I need help, reallly bad left hip pain, please watch my approach video!

[swingset]

Yeah, agree with the above not seeing anything that looks excessive to promote hip pain....but the force of your body and muscles can be something you're exerting and it doesn't "show" to a casual observer.

My advice - and this is something I believe is effective and healthy no matter what is causing your pain - is to work on your flexibility and hip strength off of the lane. I highly suggest a good fitness program that includes stretching and yoga routine. It will help with your core strength, hip and joint flexibility and make your bowling better and of course benefit the rest of your activities off the bowling lanes. I do P90X, but there are a lot of programs that focus on all of these things.

I struggle with coming around the ball too - and I think in your case your hand is kind of all over the place during backswing and downswing (trying to impart action on the ball, I suspect). Just keep your index finger pointed at the headpin and retain that hand position throughout the swing and release naturally - you'll get all the rotation you need without muscling or effort. I recently made this change and it drastically improved my release and swing.

[sprocket]

I didn't read all the responses, but I'm not seeing anything that obviously equals hip pain. Like all of us, you're not getting any younger. I remember YEARS ago going to the doctor with knee pain on my sliding foot side. The doctor (asshole) suggested I "give up the silly game". I told him to give up golfing. I bought new shoes instead. Problem gone. Right now it is almost impossible for me to bowl without popping three or four ibuprofen an hour or so before bowling. My legs ache really bad without it. It is due to inflammation and the ibuprofen works well to prevent that. If your pain GOES AWAY not long after you are done bowling, then I would suspect inflammation. No inflammation, no pain.

[normdukefan]

It's still a work in progress. I was trying to incorporate all of your advice, and I did bowl better and not any hip pain(I don't know if it's because of the Ibubrofen or my form?) . Didn't bowl great though. A few weeks ago I bowled a 710, I hope I can get back to that form.

I'll keep working, if anybody else wants to comment that would be great

[BigErn32]

Ha. I like how you put "Didn't bowl great though. A few weeks ago I bowled a 710". It makes me laugh because I do the same and talk about my 680's that im happy with but its that 580 that I don't specifically give exact numbers for. Glad no hip pain though. Hopefully that continues for you!

[The German Shepherd]

I tore my hip flexor a couple of years ago playing GOLF of all things. The tear was pretty serious - bruising included. Once it healed up, I began bowling again and found a great deal of pain in my left hip. I spoke to my doctor and he recommended some stretches that totally fixed my pain issue.

Before bowling, I sit with my left leg crossed over my right knee. I then press the inside (the side facing UP) of my left know DOWN with the palm of my left hand. After counting to 10, I then pull the same knee UP toward my chest and count to 10. I do this for a few minutes before throwing my first practice ball.

Works really well for me...

Jay

[Tampabaybob]

It's still a work in progress. I was trying to incorporate all of your advice, and I did bowl better and not any hip pain(I don't know if it's because of the Ibubrofen or my form?) . Didn't bowl great though. A few weeks ago I bowled a 710, I hope I can get back to that form.

I'll keep working, if anybody else wants to comment that would be great

A couple of things jump out at me that might help you out. First your hip pain. I agree with another poster on your slide and with the coach in the video. First, with your slide (last step being that long) you're putting an awful lot of pressure on for body, as far as balance goes. The coach suggested a change in steps and if you haven't done that yet I would certainly suggest you do. I think a shorter last step could help that problem a bit.

Second thing, where he mentions your head coming off the the plane. Something I've always told my students is to think of your shoulders as a plane landing on a runway. You start off that way in a great position, slowly "coming in for that landing" but as he mentioned you pull up a little short. Continue that landing scenario and I think it'll help you a lot. Approach wise you have a great approach that with a little tweaking will have you shooting those 700's regularly. Good luck.