Bowling Ball Speed?

[NYMIKE]

I been lifting weights since I was 17 years old I expected myself to be a power player, the coach I encountered preached non muscling, and made my 4 step approach short, at first I was defying him and muscling up to 17 miles, mostly in the 15 to 16 range, today I listened to my coach (I did not have a lesson today) and had great success, I'm convinced I don't need to throw hard. My balls were in the 13.5 to 14.5 range.

[Mike White]

The game is about entry angle, and the ability to hit the proper spot on the head pin with that entry angle.

The faster you throw the ball, the more difficult it is to achieve entry angle, and the more arm muscle applied during the swing, the harder it is to hit the same place frequently.

[Amyers]

One of the most common causes of slow ball speeds for seniors is late timing. This is a carryover from the old days when late timing was utilized almost exclusively by bowlers who wanted to throw a hook rather than a straight ball. When the ball is behind you when you get to the line and you have to pull it through, you tend to muscle it and the muscle retards your free armswing and that results in slow ball speeds. Often, in an attempt to get the timing earlier, bowlers will shorten the backswing to get the ball to the line sooner. Unfortunately, this shortening of the backswing also results in lower ball speeds. To increase your ball speed, over-emphasize your push away and your backswing, while slowing down your feet. Simply let your arm swing without "trying" to do anything to the ball. Finally, post your shot to ensure that your timing is not late (with bad timing, finishing off balance is the only possible result). For a swing thought, simply think "let it go," as you practice this technique.

Well I'm not a senior but apparently do throw the ball like one. You could be right I did have late timing issues maybe I corrected that by shortening the swing.

[Amyers]

“The best way to increase or decrease ball speed is by using your legs, not your upper body.“

I've found that as I've started to slide more...rather than plant...that also helps. I'm no expert, but I believe it has to do with transferring your body's momentum into the speed of the ball.

On the flip side...many people tend to "plant" at the foul line. I always have as well. To me, I can't understand why a person would totally plant their foot...no slide at all...because it (in theory) completely takes your approach out of the equation. No matter how fast or slow your approach is....if you stop before you let the ball go...then you lose the added momentum of the approach = slower ball speed.

Think of it like a car. You park on the side of the road and drop a rubber ball out the window...it bounces up and down and rolls slowly into the ditch. Now do the same thing while driving 50mph...just drop the ball the same way...what velocity/speed is the ball moving at when you drop it? Answer (generally speaking): The ball is going 50mph. You didn't try to throw it forward...you just dropped it...but it's already moving 50mph because of the car.

If you want to test the impact of your footwork on ball speed...try to just go to the line and do your normal swing with no footwork. You'll probably be able to hook gutter to gutter with little effort. I tried it before, just trying to work on release and some other things...and I was surprised how slow the ball speed was when you take the approach momentum out of the equation. Even in my planting days...I still slid a little.

And watch the pros. Virtually every single pro (national tour) starts as far back in the approach as physically possible. And when I met Parker Bohn, I asked him what the biggest difference was between the PBA and PBA50...and without hesitation he said, "speed, hands down, speed". And when you watch videos of Parker...he's not putting a ton of hand into his shot...and is usually playing well to the outside in the dry...but his ball speed is tremendous.

With the new sole I do have a decent amount of slide. I always slid a little just not much I would say the slide is normal length now. I agree with you on the pba they do have higher ball speeds

[Amyers]

Aymers

I suggest you ignore the info from Rob, because it's filled with bad science.

Read the part above from Bryan O'Keefe

Speed comes mainly from the legs.

If you already start from the back of the approach, you aren't going to be able to move back further, so there is another adjustment.

Velocity = distance / time.

distance is how far back you start from the foul line.

time is how long it takes for your ball to swing back, and then forward to the release point.

To increase velocity, you either need to increase distance, or decrease time.

If you can't increase distance, lower the ball at the starting point, which makes the arm swing smaller, and therefore takes less time.

In either case, you will need to increase foot speed to increase the ball speed.

If you move back, increasing your foot speed, you stay in time with the normal arm swing, and reach the release point together with the ball.

If you just lower the ball, increasing your foot speed, allows you to reach the release point at the same time as the ball.

Either solution nets more velocity down the lane.

Well I do have distance as an option I typically stand on the front set of dots to one step behind them. I use a 5 step approach and have considered moving back and adding an additional 2 steps to it but haven't done it as I haven't wanted to make issues with the timing. Maybe it's time to give it a shot

[Amyers]

I been lifting weights since I was 17 years old I expected myself to be a power player, the coach I encountered preached non muscling, and made my 4 step approach short, at first I was defying him and muscling up to 17 miles, mostly in the 15 to 16 range, today I listened to my coach (I did not have a lesson today) and had great success, I'm convinced I don't need to throw hard. My balls were in the 13.5 to 14.5 range.

Mike I have no intention of trying to become a power player and would kill for 14mph. Throwing at 17 mph. Isn't really necessary to me just trying to get my shot more in line with other bowlers.

[Amyers]

Thanks for all the great ideas guys at least I have some new things to try.

[Tony]

Well I do have distance as an option I typically stand on the front set of dots to one step behind them. I use a 5 step approach and have considered moving back and adding an additional 2 steps to it but haven't done it as I haven't wanted to make issues with the timing. Maybe it's time to give it a shot

Seems like a lot of the 5 step guys start within couple feet of the of the back of the approach, so they must take longer /quicker / faster ? steps to get up to the line

Here is a video of Chris Barnes showing how he does the 5 and 4 step.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoyRbBHXQOA

Are there any coaches that do evaluations and advice by long distance ?

[Aslan]

Well I do have distance as an option I typically stand on the front set of dots to one step behind them. I use a 5 step approach and have considered moving back and adding an additional 2 steps to it but haven't done it as I haven't wanted to make issues with the timing. Maybe it's time to give it a shot

How the poo do you take 5 steps starting in front of the dots? I stand a foot behind the dots and am almost off the approach and I only take a 4-step. I tried a 5-step when I was learning Slowinski's DYDS approach. But then working with Rob we had to get me closer to the foul line and more under control….because I was almost running back then….in videos there were actulally points where both my feet were off the ground.

Granted, you may be shorter than me…perhaps considerably. I'm a true 5'11". "True" means I'm actually 5'11"…but everyone that is my heaight or slightly shorter won't believe that I'm only 5'11" (because that means they are shorter than they thought). But yeah, if you want to increase speed…move a foot back and speed up the footwork a little.

[Mike White]

How the poo do you take 5 steps starting in front of the dots? I stand a foot behind the dots and am almost off the approach and I only take a 4-step. I tried a 5-step when I was learning Slowinski's DYDS approach. But then working with Rob we had to get me closer to the foul line and more under control….because I was almost running back then….in videos there were actulally points where both my feet were off the ground.

Granted, you may be shorter than me…perhaps considerably. I'm a true 5'11". "True" means I'm actually 5'11"…but everyone that is my heaight or slightly shorter won't believe that I'm only 5'11" (because that means they are shorter than they thought). But yeah, if you want to increase speed…move a foot back and speed up the footwork a little.

Is your memory that short.

At Norco, the approaches wouldn't slide, so to keep from sticking, I had to reduce the speed I threw the ball at, which mean I would start at or in front of the dots (about 12 from the foul line), then take five (to keep my timing) steps of shorter distance, then release the ball with very little revolutions.

Oh but wait, that would be making an adjustment, something you have claimed I'm either incapable, or unwilling to do.