I don`t Slide?

[BearClaw1973]

Hello all,
I`m new to the site and to Bowling for that matter. I`ve been practicing and doing well but I`m having an issue Sliding. I am....lets say...big boned and I`m thinking my weight my have a lot to do with it other than technique. Any other big guys out there have this problem? Or is it something I just need to work on? I have starter Bowling Shoes but their Dexter`s so I don't think its the shoes. I have noticed I seem to land on my heal of my foot more than the toes. Is there any tricks to help? Thank you for your time.

[Zoomie]

If your bowling well just work on other items to impove your game. I dont remember his name but a pro bowler use to use tennis shoes to bowl. He planted the foot and didnt slide one bit. We have a "big boned" fella that bowles here and he is in the upper 180's

[Graaille]

Welcome to BB.

Big Boned shouldn't have that much to do w/it, it's more you slide on the ball/toe of your foot, and your heel is the brake. Of course some approaches are more . . . . condusive . . . to a good slide than others. After one of our local houses refinished the wood approaches a couple of years ago - it felt like I was trying to slide on ice. At another house in the same city, it's like sliding on a movie theater floor from the '80's. If you get the slide technique down, you can use a product like a 'slide sock' to negate some of the variance between approaches.

And just remember, most slides I've seen watching the pro's are only 12-18 inches, so it doesn't have to be that much. I think Marshall Holman had the longest slide I've ever seen, at it was approximately 24 inches.

[BearClaw1973]

Thanks. I`ll look into the slide sock. I need to practice landing on the ball of my foot more. I can do that at home. Thanks again.

[pac]

If your bowling well just work on other items to impove your game. I dont remember his name but a pro bowler use to use tennis shoes to bowl. He planted the foot and didnt slide one bit. We have a "big boned" fella that bowles here and he is in the upper 180's

That would be Jess Stayrook that wore the tennis shoes.

I have recently returned after several years away. I do not slide at all because my timing is a little late, but I'm very comfortable that way. You may not need to change anything, just do what makes you comfortable and helps you to enjoy the sport.

[Zoomie]

The bowling styles are so diverse. We have a bowler that is 6'2" that takes 3 steps and when he releases the ball is about 28 inches from the foul line. I think he averages 170ish. Another bowler does a Fred Flintstone toe dance midway through his approach. If you think you are going to be the odd man out just look at others bowling. On the approach I squat down low before walking. I keep this position because I use to drop to low before release.

[JAnderson]

There are some prominent bowlers out there today that do not slide but use more of a heal-toe forward rocking motion instead of a slide. Michael Haugen Jr. and Shannon Pluhowski are two examples.

Depending on where you bowl and/or what time of the day, it is next to impossible to slide in some bowling centers, even with a slide sock. BearClaw, have you tried a different bowling center? Slide socks are relatively inexpensive and are a good adjustment tool for every bowler's bag.

Your trouble sliding may have much to do with your weight distribution. See
this thread for an illustrated example and explanation.

[JAnderson]

I think Marshall Holman had the longest slide I've ever seen, at it was approximately 24 inches.

Probably closer to 48 inches. The crazy thing about Holman is that he released the ball in the middle of the slide and kept sliding after the ball was away. You can't do that if you grab, squeeze, pull, or hit up on the ball at all. Well, you can't and stay balanced.

[BearClaw1973]

Hello,
No Jay I haven`t tried any other Bowling Centers but I`ll try to soon. I just got back from practice and stayed awhile afterwards and just watched other people. I see now that there are many different approaches and some were very interesting. One guy looked as if he was doing "The Crane" from Karate Kid part one after he released the ball. I guess I may be making to much of it. Thanks for all the advice and Im still going to look into the slide sock.

[LB75]

I don't slide either, never have. It's more of a plant like Zoomie described. I asked a coach about it recently and he said it looked like it was working for me, and not to mess with it.