IOS Apps?

[Phonetek]

I searched the forum for posts regarding apps for bowling. Anything mentioned seems to be in posts that are pretty old. I searched the app store and all I found was some for ball speed and a bunch for score keeping and tracking. What's the latest and greatest on these? What do you recommend? Is there any out there that do anything else for the ball besides speed? I don't care about free apps but I'd rather not pay for something useless. I'd like this for myself and more so for the coaching I'm doing with my son.

[bowl1820]

Since best bowling and best bowling free are no longer on the app store.

There's Pinpal $8.99 it's widely used
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pinpal/id321817464?mt=8

There's Track My Roll $20.00
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/track-my-roll/id1069783532?mt=8

There's Bowlsheet it's ridiculously expensive $29.99
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bowlsheet/id411894855?mt=8

Specto bowling is great but unless your house has the system installed it's useless.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/specto-bowling/id1180311427?mt=8

Video Analysis: Hudl Technique
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hudl-technique/id470428362?mt=8

If you had a android device then you can't beat

Bowl! Drill! Score! Stat! .99
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=evets.neg.tbe&hl=en

Online
DrillSheet.com: Store your bowling ball drill specs and arsenal info online.
http://drillsheet.com/index.php

[Phonetek]

I found one that's not on your list but I have no idea how good it is. It's for measuring ball speed. $.99 and it has a 9.9 rating with 9 reviews

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bowling-ball-speed-calculate-bowling-ball-velocity/id538355430?mt=8

[bowl1820]

I found one that's not on your list but I have no idea how good it is. It's for measuring ball speed. $.99 and it has a 9.9 rating with 9 reviews

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bowling-ball-speed-calculate-bowling-ball-velocity/id538355430?mt=8

The ball speed app, I have it and It works well, but I only use it for certain things (note the bowldrillscorestat App has it built in)

[vdubtx]

PinPal user here. Have been using it for the last 4 seasons.

[djp1080]

Bobby, I'll recommend something that you can access from anywhere or even on your iPad or iPhone: http://www.bowlsk.com/
Just enter your frames as you go into the league that you name or just keep track of what you're doing in practice.
It's free!
My old boss used to say, "Cheap is good, but free is better."

[J Anderson]

Bobby, I'll recommend something that you can access from anywhere or even on your iPad or iPhone: http://www.bowlsk.com/
Just enter your frames as you go into the league that you name or just keep track of what you're doing in practice.
It's free!
My old boss used to say, "Cheap is good, but free is better."

I used to work with a guy who would say, "Good things not cheap, cheap things not good."

My family tended to say, "You get what you pay for."

[Phonetek]

I never opt for the most expensive things very often but not the cheap either if I can get away with it. I've learned "The cheap tends to be more expensive" By starting with the cheap first you realize the more expensive was the better choice which you end up with anyway. So you spent more to get the more expensive by buying the cheap first.
Quick example, just replaced the hub bearing assembly in our Tahoe. Chevy SUV's are notorious for chewing up hub bearings. We also have a trail blazer. I've replaced them on the TB 3 times each side but I always get the cheap ones. Yeah it gets it back on the road another year or two but I always have to re-buy them each time. The cheap aren't cheap and the expensive "Moog" ones are slightly under double. Well, the Tahoe chewed one a year ago and I opt'd for the Moog. Last week I just changed it for free because Moog has a warranty as the cheapies don't. Did I save money? Yeah a little. Next time it chews it up and it will but it will again be free so there you go. Tahoe has 260k miles on it and the TB just rolled 300k and both are in top notch condition with a lot of life left. Bearings tend to last 60k so there will be a next time. Had I bought Moog for both I'd have saved a fortune. So to get back on topic, in this case it's different. I'm only gonna buy the app I foresee being the most useful for my needs which likely will not be the most expensive nor the cheapest. I have to look at each one carefully before choosing.

[JaxBowlingGuy]

I use PinPal myself. Only thing I don't like about it is that your splits are added in with your multi pin spares as well as being a separate section. So it makes your non split multi pin % look lower. Some Other apps have then separated.

[Phonetek]

Bobby, I'll recommend something that you can access from anywhere or even on your iPad or iPhone: http://www.bowlsk.com/
Just enter your frames as you go into the league that you name or just keep track of what you're doing in practice.
It's free!
My old boss used to say, "Cheap is good, but free is better."

We usually use the iPad to take video each time we go but it seems that will keep track of what you need to work on so I'd probably get one of those apps for sure. Glad that ball speed app works well since the local centers I've been to so far don't have them on the lane. There are several within 15 minutes distance of our new place, I have yet to visit them all but I will before long. I thought I was gonna have to go chuck a ball on the highway past the Sheriff to find out.

[J Anderson]

We usually use the iPad to take video each time we go but it seems that will keep track of what you need to work on so I'd probably get one of those apps for sure. Glad that ball speed app works well since the local centers I've been to so far don't have them on the lane. There are several within 15 minutes distance of our new place, I have yet to visit them all but I will before long. I thought I was gonna have to go chuck a ball on the highway past the Sheriff to find out.

