Aslan's January Slump Video

[vdubtx]

Just watched the video.

You have come a long way and getting much better form. Seems though, that you are forcing everything. You are very rigid in your approach and in your delivery. Ball speed is too fast for your equipment and the way you bowl.

Keep at it Aslan. You have certainly made some great strides with your game since you came here several years ago.

[Timmyb]

REPOSTED

I apologize in advance if I am "irritable"...but I was bowling i a tournament all day and haven't had any weed whatsoever and I've found irritability to be a side affect of going >5 hours with no smoking. Probably the same for cigarette smokers I presume.

Hopefully the video is now viewable for everyone not in Germany. Let me know.




I'll post a status update on the tournament shortly.

I have GOT to come out and bowl with you sometime!

[Aslan]

Another item he noted and suggested I work on is one you also do on some shots and that's bending your upper body more forward, instead of ending up with your head over your knee you are leaned forward from the waist, sort of a lunge type motion.

Forward spine tilt has been a constant struggle for awhile. I started out very upright with a great deal of loft (about 15ft). That shot worked well on wood lanes but was useless on heavy-oil synthetics.

As I progressed from "throwing the ball" to "rolling the ball", I was much lower and much more spine tilt. I went to a clinic and John Gaines pointed out that I had too much spine tilt and needed to be more upright. So, I've been trying to sort of find that magic amount of knee bend and spine tilt and it's been a back and forth thing. Ideally, the nose should be over the knee.

As you have talked extensively about not having a good handle on your release it appears in most of the shots you are sort of coming around the side of the ball and it looks like the ball comes off your thumb and fingers at almost the same time, it actually looks a bit closer to a suitcase release than a behind the ball release where your thumb releases first.

This has also been back and forth. As I began using a fingertip ball drilled for my hand in 2013, I transitioned from a suitcase style release to a more "up the outside" type of release. After working with RobM, I started trying to roll the ball more versus throwing it. And I never really understood "behind the ball" because to me "behind the ball" would make the ball go straight. So I've been struggling trying to figure out what "behind the ball" meant. Also, "inside the ball". Whenever I've tried to work the inside of the ball, I've always dumped it into the right gutter.

Recently I've been trying to get more "under the ball". When I work with one coach, she tries to get me lower so I'll naturally be under the ball. With the other coach, it's more of a "cupping under the ball" as Amyers sort of described. But as I've wrote about, I've been experiencing some elbow pain and it appears that perhaps that pain was a result of me trying to flip my fingers through the ball rather than just let it come off my hand. Only recently I've started to feel what the release should feel like. And not "trying" as hard with my fingers seems to help with the elbow pain.

Another item that looks a little different that I would have expected is the total lack of slide, not that you have to change it but it's something that I usually only notice in the much older bowlers.

I used to 'plant', end in a "statue of liberty pose". Recently I've been sliding as I've been improving my timing and footwork. However, during this recent slump I've found that the sliding is increasing my speed and making me off balance. It also risks "sticking" which isn't an issue when you 'plant'. I'd like to go back to the slide...but as we've talked about recently...it may be that I simply cannot slide. Maybe I'm a bowler that needs to plant. If it makes me more consistent and balanced, it may be worth it.

The last item is you appear a little tight like your focus is more on aiming to hit an exact spot rather than a looser swing aiming at an area.

True. Thats by design. Since my style is straighter and higher speed, I can't open up the lanes as much so I'm not a "breakpoint" bowler. I still believe a target closer to the bowler outweighs the advantage of having the bigger target further away. I kinda follow the policy of "aim small, miss small" (from the movie The Patriot). If you can hit a 3-board area, learn to hit a 2-board area. Then a board, then half a board, etc... At some point, even if you miss...you're more accurate than everyone else. And then you're WRW with the most PBA titles in history.

I would like you to look at the following video of Chris Barnes; particularly his feet, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd7BwBMZobs. Barnes' footwork is like a dance with the bowling ball. He is leading, but he is coordinating his feet with the ball. Now look at your slump video. Your feet are operating independently of the bowling ball. It's like, it better keep up, or else! At the risk of sounding corny, become one with the ball and do the dance. You can't dictate, but you can lead!

