Seeking advice for overreacting ball

[SaxTheSlayer]

I need some advice on a new ball, or perhaps alterations to the surface of the ball I'm currently using.

A little bit of background: I'm 58 years old, and was a right-handed bowler for over 50 years. My peak average (maybe 10-15 years ago) was between 215-220; after that, injuries to my knees, shoulder, and wrist started taking their toll on me, and my average dipped below 200. After two knee surgeries, I came back as a left-handed bowler. Although this may seem like a drastic change, I should point out I'm a natural left-handed person: I throw a baseball, football, darts, or whatever left-handed, I write left-handed, and I do most everything left-handed. Bowling was the exception, because when I was a small child, my right-handed mother taught me to put the fingers of my right hand into the bowling ball, and by the time I was old enough to know better, I was already doing pretty well as a right-handed bowler.

So I've been bowling left-handed since 2013. I've worked my average up to 175-180 across three leagues, but now I seem to have hit a plateau. I'm looking for advice because I know I'm still an "old-school" bowler, and I'm still navigating my way through the newer equipment, various RGs, and surface alterations.

I get good movement on my ball: for my typical strike ball on the house shot, I'll hit the 10 arrow, have the ball go out to the 2 or 3 board, and then watch it break hard on the back end for a solid pocket hit.

The problem is that I have difficulty hitting that shot consistently. I get into a pattern where I either get too much finger in the shot, so it hooks too hard on the back end, or else I miss to the right by a board or two. I think I understand the causes of those two errors: I either get fast and pull up on the ball, or else I rotate my wrist too early in the shot. Either way, I end up hitting the head pin too high.

I'm trying to work on fixing those two errors. However, in the meantime, I'm wondering if there's something I can do with my equipment to give myself more room for error.

According to the scoring computer, I throw the ball consistently around 11.7 MPH. I've tried to increase my speed, but it never seems to be a successful exercise. I think at my age, this is it. I'm not going to be able to throw it any faster.

Most of my equipment has an RG of 2.56 or 2.57. This is probably a remnant of my right-handed bowling days, when I didn't get a lot of revs on the ball, so I had problems with the ball rolling out early and hitting the pocket flat. Consequently, I wanted the ball to go far down the lane and save its energy till the end.

Since I switched to left-handed, the balls I have used included the Storm Invasion, the Radical Guru, and the Totally Defiant, all of which behaved pretty much the same way for me.

The ball I'm currently using the most is a very old (>10 years old) plugged and redrilled Hy-Road. I had it reconditioned and sanded to 4000 grit, thinking that an old, dead ball shined up as much as possible might hook less, but that's the ball that's giving me the results I described at the top of this post.

I also have a one-year-old Match Pearl, but it behaves almost identically with the Hy-Road. I had it sanded to 2000 this weekend, hoping that maybe it would burn off energy early and flatten out on the back end, but I haven't had a chance to try it yet. I'm a little worried, though, that the sanding will increase friction too much, causing my ball to slow down even more, and I don't know if I can afford to lose another 1 or 2 MPH from my ball.

I've tried rolling a friend's SureLock so see what a ball with a lower RG would do, but the result was inconclusive since it wasn't a very good fit for my hand.

I'd welcome any suggestions!

[RobLV1]

Worry about developing some consistency then what ball to use!

[J Anderson]

At 12 mph, you can forget about going lower on the RG. The smoother the surface of the ball, the more sharply it will react to friction. Therefore, I would take the Hy-Road back to 1500 or 2000.

As Rob said, you really need consistency in your delivery before thinking about whether a different ball is needed. I’m surprised he did not reccommend getting a coach to help you improve.

I doubt that turning the ball too early is the problem. Early turn causes a weaker release and less hook. Getting the feet too far in front of the swing is the more likely cause.

My last thought is about the line you are playing. You say that your intended shot is at the 10 board at the arrows and breaks around the 2 or 3 board. Even if you are the only lefty on the pair you should see some transition by the third game. Some of your high hits may just be the lane telling you to make an adjustment.

[mattmc82]

I don’t think you mentioned what weight ball you are using.

Do a lot of people in your league throw straight balls? The plastic straight ball is going to be pushing the oil to the pins and creating weird patterns.

