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classygranny
11-06-2021, 03:47 PM
I read a lot....maybe too much. Thus, I appear to have a lot of "book" knowledge in the area of bowling which far exceeds my physical capabilities. I have read "old school" and "new school" versions of bowling techniques and can usually determine what to put into my own game (along with some coaching).

Just a curious question, as it seems I've read varying concepts on the push-away, with authors going with - push straight out, push a bit up and out (to get a more fluid swing), and those that go with a "hinge" swing.

What is everyone's take on the differences?

I'm just experimenting since I've had to drastically reduce weight since my elbow surgery.

J Anderson
11-06-2021, 05:28 PM
I read a lot....maybe too much. Thus, I appear to have a lot of "book" knowledge in the area of bowling which far exceeds my physical capabilities. I have read "old school" and "new school" versions of bowling techniques and can usually determine what to put into my own game (along with some coaching).

Just a curious question, as it seems I've read varying concepts on the push-away, with authors going with - push straight out, push a bit up and out (to get a more fluid swing), and those that go with a "hinge" swing.

What is everyone's take on the differences?

I'm just experimenting since I've had to drastically reduce weight since my elbow surgery.

I have never heard it recommended to push the ball up. It may work for some bowlers, but to my way of thinking it wastes energy and throws off the timing.

Pushing straight out is textbook or perhaps old school.

Hinging is now considered acceptable.

When watching an old video of Earl Anthony demonstrating a four step approach it looks like he doesn’t push the ball outon the first step but just lets his arm straighten out on step two.

boatman37
11-06-2021, 08:52 PM
I'm far from an expert and definitely don't have the best form but my ball moves slightly forward as soon as my first foot moves. Has to happen at the exact same time to feel right. I push straight forward maybe 2" then drop. I have a 4 step approach

Phonetek
11-06-2021, 09:53 PM
It’s my understanding that it depends on your timing. I used to hold the ball chin high and push it straight out and allow it to fall. In the more recent years I changed my setup to be much lower and I push the ball straight out on a slight downward angle.

The result is of course a quicker more compact swing. I still use the higher setup if I want to fire down the lane with the rookie Peter Weber backswing to whomp on the pins to go for a 7-10 split. Thankfully it’s not something I do often. Well, right now not at all.

I think for someone with your physical issues would benefit more from a quicker more compact swing. Less is more, it’s easier on the body and that’s more important than higher numbers on the speed cameras.

classygranny
11-06-2021, 10:41 PM
I always thought it wasn't a good idea to go up with the ball to start, but this concept got me curious as to what others takeaway was. In an article by Juhu Maja in the Bowling This Month he states...

In order to minimize the initial muscle tension, your starting position should have several key features:

An elbow bend of at least 90 degrees. This reduces tension in your bowling arm and allows your non-bowling arm to support more of the weight. It will place your ball at approximately hip height (or a bit lower).
The ball should also be positioned near your center of gravity, which helps it feel lighter and reduces tension in the swing. It should be under your head, using slightly open hips and shoulders, with some forward lean to create this alignment and make space for the swing.
As we start walking, we don’t want to walk out of the way of the swing; this is a bad mental image. An effective start position will create that room right away. The exact details of your body position will depend on your build. Bowlers with wide shoulders and narrow hips will naturally create more space than those with wider hips.

Because of the ball’s relatively low position in the stance, and the need to generate speed in the swing start so we can achieve an effective backswing height, you want to use your non-gripping hand to lift the ball slightly as you initiate the movement and then allow it to free-fall toward the bottom of the swing start. This creates more speed than simply dropping it from that low point, and it keeps muscle tension to a minimum when done correctly.

djp1080
11-17-2021, 12:48 PM
I've just started paying attention to Juhu Maja in Bowling This Month, too. I haven't read all his articles, but I'm finding them quite informative.
Based upon what you posted though, I'm doing much of what he says. Recently I switched from a five step approach to four steps. I feel I'm starting with some body momentum when I drop the ball into a swing now and I know that my ball speed is several mph faster especially for spare shots according to the scoring screen. My ball reads out somewhere in a range of 16.5 to 17.5 mph as compared to 13 or 14 mph previously. My back swing isn't nearly as high either surprisingly enough. My spare shooting is improving and as a result my average has improved. I had two poor leaves though today: split 3-6-7-10. I made them both like it was nothing which shocked the heck out of me. :) I think that the increase in ball speed is a result of my feet getting going quicker right from the start with the momentum created. When I used the five step approach, I tended to get going a bit slower at the start.

Aslan
11-17-2021, 01:07 PM
I have never heard it recommended to push the ball up. It may work for some bowlers, but to my way of thinking it wastes energy and throws off the timing.

I would agree with this. I sometimes get caught doing this and it's bad news for my timing.