How much Loft is too much?

[BearClaw1973]

I have had a lesson and hes also just come out to give pointers also. I put some tape in the thumb hole and that did help a good bit. I ended up putting two in. It did help me hold on better and I wasent driving the ball into the lane. I think the ball we just leaving my hand early. I come home and order that Magic Carpet I`ve seen on Ron Clifton`s site thinking it might help. I`ll try anything now. With two stripps of tape the ball still seemed a little loose. Now understand this is coming from a newbee and it may be just me looking for an excuse. I`m going to give it a little while longer and if I`m not getting the results I want I`ll have another lesson to fix this. Thanks again

[Beech]

i think if you throw the ball past the arrows on the lane something isnt right. thats just my oppinon, i have somewhat of a loft but its not big its just about 3feet max. I know my teamate in juniors could loft it 3/4 down the lane and make it bounch atleast 4 noticable times which is insane for a 14lbs ball at the time

[JAnderson]

How tall are you BC? Taller bowlers with less knee bend generally have a release point more distant from the floor.

If you can get video of yourself from a side view, look to see if the ball is released at an upward angle. That's generally** undesirable as it creates a more unpredictable ball reaction down the lane. From the side, the ball and swing should look like you're landing a plane: not nose-diving into the runway but not trying to land with the back wheels down and the nose in the air either.

** - For most lane conditions. There are always exceptions.

[bowl1820]

just happened on this one-

Don't "loft" the ball: lofting is when you hurl the ball 20 feet forward before it lands on the lane. This can dent the lane and rattle teeth. You want to roll the ball, not throw it.

[BearClaw1973]

Thanks for the replys. I`m 6ft tall and to be honest its not really a long loft upward. I practiced again today and its really about three feet or so downward because I don't get low in my release. I talked to the House Pro "my teacher" today after practice and were going to set up another lesson soon. He says I have a timing issue we need to work on and I also want to stay under the ball more but thats my problem strength wise. After I left the Bowling Center I went and purchased a 20lb dumbbell to work with. Theres a League starting in May and IM GOING to be ready. Thanks again for the advice.

[Motiv Girl]

And update on the smaller posted I had earlier on this subject.

If the ball or lane is hooking early, there are several items to check. The first is where you are playing on the lane. You can divide the lane into three sections: the heads (about the first 18 feet), the pines (the middle portion of the lane, front to back), and the back ends (about the last 15 to 20 feet). Generally there is more oil as you move in toward the center of the lane, so if the ball hooks too early from where you're playing, you may want to move to a line farther inside.

Sometimes, though, even when you move more toward the center of the lane, the ball still hooks too early, so the next item to check is your ball choice. The cover of the bowling ball is the major factor in ball reaction. If the cover is too aggressive for a certain condition--especially dry heads--you will not be able to get the ball down the lane before it starts to hook. In this instance, it would be a good choice to switch to a less aggressive cover stock to get the ball down the lane.

If the lane hooks all the way down, there are other options that will help you to control the hook. Fine-tuning your ball choice with respect not only to the cover stock but core construction and layout can help. When the lanes hook, you may want a less aggressive core and a milder layout. Talk with your pro shop operator for his suggestions.

Lofting the ball out may also be a great option for you. When you do this, the lane will seem shorter. For instance, if you're setting the ball down onto the lane 18 inches over the foul line, you could make the lane hook less for you by lofting the ball farther down the lane. This may mean learning to get the ball six to 10 feet out on the lane. To do this, hang on to the ball a little longer near the release point. When you accomplish this, you'll notice that the ball will go farther down the lane before it hooks.

Another option is to use more ball speed, which will help get the ball farther down the lane before it hooks. The best way to generate more speed is to make your overall motion to the foul line faster, more uptempo. Your mechanics should remain the same, but your motion will be more aggressive, and being more aggressive with your body motion will translate into more ball speed at the release.

