Correct follow through end point and position?

[Phonetek]

Many of you have seen my video and commented on my follow through. In the video my arm extends and ends with my arm by my ear and goes back far enough to tap my shoulder. Back in the day this was the way to do it, so I was taught by my teacher who was a stroker. Now with the modern release this is not correct. I've seen the comment many times in a ton of posts "You follow through to the pins and the pins aren't on the ceiling or behind your back."

To clarify this comment I'd like to ask this....From a righty profile view if your back is considered 9 o'clock, your ear is 12 o'clock and the pins are 3 o'clock then your follow through should end at 3 o'clock?

Since my video I've made a lot of changes. I need to take and upload a fresh one

1. Tried to cut out the lift, it's much less but not gone, old habits die hard.
2. Loft is virtually gone, probably due to cutting down on lift. Maybe better fitting ball?
3. Bending much lower at the foul line. Again, probably because I'm not lifting as much which would draw the body higher
4. Lowered the ball in my stance and support it with left hand.
5. Staying behind the ball on back swing and less on top.
6. Incorporated cross step on first step which is still awkward and still not right.
7. Working on the load and unload wrist motion for modern release (just started this, much work needed)
8. Dropped 1 lb. in ball weight to 15 lbs.

I'm still throwing high 18's MPH and tapping on 19 now and then which is still very hard. When I slow it down even on a fresh oiled THS with a polished original black hammer it just takes off on me too much. Especially with the load unload I get too many revs and it really takes a left turn throwing it slower. My follow through could be the culprit because it's still too high? I finish now at about 1 o'clock. Even that feels awkward to me because of what I'm used to as if I didn't complete the throw. The other question is, at the end of the follow through should your arm be fully extended or is bending your elbow still considered correct?

[J Anderson]

I would say that your follow through should finish somewhere between 3 o’clock and 12 o’clock. As for the elbow, it should be straight as the ball rolls off the fingertips. If it flexes a bit after your hand passes 4 o’clock you’re probably o.k.

[bowl1820]

In regard to the follow through the thing's you don't want to do is force your arm up, Like the old "reach for the ceiling", "Tap yourself on the back" etc. when you do those you'll wind up lifting the ball which is something you don't want to do.

Another thing is a lot players are told to finish towards the pins, To help get them to project the ball towards the pins and not lift. Because today's game is about releasing the ball parallel to the lane and down towards the pins.

But what happens a lot of times is, they wind up cutting their swing short trying to stop the natural motion of the arm from following through trying to finish with their hand pointed at the pins.

Having a good form with a free flowing arm swing and release where the hand flows through the shot, the arm will come up naturally do to it's momentum.

A natural, free flowing follow through do to momentum, doesn't put lift on a ball, It's when you try force the follow through up that can happen.

So basically it dosen't matter if your follow through is high, low etc. as long as you are not forcing it to do it.

[Phonetek]

But what happens a lot of times is, they wind up cutting their swing short trying to stop the natural motion of the arm from following through trying to finish with their hand pointed at the pins.


Yes! You hit it on the head, that's how it feels like it's stopping unnaturally.



So basically it dosen't matter if your follow through is high, low etc. as long as you are not forcing it to do it.

I understand now, I guess I was putting too much emphasis on something that I really didn't need to by thinking about it in the wrong way. This helps, I understand what I need to do now. Thanks Bowl.

[RobLV1]

Different opinions are what makes the world go round. IMHO, there three things that make the follow through go up: 1) forcing it, 2) getting the ball off of the fingers to soon, 3) lifting with the fingers. If the fingers are staying in the ball long enough to roll it without lifting, the only thing that the follow through can do is to go out... not up.

[djp1080]

My coach would tell me to watch where my hand was once I released the ball over and over again. I finally decided that it's important as you mention here. After watching Steve Kloempken last weekend on TV I would think his release is what I'd like to emulate. We had our last week of our regular senior league season this morning and scored a 734, but that was with a 9-pin no tap scoring. :)
Now I can see how difficult and challenge an 800 series is. Wow! It seemed to me that my release was better than normal after watching bowling on TV this past weekend.
Phonetek it sounds like you've taken all these things to heart, which is commendable. I'd just want to add that you might consider changing your angle of rotation a little and that Hammer ball wouldn't take off on you so much. Perhaps by moving your index finger a little closer to your middle finger might do the trick.

[bowl1820]

Different opinions are what makes the world go round. IMHO, there three things that make the follow through go up: 1) forcing it, 2) getting the ball off of the fingers to soon, 3) lifting with the fingers. If the fingers are staying in the ball long enough to roll it without lifting, the only thing that the follow through can do is to go out... not up.