Someone correct me if I am wrong but I think moving 3 boards right on the approach when he starts to go Brooklyn should at least show him something. If it stays out and doesn’t turn then you know it’s a ball adjustment. If it works then it works. And if it still turns early or still goes inconsistent then it’s odd lane conditions

[fordman1]

Don't think like a right hander. You don't see many lefties bellying the ball go down and in, say around five. I have no idea how to get more speed, I could use some myself. Seems that anymore the faster you ball goes the higher your score is. Speed hides a lot of bad shots.

[SaxTheSlayer]

Worry about developing some consistency then what ball to use!

Well, you aren't really telling me anything I don't already know. I know I need to work on my consistency, and that's a lot of what I've been doing for the past few years since switching hands.

I'm a little surprised that you think a person with a ~180 average should NOT be thinking about what ball to use!

[SaxTheSlayer]

I don’t think you mentioned what weight ball you are using.

Do a lot of people in your league throw straight balls? The plastic straight ball is going to be pushing the oil to the pins and creating weird patterns.

Someone correct me if I am wrong but I think moving 3 boards right on the approach when he starts to go Brooklyn should at least show him something. If it stays out and doesn’t turn then you know it’s a ball adjustment. If it works then it works. And if it still turns early or still goes inconsistent then it’s odd lane conditions

There are a number of people who throw the ball straight. There aren't too many lefties, but given I'm not playing parallel to the gutter (I can't since it hooks too much), I do have to deal with oil carrydown from other bowler.

I have tried moving further right on the approach. When I do that, the ball often doesn't come back, and I leave ugly washouts.

And I use a 15-pound ball.

[SaxTheSlayer]

At 12 mph, you can forget about going lower on the RG. The smoother the surface of the ball, the more sharply it will react to friction. Therefore, I would take the Hy-Road back to 1500 or 2000.


Okay. I mentioned in my first post that I had a Match Pearl that was behaving the same way as the Hy-Road. I had it taken down to 2000, but I haven't had a chance to try it yet. That may be a step in the right direction.

[SaxTheSlayer]

Don't think like a right hander. You don't see many lefties bellying the ball go down and in, say around five. I have no idea how to get more speed, I could use some myself. Seems that anymore the faster you ball goes the higher your score is. Speed hides a lot of bad shots.

It's not my intent to think like a right-hander. I always expected that I would be playing a shot close to and parallel to the gutter. It just doesn't work for me on these lanes.

Interestingly, I bowl in sport leagues during the summers, and my problems aren't as bad. I'm able to play much further to the left on the approach. Not right up against the gutter, but certainly not as close to the middle of the lane as I'm forced to now.

[SaxTheSlayer]

As Rob said, you really need consistency in your delivery before thinking about whether a different ball is needed. I’m surprised he did not reccommend getting a coach to help you improve.


I have had coaching from Wes Malott and Clara Guerrero, and I even went to the ITRC last year. I think my delivery is in pretty good shape. You just have to remember that I've technically "only" been bowling for 4 years, since the previous 50 years were invested in bowling with the other hand. Again, I know I need to develop consistency -- that's pretty obvious to me. I'm just trying to find a ball or balls that will help me, not hinder me.

[Amyers]

Well with your ball speed something like a sure lock is out. The lower surface grit will help with reducing the backend but I figure that will bring back your roll out problems.

Something like a high road or match pearl should work for you. I'm thinking the problem maybe more where your playing from getting the ball out to 2-3 boards is pretty dry. Have you tried playing 13-15 at the arrows with the break point more in the 7-9 area?

Hopefully this would keep the ball more in the oil and avoid ball just turning left. If the ball doesn't turn increase surface or turns to early do to higher grit

[SaxTheSlayer]

Well with your ball speed something like a sure lock is out. The lower surface grit will help with reducing the backend but I figure that will bring back your roll out problems.

Something like a high road or match pearl should work for you. I'm thinking the problem maybe more where your playing from getting the ball out to 2-3 boards is pretty dry. Have you tried playing 13-15 at the arrows with the break point more in the 7-9 area?

Hopefully this would keep the ball more in the oil and avoid ball just turning left. If the ball doesn't turn increase surface or turns to early do to higher grit

This might be a good approach. I've tried it, and the ball doesn't over-hook. The main reasons I haven't really pursued this are: (1) in order to hit my slide far enough to the right on the approach, I have to walk parallel to the gutters but face to the left and throw the ball out to the left: this is a little challenging for me since I've always been "old school" and walked towards my target; and (2) I've always felt that, as a lefty, I shouldn't have to play the middle of the lane, and should be trying to stay outside if possible. But maybe it's time for fresh thinking.