I don't know. I kinda get what you're saying...and I wish I could get a better release timed with my slide foot. I've just had a bit of an issue with balance and speed when trying to swing and slide simultaneously.

I also see no effort to realize any kind of cup or cock in the release of any kind on some of the shots you are somewhat behind the ball on others you've rotated to the side more. Combined with higher speed and some of the loft your using it doesn't surprise me that your playing a game where your just throwing the ball into the pocket or not.

I've used some loft in the past but it's in conjunction with a very cupped release that would allow the ball still to react with the lane. I would suggest talking with your coach to add some cock or cup to that release at a minimum and work on trying to be a little more inside the ball.

I'm not sure cupping does anything. Think of it like this. You cup your ball in your hand, your wrist brace 100% cocked forward. This will help you get more axis rotation because your fingers are in the ball slightly longer in addition to keeping you from breaking your wrist back.

But to truly "cock" your wrist, you will now need to take the wrist brace off and allow your wrist to 'break' so it can get truly "cocked". Then the 'uncocking' is what generates the additional rpms.

So the cupping part of that process is rather unnecessary; unless....1) You're using the weight/momentum of the ball to cock your wrist.

Now, the UNCOCKING of the wrist has been something I've been struggling with recently. As I've tried to get more "under" the ball, I've been trying to use my wrist and fingers more to "uncock". I think this is what was causing the tendon/ligament stress and pain.

During the recent tournament, I finally understood a couple things I've been confused about:
1) "Coming Through the Ball"
It never made much sense to me. Truly coming through the ball would result in it going straight forward...like a basketball. Your shot must be "behind the ball" or you will miss. Same with hockey or golf. So maybe it's best compared to a football or softball. But now, after watching some guys throw it and some close -up looks at releases online...the ball just comes off the hand and the fingers provide rotation direction.

What have people been saying all along? Today's technology works on it's own. Let the ball do the work. "Try not to Try". Like VDub mentioned in this thread or another....one of the more epiphany moments is when you just swing the ball and let it do it's thing without "trying to help it".

2) It started to make sense what M. Baker was saying. He was trying to show me how the ball feel coming off my hand and it seemed like he was trying to tell me to break my wrist back and just drop it. But near the end of that video and lately during the tournament...I think he (Mark) was trying to show me that it's not about "flipping" the ball with my fingers and/or wrist, and/or elbow.

Now, how that fits in with "cocking"/"uncocking" I will have to ask him about at my February lesson.

Gotta go update the Madman Diary and my scores. I started answering this last night, fell asleep, and was at the tournament all day.

[Aslan]

I have GOT to come out and bowl with you sometime!

A) Of course. Who wouldn't?
B) People from Milwaukee will look for any excuse to not be in Milwaukee in February.
C) You better hurry because I imagine by June/July I will possibly be back to the land of fat women, cold temperatures, lower gas prices, no smog, insects, and traffic that actually moves on a regular basis.

I'll miss California though. Parts of it. Other parts not so much. And each list is extensive. But strictly speaking of bowling related items...it's definitely one of the better areas to live in if you're a bowler. Not sure if it's better or worse than metropolitan New York/New England or the Detroit area...but I'd say it's top 3 along with those areas. I'd put Las Vegas at 4th because of the number of centers there given the city size. But people on the site talk about having 2 centers, each 45 minutes away. I have nearly 25 centers within 25 minutes of me. Granted, that depends greatly on traffic...which is the problem. In my last apartment I was technically closest to a center just East of me in Chino/Chino Hills. But to drive there, even though it was maybe 2 miles closer than the center to the West of me...would have taken well over an hour in the evening...just to go maybe 12 miles tops.

The downside of living in a State with Mountains is sometimes they need to be driven around. The upside is you get a cool looking State with awesome scenary and the ability to go an hour and get to the beach or go an hour and get to a ski hill...versus the last state I lived in...Illinois...which was just flat and infested with corn. And the climate is great. In the Winter it gets in the upper 50s and everyone acts like their gonna freeze to death. Then in the summer it gets up in the low 100s and everyone acts like they're gonna die of heat stroke. But the truth of the matter is, in Southeast Michigan where I grew up...there were winters where it got down to -17 and then the next summer there were 2-3 weekends where it was just over 100. And to make matters worse...California is 104 with virtually no humidity so it just feels "hot". Detroit at 102 is like 38% humidity and it feels like a sauna.