Just what do you mean by "go out"? Once you project and release the ball down the lane is your arm and hand just supposed to stop like your handing someone a dinner plate.

lets look at the recent masters, where did their arm and hands go after releasing the ball?, Did their arms just come to a dead stop pointing down the lane as soon as the ball was off their hand? No.

Does that mean their follow throughs weren't going out, extending down the lane before they continued upwards, they were all forcing their arms up and getting the ball off their fingers too soon and lifting? I would think as PBA players they would know better if they were.

https://s5.postimg.cc/ugu8f5q3r/mastershandsup.jpg

Yes if the fingers are staying in the ball long enough to roll it without lifting, the only thing the swing ( follow through) can do is continue on if it has the momentum, the arm will continue on up because it's swinging from your shoulder. if it stops it either doesn't have the momentum and naturally stopped there or you stopped it.

Yes you shouldn't be forcing the arm up, Just like you shouldn't be deliberately forcing the arm to stop it's swing either. Your swing should be free and natural and it will stop where it wants..

[RobLV1]

Note that in all cases the wrist is just barely above the level of the head with the exception of "Fancy Pants" who was the only one of the five who was on the side of the ball rather than behind it. Also note the shoulder extension in all five bowlers. That's what I'm talking about.

[bowl1820]

Note that in all cases the wrist is just barely above the level of the head with the exception of "Fancy Pants" who was the only one of the five who was on the side of the ball rather than behind it. Also note the shoulder extension in all five bowlers. That's what I'm talking about.

Okay "go out" is the arm with shoulder extension swinging upwards till the wrist is above the level of the head or are you saying the wrist only barely went up so that's not really going up so isn't really follow through.

Either way That's still just seems like letting the arm naturally "following through" swinging upwards, just with the shoulder extension mentioned.

I think We're basically saying the same thing just saying it differently, We both agree that you shouldn't force the arm up to make the arm follow through upwards.

[Phonetek]

Phonetek it sounds like you've taken all these things to heart, which is commendable. I'd just want to add that you might consider changing your angle of rotation a little and that Hammer ball wouldn't take off on you so much. Perhaps by moving your index finger a little closer to your middle finger might do the trick.

Yes very true I do take advice to heart because I'm dedicated to making my game the best I can make it be. I really want this! Not ALL advice mind you, there are some things I dismiss because I don't think they are relevant to ME and the advice giver is trying to make me turn into them. Other times it things beyond my capabilities and I know what they are. As to your suggestion about the index finger, yes I can do that. That's one of those things I know to do but always forget about. I just added it to my notepad that I take with me so I won't forget.

[RobLV1]

Okay "go out" is the arm with shoulder extension swinging upwards till the wrist is above the level of the head or are you saying the wrist only barely went up so that's not really going up so isn't really follow through.

Either way That's still just seems like letting the arm naturally "following through" swinging upwards, just with the shoulder extension mentioned.

I think We're basically saying the same thing just saying it differently, We both agree that you shouldn't force the arm up to make the arm follow through upwards.

I really try to imagine everyone who posts here. I can't help but picturing the occasional bowler who finishes with their follow through going straight up toward the ceiling, or elbow-bent behind their ear. Written words are really an ineffective way of communicating... and this coming from a 45 year professional writer!

[Phonetek]

Unfortunately I haven't gotten any new video as of yet or I'd certainly upload it, it does make life easier. Time hasn't been on my side to be able to do it much for myself, my son or for further critique online. It works both ways though Rob, sometimes when given advice it's difficult to picture it as well. I guess we all do the best we can. Imagine how difficult it is for the writers to do it for movies. All we can do is hope our questions and or advice are in essence writing a scene with our words. Some are better at it than others.

[Astropin]

Different opinions are what makes the world go round. IMHO, there three things that make the follow through go up: 1) forcing it, 2) getting the ball off of the fingers to soon, 3) lifting with the fingers. If the fingers are staying in the ball long enough to roll it without lifting, the only thing that the follow through can do is to go out... not up.


Note that in all cases the wrist is just barely above the level of the head with the exception of "Fancy Pants" who was the only one of the five who was on the side of the ball rather than behind it. Also note the shoulder extension in all five bowlers. That's what I'm talking about.

Lat time I check your head is "up" in relation to where you release the ball. Every pro I've ever scene follows through "up". As bowl1820 said that doesn't mean they are lifting...simply following through from momentum. Hard to let go of a 15-16lb ball at 18-20mph and not have your hand finish high unless you purposely hold it back.

[RobLV1]

Again, "up" is relative to the position that your body is in. A great majority of modern bowlers do not finish with their wrist above the level of the heads. A good goal for bowlers is to finish at shoulder height. You probably won't be able to do it, but using it as a goal will keep your follow through in the correct neighborhood.