Modern Bowling

[RobLV1]

Many of the articles that I have written for BTM over the past few years deal with the differences between traditional and modern bowling. For clarification sake, I'm talking about the period before the advent of modern bowling balls in the 1990's, and the period once the modern balls became consistent and refined (after 2000).

As old ideas frequently appear here and are posted as gospel, I thought I'd post a few of the differences and open them up for discussion:

• Traditional thought: late timing creates power allowing you to hook the ball. Modern thought: modern bowlers use neutral timing and allow the ball's built in hook to do the work.
• Traditional thought: lift creates hook. Modern thought: modern balls don't need any help; don't lift the ball, roll the ball.
• Traditional thought: finish high and follow through to the ceiling. Modern thought: there are no pins on the ceiling and projection is important. Finish toward the pins, not the ceiling.
• Traditional thought: keep a firm wrist throughout the shot to create power. Modern thought: to create power, unload and re-load the wrist at the point of release.
• Traditional thought: stand on the big dot and hit the second arrow. Modern thought: explore different parts of the lane to determine where the most effective shot is for the night.
• Traditional thought: to pick up a ten pin, use your strike ball and flatten out your wrist. Modern thought: use a plastic spare ball to maximize your spare shooting.
• Traditional thought: to combat carrydown, move right (for right handers) as the oil moves down the lane. Modern thought: carrydown is no longer a factor. When the ball straightens out, it's caused by burn. Move left to find oil, not right.
• Traditional thought: keep your posture upright to promote lift. Modern thought: increase your spine tilt to promote projection.
• Traditional thought: don't drop your shoulder. Modern thought: Drop Your Damn Shoulder (thanks Joe S.).

Comments?

[fortheloveofbowling]

Late timing has most often been the style of power players. One example of contradiction in the past was marshal holman. The majority of power players today have slighty late timing.

The old lift through release technique has gradually faded. With today's equipment a wider variety of releases are effective.

A good follow through has always and will continue to promote a free following arm swing period. Yes there are exceptions but not many.

Again, with today's equipment a wide variety of releases are effective. Power can be created in multiple releases.

Big dot theory has never been a thought process for good bowlers anytime. Having said that, much more of the lane is effective for scoring with our equipment now.

As the bowling balls have strengthened over time a spare ball has become increasingly important. Not many guys around with consistent release skills like duke.

Carrydown has always and still does exist at times. What is important to learn though is whether it is that or the ball burning up effecting motion at the back. If it is burning up then absolutely you have got to move to find oil through the front part of the lane. On a THS that move is typically left. If you are dealing with carrydown then that is a more complicated matter. Personally moving left in a carrydown situation is a mistake in my opinion unless the fronts are totally burnt.

Players are generally not as upright at the line as in the past. Good posture and balance is always going to be the key to posting a shot.

Many power players throughout the years dropped their shoulder. It just takes success to breed change. Go and look at roth and handley in the 70's and 80's. You can even go back to salvino and hardwick in the 60's.

There are some things that always were the gospel that still are relevant in todays game. It is just that there are so many different options to increase scoring today.

[AlexNC]

As a less advanced player, I sometimes wonder about the timing and implementation of some of these elements. I have been fairly diligent on focusing on my physical game before worrying about my release too much. I just try to maintain a medium and firm wrist and stay behind the ball and below the equator. I have had suggestions though from some of the people at my center that this approach would hinder my progress.

[fordman1]

Bowled in a league with some party animals who only wanted to drink beer. They all used plastic and fired the ball down the track between 2nd and 3rd arrow. The younger guys on my team didn't know what happened to the shot from practice. I told them to go out side and hope for the best. They weren't happy campers.

Why as you get older do the styles change? As you get older you have to stay up right. You want to slide not plant. You love the 2nd arrow. Not fair.

[Amyers]

Many of the articles that I have written for BTM over the past few years deal with the differences between traditional and modern bowling. For clarification sake, I'm talking about the period before the advent of modern bowling balls in the 1990's, and the period once the modern balls became consistent and refined (after 2000).

As old ideas frequently appear here and are posted as gospel, I thought I'd post a few of the differences and open them up for discussion:

• Traditional thought: late timing creates power allowing you to hook the ball. Modern thought: modern bowlers use neutral timing and allow the ball's built in hook to do the work.
• Traditional thought: lift creates hook. Modern thought: modern balls don't need any help; don't lift the ball, roll the ball.
• Traditional thought: finish high and follow through to the ceiling. Modern thought: there are no pins on the ceiling and projection is important. Finish toward the pins, not the ceiling.
• Traditional thought: keep a firm wrist throughout the shot to create power. Modern thought: to create power, unload and re-load the wrist at the point of release.
• Traditional thought: stand on the big dot and hit the second arrow. Modern thought: explore different parts of the lane to determine where the most effective shot is for the night.
• Traditional thought: to pick up a ten pin, use your strike ball and flatten out your wrist. Modern thought: use a plastic spare ball to maximize your spare shooting.
• Traditional thought: to combat carrydown, move right (for right handers) as the oil moves down the lane. Modern thought: carrydown is no longer a factor. When the ball straightens out, it's caused by burn. Move left to find oil, not right.
• Traditional thought: keep your posture upright to promote lift. Modern thought: increase your spine tilt to promote projection.
• Traditional thought: don't drop your shoulder. Modern thought: Drop Your Damn Shoulder (thanks Joe S.).