Just remember that the speed sensors on the lanes are notoriously inaccurate. I doubt if any center has them calibrated on a regular basis. The best use for them is to check if you are repeating close to the same speed on all your shots.

[Phonetek]

Just remember that the speed sensors on the lanes are notoriously inaccurate. I doubt if any center has them calibrated on a regular basis. The best use for them is to check if you are repeating close to the same speed on all your shots.

As long as I can find something that gives me results somewhat close. I'm sure the app I found that Bowl1820 uses will suffice. I'm pretty sure I'm in the 18-21mph range if I had to guess. Since I lack the amount of equipment, the zinging it past the Sheriff method is out of the question. That and lack of bail money.
It's really out of curiosity than anything. All things considered I have no real complaints about how I'm throwing the ball. Once I get a new one that fits correctly I'm sure will work out any kinks. Well that and having the separated bones in my right hand put back together that I didn't know about will probably help immensely. I go to the hand specialist in 3 days, that should be interesting.

[boatman37]

Our center has speed sensors. Not sure how accurate they are but I typically throw about 15.5-16 MPH based off those sensors but last week was closer to 18 MPH but I was using a lighter ball. I'd rather keep it closer to 16 MPH to try to preserve my shoulder and elbow.

[Phonetek]

Those sensors calculate the speed at the pins. That is when the ball hits friction and starts to roll which according to physics would be slower than off the hand speed probably a couple mph difference. I personally don't use my arm to force speed, that just makes you pull the ball. Speed changes are done by raising or lowering your push off on your first step (4 step delivery). The higher the push off, the higher the back swing and the reverse. I personally primarily use a higher push off than waist high, it's more comfortable. If I need more speed on bone dry lanes I just speed up my feet. Either way it doesn't effect my shoulder or elbow because nothing changes. My back swing is parallel to the floor maybe a twinge higher but I don't do the Pete Weber.

[boatman37]

Years ago I started with my ball up by my chest but as I moved on I start with the ball at my side just about inline with my belly (slightly forward of my mid-waist). I did this to slow my ball down to try to give it time to react. I am still using that same approach but it does seem like I am using my arm more than I did in the past. IIRC I used to just let my arm swing back naturally then the momentum carried it forward. When I try that now it seems like my timing is way off. The only thing that feels comfortable is to use my arm to swing. That may be part of my problem. I'm sure these incorrect balls are having some influence on my approach and release. Should eliminate that after Tuesday so I can focus on my mechanics.

EDIT: seems my biggest issue (besides missing spares) is pulling my shots. I find myself bringing my arm across my chest after releasing the ball on many shots and missing my mark by 5 boards

[Phonetek]

Okay so I tried out that 99 cent ball speed app. It works great! I only had time for 2 games but it was pretty consistent. It showed the lowest 18.7 and the highest for the two games was 19.3 for all first shots. I don't think that's too much fluctuation in 2 games. For spares it varied more depending on what it was 18.1 to 21.6, pretty erratic. I figure the first shots would be what I would count and 19 mph if you average it out. Before I started I put tape above the finger inserts so when we got home we can frame by frame. I counted the revolutions each first ball and it was always 18 or 19 until it hit the pins. I'm not sure how to calculate that to come up with the revolutions per minute, perhaps someone here could help on the math for that?

[bowl1820]

I counted the revolutions each first ball and it was always 18 or 19 until it hit the pins. I'm not sure how to calculate that to come up with the revolutions per minute, perhaps someone here could help on the math for that?


Here this is from my blog it shows the different methods of calculating rev rate:

Comparisons of Methods of Calculating Rev Rate

After trying the different methods of calculating the rpm's.

Using a test video.

I've tried counting the rotations as the ball goes down the lane. (gave a result that was 450 rpm.)

Example (this is a new video from Storm to use with their new Matchmaker app page.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yccbhBI-Yy0

I then tried the USBC method that uses counting 10 frames & how many hours the ball turns (1 rotation = 12 hours). (This method resulted in 420 rpm)
http://bowl.com/Source/Source_Home/What_s_Your_Rev_Rate_/

I then tried the ITRC rev calculator, where you count how many frames it take for 1 revolution. (This method resulted in 450 rpm.)
http://www.bowlingitrc.com/tools/

I then tried the bowlingchat wiki method. (This method resulted in a 427 rpm.)
http://wiki.bowlingchat.net/wiki/index.php?title=Measure_Rev_Rate

So the 4 methods produced result's that ranged from 420 to 450 rpm's for the same video.

IMO Whichever method is easier for you to do, produces about the same results as long as your as accurate as you can be in your timing and counting.

So Check your rpms over several shots, average them and you should be close enough.

[Phonetek]

So in trying one of the above methods and the stop watch method from a video you put in another post I came up with a range from 490-540 between the two. So if I average that it's 515 for a rev rate at 19mph? That makes me sound like a buzz saw which I never considered myself. Makes me wonder how big of a difference it will be after I get my ball fitted properly and my hand repaired.