1 Step Forward, 5 Steps Backwards.

[Zothen]

Welcome to the boards!

Here is my suggestion! You stated you are new to bowling and you went from a 13lbs light/medium oil ball to a 15lbs medium heavy/heavy oil ball and are having problems hitting the pocket. All of us on the boards can give you suggestions based on the info you provide,but,without seeing you bowl your only going to therories as to how to help you. I STRONGLY suggest getting a coach to watch you and help you! You can ask the pro shop if they do coaching and if not,maybe they can refer you a coach.

Zothen

[Greenday]

I may have understood it wrong when I read a different post but when your ball "Burns out" Doesnt it have to be in its forward roll? Mine normally hasnt left the skid phase until it is right on top of the pins, or already into them.

Ah, so it isn't actually putting it's stored energy into the shot. It's a matter of balancing when your ball makes the turn and goes into the pocket. Too early and it uses all its energy before it reaches the pocket. Too late and it never actually gets to use the energy. Once again, as Tampabaybob said, try play further outside where there's less oil. This should allow the ball to grab and make its turn into the pocket earlier, allowing the ball to use its energy.

[billf]

Are you throwing a straight ball or a hook? If you're starting with your right foot in the middle and see your ball going down the middle you're either throwing it straight or I'm missing something. If you're throwing it straight, you wasted your money. Put the ball up and learn to throw some kind of hook. It really isn't that hard.

[Gunz1911]

@ Zothen-
Luckily my friend is a coach and is going to come down next weekend to give me some pointers, Plan to take some video tomorrow for the boards too.

@Billf-
I am attempting to throw a hook. I think my biggest downfall on my hook is trying to muscle the ball forward and my overall release. I have read alot of your posts and I believe I need to work on my rotation and tilt, and of course accurecy. All week I have been running through my head how I was moving, releasing and aiming on Monday and I think I just got in my own head and got frustrated, causing me not to think and get everything backwards.

I will update after I go bowling next and hopefully have some frames to post.

[Gunz1911]

Went out bowling today and I have to say it went a lot smoother. I started my first few games trying to slow my swing and ball speed down so I did not really keep track of scores. I bowled 10 games in about 2 hours, My wife was suppose to bowl half of them with me but wasn't feeling good after the 2nd game. My last 3 games I tried my best and ended up with a 178, 219 (New high score) and then 152 (by then my arm was just dead.) I asked my wife to record me a few times on my approach and tried to get my release. Hopefully this link works for my You tube- https://www.youtube.com/user/cfair1911
I thought she got more video than she did, but most of them she either started the video too late or forgot all together. Posted the few decent ones I had, I will try to get a few more when I can.

[Tampabaybob]

Ok, not bad videos, but next time you have her video tape you, have her get you from the point of picking up the ball off of the rack until after the ball hits the pins. That way we can also see what your starting setup position is looking like. That matters ! Now for a critique..... Form is not too bad, very workable. A couple of things I noticed that I would suggest you work on right away, (and go back and watch all of the videos and you'll see what I'm talking about)

1. More left knee bend at the foul line. You're in a pretty good position all the way down and then all of a sudden you straighten that leg as you release the ball. Two things are happening when you do that, first it makes you hang on to the ball longer and loft it (killing some of it's potential roll), and second it throws you off balance. (notice how on most of the shots you fall to the right !)
2. On the last video look at your left foot. You actually came up on your toe to hold your balance. Try this..... as you're taking your steps, TRY to slide as straight as possible at the line ( I teach to even try to slide your foot a little left) By sliding right it opens your shoulders too much to the right and will allow you to easily pull the ball across the front of you (which you did on that last video clip)
3. TRY to slide on the ball of your foot. Your last step going into the slide your foot should barely come off of the floor. You need a little more slide.
4. TRY to keep your right foot (toe) on the floor when you kick it over to the left. This will help you to maintain your balance.
5. Keep your left arm all the way out ....again for balance purposes.

IF you can put these all together, it'll help you a lot. Try to hold yourself in the balanced position "at the line" until the ball rolls off of the pin deck. This will allow you to a) see your ball hit your target, b) watch your ball going down the lane seeing what it's doing or not doing, c) seeing where your break point of the ball is, and last but not least, how the ball is hitting the pins and where it is hitting.

These things will make you a better bowler. Knowing whats going on with the ball is very important information that will tell you what adjustments you need to make (if any).

Good luck, hope this rant all makes sense, but let us know how you make out with the coach also.