Drifting Right - A Unique Approach

[MICHAEL]

Playing the inside is not like playing the outside. On the outside your more limited with what you can do with your lines. Outside your basically throwing the ball over 5 or over 10 and that's it.

When you move in to the 3rd or 4th arrow things change. It becomes about the break point of the ball not where it goes over the arrow but where it ends up adjusted by how open your hips and shoulders are.

You can throw over 17 between third and 4th arrow and keep it inside say a break point of 14 and the ball will just kind of skid then make a small flip at the end in to the pocket or you can open up put your breakpoint out to 5 and watch it roar back to the pocket.

It's important to practice both different conditions can make one better than the other. There are a lot of games I target the same area the entire series and just change my angles of attack as the lanes change.

thanks Amyer,,, I need to do more research on this Break Point thing. I have a general idea of what it means, but how to control it while throwing outside, is something I need to look into.

Another thing I need to look into is the meaning of Open and Closed hips? In golf I know the meaning and used it quite often when I played the game. ( don't play it much anymore, bowling has taken over my life)!

I remember the TWA tournament back in the mid 70s here in Kansas City, I was able to play because my dad worked for the company at the overhaul base. Their corporate office was also located here, so lots of mechanics, and office personal... YOUNG BLUE Collar Mike whipped them all in distance.... THEY HATED IT! In fact after I won it the 3rd year, there was so much Crying about non employees winging the prizes that after winning it the 3rd year, I told the guy that moved the wire with the flag to just forget-about-it! So that year I did have the longest to that point, but decided to let someone else have the prize that final year.

Long story short 3 years in a role I won the long Drive contest, located on a particular hole each year, usually a long par 5 as I remember it.

They gave prizes like, club covers, golf balls,,,, ect ect.. nothing big! But I used a CLOSED STANCE when hitting the ball! I need to figure out what a closed and open stance is in regards to bowling, and how it effects the ball action.

[Amyers]

thanks Amyer,,, I need to do more research on this Break Point thing. I have a general idea of what it means, but how to control it while throwing outside, is something I need to look into.

Another thing I need to look into is the meaning of Open and Closed hips? In golf I know the meaning and used it quite often when I played the game. ( don't play it much anymore, bowling has taken over my life)!

I remember the TWA tournament back in the mid 70s here in Kansas City, I was able to play because my dad worked for the company at the overhaul base. Their corporate office was also located here, so lots of mechanics, and office personal... YOUNG BLUE Collar Mike whipped them all in distance.... THEY HATED IT! In fact after I won it the 3rd year, there was so much Crying about non employees winging the prizes that after winning it the 3rd year, I told the guy that moved the wire with the flag to just forget-about-it! So that year I did have the longest to that point, but decided to let someone else have the prize that final year.

Long story short 3 years in a role I won the long Drive contest, located on a particular hole each year, usually a long par 5 as I remember it.

They gave prizes like, club covers, golf balls,,,, ect ect.. nothing big! But I used a CLOSED STANCE when hitting the ball! I need to figure out what a closed and open stance is in regards to bowling, and how it effects the ball action.

I'm sure Rob can explain it better than I can I seem to do it better if I'm not thinking about it so I had better let him explain it. Usually when I start thinking about I straighten out and close up and throw a poor shot if I just let it happen it works for me. I adjust it as much by targeting the lane than really setting up that way.

[MICHAEL]

I'm sure Rob can explain it better than I can I seem to do it better if I'm not thinking about it so I had better let him explain it. Usually when I start thinking about I straighten out and close up and throw a poor shot if I just let it happen it works for me. I adjust it as much by targeting the lane than really setting up that way.

Amyer,, you do a great job, of pointing out stuff that might help our games! Keep it up!! You know what I mean... LOL!!

[RobLV1]

One of the toughest things to do for bowlers who are used to play either in the track area or outside is to learn to project the ball from left to right to reach the breakpoint. The traditional terminology for this is playing "up the boards" from the outside, "down the boards" where the shot goes parallel to the boards like it does in the track area, and "out" as is required to stand left and project it to the right for an inside shot. To do this, make sure that your feet are moving parallel to the boards, but your shoulders and hips are open to allow you to project the ball to the right.

