So the time has come to increase my ball speed

[zdawg]

I have an appointment to see my coach, but that isn't for another two weeks. After a truly dismal performance in my league Friday night against the number 1 team, and an even worse performance Saturday during our bowl off, I've decided that I want to try to add some speed before my next lesson - or at least make strides in the correct direction.

So far, I've read raising the ball helps, lowering the ball helps, speeding up your feet helps, raising your backswing, etc etc.

Just wondering if there is anybody on this board that had this problem, and what did you do to rectify it? Just looking for some suggestions that I can work on in practice while I wait to see my coach.

[Aslan]

In the "old days" I was taught to increase or decrease speed by elevating the ball (and thus having a slightly higher backswing) or lowering the ball (thus having a lower backswing).

The problem that seems to cause many bowlers (and what I've heard more recently) is it messes with your timing. So you need to alter where you start your approach and possibly the number of steps you take to accomodate the difference in backswing timing.

One thing I learned from playing with my own speeds (trying to lower them versus raise them) is the approach adds WAY more speed than the backswing height. Someone on this site or another site posted something to the effect of 5-1 approach versus backswing. So in other words...ya wanna add speed...a longer, faster approach is the easiest way to do it. But again, timing changes come with that.

Trying to slow things down I:
- stopped "running".
- went from a 4-step to a 3-step.
- lowered the ball starting point from chin height to waist height (cutting about 45 degrees off the front and 45 degrees off the back of the swing).

Now, when I need more speed or length...I tend to make small changes to loft or I'll start the ball a little higher (chest height). I try not to mess with the approach (speed/length) unless I absolutely have to...because it throws my already imperfect timing right down the toilet.

Good luck man!

[RobLV1]

Most of the problems that I see with bowlers with insufficient ball speed are caused by late timing. Moving your feet faster is usually a bad idea as it often ends up with later timing and slower ball speed. Often the easiest cure is to shorten your first step in a four step approach, and your first two steps in a five step approach, making sure that you push the ball out on your fourth step back from the line. By getting your timing in sync, you freee up your armswing and should see and extra one to one an a half mph increase in ball speed. Have someone watch your first step. It is often 1 1/2 to two feet long. Work on getting it down to 10-12".

[zdawg]

Most of the problems that I see with bowlers with insufficient ball speed are caused by late timing. Moving your feet faster is usually a bad idea as it often ends up with later timing and slower ball speed. Often the easiest cure is to shorten your first step in a four step approach, and your first two steps in a five step approach, making sure that you push the ball out on your fourth step back from the line. By getting your timing in sync, you freee up your armswing and should see and extra one to one an a half mph increase in ball speed. Have someone watch your first step. It is often 1 1/2 to two feet long. Work on getting it down to 10-12".

Ok, I'll give that a try tomorrow Rob. When I try to move my feet quicker I find it very hard to keep my wrist from breaking back which I attribute to my body subconsciously pulling the swing - this fits in with what you're saying about quicker feet causing even later timing so that makes sense.

[zdawg]

Now, when I need more speed or length...I tend to make small changes to loft or I'll start the ball a little higher (chest height). I try not to mess with the approach (speed/length) unless I absolutely have to...because it throws my already imperfect timing right down the toilet.

Good luck man!

Yeah, timing is definitely involved with this issue, but as you got to see firsthand on Saturday even the balls I threw that looked good initially took a massive turn left due to the slow speed, I mean Brooklyn wasn't even in play on most of my shots

[Aslan]

Yeah, timing is definitely involved with this issue, but as you got to see firsthand on Saturday even the balls I threw that looked good initially took a massive turn left due to the slow speed, I mean Brooklyn wasn't even in play on most of my shots

Yeah, I agree with Rob. Speed changes are tricky because no matter HOW you decide to do them...it's going to mean a timing adjustment.

The video will be up tonight so everyone can watch it and ring in on your footwork and maybe give you better advice...but I noticed watching you that you seem to start very close to the foul line...yet have a 5-step approach. That seemed "odd" to me because when I used to stand in that position, I had to cut down to a 3-step approach or I'd be falling over the foul line, late timing, etc... I realize you're a bit shorter than me...but still, it seems like you're packing a LOT of steps into a very small area.

But...my advice is nowhere near "golden"...you've seen my "sidewinder" footwork and I noticed in the video I'm still doing that stupid "hop" that I've been trying to get rid of. I swear, if I can't break that habit, I'm wearing ankle weights to league Friday!

[zdawg]

The video will be up tonight so everyone can watch it and ring in on your footwork and maybe give you better advice...but I noticed watching you that you seem to start very close to the foul line...yet have a 5-step approach. That seemed "odd" to me because when I used to stand in that position, I had to cut down to a 3-step approach or I'd be falling over the foul line, late timing, etc... I realize you're a bit shorter than me...but still, it seems like you're packing a LOT of steps into a very small area.

But...my advice is nowhere near "golden"...you've seen my "sidewinder" footwork and I noticed in the video I'm still doing that stupid "hop" that I've been trying to get rid of. I swear, if I can't break that habit, I'm wearing ankle weights to league Friday!

Yeah this is something I haven't worked on yet, but ever since I started I noticed that I have trouble making it all the way to the foul line - often I'm about a foot back when I release - and while I'm not very tall, I've seen plenty of folks my height or even shorter than me in my league start farther back and don't have that problem.

Hopefully the video will give the more experienced bowlers on this site some ideas as to what I'm doing wrong.

[tr33frog]

For myself, if I need to add more speed I push the ball out further on my first step (4 step approach). Though I do end up struggling with timing when I do it and have to remember to pause a little bit and not run. Lately I've been really trying to get my last step in hard with a deep bend. Not sure if that makes any sense.

[Aslan]

I noticed that I have trouble making it all the way to the foul line - often I'm about a foot back when I release.

I have the opposite problem. I prefer to "settle down" my strange footwork by moving closer to the foul line and going to a short 4-step approach...but more often than not I get to the foul line WAY too soon and am "planting", almost falling over the foul line...and the ball is barely starting it's way down.

[zdawg]

So today I did a few things, added some height to my backswing letting it fall freely while starting it a tad bit higher and really focusing on making sure my timing was near perfect (after examining some recent video I noticed my swing was late). I also took a slightly longer first couple of steps but a shorter pivot/power step and increased my slide quite a bit. I also started a full foot back from where I normally do.

The result, the swing was much faster, making my feet that much faster, and I actually did have a few shots where I almost "fouled" so its gonna take some getting used to as I'm not used to crowding the foul line.

Conclusion, I think I'm on to something here, I did throw a bunch of these shots straight as the increase in speed added difficulty to my release and I want to continue to focus on staying behind the ball. Also, having a backswing higher than waist level was a different sensation than I'm used to, however I made some good progress I think on the timing aspect of the whole thing.

Unfortunately the lane I was on today didn't have one of those speed things so I can't compare it to the speed (or lack of speed) that I usually have in that house, but visually I can tell the ball was coming out much faster and the sound hitting the pins also confirmed that. So, I'm gonna continue to work on this as much as possible, and in two weeks I'll have my coach take a look and straighten out anything that needs to be fixed, but I feel like today was a major breakthrough...hopefully my progress continues