Switched bowling hands... can't get the feeling right,..help

[hoku41205]

Hey everyone. This is a long one, sorry! This is a bit more frustrating for me as I used to coach a youth program, but yet I can't help my self. :/

Some quick background: I "tore" my rotator cuff in my right shoulder and opted to not have surgery, but instead switch bowling hands. (oy!)

Before I was hurt, I was averaging about 202, which I was fine with since I wasn't able to practice much.

When I got hurt in 2013, my average dropped to the 160's since I lost a ton of my strength in my arm. I couldn't hold the ball the same, I couldn't put as many revs on the ball, and I was no where near as consistent as I was.

Since I decided to change hands this past summer, I expected a huge problem in my foot work. To my surprise, all I had to do to get my timing pretty on point was go from a 4 step to 5 step. Great---that took a couple days to get down.

---Now here starts my problems:
Obviously my left wrist is weaker than my right, so besides doing light weight lifting exercises, I bought a cheap wrist guard to use as a training tool to teach the muscles where to go. I was coming up over the ball and crossing my arm like crazy before I had it. Well I'm not coming up over the ball so much anymore, but I still cross my arm a ton.

I moved the ball to the side of my body to allow the ball to go straight back...not having to worry about going around my hips and then going straight back.
---I still cross my arm like a lunatic. It seems I only do this when my timing is off. But I've done timing after timing drill and can get that on point, and then it goes right back to where it was a few frames later.
????? Any ideas on how to work on this ????????

Then even with my wrist guard I seem to not be consistent with keeping my wrist where I want it....
--- I've tried single step drills, two step drills,etc. Not really sure what else to do.
????? any ideas ???????

My last problem, and this one I'm a little stumped on: My driller and I have been messing with the pitches on my fingers and thumb... I'm at 1/8 reversed (I forgot the side) and we did a smidge reverse on my ring finger because I was getting hung up on the ball.
--This is the span that feels the most comfortable, but I can't seem to figure out if when I drop the ball (not always, but probably 45%) if it's me, or if its my pitch. I'd hate to change the pitches again in the middle of the season just to learn it wasn't that at all...
????? anyone have any ideas as how to figure this one out ?????? (yes- I know, go see my driller.... he's an hour away so I thought I'd start here and get a fresh take on things )


Thanks for any help

[Mike White]

Hey everyone. This is a long one, sorry! This is a bit more frustrating for me as I used to coach a youth program, but yet I can't help my self. :/

Some quick background: I "tore" my rotator cuff in my right shoulder and opted to not have surgery, but instead switch bowling hands. (oy!)

Before I was hurt, I was averaging about 202, which I was fine with since I wasn't able to practice much.

When I got hurt in 2013, my average dropped to the 160's since I lost a ton of my strength in my arm. I couldn't hold the ball the same, I couldn't put as many revs on the ball, and I was no where near as consistent as I was.

Since I decided to change hands this past summer, I expected a huge problem in my foot work. To my surprise, all I had to do to get my timing pretty on point was go from a 4 step to 5 step. Great---that took a couple days to get down.

---Now here starts my problems:
Obviously my left wrist is weaker than my right, so besides doing light weight lifting exercises, I bought a cheap wrist guard to use as a training tool to teach the muscles where to go. I was coming up over the ball and crossing my arm like crazy before I had it. Well I'm not coming up over the ball so much anymore, but I still cross my arm a ton.

I moved the ball to the side of my body to allow the ball to go straight back...not having to worry about going around my hips and then going straight back.
---I still cross my arm like a lunatic. It seems I only do this when my timing is off. But I've done timing after timing drill and can get that on point, and then it goes right back to where it was a few frames later.
????? Any ideas on how to work on this ????????

Then even with my wrist guard I seem to not be consistent with keeping my wrist where I want it....
--- I've tried single step drills, two step drills,etc. Not really sure what else to do.
????? any ideas ???????

My last problem, and this one I'm a little stumped on: My driller and I have been messing with the pitches on my fingers and thumb... I'm at 1/8 reversed (I forgot the side) and we did a smidge reverse on my ring finger because I was getting hung up on the ball.
--This is the span that feels the most comfortable, but I can't seem to figure out if when I drop the ball (not always, but probably 45%) if it's me, or if its my pitch. I'd hate to change the pitches again in the middle of the season just to learn it wasn't that at all...
????? anyone have any ideas as how to figure this one out ?????? (yes- I know, go see my driller.... he's an hour away so I thought I'd start here and get a fresh take on things )


Thanks for any help

If at all possible take some video.

From behind, try to line up the camera with the path of the ball thru the 1st 15 feet.

From the side, place the camera far enough to the left (left handed) so we can see the whole body from start to finish.

Also do this while bowling on the left lane (left handed), so the ball return doesn't block your feet from the camera.

[J Anderson]

I am a natural right-hander with delusions of being ambidextrous. In 2008 I switched from right to left. The left-handed average was about 25 less than I had been averaging from the right, and that is with increasing 10 to 15 pins from the start of the season to the end. I've spent most of the time since then bowling one league righty and one league lefty each year. Currently my lefty average is around my average from 2007, and righty, it's about 10 pins higher.

It took quite a while for anything to feel right, I mean normal, left-handed. There are still times when after a shot all I can do is look at my hand and ask it whose idea was it to throw it like that? For the most part it's way more consistent than when I started.

In my experience, most pulls are from bad timing. Next is from not holding the ball in front of the shoulder. Third is mentally when you don't trust that your ball will hook enough. The last cause is trying to throw the ball harder, in your case because subconsciously you know you're using your weaker arm.
The video that Mike is suggesting should give you a good idea of which cause is at work.

Good luck!

[Kegler300]

Sometimes the answer is not so obvious. You said you had no problem with your footwork but I would suggest you check your last step to see if you are stepping out to the right. This would cause you to pull the shot even with a straight arm swing.

[hoku41205]

Thanks everyone... life has pulled me aside from here for a while...

I've taken video on an app called Ubersense but I haven't done it in a while to be honest.

I can note the following though:
1. I drift anywhere from 4-7 boards to the right.
2. My left hip is higher than my right. Always has been, but it bothers me a little more when bowling lefty, so I can see it more In the video. I think this causes me to have not so great balance....
3. my right foot is sometimes pointed to the right, but most of the time is pointed straight.... and I still pull it. J Anderson, when you say stepping out to the right, do you mean drifting, or pointing?

My teammate has noticed my timing has gotten a little quirky, so we're currently working on getting that back... I've noticed my feet have been getting fast, and when my feet slow down dramatically my arm stays straight about 60% of the time.

THanks everyone for the input

[J Anderson]

Thanks everyone... life has pulled me aside from here for a while...

I've taken video on an app called Ubersense but I haven't done it in a while to be honest.

I can note the following though:
1. I drift anywhere from 4-7 boards to the right.
2. My left hip is higher than my right. Always has been, but it bothers me a little more when bowling lefty, so I can see it more In the video. I think this causes me to have not so great balance....
3. my right foot is sometimes pointed to the right, but most of the time is pointed straight.... and I still pull it. J Anderson, when you say stepping out to the right, do you mean drifting, or pointing?

My teammate has noticed my timing has gotten a little quirky, so we're currently working on getting that back... I've noticed my feet have been getting fast, and when my feet slow down dramatically my arm stays straight about 60% of the time.

THanks everyone for the input

That was Kegler300 who said "stepping out to the right". I would assume they meant drifting. Think about your arm and ball as a pendulum where the pivot point, your shoulder is moving forward as it swings. If the shoulder moves a bit right as it goes forward, the ball will try to follow and swing underneath the new position, changing the direction of the swing.