Two Important Questions

[Aslan]

1) How do you know where to start?
2) How do you adjust for misses right of the headpin (for righties)?

Explanation:

1) Everyone needs a place to start with their feet and target. Everyone has strategies (usually moving left with feet and target) for transitioning as the lanes break down...but how do you know where to START. Because with limited practice time...on two lanes...you don't have much time to find that perfect line...and the more you practice, the more you could risk changing it. So where do you START?

2) When we miss left, we often have a strategy on how to move as the lanes transition (as I stated above)...but what about misses right?

Logic would say that if you "miss right, you move right". That's common bowling logic. But there are other strategies as well. Here is just a list of all the possible things I've tried when missing right of the headpin:

A. Move 1 board right with your feet if you hit the headpin but leave something like the 2-4-5. If the headpin is still standing; move 2 boards right with your feet and move the target one board to the right.
B. Set the ball down earlier (dots versus arrows for example) to give the ball more time to react with the lanes.
C. Slow down the shot (speed adjustment).
D. Loft the ball to get more revs on the shot or add more hand to the shot.
E. Switch to a more aggressive ball.
F. Play a different line.
G. Move left a half a board and your target right a half a board...try to get the ball out in the dry more.

Now...all these strategies I've used at one point or another. And all have their positives and negatives. Just as an example; here are the corresponding negatives to each philosophy:

A. If you move right in this manner...you eventually reach a point where the shot is straight or sometimes it feels at least that your target is causing you to swing across your body. Another way of saying it is...you stop playing the breakpoint...and start playing the oil line.
B. The earlier you set the ball down, the more "off target" the shot will eventually be (think of a pistol versus a rifle).
C. Trying to mess with speed for an average bowler (or below average in my case) is usually a timing nightmare.
D. Generally lofting is discouraged unless you're Mika Koivuniemi.
E. I generally START with my most aggressive ball so I'd have to go back to my old system of starting with my medium ball and then have room to go up or down.
F. I used to have multiple lines...but to try 1 ball on 3 lines in practice or 2 balls on 2-3 lines in practice...there just isn't enough time.
G. Strategy tends to work on easier house (THS) shots but if the conditions are more oily/slick/heavy/wide/etc...all you'll do is miss MORE to the right. Not to mention not every ball is designed to go to a breakpoint and snap. If you're playing a smooth arc...this doesn't help as much. Also not as effective for lower rev players (in general).

My strategy has evolved over time...but the biggest problems with ANY miss...right, left, center, or otherwise...is you never know exactly what caused it. Too much hand? Not enough hand? Too much speed? Not enough speed? Timing issues? Balance issues? Etc... So then you have to decide, "Did I make a good enough shot (and miss) that I think I need to move laterally?" And that's a really hard thing for lower level players to accurately answer.

As for me, I generally use options A or to a lesser extent G. I started using G (left a half board with feet, right a half board with target) because I was feeling like as I adjust right...my line was getting too 'tight'. No miss room, no room for error, riding the oil line. And I found that if I could get the ball out more in the dry...and start just a little more inside...at least with the hybrid cover ball...that seemed to work better than "out-and-in" or fine-tuning the oil line shot. But this was in a large part only possible when I decreased my ball weight to 15lbs and started getting more rpms and axis tilt. And once you rely on that "hand" in your shot...you'll washout if you take anything off of it (accidentally).

As a low rev/higher speed bowler...I used to be most comfortable out between the 1st and 2nd arrow. But as I've developed more revs...playing out and in like that hasn't been as possible because the solid and hybrid covers grab too early out there...too dry...too dirty. I'm now most comfortable around 2nd arrow. I've tried moving as far in as 13-17 at the arrows...but usually IF I DO have success inside...it's very short lived...because all it takes is a slight lateral move further inside and suddenly I'm washing out right.

frustrating

[Amyers]

As usual you are making everything way to complicated. First off I'm never even considering B,C, or D ever at the start. I tend to play somewhere between 10-15 on house shots. I start on 12. If I miss right I'm Going 3 and 2 to the right, If left I'm going 3 and 2 to the left. I usually start with the Hammer Arson Low Flare If I don't like the look after making the move I'll get the Virtual Gravity out. I may make smaller moves through out the night but my initial moves are big to cover space. I do start with the Virtual Gravity at one of my synthetic houses that tends to have more oil.

