How to slow down ball speed

[Perrin]

[QUOTE=MICHAEL;84947]

Need some help slowing down my ball speed

try a heavier ball, slow your approach, don't drink your 8hr energy drink, slow the arm swing down, (about 1/5), stay away from sugar, (before bowling), and most importantly, wear yellow clothing! Good luck, and remember, take some of what I say as fact, and the rest science fiction!

No, No.... it's blue clothing to stay calm


on the serious side probably the easiest to try first is slow your approach down. Think waltz not rock...

I have the opposite problem I bowl too slow and struggle with even light oil balls on anything less than medium/mediium-heavy oil.

Like Granny said I would love to take some of that from you

At the alley I go to, they do not have any way to clock your ball. I used the stop watch method a few weeks ago and was around 18-20Mph. I know I put a lot of arm behind my ball (which is bad, just hard to stop) I was going to try a 2-3 step approach instead of a 4 step this week at practice. Would this be a good way to loose some speed but apply more revs? I am currently holding my ball just above the belly button. Should I try going more towards the shoulders? I do not want bring it up so high that I can't see my mark though.

That is the other problem ... I know of at least 3 ways to measure ball speed.

At the pins (by using equipment built in to the lanes this is Monitor speed) - slowest point in the path of the ball pre-pin contact.
Average. stopwatch from release to first pin contact - this is variable depending on the line you play and how much oil is the the lanes (friction)
Off the hand stop watch(or video) from hand to arrows and multiply by 4. This gives you release speed - this is to me probably the best way to measure since it gives you the speed that you have more control of.

[josheaton16]

For me, slowing my feet down never really worked to slow my ball speed down. It didn't matter if i walked fast or slow. To change my ball speed i have to either lower or raise my backswing.

[Perrin]

For me, slowing my feet down never really worked to slow my ball speed down. It didn't matter if i walked fast or slow. To change my ball speed i have to either lower or raise my backswing.

That's actually a very valid point. Depending on how you throw the ball the advice I gave above could be completely worthless.

any chance of a video? some of the folks on the site are actually coaches and have in the past helped folks out.

[billf]

At the alley I go to, they do not have any way to clock your ball. I used the stop watch method a few weeks ago and was around 18-20Mph. I know I put a lot of arm behind my ball (which is bad, just hard to stop) I was going to try a 2-3 step approach instead of a 4 step this week at practice. Would this be a good way to loose some speed but apply more revs? I am currently holding my ball just above the belly button. Should I try going more towards the shoulders? I do not want bring it up so high that I can't see my mark though.

While some people can succeed with a 3 step approach, they are the exception.
If your elbow is tucked tight to your side with the upper arm perpendicular to the floor with only the elbow bent, shoulder dropped so your nose is over the ball, is your forearm long enough for the ball to cover your mark? Arm at 90° would be around waist high, 0° on your shoulder, try the halfway point (45°) to use as your baseline.

[Bendial]

I use a 14lb ball and I have the same problem. A coach I did a lesson with told me I should switch to 15lb and it would help.

[billf]

Here's a question. Are those with poor speed powering into the slide and accelerating the arm swing from the slide ankle until the follow through is complete? There's a reason these are called the power moves.

[TCJ]

When I want to slow down my ball speed I just throw slower. I have no idea how -- I just do it. My guess (because I don't pay attention to how) is that I just slow everything down rather than trying make a faster/slower swing work with the same footwork.

[JPbowl]

Very interesting discussion. Since i started bowling i went with a slow approach and follow through.
Working on getting my fingers out of the ball properly.
The past couple years i have been working on increasing speed. In regards to arm positioning it seemed the opposite to me, but it could be related to my footwork .
Also when i bowl slower it seems i get less revs and the ball doesn't hook as much. I'm trying to make sense of it all to use to my advantage.

[billf]

Very interesting discussion. Since i started bowling i went with a slow approach and follow through.
Working on getting my fingers out of the ball properly.
The past couple years i have been working on increasing speed. In regards to arm positioning it seemed the opposite to me, but it could be related to my footwork .
Also when i bowl slower it seems i get less revs and the ball doesn't hook as much. I'm trying to make sense of it all to use to my advantage.

You're right, you're slowing everything down including the speed in which the ball comes off your fingers and speed of rotation. That's why your revs go down also. It does come in handy when you need less revs.

[MICHAEL]

While some people can succeed with a 3 step approach, they are the exception.
If your elbow is tucked tight to your side with the upper arm perpendicular to the floor with only the elbow bent, shoulder dropped so your nose is over the ball, is your forearm long enough for the ball to cover your mark? Arm at 90° would be around waist high, 0° on your shoulder, try the halfway point (45°) to use as your baseline.

If you study my 3 step approach, you will find that in spite of my perfect 3 step form, NO SLIDE... (which I am a master of), I still bowl some pretty good games, and series! Did I say I bowled a 300 game 4 weeks ago?? LOL
I would not recommend the 3 step, as does Bill, to the common bowler, remember, I am Iceman.... cool,,, and unique!!