[boatman37]

Not sure how much I can help but being a lefty it sounds like you are playing a similar line to me. I stand with my left toe on the 3rd dot from the left and throw over the first arrow for normal conditions. Usually about mid-way through the 2nd game that dries up so I start moving in closer to the 2nd arrow and sometimes on the 2nd arrow. I just got a new Hammer Black Widow Gold tonight and it was biting really hard on the backend. I ended up putting my left toe on the center dot and throwing over the 2nd arrow. Anything outside of the 2nd arrow and I was leaving solid 7's, I assume because my angle into the pins was too sharp. And I was throwing just over 17 MPH according to the lane sensors. I am not a hi-rev bowler, maybe 300 or so RPM but that ids just a guess. I will have to check that some day.

Not sure if it helps but yes, as a lefty I usually end up moving in by the end of the first game to get back into some oil.

[mattmc82]

There are a number of people who throw the ball straight. There aren't too many lefties, but given I'm not playing parallel to the gutter (I can't since it hooks too much), I do have to deal with oil carrydown from other bowler.

I have tried moving further right on the approach. When I do that, the ball often doesn't come back, and I leave ugly washouts.

And I use a 15-pound ball.

Ok so I am thinking ball adjustment. How are the balls drilled? Pin up pin down?

[Amyers]

This might be a good approach. I've tried it, and the ball doesn't over-hook. The main reasons I haven't really pursued this are: (1) in order to hit my slide far enough to the right on the approach, I have to walk parallel to the gutters but face to the left and throw the ball out to the left: this is a little challenging for me since I've always been "old school" and walked towards my target; and (2) I've always felt that, as a lefty, I shouldn't have to play the middle of the lane, and should be trying to stay outside if possible. But maybe it's time for fresh thinking.

Your right most lefties don't have to play that way but you have to adjust to what your capable of doing and what the lanes will give you. if that means you have to line up more like a righty then so be it. Do what works the nice thing about it is you really shouldn't have anyone on your line lol.

[SaxTheSlayer]

Not sure how much I can help but being a lefty it sounds like you are playing a similar line to me. I stand with my left toe on the 3rd dot from the left and throw over the first arrow for normal conditions. Usually about mid-way through the 2nd game that dries up so I start moving in closer to the 2nd arrow and sometimes on the 2nd arrow. I just got a new Hammer Black Widow Gold tonight and it was biting really hard on the backend. I ended up putting my left toe on the center dot and throwing over the 2nd arrow. Anything outside of the 2nd arrow and I was leaving solid 7's, I assume because my angle into the pins was too sharp. And I was throwing just over 17 MPH according to the lane sensors. I am not a hi-rev bowler, maybe 300 or so RPM but that ids just a guess. I will have to check that some day.

Not sure if it helps but yes, as a lefty I usually end up moving in by the end of the first game to get back into some oil.

I start at the first row of dots, and typically place my right toe halfway between the two rightmost dots. I really can't move my starting point much farther right. However, I tend to walk towards my target, so I end up closer to the middle of the lane -- two boards left of center. Consequently, one thing I've tried doing is forcing myself to walk parallel to the gutter so I end up farther to the right at the foul line, but still throwing it out. It does give me more room, but I've never been successful at getting that line to work for me. It's definitely one of my options, though.

[SaxTheSlayer]

Ok so I am thinking ball adjustment. How are the balls drilled? Pin up pin down?

Pin up. I think most of my bowling balls have the pin about 1/2" above the ring finger.

[SaxTheSlayer]

So I bowled in two leagues this week, and had a 543 in my Wednesday league and a 602 in my Thursday league. I made a concerted effort to (a) stay farther to the right on the approach by walking parallel to the gutter instead of towards my target, and (b) tried to make sure I kept the ball out. As a result, I carried a lot of light pocket strikes, and when the ball grabbed, I got a solid strike or a slightly high strike.

With this approach, I only had two splits all night (a 4-6, and a 2-7 baby which I picked up). Surprisingly, I had NO washouts. On the rare occasion when if I missed left, the ball still hooked enough to come back and hit the head pin.

My only complaint about the evening is the easy spares I missed. That's just going to take time to fix.

[boatman37]

wow. i can't stand that far right but i went out Friday and recorded myself. i was standing with my left heel 1 or 2 boards left of the 3rd dot from left and throwing over the 7 board (just inside the first arrow). this was working good but i did notice that i drift right on my approach so my right foot is actually at about the 3rd dot from the right when i release.