[Grouperdawg]

i know I am no bowling expert and haven't been bowling long but Imho, to make it perfect, just work on the release. You look athletic and balanced to me with nice rhythm, maybe there are little nick picky things that instructor would pick up on, but pretty awesome to me.

I was lucky enough to have a highly accomplished bowler on my team the first year that only taught me how to release the ball. Now, almost a year half later, my wrist is finally strong enough where it is second nature. My ball revs hard and hits hard and it doesn't deflect much unless I make a bad throw or miss the pocket. Everything else might be wrong and I would like to get up to 17.5/18 mph but I seem to get more strikes in different lane conditions and venues than my teammates and opponents, and using just one ball. I went pretty quick from a lower end bowler in the wrong competitive league to the second highest average under tough conditions and rotating oil patterns.

I'm trying to post a pic of your release, your hands are pointing straight down and to the side. Maybe There are some pros that bowl this way, but everyone I have seen is more behind the ball. I took some screen shots of some pros too for comparison but it's not posting for some reason. Some are off a little to the side one way or other but none are straight down. If so, I don't think you can generate enough forward rotation, the harder you rev the more side to side spin I think u would you get unless you change your arm motion. I might be wrong on why, but I think most of the pros are more behind with strong wrists.

When I want to really rev one if I'm in major oil on a seven pin or something, I cup my wrist a little more

[Grouperdawg]

[Amyers]

i know I am no bowling expert and haven't been bowling long but Imho, to make it perfect, just work on the release. You look athletic and balanced to me with nice rhythm, maybe there are little nick picky things that instructor would pick up on, but pretty awesome to me.

I was lucky enough to have a highly accomplished bowler on my team the first year that only taught me how to release the ball. Now, almost a year half later, my wrist is finally strong enough where it is second nature. My ball revs hard and hits hard and it doesn't deflect much unless I make a bad throw or miss the pocket. Everything else might be wrong and I would like to get up to 17.5/18 mph but I seem to get more strikes in different lane conditions and venues than my teammates and opponents, and using just one ball. I went pretty quick from a lower end bowler in the wrong competitive league to the second highest average under tough conditions and rotating oil patterns.

I'm trying to post a pic of your release, your hands are pointing straight down and to the side. Maybe There are some pros that bowl this way, but everyone I have seen is more behind the ball. I took some screen shots of some pros too for comparison but it's not posting for some reason. Some are off a little to the side one way or other but none are straight down. If so, I don't think you can generate enough forward rotation, the harder you rev the more side to side spin I think u would you get unless you change your arm motion. I might be wrong on why, but I think most of the pros are more behind with strong wrists.

When I want to really rev one if I'm in major oil on a seven pin or something, I cup my wrist a little more

Exactly what I was talking about. There in no way to produce any rotation on the ball from that position.

[bowl1820]

Exactly what I was talking about. There in no way to produce any rotation on the ball from that position.

Yes the fingers need to be below the balls equator, when your releasing the ball way above the equator of the ball. For the most part your just spinning the ball instead of getting any significant rotation.

Watch your video see where your hand around the point of release. Draw an imaginary line across the middle of the ball, like the equator on a globe, you will notice you're way above that line. The further below that line you can get, the more hook potential you will have.

[Aslan]

I wonder if I can set up a camera that is sitting to right of my feet to get that view of the hand. That would be interesting.

Thanks all. But I think the slump is over. I'm knocking on wood....or at least knocking on some type of Chinese particle board...but after a decent tournament showing my Monday league scores were decent.

And a LOT of it is what many of you have been saying all along. Quieting the shoulder, not trying so hard, just throwing the ball, confidence, etc...

Or maybe I just finally hit Bowling God status and have been blessed with "The Gift"?

And I guarantee this release conversation will be continued in a couple weeks when I have my next lesson. And the week before that, I'll be out in Vegas on a work thing...might as well get some practice in where my league sweeps.

But I'll need to make sure this slump is truly ended when I roll on Wednesday when it counts.

[BrianG]

From watching some of your older videos I can say that you have made a ton of improvements. I agree with Mark O that it looks like your arm is getting out too far from your body which looks like its making you come around the ball. You have made a lot of progress and you have to keep your head up and keep going.