Additionally, you may want to back off on the strength of your release, because if your hand and wrist are in very strong positions it will be difficult for you to get the ball down a hooking lane. By backing off your hand position--relaxing your wrist a little and uncocking your hand in your stance, and leaving them that way throughout your approach and release area--you can get the ball down the lane much more easily. The more you cup and cock your wrist, the more strongly you're loading your releas If the ball or lane is hooking early, there are several items to check. The first is where you are playing on the lane. You can divide the lane into three sections: the heads (about the first 18 feet), the pines (the middle portion of the lane, front to back), and the back ends (about the last 15 to 20 feet). Generally there is more oil as you move in toward the center of the lane, so if the ball hooks too early from where you're playing, you may want to move to a line farther inside.

Sometimes, though, even when you move more toward the center of the lane, the ball still hooks too early, so the next item to check is your ball choice. The cover of the bowling ball is the major factor in ball reaction. If the cover is too aggressive for a certain condition--especially dry heads--you will not be able to get the ball down the lane before it starts to hook. In this instance, it would be a good choice to switch to a less aggressive cover stock to get the ball down the lane.

If the lane hooks all the way down, there are other options that will help you to control the hook. Fine-tuning your ball choice with respect not only to the cover stock but core construction and layout can help. When the lanes hook, you may want a less aggressive core and a milder layout. Talk with your pro shop operator for his suggestions.

Lofting the ball out may also be a great option for you. When you do this, the lane will seem shorter. For instance, if you're setting the ball down onto the lane 18 inches over the foul line, you could make the lane hook less for you by lofting the ball farther down the lane. This may mean learning to get the ball six to 10 feet out on the lane. To do this, hang on to the ball a little longer near the release point. When you accomplish this, you'll notice that the ball will go farther down the lane before it hooks.

Another option is to use more ball speed, which will help get the ball farther down the lane before it hooks. The best way to generate more speed is to make your overall motion to the foul line faster, more uptempo. Your mechanics should remain the same, but your motion will be more aggressive, and being more aggressive with your body motion will translate into more ball speed at the release.

Additionally, you may want to back off on the strength of your release, because if your hand and wrist are in very strong positions it will be difficult for you to get the ball down a hooking lane. By backing off your hand position--relaxing your wrist a little and uncocking your hand in your stance, and leaving them that way throughout your approach and release area--you can get the ball down the lane much more easily. The more you cup and cock your wrist, the more strongly you're loading your release. So the more you uncup or break your wrist and uncock your hand, the easier it will be to get the ball down the lane. These adjustments for hooking lanes can make a difference in how successful you are and will allow you to be more versatile when the lanes call for it.

So the more you uncup or break your wrist and uncock your hand, the easier it will be to get the ball down the lane. These adjustments for hooking lanes can make a difference in how successful you are and will allow you to be more versatile when the lanes call for it.

[DanielMareina]

As a pro shop guy and bowling coach, loft is not a good or bad thing. The key is to learn to not use it until it is needed. The problem with using it all the time, is that it is hard to have it go exactly the same distance all the time. A little extra distance means that the ball has less time on the lane to react, therefore causing inconsistent reaction. Lofting is a very good thing to know how to do though. If you ever bowl a 10 game block on a house pattern, or bowl after a lot of open bowling, the head oil can be scarce. The way to get past the burnt head oil is to loft the ball over it. One thing you can listen for is whether the ball thumps twice or just once. If the ball hits the lane (thump number one) and then bounces and hits the lane again (thump #2) it is not a good thing. You want the ball to make contact with the lane smoothly enough that you don't double bounce. Double bouncing can occur from dropping the ball early or releasing the ball late. Either way, it throws the roll of your ball off, and will lead to inconsistent reaction. I hope this helps you. Good luck on a five bagger next time

[Jord_84]

I read this, and the first thing that popped into my head was....."If you're breaking something when the ball hits the lane...then you've probably got too much loft." lol

I know that doesn't help lol

If you're trying to get the ball out farther though, take one of your towels, and lay it out on the other side of the foul line. This will help you because you'll consciously be trying to hold onto the ball for longer to avoid hitting the towel.