Had my first coaching session today

[Tokes]

Nice job on the new high score I'm a little envious lol.

[backahead]

Thanks Tokes! I been out of posting action for the past few weeks. Computer went kablooey! Had my second session on the 25th. Focus was swing plane. Mine is a non stop disaster. I need some mental tips from you guys. This is my best swing plane, and it needs work:


http://s1084.photobucket.com/albums/...rrent=shot.mp4

Everything is wrong I know Swing plane is the best I've video'd though.

[Tampabaybob]

Thanks Tokes! I been out of posting action for the past few weeks. Computer went kablooey! Had my second session on the 25th. Focus was swing plane. Mine is a non stop disaster. I need some mental tips from you guys. This is my best swing plane, and it needs work:


http://s1084.photobucket.com/albums/...rrent=shot.mp4

Everything is wrong I know Swing plane is the best I've video'd though.

Good video shot. The first thing that jumps out at me is your elbow is too far away from your bod on your arm swing. Start with your ball to the right of your body, not in the center. That way the ball starts out in the correct swing plane from the beginning. Your ball should just drop into the swing slot on your first step rather than pushing it out, just letting gravity take over. If you can, try to keep your elbow in close to your body by feeling it brush by your side, down and back, in the swing, it will help keep it closer to your side. The inside of your elbow should 'always' be facing the pins through the delivery.

2nd thing I noticed was your slide foot. I would try to slide as straight as possible at the line to help keep your shoulders straight at release. If necessary concentrate on sliding a little to the left. Your shoulders won't open left due to the weight of the ball, but it'll give you a straighter shot at the pins.

Try it and let us know if this helps. Have someone take a couple of shots from behind and one or two from your right side so we can get a side view.

Bob

[billf]

Bob, no disrespect intended, but......The inside of the elbow "always facing the pins". It would be impossible to play the inside part of the ball that way. Playing the rest of the ball like the other 94% of bowlers, shouldn't the inside of the elbow face the target? I've a;ways taught target as that seems to work for strokers, tweeners and crankers. Thoughts?

[backahead]

Good video shot. The first thing that jumps out at me is your elbow is too far away from your bod on your arm swing. Start with your ball to the right of your body, not in the center. That way the ball starts out in the correct swing plane from the beginning. Your ball should just drop into the swing slot on your first step rather than pushing it out, just letting gravity take over. If you can, try to keep your elbow in close to your body by feeling it brush by your side, down and back, in the swing, it will help keep it closer to your side. The inside of your elbow should 'always' be facing the pins through the delivery.

2nd thing I noticed was your slide foot. I would try to slide as straight as possible at the line to help keep your shoulders straight at release. If necessary concentrate on sliding a little to the left. Your shoulders won't open left due to the weight of the ball, but it'll give you a straighter shot at the pins.

Try it and let us know if this helps. Have someone take a couple of shots from behind and one or two from your right side so we can get a side view.

Bob

Yep that's what we were working on (keeping the ball close to my body). Usually I open my right shoulder and pull the ball back behind my head. So I'm trying hard to keep a straight swing plane, while staying close. Not easy for me. I like your idea of using my slide foot to direct that shoulder action. I knew I needed to straighten it out but I figured I'd worry about that down the line. Maybe that focus will keep me from opening my shoulder and getting a gutter ball.

I just got a great contract to serve dogs on Sat and Sun at the apple orchards up here. But that means no more time for coaching until Dec. I'm working 7days, 80hrs/wk now. Maybe once or twice practice besides thursday night mens league that just started. I'll get the video at some point. Thanks Tampa

[Tampabaybob]

Bob, no disrespect intended, but......The inside of the elbow "always facing the pins". It would be impossible to play the inside part of the ball that way. Playing the rest of the ball like the other 94% of bowlers, shouldn't the inside of the elbow face the target? I've a;ways taught target as that seems to work for strokers, tweeners and crankers. Thoughts?

Bill.....Not sure how you're interpreting my comment, but if the inside of your elbow is facing towards the pins isn't your target located in basically the same direction???? Keeping the "inside" of your elbow facing straight ahead also helps to keep your hand behind the ball and/or staying under the ball.

Backahead.....keeping that slide foot as straight as possible will feel strange at first but it will help. Look at some of the pros videos, and you'l see if they aren't straight they're pretty damn close. Some are actually facing left (righty) at the line. 80 Hrs a week? Better you than me.....tough to get sleep in, let alone bowling and practice. Good luck, let me know if it helps.

Bob

[billf]

Bob, I read it as straight. If playing a line of 25 to 15 then the elbow stays straight towards the pins and not slightly angles towards the breakpoint. I have a tendency to take some things too literal. The angle of the elbow for a stroker playing straight up 10 would be straighter (more towards 0 degrees) than the full lane cranker starting on 40 and breaking at 8, whose elbow should be angled (2 degrees or so?) to the breakpoint/target. I phrased it that way as most crankers target an area or their breakpoint rather than the arrows. Tommy Jones is the man who comes to mind of where I heard that first.

[Tampabaybob]

Yeah, you're correct. If you're cranking the ball, yes, the inside of your elbow would tend to be more toward the right (i.e.; the break point), but in general for most bowlers, if they are "chicken winging it" and/or having problems going over the top of the ball then the first thing you would want to help them change would be to keep the inside of their elbow straighter. Right? So when talking to a lot of these guys on-line, and without the benefit of most of them having videos, you have to start from square one. That's why utilizing some of the existing videos on line are of great use, allowing them to "see" how the greatest bowlers execute their delivery.

Bob

[billf]

I agree. Coaching in person is definitely easier than on-line. I've been teaching a lot of bowlers the inside part of the ball lately, the total opposite of what they were doing. Most end up as strokers thinking they are inside the ball at first but are closer to the middle.