Throwing more of an arc rather than a "straight" hook and shoulders

[zdawg]

This post was inspired by Hammer's thread about aiming your swing.

As I've been working on my release staying behind the ball consistently, I've noticed when I'm bowling well I can get a TON more revs. In practice I'm noticing more of an arc to my shots, rather than just bowling straight and letting the ball hook in. Basically allowing me to play further and further inside.

I had a coach early on tell me that my shoulders should be square/parallel to the foul line at the release, however this seems impossible if I'm aiming at a target 10 - 15 boards to the right of where I'm lined up. Guess I'm just trying to figure out if he was just saying that as I was just starting out, or if I'm misunderstanding something here.

[mc_runner]

Someone more knowledgeable than me will probably correct this, but I've switched to a more inside line this season and have dropped my shoulders perpendicular to my target. So, if I am aiming at a target 10 boards right of where i'm standing, my shoulders are lined up to my target and not the foul line. I've had mixed results as I have changed to this strategy but am starting to hit my mark more consistently.

[tccstudent]

This post was inspired by Hammer's thread about aiming your swing.

As I've been working on my release staying behind the ball consistently, I've noticed when I'm bowling well I can get a TON more revs. In practice I'm noticing more of an arc to my shots, rather than just bowling straight and letting the ball hook in. Basically allowing me to play further and further inside.

I had a coach early on tell me that my shoulders should be square/parallel to the foul line at the release, however this seems impossible if I'm aiming at a target 10 - 15 boards to the right of where I'm lined up. Guess I'm just trying to figure out if he was just saying that as I was just starting out, or if I'm misunderstanding something here.

Its really not impossible its more about your focus point. Its kinda like turning a motorcycle you go where you are looking. Someone else can explain it better. Plus I havent seen myself on video in a long time so I am not sure what I am actually doing compared to what I feel like i am doing.

[J Anderson]

This post was inspired by Hammer's thread about aiming your swing.

As I've been working on my release staying behind the ball consistently, I've noticed when I'm bowling well I can get a TON more revs. In practice I'm noticing more of an arc to my shots, rather than just bowling straight and letting the ball hook in. Basically allowing me to play further and further inside.

I had a coach early on tell me that my shoulders should be square/parallel to the foul line at the release, however this seems impossible if I'm aiming at a target 10 - 15 boards to the right of where I'm lined up. Guess I'm just trying to figure out if he was just saying that as I was just starting out, or if I'm misunderstanding something here.

You are correct. When starting out, most people are taught to throw parallel to the lane and the shoulders should be parallel to the foul line. As you increase the amount that you hook the ball your line has to start angling away from the pocket to keep the ball from hitting on the wrong side of the headpin. Your shoulders now need to be perpendicular to the initial ball path, not the lane. It's not a big angle relative to the foul line; if you were to lay the ball down on the last board and send it out to the one board at 30' the angle is only about 6º.

[RobLV1]

Very informative thread. As bowlers begin to hook the ball, the whole shoulders square to the foul line thing goes out the window. Beginning bowlers are taught the traditional style of playing "down the boards" where the ball path parallels the boards on the lane. When they begin to hook the ball more, they need to learn to align the shoulders and hips with the intended path of the ball. This is called playing "out." The only thing that you have to be careful of is making sure that your feet still move parallel to the boards and not toward your intended line. In other words, your slide foot should end up on the same board where it started regardless of the intended line of your ball. If your slide does not end up exactly where it started, it's O.K. as long as the amount of "drift" is not more than two or three boards, and is the same each time.

[zdawg]

Ok thanks for the replies everyone, this is extremely helpful as I'm working on taking the next "step".

Very informative thread. As bowlers begin to hook the ball, the whole shoulders square to the foul line thing goes out the window. Beginning bowlers are taught the traditional style of playing "down the boards" where the ball path parallels the boards on the lane. When they begin to hook the ball more, they need to learn to align the shoulders and hips with the intended path of the ball. This is called playing "out." The only thing that you have to be careful of is making sure that your feet still move parallel to the boards and not toward your intended line. In other words, your slide foot should end up on the same board where it started regardless of the intended line of your ball. If your slide does not end up exactly where it started, it's O.K. as long as the amount of "drift" is not more than two or three boards, and is the same each time.

Fortunately that's one thing I'm especially good at as it was stressed to me at the very beginning to walk in a straight line as opposed to walking towards the target, so I'm rarely more than 1 board off from where I line up and where I finish - in the cases I do drift too much I can tell before I even look down at my foot because I miss my target by quite a bit.

[Mudpuppy]

Did someone say motorcycle? lol

I am totally unconventional. My eyes gloss over with all the talk about board numbers and coaches, etc. Closest thing I ever had to a coach was an old drunk who I'd buy beers and he gave me tips - some worked some didn't.

My biggest thing I focus on is repeatability. I pay special attention to where I line up in the x and y axis before my approach and then I watch my mark and I focus on my release. That's it. If it works great. If it doesn't I adjust the next time I throw an infinite amount - was it better? Yes. Keep doing it. Was it worse? Adjust again. Was it a little better? Yes, move a little more in that direction. Was none of it any good? Go drink a shot and another beer.

To me all this talk is way overthinking it.

[Hammer]

Bowling alleys are narrow so when you open your hips and shoulders to hit your target arrow while walking straight it isn't that much that you open to do this. Pros have an easier time of walking straight and hitting their target right when playing deep because they have an inside out swing to get their ball there. Look at the YOUTUBE video Analysis of Modern 10-pin Bowling Swing and Release and you can see that when their backswing ends their forward swing comes to the inside like it is going to hit their balance leg but of course it doesn't. This inside out swing makes the ball go to the right with power and good revs

[Mike White]

Very informative thread. As bowlers begin to hook the ball, the whole shoulders square to the foul line thing goes out the window. Beginning bowlers are taught the traditional style of playing "down the boards" where the ball path parallels the boards on the lane. When they begin to hook the ball more, they need to learn to align the shoulders and hips with the intended path of the ball. This is called playing "out." The only thing that you have to be careful of is making sure that your feet still move parallel to the boards and not toward your intended line. In other words, your slide foot should end up on the same board where it started regardless of the intended line of your ball. If your slide does not end up exactly where it started, it's O.K. as long as the amount of "drift" is not more than two or three boards, and is the same each time.

Sorry people I didn't see this little nugget of crap earlier.

The bold section is pure bogus.

[Doghouse Reilly]

Sorry people I didn't see this little nugget of crap earlier.

The bold section is pure bogus.

"nugget of crap" there's a real intelligent response! But considering how a lot of the posts on here have been I guess it's par for the course.

Like I said before why don't you just give a alternate opinion or if you disagree with someones view just say that and explain why.

I'm sure the customer's in your pro-shop would love to see how you act with those that have a different view than you do.

Try responding in a more professional manner and others on here may have more respect for your opinions.

For such a self professed expert in all thing's related to bowling it should be easy for you not to be such a tool in your responses.

Then again it might not not be easy for you.