Comments?

I feel kind of unique to questions like these as I started off bowling in the 80's and bowled competitively at a relatively high level in youth bowling until the early 90's when I left the game for 20 years coming back a few years ago was a culture shock to some point. I was there for the advent of resin tech bowling balls I remember when the first ones came in to the shop. Really only two of these don't really belong on the list:

•Traditional thought: stand on the big dot and hit the second arrow. Modern thought: explore different parts of the lane to determine where the most effective shot is for the night.

I remember this being taught and still is to some point as a youth bowler but it was just a place to start at least in the houses where I bowled it wasn't mantra. I think most bowlers who still think this way are just afraid to explore the game it's not that anyone ever professed to them that it's the only way to bowl.

•Traditional thought: to combat carrydown, move right (for right handers) as the oil moves down the lane. Modern thought: carrydown is no longer a factor. When the ball straightens out, it's caused by burn. Move left to find oil, not right.

I think this one depends on where and when you are bowling. If your bowling with team mates and against another team with everyone using modern bowling balls I don't think their is carry down or enough to matter. If your bowling a with 4 of the 8 people using plastic balls shoving the oil around maybe. If you're bowling on lanes that haven't been reoiled and they have had kids throwing plastic balls on them all day yeah it's there and a factor.

The other items here I wish I understood better. there is a distinct difference in reading an article or watching a video online and understanding how to apply a principle in your game which I'm not capable of. I think a lot of centers are missing the mark not having better access to coaching and providing information on the modern game. I think if we had environments where mid and upper level techniques were taught during leagues a lot of people would participate if good quality coaching was available. It seems like we have learn to bowl leagues and then that's it. Problem here is most of the center owners think they are good coaches unfortunately most have no training as coaches and are just good bowlers. From what I've seen here even if you do have decent coaching available a lot of them seem to think their way is the only way instead of taking it slowly and concentrating on improving what someone is already doing. I know this won't apply to joe six pack bowler who just wants to throw the ball and drink his beer but I think their are more people out there than most would admit that would like to improve.

[bowl1820]

• Traditional thought: finish high and follow through to the ceiling. Modern thought: there are no pins on the ceiling and projection is important. Finish toward the pins, not the ceiling.

This one I think needs some happy median between the two thoughts.

Having a good follow through where the hand flows through the shot and comes up toward the ceiling. Doesn't necessarily mean a bowler didn't project or finish toward the pins.

Watch the Analysis of the Modern 10-Pin Bowling Swing and Release video, their still following through with the hand/arm coming up.

A trouble with saying don't follow through to the ceiling, finish toward the pins. They wind up cutting their swing short, trying to stop the natural motion of the arm from following through.

• Traditional thought: to combat carrydown, move right (for right handers) as the oil moves down the lane. Modern thought: carrydown is no longer a factor. When the ball straightens out, it's caused by burn. Move left to find oil, not right.

It's not whether carrydown exists or not, It's can todays bowler's tell the difference between true carrydown and a burn (Meaning oil depletion).

Whether there is Carrydown today is dependent on the type of equipment being used and the type of players and lane conditions there are.

In a highly competitive, high average player situation (Tournaments, Sport shots, high ave. leagues). Where players are all using high end balls, playing the same or very similar lines.

Oil depletion is more likely than carrydown. What little carrydown there is in these situations will most likely be meaningless.

But in a less competitive, lower average environment. Where there are more plastic, urethane, lower end balls being used. Houses that don't strip lanes before oiling etc. Players playing multiple lines.

Then yes carrydown could happen, that could affect those lower average players and possibly enough to affect a higher average bowler.

So the thing is can the bowler's tell the difference between carrydown and burn, I think most can't.

The articles wrote about carrydown vs depletion, IMO need more information included about how to tell the difference between the two. Not just say carrydown is a outdated concept and doesn't exist.

• Traditional thought: don't drop your shoulder. Modern thought: Drop Your Damn Shoulder (thanks Joe S.).

The real thought should have been something like "Don't Drop Your Shoulder at the Wrong Time".

The old "Don't drop your shoulder" to me was in regard to bowler's who dropped their shoulder at the last minute around the moment of release. Usually accidentally or intentionally trying to get lower, this causing a inconsistency in their release which caused them to get off the swing plane, lose leverage, pull the ball etc.

They were then told not to drop their shoulder, as a way to get them to maintain their form through their release.