To facilitate this, you will need to learn to target in a different way; you will need more than one reference point. Since playing in the track area, down the boards, only requires that you roll the ball parallel to the boards, the only point you need is at the arrows. Once you start projecting the ball "out," you'll need to pick a second spot down the lane to establish the correct angle. A good way to practice this is to actually use a third spot, your laydown point, the place that you lay the ball down on the approach as you release it. To do this, place a piece of bowler's tape on your laydown point, 23 board for example. Next visualize a point at the arrows that line up with your tape, and the spot down the lane where you are trying to put the ball (you may either use the tracer boards on Brunswick lanes, or the reflections of the pins on the lane). As an exercise, practice throwing shots looking at the laydown point and following the path of the ball out to the breakpoint. Next, look at your spot at the arrows and do the same thing. Finally, look directly at your breakpoint when you release the ball. Wherever you decide is the most comfortable place for you to look, make sure that you can follow your ball from the arrows clear out to your breakpoint.

[Aslan]

Okay Rob…I'm gonna play Devil's advocate here for a moment…

I read the article, and as usual, very informative. But unfortunately, a little "preachy" about not playing the 2nd arrow. And I wonder…again, I really liked how you layer out the various shots and if you miss this way but do X and Y correctly…you end up with Z leave…I wonder how you'd apply THAT logic to the 2014 USBC Senior Masters (my favorite bowling telecast of ALL TIME).

Now, I won't do a blow-by-blow…but;

In Match #1, Edwards beat Monacelli. Monacelli, the whole tournament, was the only senior player that I say with a true "power" game. I was more inside than any other bowler in the stepladder finals, throwing from the left gutter, over the 20-board, out to the break point. Edwards actually wasn't making great shots. He had a heck of a run to get to the finals, but his shots seemed to be "lucky". He was also playing "inside", but not as much Amletto and was throwing over the 15-20 at the arrows. Edwards beat Monacelli easily.

In Match #2, Edwards met another player playing the extreme inside…only a shade right of Monacelli; PDW. Weber had a smoother and less aggressive release than Monacelli, but also struggled as the ball was pulling into the headpin (just like Monacelli was). Edwards again, seemed to not be making the greatest shots…and was playing further right…and again won easily.

In Match #3, everything changed. Edwards knew that WRW would play the outside so for some odd strategic reason…Edwards moved outside to play with WRW. BIG mistake. Nobody outplays WRW on the outside…and the only guy with a chance of doing it died in 2001. WRW CRUSHED Edwards playing the 6-board with a good release. Edwards tried to match him, but was playing more inside and his ball wasn't coming back to the pocket very well.

In the Finals, Jurek ALSO move towards the outside…between the 10 and 15 boards…standing inside. He didn't try to go as far as inside as Monacelli, Edwards, and Weber did earlier…but wasn't going to move outside and play with WRW. Walter Ray continued to dominate, especially on the left lane. Jurek was able to match him blow for blow but made a poor shot late in the match and left a 2-10 before striking out. WRW had moved further inside with his target…from the 6 to the 9 board…playing just outside 2nd arrow.

Some will say WRW "lucked out" because needed a strike to win in the 10th and had a poor shot where the pocket collapsed. But I think this is BS since earlier in the match Jurek had a 6-10 leave where a stray messenger came over and knocked them over to give HIM a strike. So they both got a lucky frame.

But my "point" here is….the guys that played furthest inside with the most modern releases…lost. They actually did the worst. Edwards was slightly less inside…he did 3rd worst. Jurek played a little inside of 2nd arrow…he lost. WRW played the outside and in the finals played just outside the 2nd arrow…he won.

We can all come with examples one way or another. I've even play matches where the outside of the lanes were too dry and I had to move to the "middle" and ball down. Thats about the closest I get to an "inside game". But to throw out the outside (boards 1-7) and the 2nd arrow (boards 8-12)…is throwing out the areas that up until the last 10-15 years were the dominant lines to play. And it forces people into a power game playing the inside. And thats great…if you're a 2-handed bowler, a thumbless bowler, or a cranker with pro performance equipment, and consistent lane conditions. But there are also risks/negatives to that game plan:

1) As many bowlers (including PDW and Monacelli in the Masters) find out…the more revs…the more you rely on them…the more erratic the end result. Washouts if you miss right…splits if you miss left.
2) You lose accuracy. So even a good release and good ball choice can be nullified.
3) You are at the mercy of the lane conditions. Patterns, carry-down, dirty heads or back ends…anything that changes that balls reaction to the lane is magnified.

