.

[Grizzly Adam]

I bowled my best game since the Achilles tear tonight. Actually since the week before the tear, but that was due to Independence Day weekend being all cosmic all the time and the arrows were invisible under that lighting. Game 1 was a little rough, I am still working on getting my accuracy up with the heavier ball. By the 2nd game I was starting to feel it. If there would have been a game three, I think it would have been even better. I am getting comfortable with the heavier weight, my shoulder is feeling good. There was no game three this week because we had all the kids with and that gets expensive fast!