Joe's DYDS is basically just pre-dropping the shoulder, So that you don't drop your shoulder at the last minute. So that you maintain a more consistent form through your release and have you in a better position, head over ball etc.

[Aslan]

Traditional thought: stand on the big dot and hit the second arrow. Modern thought: explore different parts of the lane to determine where the most effective shot is for the night.

The only "downside" to that approach is that if you don't always play the same house...you have nowhere near enough time in pre-league practice to figure that all out. Not to mention, and you've said this many times, there is also lane-to-lane variation to consider.

Traditional thought: keep your posture upright to promote lift. Modern thought: increase your spine tilt to promote projection.

I still struggle with this one. It's been a work in progress for 2 years. I need to find that perfect position between straight up and down and bent over the foul line.

But I like the post. That's a good summary of traditional things I learned reading Chuck Pezzano's "Fundamentals of Bowling" book.

[Tony]

Thanks Rob, in reading your post and subsequent comments I realized I'm old, J/K knew that. Just last night tried to follow some coaching advice on my approach, by moving the ball on the first step instead of my normal approach where I keep the ball still and start moving it on 2nd step. With the modern method I had a 121. I switched back to my old approach and threw a 222 and a 218. I hadn't realized that was considered a power approach but it was what I learned back in the 80's when I first started bowling. I also now understand why a medium level ball hooks like a high end ball for me even though I don't think I really put that many revs on the ball.

[ChuckR]

Rob, wished you had stayed around for the 4th game. No adjustments that I made seemed to help. I threw 8 9 pin leaves. Mostly 10's. 3 Strikes. Moved Right and Left a couple of boards with few good results. I threw the UpRoar and Mastermind as you suggested earlier. The game was clean, but so frustrating. The delivery was very consistent. Hope you had a good night.

[billf]

Many of the articles that I have written for BTM over the past few years deal with the differences between traditional and modern bowling. For clarification sake, I'm talking about the period before the advent of modern bowling balls in the 1990's, and the period once the modern balls became consistent and refined (after 2000).

As old ideas frequently appear here and are posted as gospel, I thought I'd post a few of the differences and open them up for discussion:

• Traditional thought: late timing creates power allowing you to hook the ball. Modern thought: modern bowlers use neutral timing and allow the ball's built in hook to do the work.
• Traditional thought: lift creates hook. Modern thought: modern balls don't need any help; don't lift the ball, roll the ball.
• Traditional thought: finish high and follow through to the ceiling. Modern thought: there are no pins on the ceiling and projection is important. Finish toward the pins, not the ceiling.
• Traditional thought: keep a firm wrist throughout the shot to create power. Modern thought: to create power, unload and re-load the wrist at the point of release.
• Traditional thought: stand on the big dot and hit the second arrow. Modern thought: explore different parts of the lane to determine where the most effective shot is for the night.
• Traditional thought: to pick up a ten pin, use your strike ball and flatten out your wrist. Modern thought: use a plastic spare ball to maximize your spare shooting.
• Traditional thought: to combat carrydown, move right (for right handers) as the oil moves down the lane. Modern thought: carrydown is no longer a factor. When the ball straightens out, it's caused by burn. Move left to find oil, not right.
• Traditional thought: keep your posture upright to promote lift. Modern thought: increase your spine tilt to promote projection.
• Traditional thought: don't drop your shoulder. Modern thought: Drop Your Damn Shoulder (thanks Joe S.).

Comments?

I use Mark Baker's timing spot. Using that players have seen increases in speed, rotation and rev rate. I don't care where they are at the beginning or at the line. It's a proven concept that works.

Lift (towards the ceiling) creates early hook. Lift through the ball towards the masking unit seems to work. While Joe S. preaches long and low many misinterpret that and see the elbow bend and say it was towards the ceiling. Rather it should be the upper arm that is used to determine this and shouldn't go above parallel (or much above). This also combines the finish so that was two birds with one stone.

Wrist position.......depends on the bowler. Breaking the wrist back use to be taboo. The thing is it really wasn't understood. If the wrist is broken back at the point of release a tremendous amount of power can be realized. Not everybody is physically capable or has the wrist speed and coordination to perform this act consistently.

Carrydown...happens in social leagues more than serious leagues. When I encounter it I don't change lines. I go to a ball that has a strong yet later read or increase axis rotation/

Spine tilt and DYDS. Given that Joe S. and Bakes are two of my Gold coach mentors (Hatfield is the third) I have totally bought into the system. As Bowl1820 stated the shoulder drop was suppose to be a when item that some how morphed into a always keep your shoulders level mantra of those who didn't understand. Most bowling "rules" were passed from bowler to bowler with little to no coaching or science behind them. That is what I attribute the ability of urethane balls being able to hook at least half a lane and smash the pocket today.

With the oils and balls of days gone by the bowler had to create the hook. Now they have to get the ball down the lane at the correct spot with the right amount of speed, revs and rotation.