As a rule I don't switch balls to hit the pocket only when I don't like the way the ball is hitting the pocket or looks rolling down the lane. Occasionally If I'm having a really good night I will add a little loft to try and get the ball down the lane a little farther before changing lines or balls sometimes buys me an extra couple of balls on the line but I'm sure no starting out that way.

[Aslan]

So Amyers...what I'm seeing in your response is if you hit right of the headpin in practice you are going 3:2 (feet:target) right.

That makes sense.

Lets say you make that move and start hitting pocket flush on both lanes and practice time is over.

First frame (left lane); flush strike.
Second frame; through the head (but a bad release)
Third frame; through the head (good shot as far as you know)
Fourth frame; you hit pocket but leave a flat 7-pin.

So, at this point, you've made two good shots on the left lane and the first struck but the 2nd was through the head. So, given it was a solid shot (hit your mark, nothing out of the ordinary)...you make a 2:1 move on the left lane. On the right lane, your first shot was off...but your second shot hit light leaving a flat 7-pin. So do you move right slightly on the right lane? Do you just throw the same shot and assume it'll hit flush the next time? I'm sure you don't want to switch balls after only 4 frames, right?

Lets assume you make the 2:1 on the left lane but stay with the same line on the right lane.
Fifth frame you make a good shot but put a little more hand into it and strike Brooklyn.
Sixth frame you make another good shot and leave a flat 10-pin.

Do you adjust on the left lane? Or do you just chalk that up to "too much hand"? What about the right lane? Two straight frames with pocket hits and light carry?

Lets assume you keep things the same on the left lane and hit pocket in the seventh frame, strike...but you notice the ball exits more on the 7-pin side (indicating you might want to make another move left).
Eighth frame, you do what? Two pocket hits that didn't carry...no release or speed or balance issues that you can notice. Do you move right? Stay where you are? Switch balls? Lets assume you move 1 board right...just for the sake of the example. Result; through the head...but you're not sure if it's the line or if it was that you grabbed it just a little too much at the bottom of the swing.

At this point you're in the 9th frame, you've struck 3 times (1 Brooklyn), you left two corner pins and picked up one of them, and you've had 3 splits that were open. You can now strike out for a 170. : ( And whats WORSE is...you have very little confidence that you're playing the right line, making good shots, or making proper adjustments.

So you make another 2:1 move in the 9th and strike perfectly.
In the 10th you make a 2:1 left (which actually is a 1:1 from where you started before you moved a board right) and you hit light (again) and leave a 4-7. You convert and throw the same shot...pocket, hit light again...leave a flat 10.

See...you just shot a 149...and even though you really only made 2-3 "bad" shots...and even those shots were still "okay" and one of em struck Brooklyn.

I know I'm merely guessing at what you would do after each shot and feel free to correct as needed...I'm just trying to get an idea of what other people do in the situation I've layed out above. I bet some people wouldn't have moved at all. They were around the pocket and they'd just keep doing what they're doing. I bet other people would have made a ball change almost immediately.

What I find frustrating about the above scenario is...you've just wasted one entire game...you've put your team down 0-1...yet despite hitting your mark and "feeling" good...you are NO CLOSER to even remotely understanding what in the **** is going on as you were at the start of the game. You started out hitting right of the headpin in practice...you're now about 4:2 left from there (which is only 1 board left with your feet from where you started in practice...targeting the same spot you were targeting in practice)...and now you're hitting light again.

There's a ton of info about moving left as lanes break down...but you don't see as much info about what to do when you miss right...especially if you were hitting pocket and suddenly aren't. I'm guessing most experts will say the reason for that is...IF you're hitting pocket...you shouldn't ever all of the sudden start hitting light with today's technology resin bowling balls. In other words, if you hit right after hitting pocket...your timing or speed or release is probably off. But that's a dangerous game to play...if you're hitting pocket and then have 2, 3, 4 frames of hitting light and doing nothing about it.

