Rev Dominant or Hi Track Tips to Improve

[bobforsaken]

So in my ever evolving game I've taken a huge step back in terms of score but a huge improvement in terms of carry and strike percentage on pocket hits. For those connecting the dots... yes.. I'm having issues hitting the pocket consistently and when I do (and don't strike) its almost always a 4 pin. Longer sport patterns I don't have as much problem and have been scoring better on Paris than my center's house shot. They recently changed to Kegel Fire for lane conditioner which have made things worse, but I've struggled for months.

As for my evolving game, I've started getting more revolutions and my Track is very high. My speed is slower and I'm, at this point, Rev Dominant. I've benched all of my low RG stuff and my current arsenal consists of a Hy-Road Pearl with an extremely large Pin to Pap... A pin Down Hy-Road... (about 4 inch pin to pap) and a Pin up Ride... (about 4 inch pin to pap).

So here is the ongoing problem.. I get so much midlane reaction that I often end up playing standing about 30 to 35 and targeting 15 to 20 at the arrows with the Storm Ride just to get the ball to the right of the head pin.. and sometimes that is even too much ball. I find myself playing, what I feel are, extremely sharp angles through the front... like 30 to 15 and sometimes even 34 to 15 or 16. (my offset is about 7 boards and my drift tends to be left and 2 boards or less) If I can get the ball right, it breaks so hard at the end of the pattern that it is hitting high in the pocket or going brooklyn on the house shot. With the House shot "funnel" it seems like its funneling me High or brooklyn.. not to the 1-3 pocket.

So are these angles really not that extreme and I'm just trying to get used to having a better rev rate than before? Or should I really focus more on getting my speed higher because my Rev Dominance is why the "funnel" of the THS seems to be sending me High all the time?... Should I really just get better at playing what I feel are extreme angles... or should I focus on getting more speed to better balance my Rev Rate/Track with my speed?

I'm not exactly sure what everything is but I'd say I'm about 300 RPM's.. very high track with almost 0 tilt.. and probably about 14 to 15 MPH.

[1VegasBowler]

It sounds like more of a drilling issue that is making your equipment so aggressive.

I too am rev dominant with a speed of about 14mph. However, my DV8 Vandal is drilled pin up with a 60x5x30 and it eats up a THS targeting the 10 board.

And if the lanes are burned out, I can go 30 to 10 and hit the pocket darn near every time.

If you're leaving a lot of 4 pins then the ball is hitting the head pin too high, and depending on the lane conditions, you might want to get your target to the right by anywhere from 2-4 boards.

[bobforsaken]

It sounds like more of a drilling issue that is making your equipment so aggressive.

I too am rev dominant with a speed of about 14mph. However, my DV8 Vandal is drilled pin up with a 60x5x30 and it eats up a THS targeting the 10 board.

And if the lanes are burned out, I can go 30 to 10 and hit the pocket darn near every time.

If you're leaving a lot of 4 pins then the ball is hitting the head pin too high, and depending on the lane conditions, you might want to get your target to the right by anywhere from 2-4 boards.

Wow.. 30 (standing) to 10 (at the arrows?) I never play that steep of an angle I'm usually around the 15 board for a target at the arrows when standing at 30.. and maybe that is my problem. Maybe I do need more angle through the front. As for my equipment I'm going to be doing many more 5 inch pin to pap on future equipment. As it stands now my Ride has been my go to ball playing around that 30 to 15 line with as much speed as I can muster. On fresh I can get away for a short while playing 24 to 12 or 26 to 13 if I play with my top speed. I did that this afternoon and bowled a decent set in practice. My Hy-road pearl (with about a 6+ inch pin-pap) allowed me to play 20 to 10 and 22 to 11 on fresh... but it flares so little that if don't get out clean I can hear it thump over the middle finger and thumb hole all the way down the lane causing inconsistent reaction, which is why I don't use it more.

[RobLV1]

You've done the right thing in terms of your arsenal, and your problem is not the layout you're using. Since you track the ball so high, the forward rotation causes the ball to hook early. Make sure you are using balls with very little surface. I have the same high track issues, and am currently using polished balls exclusively in most houses just to help me to get the ball down the lane. You might also try changing your hand position slightly by cocking your wrist in an inward direction to put more pressure on your middle finger and less on your ring finger in order to increase your axis tilt and lower your track. By using longer pin to PAP distances you are simply making the ball less aggressive which also decreases your carry once you do get it to the pocket.

