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Troubleshooting Your Game - Jeri Edwards (part 3)

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Sometimes your timing and swing are in good shape and you just need to put some effort into working on great feel at release. Feel is the same as your other bowling skills--it takes practice to develop the same feel at release over and over again. This is where practice is so critical. Spend time in your practice sessions developing great feel at release. You may even want to work on more than one release. It is especially helpful for most people to develop a minimum, medium, and maximum release. Doing so helps them to match up their release to what the lanes are giving them on a particular night.

Finally, an inconsistent release can often be caused by an improper ball fit. See your pro shop operator for his or her expert advice. If you did not have your ball drilled at a pro shop that specializes in bowling equipment, you probably need to search one out for help. How far apart the holes are drilled, the size of the holes, and the angle the holes are drilled into the ball are very important, and can make a huge difference in your execution.

Your release is crucial to your game, and finding the way to be consistent will make a difference in your success.

PROBLEM NO. 6

MY FINISH IS UNBALANCED

Most people are looking for balance after the ball leaves their hand and they finish their follow-through. As easy as the pros make it look, executing a balanced finish takes technique and precision.

You want to "nail" your finish like a gymnast nails a landing. If you can finish strong, it means that the motion before this finish was probably solid as well. Many people actually fall to the right--called "falling off the shot"--and catch their balance with their right foot, stepping to the right. Other bowlers may actually hop to the fight. In both instances there is too much body weight or force to the right side, and the body is finding a way to get back into balance.

Your non-sliding leg plays an important part in keeping your balance during the finish. It must clear over behind your body, allowing you to counterbalance the weight and force of the ball coming through. A good position for your right leg is between 7 and 8 o'clock. (If you were standing inside the face of a clock and your sliding foot was at 6 o'clock, you would want your right foot to be over in the 7 o'clock to 8 o'clock position.) This helps get more of your weight to the left side, which counterbalances the weight and force of the ball at release. As you do this, you also want your foot to lay over so that the right side of your right foot is touching the floor. This also helps you to get your hips a little lower to help your balance. If your right leg does not clear over strongly enough, you'll fall off to the right.

If you are having trouble with your timing, it also can affect your finish. This is especially true with early timing. As the ball reaches the release area a little ahead of the body, often your shoulders will be too far forward, hinting your balance. The arm getting to the release area early doesn't allow the right leg to clear soon enough, so the ball stays out to the right a little more. As a result, more weight will be on the right side, and your body will fall off to the right. Get your timing in better shape and your finish should fall into place.

Your armswing can also be a cause of poor balance at the finish. If your arm rotates to the outside on the forward swing, it sends more force to the right side of your body. Most often this pulls the body to the right going into the slide, but it can also cause you to fall off to the right to maintain your balance.

Finally, drifting a lot of boards in either direction can make a solid finish more difficult. Any time you have your body weight and the weight and force of the ball moving a significant amount to one side or the other, you can have problems with your balance. Check to see that you start and finish relatively close to the same board. Walking three to four boards fight or left is about the most you would want in your game.

Getting better at troubleshooting your game can go a long way toward developing better performances on a consistent basis. Knowing different practice options for your game helps your practice sessions. Spending time working on the different skills that are necessary to master in becoming a great bowler can help you identify what works best for you. As always, en route to a better bowling game, a coach can make the road easier and the travel faster.

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