Bad footwork, bad slide, bad balance.

[RoccoRock]

Ok, so I watched a lot of video of myself bowling over the last few days. I must say, a lot of what I'm doing, either two handed or one handed looks good. The one issue I have seems to be my feet. I have terrible footwork, my right foot stays parrallel to the foul line the whole time. It looks like I have a bad slide, and hence, bad balance at the foul line. Maybe bad timing as well, as it seems like I am releasing the ball while still sliding. Any tips, or drills I can use to improve my footwork and slide? I have good shoes, with interchangable sliding soles. I tried ones with less slide at times but that just made my balance worse. I work in a warehouse, by myself, and I can set up a little practice lane. I take an old cracked ball and throw it a few times to work on things. I can't slide in the warehouse, I just take a big step. i watched video from that, and everything looks so solid. Great balance, great armswing, great release. I almost what to work on taking the slide out of my game at the bowling alley, just bowl in sneakers. This weekend I was home, in my socks on the linolium floor working on my slide. I thinking it's more that my push off isn't very good. I'll hit the lanes at lunch today and work on just that.

[J Anderson]

I'm trying to get my head around how you can walk towards the foul line with your right foot parallel to it. I think you'll have to post some video so we can see what you're doing. Maybe now that I have some video of myself I can post it and you can have a good laugh at my style or lack there of.

[striker12]

ok umm there are a few drills that i know is a 1 step aprroach helps good with finding the perfect slid and a good releace another one for jsut your arm motion and releace is the go down on 1 knee other legg still up right at the foul line swing your arm 3 times and throw the ball but this is more of a release exersice but it was help with balance cause u have to put your one foot thats on the groun right infront of your kneee, not right right into of knee but abit ahead of it on the same board but maby the rectangle with the inner part of your legs.

and if you want to learn some good balance go to a gym or your own house and do some squats buld up the mussle in your legs abit ....... i go no balanc eon my left leg no more cause i smashed my ankle with the bowling ball at the end of the winter league soo my balanc eis abit off but i normaly jsut stand right back up and walk away from the lane after i throw the ball.


but one thing that will help you is the video that norm duke has got out it helps you with everything its $40 i have not got it yet im still looking for one cant buy online anymore i got rid of my credit cards because of some problems.

[billf]

I've read this thread several times. I know if I saw it, I could fix it. I'm willing to bet that with both styles having different footwork you probably now have some kind of hybrid. The right foot being parallel is perplexing; I imagine it's more of a pigeon toe. If you want somebody to see it but still don't want it posted here, up load it to youtube and send the link in a private message to whomever you choose.

[ursus]

DO you have it sideways the whole time or just when on the last step when you slide. I know I have a tendancy to turn my slide foot sideways on my slide.

[RoccoRock]

Thanks @Billf, I will probably post the video. I'm not embarrassed by my foot turning, it's odd, but not embarrassing to me. My footwork, one handed or two looks the same. Only difference is with two handed I have a hop on the last two steps just like Belmo and Osku. As far as the footwork being a hybrid of the two styles, that's not the case. I watched a video from early 2010, when I was bowling exclusively one hand, no thumb, and the footwork was identical. That was before I have ever thrown a ball with two hands.
@Ursus: yes the foot is turned the whole time. I have seen, and mostly the two handers, turn the foot they push off with as they push. That's another reason I was leaning tword two handing, because even though my foot being turned the whole time is odd, having it turned on the push off while two handing is somewhat normal. However, i think my back issues, from lifting boxes all fay every day for 17 years, may not let me be a two hander.
@Striker12: leg strengh is not even close to being a problem. I have very strong, muscular athletic legs. I will try the drills you recommended. That Norm Duke video is in stock at my local pro shop if I geel like checking it out. I have a lesson with the shop pro this Wed, and this will most likely be the biggest thing I want him to work on with me. I thought of trying a sneaker on my right foot, to get a better push off. In fact, I'm going bowling i forget a few minutes, and I may try it today.

[RoccoRock]

Btw: the combination of speed typing, a terrible phone, and it inability to edit while on this site with a mobile phone lead to some odd spellings, and phrases in my post. Thinking of it, the sentance i just typed should be my signature.

[billf]

Does your right foot turn out more than your left when walking normally?

[RoccoRock]

Not really, but they both turn out a little. I guess when im bowling in order to keep my left foot straight for a good slide, my right foot turns more to compensate. Just got done with a few games, and mixed results. First 3 games, all thumb in and concentrating on a good slide I did well. Forget game one, game two was 205, hame 3 175. Game 4 I bowled a little two handed, not great. Then, problems in game 5. The approaches at this bowling alley are very dirty. I was sticking really bad, even when I changed to a sole that slides more. In the middle of game five I packed up, and put my sneakers on to go home. Then it hit me, throw a few in sneakers, see what happens. If they throw me out, who cares, I'm never going back because the approaches are terrible. After feeling it out a little, I bolwed a decent game, two handed, in sneakers. The great thing about sneakers is you nevet have to guess, your footing will always be the same. On the way out, I spoke to the guy at the counter about it. He said most bowling alleys if they catch you will say something, but if you can get away with it, and no one knows then what can they do. Obviously he tried to talk me out of it, and I expct the advice here will be the same, but I'm thinking about buying sneakers that look like bowling shoes, just use them for bowling, and going for it.

[RoccoRock]

I just spoke to someone at the USBC rules department about my sneakers. They said "as long as it doesn't mark the approach, it's legal." I have no issue there, if anything I mark the approach less in sneakers than bowling shoes. In my shoes, when i drag my back foot I mark the approach. After a few throws the are sweeping rubber marks all the way across the approach, and I destoy that shoe. In fact, my new shoes, about 6 months old, the right shoe is destroyed already. In sneakers, I don't drag my foot, I push amd plant. No more sliding for me.