Novel Concept/Idea: The Bowling ball does not matter??

[Aslan]

It's the ball that carries the corner pins for you that "matches up." It's not the one that will get you to the pocket playing the line that you decide you want to play.

Rob...Iceman's acid flashback aside....the problem with that advice...which MAY WELL be very SOUND....is it doesn't explain HOW to do that.

Do you throw the ball with your eyes closed at the 2nd arrow to start? Do you draw a number out of a hat and aim at that board to start? You have to have a line to start with...and make adjustments from.

What would the pros say? Well, I've heard at least two PBA pros say "you play the line you're most comfortable playing to start with. Thats your starting point. From there you make adjustments based on how the ball and lanes are reacting."

So ABSOLUTELY...the lanes are going to dictate how you play them...thats absolutely a no brainer. But where do you start!??? If I throw the ball outside, you say it's dirty out there. I play the 2nd arrow and you say thats the worst place to play because it's all burnt up. I play the inside and score a 116 and then what?? I've tried the ARSENAL idea...and guess what...all 5 balls did the SAME THING!!!

Why am I hearing all this nonsense about ball changes when I just threw 5-balls up the 11-board and stood within 3 inches of the same place!?

Now you say it's not about hitting the pocket??? Hitting the pocket is EVERYTHING!!! If you can't hit the pocket...arsenals, technique, spare balls, wrist guards...NONE of these things matter...NONE of them....because if you can't hit the pocket...carrying a 10-pin is the LEAST of your problems!

Okay...so I'm settling down...it was a frustrating league night last night so maybe I'm overly irritable...but sometime between now and Lesson #2 and me eventually dropping a serious hammer of a beatdown on Iceman and his tricycle trip of futility....we need some REAL answers:

1) WHERE DO WE START!??
Picture it...a boy arrives at the lanes...he has a shiny bowling ball....he wants to throw it...he gets to the approach....where should he stand? Where should he aim?

Since I know you won't advocate him throwing up ANY board < 12....lets assume you say...board 26.

Okay...so where is he standing? What does he do if he throws that ball over board 26...and the ball sails ever so straightly into the 10-pin?? I mean, I would say, "Hooray! Now we have our spare shot dialed in...but I imagine thats a lie...since that was our strike ball and we'd never use a strike ball to pick up a 10-pin!!!

IT'S MADNESS!!

So...for those of us that are NOT gifted (like Iceman et al)....and NOT "power players"....and not previous youth champions...lets start ALL OVER...lets start at the beginning...step 1. Because I've pretty much mastered all the items from lesson #1...except the crossover step is still a work in progress....and while it's made me really accurate and consistent...and a higher average bowler...and a better spare shooter...if I'm still a sack of 160 average garbage with no hopes of ever getting to that elusive 190 level....because I can't seem to find a line to the pocket that doesn't involve a board left of 11...or because I don't know the magic forumla as to which ball to switch to when ball #1 leaves a 10-pin...then all my "improvement" was irrelevant.

And I swear...if the only answers are "Read Mark Baker's book" and "Just throw like Chris Barnes"....I'm going to strangle something!!!

[RobLV1]

Calm down, Aslan. Here's what you do. Start with your most comfortable line, for example, stand 20 and look 10. Throw a shot and watch the result. Next, move five and five right; stand 15 and look 5. Throw a shot and watch the result. Next, stand 25 and look 15. Throw a shot and watch the result. When you see the ball that has the motion that you're looking for, adjust off of that line, changing angles slightly until you can carry the corner pins. If, for instance, you stand 20 and look ten, and you hit a little high and leave a four, then move to 22, looking 11, etc. You can't just arbitrarily start playing a line because you want to. I doesn't work that way. See what the lanes have to give you, and go from there.

[rv driver]

Calm down, Aslan. Here's what you do. Start with your most comfortable line, for example, stand 20 and look 10. Throw a shot and watch the result. Next, move five and five right; stand 15 and look 5. Throw a shot and watch the result. Next, stand 25 and look 15. Throw a shot and watch the result. When you see the ball that has the motion that you're looking for, adjust off of that line, changing angles slightly until you can carry the corner pins. If, for instance, you stand 20 and look ten, and you hit a little high and leave a four, then move to 22, looking 11, etc. You can't just arbitrarily start playing a line because you want to. I doesn't work that way. See what the lanes have to give you, and go from there.

Love that reasoning and systematic approach. Does one typically leave corner pins because the ball is (as Amyers colorfully puts it) hitting like a wet sack?

[Amyers]

Those are some interesting analogies, Amyers! I gotta wonder: have you ever tried to hit the pins with a turd or a wet paper bag? I just have this sorta sick curiosity here... ;-)

No but I've thrown some balls that hit like it.

[Amyers]

Love that reasoning and systematic approach. Does one typically leave corner pins because the ball is (as Amyers colorfully puts it) hitting like a wet sack?

It can be it can also be because the ball is taking a poor angle to the pocket or not rolling long enough. There are many reasons that can cause corner pin leaves but the easiest to solve is making sure you have proper angle and sufficient energy.

[Amyers]

Calm down, Aslan. Here's what you do. Start with your most comfortable line, for example, stand 20 and look 10. Throw a shot and watch the result. Next, move five and five right; stand 15 and look 5. Throw a shot and watch the result. Next, stand 25 and look 15. Throw a shot and watch the result. When you see the ball that has the motion that you're looking for, adjust off of that line, changing angles slightly until you can carry the corner pins. If, for instance, you stand 20 and look ten, and you hit a little high and leave a four, then move to 22, looking 11, etc. You can't just arbitrarily start playing a line because you want to. I doesn't work that way. See what the lanes have to give you, and go from there.

This is good advice that is more than I usually try I generally start with two lines I'll have to try making three moves

[Amyers]

Man ice is on acid and Aslans either overdosing on espresso or meth.

[rv driver]

It can be it can also be because the ball is taking a poor angle to the pocket or not rolling long enough. There are many reasons that can cause corner pin leaves but the easiest to solve is making sure you have proper angle and sufficient energy.

the "sufficient energy" thing is what I'm trying to hone in on here, because Rob put such a new concept out there (AFAIC).

[rv driver]

Man ice is on acid and Aslans either overdosing on espresso or meth.

We need to get these two together and lock them up in a bowling alley with a 6-ball arsenal and a pitcher of beer each. They'd reach critical mass, and the resultant chain reaction would fuel sport bowling for the next century.

[rv driver]

This is good advice that is more than I usually try I generally start with two lines I'll have to try making three moves

Yeah! Can't wait to try this, myself!