Low backswing??

[AZBowla]

What do you need a high backswing for?

Couple of reasons, one is I'd like to get more speed and rev's on the ball, secondly as Bill said, my current pushaway puts the ball in my face and I lose sight of my target. I'm looking for a backswing that's more in line with what is illustrated in the Game Changer book. I'm also hoping that having a higher, more relaxed backswing will take some of the strain off my arm. I've been subconsciously muscling the ball so that my swing can keep up with my feet - I can really feel it in my forearm the next morning.

[billf]

Awesome book. Having read it you know what I mean then about how you can't have the correct timing going into the slide. One thing you're doing and we all do to some degree, is using shoulder muscles to stop the back swing. The forearm is from gripping hard with the wrist cupped. That alone puts tension into the swing.

[AZBowla]

Awesome book. Having read it you know what I mean then about how you can't have the correct timing going into the slide. One thing you're doing and we all do to some degree, is using shoulder muscles to stop the back swing. The forearm is from gripping hard with the wrist cupped. That alone puts tension into the swing.

Yeah, that book is great, well worth the $10 for the e-version.

One thing I've really learned from it is how many things I'm not doing right - I've got about 30 years of bad bowling habits to unlearn. I figure the weird backswing should be the easiest bad habit to break first.

[billf]

Starting with the correct set up will help with that. Every sport has an athletic pose and bowling is no different. As with other sports there are variations but they all have the correct timing at specific intervals.

[GoodGorilla]

OK, here's the video - this is my typical strike shot right now.



It works, but looks awful. I know if I can get a more "professional" looking swing, I'll get better results. The question is how do I get there? Bill's advice is always sound so I will give those things a try. As for the pushups, well... I don't know how helpful that would be, but it couldn't hurt to get in better shape I suppose. Anyway, if anyone has any other pointers for me, that haven't already been mentioned, feel free!

Fist thing I have noticed which has already been mentioned is opening the shoulders. After you let go of the ball put your balance arm forward with the thumb down, when the ball passes your leg on the release move the balance arm square with your shoulders. One thing that helps me also, is I stand up strait and when the ball passes my legs on the downswing, I bend forward (I've seen other pros do this also).

[GoodGorilla]

Couple of reasons, one is I'd like to get more speed and rev's on the ball, secondly as Bill said, my current pushaway puts the ball in my face and I lose sight of my target. I'm looking for a backswing that's more in line with what is illustrated in the Game Changer book. I'm also hoping that having a higher, more relaxed backswing will take some of the strain off my arm. I've been subconsciously muscling the ball so that my swing can keep up with my feet - I can really feel it in my forearm the next morning.

You have to slow your feet down.

[scottymoney]

Since it has worked for me I am really promoting the shift bowl technique. And to make it plain and simple starting in the athletic stance has made it easier for me to finish that way. Instead of working on bending the knees through the approach start with them bent to begin and stay low. As Bill said the setup is very important. And this may help you. Also I think this may help you with your backswing as it seems you are starting to bend your knees as you are in your backswing.

By already having your knees bent maybe it will help you with not having to think about doing so much at once to get yourself to the foul line they way you want to be.

[AZBowla]

Since it has worked for me I am really promoting the shift bowl technique. And to make it plain and simple starting in the athletic stance has made it easier for me to finish that way. Instead of working on bending the knees through the approach start with them bent to begin and stay low. As Bill said the setup is very important. And this may help you. Also I think this may help you with your backswing as it seems you are starting to bend your knees as you are in your backswing.

By already having your knees bent maybe it will help you with not having to think about doing so much at once to get yourself to the foul line they way you want to be.

I was intrigued by this but haven't taken an indepth look at it just yet. I think my footwork is fine - I need to start closer to the foul line, but other than that what I'm doing seems to be working. That swing though is a big problem, I'm having a tough time staying consistent and after realizing what Bill was saying was right in that I'm blocking my target with the ball, that makes total sense. The new brace was a big help there though. At least now I can consistently release the ball the same way each time and that helped me bowl well in spite of all the other things I was doing wrong. Once I get my swing doing what I want it to, then I'll give the shift-bowl technique a try and see if that makes things better or worse.

In retrospect, it's pretty amazing actually that I'm able to bowl over 200 on occasion with all that I'm doing wrong in that swing. After watching myself in that video I wanted to cringe and hide under the table. I so did not feel like I was doing that, but the camera doesn't lie. Next week (or whenever I go bowling next) I will have my lovely GF video me from the side as well so I can see from both the side and back what I need to work on (probably everything, lol).

[AZBowla]

Fist thing I have noticed which has already been mentioned is opening the shoulders. After you let go of the ball put your balance arm forward with the thumb down, when the ball passes your leg on the release move the balance arm square with your shoulders. One thing that helps me also, is I stand up strait and when the ball passes my legs on the downswing, I bend forward (I've seen other pros do this also).

OK, here it comes... my GF will read this and say "See? I told you so!"

She mentioned this exact same thing about my balance arm but I was getting strikes so I told her I didn't want to fix something that wasn't broken. Yes, yes, I know, I'm stubborn. She tells me that all the time too.

Thanks for the advice, I'll try that next time also.

[scottymoney]

Once I get my swing doing what I want it to, then I'll give the shift-bowl technique a try and see if that makes things better or worse.).

I think maybe by trying something like starting with knee bend it may promote a better swing. Worth a shot, just thinking that maybe too much motion of trying to bend knees and backswing during the approach could cause themselves to cancel each other out.

I would say I am of the other extreme, where I had a huge backswing, but I don't think I get as high with the new approach. At this point who knows!!!!! Watching so many different people bowl, you can pick out things that everyone does wrong/could do better and if you try to fix it it could just make it worse. I really need to video myself and get a look at what my current style is. Also I would like you guys to tear it apart to show me what I am missing.