Speed question

[Mike White]

Ball speed comes from two parts. Arm, and Leg. Both of these two parts have the shoulder in common.

Imagine standing at the foul line. When viewed from the side, consider your shoulder at the center of the clock, and your foot at 6:00.
If you push the ball out to 3:00 and let it fall free, it will swing back to 9:00, then down to 6:00. If you let the ball go at 6:00 (going forward) you have one of the elements of ball speed. The ball is swinging around the shoulder which is in a fixed position.

Next stand at the back of the approach with the ball hanging at 6:00. Walk to the foul line (like a bowling approach) without any swing on the ball. As finish your slide, release the ball. All of that speed comes from the legs, which act on the ball thru the shoulder.

When you combine these two parts, the time it takes for the ball to swing from 3:00, back to 9:00, then down to 6:00 needs to match the time it takes the legs to get from the back of the approach, to the foul line. Since gravity dictates how long it will take the ball to swing, the bowler has to adjust the leg rate to be in sync.

Now to making speed adjustments. If instead of starting at 3:00 you start at 4:00, that means the ball with swing back to 8:00, then forward to 6:00.
Again, gravity dictates how long that will take (which is less time than for 3 - 9 - 6). To compensate the legs need to complete the trip from the back of the approach to the foul line in this new shorter amount of time. Therefore the legs must move the shoulder forward at a faster rate. This means you get less speed from the arm swing component, but more speed from the leg component.

[backahead]

@Tampa and Mike: Thanks guys, I think I've overcome that issue. But I'd be glad to read anything more on the subject. That day was the first time I was able to stay behind the ball. My wrist was a full 90 degrees all the way through my swing. Since then I've learned to relax my wrist at the backend of my swing and flex it again at the bottom just before release. I'm getting the speed and the hook I want. My best throws happen when it feels like I'm doing nothing to make the hook happen, the ball just trickles off my fingers.

[Mike White]

When the arm feels free, and the ball comes off the hand easily with plenty of revs, and you're balanced solidly at the foul line on just your sliding foot.... it feels like a tuning fork ringing pure.... Memory of that feeling is what brought me back to bowling. However currently my tuning fork is just going BZZZZZZZ.

[backahead]

When the arm feels free, and the ball comes off the hand easily with plenty of revs, and you're balanced solidly at the foul line on just your sliding foot.... it feels like a tuning fork ringing pure.... Memory of that feeling is what brought me back to bowling. However currently my tuning fork is just going BZZZZZZZ.

Bowled terrible tonight. We were in first place, tonight we played 2nd place. We lost all 7 pts. It was too wet for me. Couldn't slow my ball down. 17mph was easy. I was BZZZing on 90% of my throws. Buddy had a new frantic and it was going nuts, lol. Right, left, squiggle left, back right and then a 20 board hook. Ugh.

[backahead]

Dang it, bowled like crap again tonight. 9 games, 13-18mph with a 152 high. I need real coaching if I'm going to become a good bowler. Just contacted a USBC silver certified coach 15 mi away.

[Tampabaybob]

Right thing to do. The coach can see things you can't and should be able to give you a list of things to work on. Let us know how you make out with him.

Bob

[Hot_pocket]

I see different answers but i was always taught to raise the ball up for more speed but there is more to it then just raising the ball. You should also concentrate on still making a relaxed arm swing because if you try and muscle it you are actually still restricting the back swing. I think this video is something most if not all bowler should watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5nnD...eature=related

[billf]

I see different answers but i was always taught to raise the ball up for more speed but there is more to it then just raising the ball. You should also concentrate on still making a relaxed arm swing because if you try and muscle it you are actually still restricting the back swing. I think this video is something most if not all bowler should watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5nnD...eature=related

That technique to raise speed was popular but is outdated. It helped created more lift and the follow through was by the ear when completed. With today's balls the research shows that by starting with the ball lower the feet will speed up to keep pace plus it raises the back swing slightly. Today's modern follow through for a sweeping hook is now out and in front of the head. The straight up players still follow through by the ear.
Neither way is right or wrong, just more suited towards today's game. I still prefer a follow through by my ear though.

[Tampabaybob]

There was an article in US Bowler a few months ago and I haven't been able to find it. It came to me as a shock because I always taught raise the ball for speed and lower to slow it down. I'm going to keep looking. I'll post it if and when I find it.

Bob

[bowl1820]

There was an article in US Bowler a few months ago and I haven't been able to find it. It came to me as a shock because I always taught raise the ball for speed and lower to slow it down. I'm going to keep looking. I'll post it if and when I find it.

Bob

Sept. 2011 "Control your Roll" by Bryan O'Keefe.

http://classic.bowl.com/usbowler/USB...t_2011_PDF.pdf


heres a extra article to look at also:

A How-To for Adjusting Ball Speed:A Research-Based Method
http://bowlingknowledge.info/images/...ball_speed.pdf