Why do people play inside vs outside?

[Ball99999]

How do they get such a high backswing?

[bowl1820]

How do they get such a high backswing?

Click here for How To Begin The Bowling Back Swing

Sample:

The height of your back swing will depend on several factors. How high you hold the ball from the floor in your stance position will influence the pace of the back swing once the ball begins swinging. How much you restrict the ball from swinging loosely and freely from your bowling shoulder during the back swing motion will influence the back swing height. Your physical stature contributes to the your level of flexibility and to how high the ball will swing in relation to shoulder level. Typically, the ball should swing to about shoulder level at the top of the back swing cycle.

Some bowlers with great flexibility have a naturally higher back swing than other bowlers. Some bowlers have a short swing radius and the ball will not reach shoulder level at the top of their back swing. Tall bowlers will typically have a back swing higher off of the floor than short players. Any number of back swing levels can be successful. So long as your back swing cycle moves freely and smoothly to the top of the back swing with little or no muscle restriction, then the height of your the back swing will be natural regardless of your physical stature. The strategy is to set the ball into a good position at the top of your back swing and aligned to your target.

[Ball99999]

I've seen a couple times about having bent elbows, where does this apply and why is it bad?

[J Anderson]

I've seen a couple times about having bent elbows, where does this apply and why is it bad?

If you are trying to use a free relaxed arm swing bending the elbow introduces muscle tension.

[billf]

John, I've told him that on a few threads already. Evidently he doesn't want to believe me so here's to hoping he will believe you.

[billf]

Now to answer very bluntly the question of this thread

There are a lot of people that are in love with the "hollywood" hook. The sweeping, huge, powerful, gutter to gutter hook. Splits and nasty leaves be damned, these people are there for the flash, not the cash. These are the jokers that play that same line on every pattern, every lane, every condition. They either can't or won't adjust their game to the conditions.

There are others that are true "bowlers". They can play gutter to gutter but know their strengths and weaknesses. They play where the conditions dictate to maximize score. They can play down and in when needed and can throw the big, sweeping hook if needed. When they miss they tend to leave spare attempts than can be converted.

[RoccoRock]

No matter what your style, you need to be versitile. You have to learn what patterns are favorable for playing inside, and which play outside, and which lend themselves to multiple angles. When you say, "why do guys play inside" who are you refering too? Guys who show up, and just play house shots and try to hook it as much as possible? Or are you talking about pros? Guys like Belmo, Rash, PDW, that's what they do best, that's why they do it. Guys like Mike Fagan can do both very well, that's why he may be one of the best all around guys in the world. I was thinking of bowling a touney tomorrow, and they use shark pattern. I read up on it, and pretty much the only way to play Shark is inside. So if your watching a PBA event, and they're on Shark, you may see Belmo lofting over the left gutter, and using huge hook. It's because his rev rate is through the roof, and that's the best way for him to play it. BTW, he won the Shark tourney this year doing that. It all depends on the lanes conditions, the bowlers ball speed, and rev rate, and the ball they are using. Higher rev bowlers will tend to play more inside than others. You say Norm Duke plays outside and they are great, so why doesn't everyone play like that? Well Pete Weber is just as great, and he plays inside most of the time, so why don't most people play like that? Pick what works for you, and stop worrying about what other people do, and how they bowl.

[Ball99999]

John, I've told him that on a few threads already. Evidently he doesn't want to believe me so here's to hoping he will believe you.

What do you mean??

[Ball99999]

No matter what your style, you need to be versitile. You have to learn what patterns are favorable for playing inside, and which play outside, and which lend themselves to multiple angles. When you say, "why do guys play inside" who are you refering too? Guys who show up, and just play house shots and try to hook it as much as possible? Or are you talking about pros? Guys like Belmo, Rash, PDW, that's what they do best, that's why they do it. Guys like Mike Fagan can do both very well, that's why he may be one of the best all around guys in the world. I was thinking of bowling a touney tomorrow, and they use shark pattern. I read up on it, and pretty much the only way to play Shark is inside. So if your watching a PBA event, and they're on Shark, you may see Belmo lofting over the left gutter, and using huge hook. It's because his rev rate is through the roof, and that's the best way for him to play it. BTW, he won the Shark tourney this year doing that. It all depends on the lanes conditions, the bowlers ball speed, and rev rate, and the ball they are using. Higher rev bowlers will tend to play more inside than others. You say Norm Duke plays outside and they are great, so why doesn't everyone play like that? Well Pete Weber is just as great, and he plays inside most of the time, so why don't most people play like that? Pick what works for you, and stop worrying about what other people do, and how they bowl.

I was hoping to understand technically how the oil conditions make one way better than the other to play. Like you said with the Shark pattern, what is it about the Shark pattern requires players to play inside?

[bowl1820]

what is it about the Shark pattern requires players to play inside?

In the middle of the pattern there is less oil, toward the outside of the pattern there's a lot more oil.

If you throw the ball outside it's in all that oil and won't want to hook back to the pins. So you have to play more in the middle of the lane where you don't have to fight that larger amount of oil.

Think of it as a narrow road with ice on both sides of it, if you get too far off to the side of the road and into the ice your tires lose traction and you won't be able to get back on the road. So you have to drive in the middle of the road.