I need a nap.

[RobLV1]

1) How do you know where to start?
2) How do you adjust for misses right of the headpin (for righties)?

1) If you are bowling on a typical house shot, simply notice where other bowlers are your pair are playing (usually the second arrow), and play just to the left of them, allowing them to open your miss room to the right.

2. The most important thing to do when you miss to the right is to understand that, if you started playing a line that worked initially, these misses are caused by the ball burning up. This happened to me today. I had a good shot to the pocket using an aggressive bowling ball when, all of a sudden, a threw a good shot that left a seven pin with a late fall on the five. The next bowler was not so fortunate and left a five-seven split. I immediately balled down AND moved left, while he kept thinking that it was something in his release, or his speed, or the phase of the moon, or whatever. As we have discussed before, on a typical house shot where the outsided part of the lane starts out being dry and only gets drier, why would you possibly ever move right?

[Amyers]

So Amyers...what I'm seeing in your response is if you hit right of the headpin in practice you are going 3:2 (feet:target) right.

That makes sense.

Lets say you make that move and start hitting pocket flush on both lanes and practice time is over.

First frame (left lane); flush strike.
Second frame; through the head (but a bad release)
Third frame; through the head (good shot as far as you know)
Fourth frame; you hit pocket but leave a flat 7-pin.

So, at this point, you've made two good shots on the left lane and the first struck but the 2nd was through the head. So, given it was a solid shot (hit your mark, nothing out of the ordinary)...you make a 2:1 move on the left lane. On the right lane, your first shot was off...but your second shot hit light leaving a flat 7-pin. So do you move right slightly on the right lane? Do you just throw the same shot and assume it'll hit flush the next time? I'm sure you don't want to switch balls after only 4 frames, right?

Lets assume you make the 2:1 on the left lane but stay with the same line on the right lane.
Fifth frame you make a good shot but put a little more hand into it and strike Brooklyn.
Sixth frame you make another good shot and leave a flat 10-pin.

Do you adjust on the left lane? Or do you just chalk that up to "too much hand"? What about the right lane? Two straight frames with pocket hits and light carry?

Lets assume you keep things the same on the left lane and hit pocket in the seventh frame, strike...but you notice the ball exits more on the 7-pin side (indicating you might want to make another move left).
Eighth frame, you do what? Two pocket hits that didn't carry...no release or speed or balance issues that you can notice. Do you move right? Stay where you are? Switch balls? Lets assume you move 1 board right...just for the sake of the example. Result; through the head...but you're not sure if it's the line or if it was that you grabbed it just a little too much at the bottom of the swing.

At this point you're in the 9th frame, you've struck 3 times (1 Brooklyn), you left two corner pins and picked up one of them, and you've had 3 splits that were open. You can now strike out for a 170. : ( And whats WORSE is...you have very little confidence that you're playing the right line, making good shots, or making proper adjustments.

So you make another 2:1 move in the 9th and strike perfectly.
In the 10th you make a 2:1 left (which actually is a 1:1 from where you started before you moved a board right) and you hit light (again) and leave a 4-7. You convert and throw the same shot...pocket, hit light again...leave a flat 10.

See...you just shot a 149...and even though you really only made 2-3 "bad" shots...and even those shots were still "okay" and one of em struck Brooklyn.

I know I'm merely guessing at what you would do after each shot and feel free to correct as needed...I'm just trying to get an idea of what other people do in the situation I've layed out above. I bet some people wouldn't have moved at all. They were around the pocket and they'd just keep doing what they're doing. I bet other people would have made a ball change almost immediately.

What I find frustrating about the above scenario is...you've just wasted one entire game...you've put your team down 0-1...yet despite hitting your mark and "feeling" good...you are NO CLOSER to even remotely understanding what in the **** is going on as you were at the start of the game. You started out hitting right of the headpin in practice...you're now about 4:2 left from there (which is only 1 board left with your feet from where you started in practice...targeting the same spot you were targeting in practice)...and now you're hitting light again.

