Fundamentals, maybe not so important.

[swingset]

I admit I've had an obsession with having "proper" form since taking up bowling in my childhood. Probably came from sports where the "fundamentals" were drilled into me, and the importance of having good form as a building block for all skill to develop from. I admit I'm not perfect, but compared to most people I observe bowling and even a lot of pros, I'm more textbook than most.

That's the thing tho, it really astounds me how many very very good bowlers....even champions break the "rules" of good form. Bad swing planes, odd tempo or timing, aggressive muscling, zero balance at the line, poor posture, you name it. Some of the best bowlers on the tour right now have, at least one facet of their game that is considered a fundamental "flaw" yet it seems to not impede them nor does it some of the people I bowl with regularly.

I guess I don't have a point that hasn't probably been made before, but I think I've realized lately that I've put a little too much emphasis on conforming my mechanics to what is considered good form, and probably missed improving on consistency along the way believing that the latter would follow the former. Obviously consistency and repetition are paramount, no matter your form....or the 2-handers would never survive on the PBA, and Mika's lurching would sabotage his game, and Fagan's wrist break would mean inconsistent release...etc.

I'm just gonna bowl more, and hit my marks.

[e-tank]

i was just thinking of this when i was watching a match of mark roth vs amletto monacelli. Even the announcer commented about how even mark roth didnt know how many steps hed take on his approach

[mxjosh]

I've often wondered this as well. My left arm drops then raises back up again. My coach has repeatedly tried to get me to fix it but it really causes me to lose my accuracy. Ik most bowlers that I see do it how he wants me to do it but I have seen very good bowlers not do it. for example, Chris Barnes has a lazy left arm. It begs the question, do I need to conform or stay what feels comfortable? Im still new enuff to not be able to accurately answer that. It might eventually help my game, who knows.

Good topic op.

[ArtVandelay]

You said it : consistency and repetition. Obviously the form cant be completely wheels off, butI think with enough practice, even bad form can post good scores, as long as that form allows for some form of consistency. And in time, muscle memory can take over.

But good form is good form for a reason. I do think there are steps that can be taken to increase consistency and increase the probability of a strike. Commit that to muscle memory and you should be onto something!

But for me, its about fun. Im ok with my 185(ish) average (it took a hit as I adjusted to the new balls... I think its more around 179 now). Perhaps proper form could make me better, but I have no question it would make me worse first. To me, its not really worth it. Bowling is purely recreational for me, and Im a top 5 bowler in our little fun league, and beer tastes good, and Im fine with all of that.

[Tampabaybob]

I admit I've had an obsession with having "proper" form since taking up bowling in my childhood. Probably came from sports where the "fundamentals" were drilled into me, and the importance of having good form as a building block for all skill to develop from. I admit I'm not perfect, but compared to most people I observe bowling and even a lot of pros, I'm more textbook than most.

That's the thing tho, it really astounds me how many very very good bowlers....even champions break the "rules" of good form. Bad swing planes, odd tempo or timing, aggressive muscling, zero balance at the line, poor posture, you name it. Some of the best bowlers on the tour right now have, at least one facet of their game that is considered a fundamental "flaw" yet it seems to not impede them nor does it some of the people I bowl with regularly.

I guess I don't have a point that hasn't probably been made before, but I think I've realized lately that I've put a little too much emphasis on conforming my mechanics to what is considered good form, and probably missed improving on consistency along the way believing that the latter would follow the former. Obviously consistency and repetition are paramount, no matter your form....or the 2-handers would never survive on the PBA, and Mika's lurching would sabotage his game, and Fagan's wrist break would mean inconsistent release...etc.

I'm just gonna bowl more, and hit my marks.

Swingset...... i pretty much agree with what you said. I too, had some early coaches that worked on for and not function. But with that said, along the way I had other coaches that worked with me on consistency, and most importantly ACCURACY. I now teach, and have for many,many years, that accuracy is one of the most important aspects of this game. If you throw the ball between your legs, but you're accurate as hell, you'll score well. Every person you see will have something a little different in the way they walk, bend, swing the ball or release it, yet there are many of those people that average over 220.
Of course there's always something to be said for "textbook style" but you can't fit everyone into that spot. As a coach I try to work with what a person has, and then go on from there with minor tweaks along the way. BUT I always insist on Accuracy, Accuracy, and Accuracy as the three most important aspects of the game. It'll get you a lot further faster than changing anything else.

[J Anderson]

Swingset...... i pretty much agree with what you said. I too, had some early coaches that worked on for and not function.

Reminds me of a guy who bowled in our league in the 70s and 80s. Dave had probably the most textbook form of anyone in the league. Sill he was just what I would call a good as opposed to an average bowler for that era. I think our median average was about 145 back then and Dave was in the mid 160s. Various guys would razz him after a split or solid ten pin, " but your form was perfect."

[noeymc]

i think every adjust made to my form made me better so i think its different for every person look at the pros how many bowl the same not a lot everyone is different

[Kobra167]

I think it's because versatility is king now. It's not just playing down and in or up the 2nd arrow anymore. When you need more hand or need to come around the ball more. "Textbook" will fail you. Lane conditions dictates how the lane is played. and if you can't alter it a little bit to suit the condition, it becomes one of those, "but i hit the pocket, and all these ___ pins are standing up!" nights. Fundamentals is always important. You can get away with one or two quirks. But if you have like 5 or 6 it becomes extremely hard to be consistent.

[UBowling]

What you are talking about is exactly what USBC Coaching has been looking at for years in their research. They have come to understand that there is not any "proper" form to bowling. Everyone is different. This is not a sport where speed and acceleration and agility are key, so they aren't like other sports where fundamentals matter so much. It isn't about having the "perfect" form, it is about perfecting YOUR form.

The fundamentals in bowling are more in lane play than mechanics. As long as you follow through and slide on the correct foot, there really isn't any fundamental component to physical play. Improving your mechanics is all about identifying the items of concern in your style and deciding if they are assets or liabilities and taking the correct action if needed.

If you want to focus on fundamentals, focus on spares. Focus on making adjustments on the lane. Those two components are the most important to everyone's game if they wish to become a good bowler. If you are picking up all of your spares, you will be tough to beat.

[billf]

While I agree with Bob, Levi and most of the posts here remember one thing; if you don't try to fix a flaw you will never know if it could have helped. I tend to get lazy with my balance arm and now know it right away watching the ball's roll. If I had never worked on fixing what some never thought was broken, I wouldn't have picked up so many pins on my average this season.