Weber made some great releases (from what I saw) in Match #2. But he had to be so "precise". Edwards played further outside, and despite some really marginal shots…beat PDW easily. You can argue that Monacelli not only had to deal with that same "precision issue" but also seemed to have a ball selection. Double whammy.

But why did Edwards move outside to play WRW? It's like being a taller boxer and trying to move in close. Dide he and Amletto and PDW burn up he inside too much and he was trying to get away from it? Was he trying to mess with Walter Ray's line? Was it an ego issue and he was trying to prove he could beat WRW out there? It made no sense.

If the power game, the modern release game, the inside game is so vastly superior to the "old ways"…why didn't Monacelli get more carry? Why didn't PDW win easily over Edwards? Why did both Edwards and Jurek lose to a guy playing 1st and then 2nd arrow?

I have my own answers/guesses…but I'd like to hear yours.

And before anyone jumps in…don't even bother saying that it was the seniors and not the USBC Masters. WRW won 2 of those and still holds every title worth owning in the PBA. And I can't imagine ANY of the younger players that would be over-joyed if WRW decided to take a break from the PBA50 to come back and play on the PBA Tour. I would argue that there are better bowlers and there is better bowling going on in the PBA50 and seniors circuit right now than there is on the PBA Tour. No gimmicky patterns, nor massive arsenals, nor 2-handed dramatics…just some very, very good hall of fame legends.

P.S. I also read about the first step and Rash. That was interesting…but I don't have a problem drifting right (one of the few problems I ODN'T have).

[fortheloveofbowling]

I'm not rob but i will take a stab at it. The answer is because these guys play the lanes where they think they have the best chance in their opinion to score. If that is on top of someone else or 6 arrows away. I have seen plenty of times where walter gets beat on tv and match play when he is playing out and someone is playing in. Why didn't he play in? He can play in, i've seen him slow hook it from 5th and 6th arrow before. But in those losing situations he thought his best chance was to play the line he picked. Also, the man and another guy named duke have made a fortune playing 1st arrow because they could simply do it better than anyone else at times. I guarantee you if you walked up and asked him if he would like to make his axis tilt larger sometimes he would say yes. If he was able to do that as well as pete in the last 30 years he would have won 80 titles.

[RobLV1]

Aslan:

Very nice description of the Senior Masters finals, but my "preachy" attitude about the second arrow is directed at HOUSE league bowlers on a HOUSE shot. Bowling on a flat tournament lane pattern is a totally different situation. There is no wall built up at the second arrow like there is on a THS. My advice for house bowlers has long been that while the wall at the second arrow might be a good place to start, as modern bowling balls very quickly soak up the oil on the part of the lane where they are being thrown, the need to start moving left (for right-handers) manifests itself very quickly and is very often ignored by house bowlers who are scared to death to leave the comfort zone of the second arrow.

The article was not written for bowlers who stay around the second arrow. They don't have a problem with drifting to the right. The article was written for house bowlers who want to learn how to adjust to changing modern lane conditions and are willing to change their thinking. The problem of drifting to the right often develops as house bowlers attempt to become better by moving left. These are the bowlers for whom I wrote the article.

[Aslan]

Ahh…okay. I was confused. As is often the case in the case online, in bowling conversations; the advice given is specific to a certain population and may not apply to everyone at every stage of their development. I thought it was designed more for sport pattern advanced level bowlers (who are most likely to search it out and read it) versus a typical house player.

[RobLV1]

I understand. Virtually every time I bowl on a house shot, I see bowlers who get into trouble because they're just afraid to move in. Just last week in league, on a particularly dry pair of lanes, by he end of the third game I was targeting 18 board, while the anchor man on the other team loudly proclaimed that he just couldn't carry. Of course he couldn't carry. He was still playing the second arrow and using his plastic spare ball!

[Amyers]

I understand. Virtually every time I bowl on a house shot, I see bowlers who get into trouble because they're just afraid to move in. Just last week in league, on a particularly dry pair of lanes, by he end of the third game I was targeting 18 board, while the anchor man on the other team loudly proclaimed that he just couldn't carry. Of course he couldn't carry. He was still playing the second arrow and using his plastic spare ball!

I see guys lose to me over this on leagues all the time who are better bowlers than I am. Especially if it's one of those nights where the lanes seem to start a little drier. I guess I've spent too much of my career bowling with one ball to not understand that you've go to chase that oil in.