There's a ton of info about moving left as lanes break down...but you don't see as much info about what to do when you miss right...especially if you were hitting pocket and suddenly aren't. I'm guessing most experts will say the reason for that is...IF you're hitting pocket...you shouldn't ever all of the sudden start hitting light with today's technology resin bowling balls. In other words, if you hit right after hitting pocket...your timing or speed or release is probably off. But that's a dangerous game to play...if you're hitting pocket and then have 2, 3, 4 frames of hitting light and doing nothing about it.

I need a nap.

Lol we really need to get you on some Prozac or maybe Lithium. Ok let's see we star off flush the go through the nose on a good shot. Yes I'm moving left at that point. In the case of a flat 7 and the lanes have transititioned quickly enough that I'm already moving left by the fourth from i will stay there and wait for the shot to come to me if they are changing that fast it won't be long. I don't move right really period unless I've made a huge jump like a 5 and 3 or if I'm changing balls and most likely not then.

I'm not a big fan of moving right once I've got the pocket lined up and if I do it's only with the feet to "tighten the line up" and keep the ball in the oil a little longer. I rarley ever move move my target right once the pocket is found.

[Amyers]

One big advantage of learning to play farther inside is you don't have to move as much. On a typical mixed four person league I end up moving maybe 3 to 5 boards with my feet and a couple of boards with my target all night if I can start with the virtual gravity often I can throw a set and and move once I just ball down to the Arson and that is it. Most teams only have one other person playing where I play so it equals not as much movement plus there is more oil inside too so it last longer

Now on my travel league where it's all men and a lot of them play more inside and they are using high end equipment I have to adjust more but regular league not so much. You start off on boards that are already dry it doesn't take long to burn off the little bit that's out there

[jab5325]

I really find that thinking less leads to better scores.

Pick a spot. If that doesn't work, adjust. Having a consistent routine/release is 75% of the battle, and knowing how to adjust is the other 25%. Don't overthink it.

[Tony]

Lol we really need to get you on some Prozac or maybe Lithium.

Yes, in this case drugs are the answer ! It seems like you're doing way too much thinking ! In my game at least over thinking every little thing is counter productive. Unless you know that your approach and delivery were / are exactly the same from shot to shot why make changes with every shot, you just end up confused.
I've done that before and in reading the long list of what if's ( as long as I could read before my head started hurting) that's what it appears you've been doing.


Typically in practice I will start out on 20 and throwing over 2nd arrow and then based on a couple of throws move slightly and throw a couple more balls. I find that I play from 15 to 25 and throw from 1st arrow to 3rd arrow. The adjustments are pretty much moving a board or 2 with my feet or adjusting the target a board at a time.

Maybe I equate it more to baseball, having played that for so many years but I don't recall ever doing or seeing other players adjust to the degree that people do in bowling.
I can't imagine making a weak hit or striking out and going up the next at bat, adjusting where I stand in the box, chocking up more or less on the bat and changing to a different bat , batting glove and helmet .....seems insane !

[NewToBowling]

Yeah you're talking about half boards left and/or right. Does that really matter seeing as people tend to miss on average 2-3 boards off their target anyways. Is your lay down point exactly the same along with your release and angle and axis that the 1/2 board makes a difference?

[vdubtx]

Don't overthink it.

Unfortunately with the OP, this falls on deaf ears.

My motto in bowling and making adjustments is K.I.S.S.(Keep It Simple Stupid).

Miss left, move left. Miss right, move right. That is assuming you made a good shot that necessitated a move and that you hit where you wanted to down the lane. That is hard for some people to know whether your shot was good or not.

At the level that any of us on this forum bowls, making axis, rotation or any advanced adjustments to a delivery just further complicates the game with skill that we just don't possess.
Find your one good release and get consistent with it. Once you have mastered that, then you can MAYBE incorporate other releases and hand positions.

My measly $.02