[Amyers]

You've done the right thing in terms of your arsenal, and your problem is not the layout you're using. Since you track the ball so high, the forward rotation causes the ball to hook early. Make sure you are using balls with very little surface. I have the same high track issues, and am currently using polished balls exclusively in most houses just to help me to get the ball down the lane. You might also try changing your hand position slightly by cocking your wrist in an inward direction to put more pressure on your middle finger and less on your ring finger in order to increase your axis tilt and lower your track. By using longer pin to PAP distances you are simply making the ball less aggressive which also decreases your carry once you do get it to the pocket.

I would also suggest trying out moving your pinkie finger in towards your ring finger at the setup this can help you develop a little more side rotation which might alleviate some of the problem.

[bobforsaken]

I would also suggest trying out moving your pinkie finger in towards your ring finger at the setup this can help you develop a little more side rotation which might alleviate some of the problem.

Thanks.. My pinkie is next to my ring finger at the setup at this point. I've gone back to tucking recently too, which helps me get out of the ball quicker. When I experimented with not tucking I ended up Thumbing the ball off my hand at release and increase my track even more.

[bobforsaken]

You've done the right thing in terms of your arsenal, and your problem is not the layout you're using. Since you track the ball so high, the forward rotation causes the ball to hook early. Make sure you are using balls with very little surface. I have the same high track issues, and am currently using polished balls exclusively in most houses just to help me to get the ball down the lane. You might also try changing your hand position slightly by cocking your wrist in an inward direction to put more pressure on your middle finger and less on your ring finger in order to increase your axis tilt and lower your track. By using longer pin to PAP distances you are simply making the ball less aggressive which also decreases your carry once you do get it to the pocket.

Thanks Rob.. I'll try that. My track issues seem to follow my Grip pressure. On days where I'm gripping the ball more I'm almost always thumping the thumb hole. If I can get the fit just right so I can relax my grip completely I'm about a half inch off the thumb hole.

Since you track High as well, can I ask what types of angles you play on a THS. is, say, standing 30 targeting 15 at the arrows about right? That 2 to 1 ratio (40:20 34:17 30:15 20:10 etc) seems to be working a bit better for me than say 26 to 14 or 15 which was something I was doing in the past. It SEEMS like a steep angle to do so to me, but I'm continuing to practice and get more comfortable with it.

[Amyers]

Thanks.. My pinkie is next to my ring finger at the setup at this point. I've gone back to tucking recently too, which helps me get out of the ball quicker. When I experimented with not tucking I ended up Thumbing the ball off my hand at release and increase my track even more.

Wow it amazes me how everyone is different in this game. I really struggle to keep my track within 3" of my thumb I tend to be a little more of a spinner especially if I'm not concentrating on it which causes it's own special problems. Even if I try to deliberately roll the ball over the thumb hole I can't do it lol.

[bobforsaken]

Wow it amazes me how everyone is different in this game. I really struggle to keep my track within 3" of my thumb I tend to be a little more of a spinner especially if I'm not concentrating on it which causes it's own special problems. Even if I try to deliberately roll the ball over the thumb hole I can't do it lol.

My teammate and I have been struggling all year. He is a low track High Rev guy with slower speed. I'm a Medium Rev, High Track with Slower speed. We both can't seem to keep the ball of the head pin, but his tends to jump at the end while mine tends to start hooking too early (unless I get it right too fast, then it jumps). He's had some success with a tropical breeze, pin above the fingers... I'm going to start using my Hy-road pearl with Pin above the middle finger a bit more.... I just need to be better at lowering my track enough to stop the thumping before I can rely on that ball.

[RobLV1]

Thanks Rob.. I'll try that. My track issues seem to follow my Grip pressure. On days where I'm gripping the ball more I'm almost always thumping the thumb hole. If I can get the fit just right so I can relax my grip completely I'm about a half inch off the thumb hole.

Since you track High as well, can I ask what types of angles you play on a THS. is, say, standing 30 targeting 15 at the arrows about right? That 2 to 1 ratio (40:20 34:17 30:15 20:10 etc) seems to be working a bit better for me than say 26 to 14 or 15 which was something I was doing in the past. It SEEMS like a steep angle to do so to me, but I'm continuing to practice and get more comfortable with it.

I try to keep no more than 15 boards between the instep of my left foot and my target AT THE DOTS. Any more than this, and l have to really concentrate on not walking to the right. Example: Standing 28, I will target 13 at the dots.