Rough Bowling Technique - Video Critique

[OldBayAlex]

Posted a couple weeks ago looking for some resources on how to improve my technique & form. Just got done w/ Parker Bohn's book and decided to utilize the camcorder on my smartphone to critique myself. I've definitely lost a lot of revs and my average has gone down considerably but with the intention of retooling my swing before I learn any more bad habits and so I don't have to rely on "muscling" it down the lanes.

Any and all honest critiques are welcome - this isn't a highlight reel for sure.



Keep in mind, I'm a newbie, never bowled seriously up until about a year ago.

[littlelegs]

There are obviously far more experienced people than I and some qualified coaches who may correct me but...

I'd say you're still muscling the ball a little. The speed seems faster than the back swing you have would normally produce and your arm isn't truly relaxed during the down swing, something that most coaching likes to promote.

Other than that I'll leave it to those more qualified otherwise I'm bound to get it wrong

[kahgknow]

it appears that you are muscling it a bit and not allowing your backswing to reach its full potential here are 2 articles to check out that may help you out

http://www.bowl4fun.com/ron/tip12.htm
http://www.bowl4fun.com/ron/tip26.htm

enjoy reading and good luck on the lanes i have recently adjusted my thumb pitch to go more forward so i dont have to squeeze my bowling ball and its great to get the added speed plus i dont muscle it so much anymore hope the articles help!!!

[J Anderson]

I would suggest two things:
at the start of your approach, flex your knees a little bit.
Second would be to hold the ball closer to your body until your second step then push the ball out toward your target and let it drop into the swing as your right foot touches back down.

[got_a_300]

I agree with what the others have already said about muscling the ball and holding it
a little closer to you body and flexing the knees a little bit more. I'll also add that on
your back swing you are letting your elbow bend instead of keeping your arm and your
elbow locked and straight so you're not really getting all of the potential of having a good
back swing like having a constant ball reaction and having Constancy of hitting your mark.

[OldBayAlex]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the feedback - you've confirmed my suspicions. I always felt like I was putting too much muscle into it, and I've made some strides with it but not nearly enough. Gotta tell ya - I'm nerve racking to just "let it fall" but I just need to get over it, get some good practice time on some empty lanes and just let it fall.

As for the ball placement closer to the body, this is the first time I took a video of myself and I didn't even realize I was holding it out the way I did! I think I had seen a tip to put it out to get the feeling of the pendulum arm swing and then move it back in - I just never did and boom: bad habit formed. I'll try to work in a little knee bend as well.

[DanielMareina]

The rest of the posts only touch on a couple problems there. Number one, keep the ball closer to the body, and push it out as you begin your approach. Second, you are leaning on your toes right at the start of your swing. You want to keep your body weight centered for balance as you walk up to the foul line. Third, allow the ball to swing backwards. Backswings are very important to fluency and speed. Fourth, straighten your arm in the push off and keep it that way till after release. You are bending at the elbow to get behind the ball, and you really should cup your wrist for that instead. It almost looks like the ball may be a bit too heavy for you. Fifth, your release is a toss, not a roll. This will probably get fixed when you straighten your arm, but you really want to focus on letting it come off your thumb first, then fingers. This is how revs are created. All of these things need work, and will probably take awhile to fix. I wish you the best of luck on your journey, and trust me, you can get there if you try.