Just need some helpful advice for someone wanting to do much better

[skeeb]

Hello all,
Ok for starters I am not a beginner. I bowled about 10 years ago and have now gotten back into it since last year. My avg when I was 19yr was about 170ish. This year I started out pretty hot after buying all new gear since my old stuff was ancient. Gear is: Ebonite NVD, plastic spare ball, ebonite shoes.
I dont wear a wrist strap and when I first used the demo ball at the pro shops they told me I threw a pretty hard ball. The NVD was just one of their recommendations.
I do throw a small hook as I did when I was younger.
My first 8 or so weeks I was in the 180s avg. Pretty good for me and I was happy with it. I even bowled a 623 which was one of my best series ever.
I went on a slump and found out it was because my thumb swelled up and I was getting stuck in the ball.
So I had it drilled out more (the grip). I instantly started bowling well again... 180s. Well I am now in the 20th week of my season and my avg is a 173. My last few weeks have again been a slump in the 160s.
I seem to do very well at getting strikes. I avg about 5 a game. Its my spares that are embarrassing. Usually..

Ok, sorry for the long story book there... now to my issues:
When I bowl I feel like I grip the ball or squeeze it. I have been trying to fix that since now my thumb has swelled down and my grip is back to its original form via proshop. I am so inconsistent though..
Yesterday I threw 2 gutters. Sometimes I would feel the ball just fall off my hand... other times I would hold on too much and tug it. I had 2 strikes, gutter, 2 strikes, 2 opens... frustrating!!
I cant decide if its my span... my thumb is too loose... Im dropping my shoulder... or what. I have been really working on where I stand and my approach. I now stand almost at the beginning of the ball returner and stand in the middle and aim just right of the 2nd arrow. I also have practiced heavily on a "pendulum" swing instead of forcing it. I bowled back to back 226 games just two days ago doing this. I will also say that my ball for the first time was looking "pretty" going down the lane too. It actually rolled smooth and broke very nice... I looked like a pro... for some of my throws. Then other times I would throw a pretty straight shot or just completely miss...
I think Ill stop there. I think you all get the point that I am just frustrated and dont know where to begin for fixing this. The bottom line is I know I have the ability to be a scratch bowler. I bowl more strikes than many of the guys.. but they just arent consistent throws.

[J Anderson]

I would talk to the guys in the pro shop, explain that you are losing the ball on some shots and hanging on to it too long on others. Maybe even get them to come out and watch you throw a few, if they're not busy.

[JAnderson]

It all starts with the equipment. If your equipment does not fit properly, you'll pickup back habits like squeezing the ball. Squeezing through the wrist and forearm actually reduces wrist flexibility (at least while you're tensed) and reduces the ability to impart revolutions on the ball, lowering hook.

What is inconsistency, other than the path to low scores? It means you're doing something different from shot to shot. If you squeeze a little more on one shot and a little less on the next, you've introduced a degree of inconsistency in your game. The modern coaches believe not squeezing at all is the easiest motion to repeat time and time again.

To be able to not squeeze the ball, it must fit properly. That's a good place to start as my esteemed co-named friend has posted. I'd say the vast majority of bowlers have thumb holes that are too large and/or have too much reverse pitch.

Using a pendulum motion, also called a "free" arm swing, is a great tool to consider. Unlike human muscles, the force of gravity is constant in just about every bowling center on the planet ;) Allowing gravity to swing the ball means you can throw it the same speed time and time again.

Ultimately, what makes you better is whatever is simplest and easiest for you to repeat time and again. Matching that to the bowler is what good coaches do.