QuestionI have a question concerning me pulling the ball and being off balance when I release the ball. I am LH and throw a 15# Columbia 300 pink dot. I throw a natural curve low hook.
Answer
True Bowler Adjustment
Hi James, I am not familiar with Columbia making a Pink dot. Perhaps its a Columbia White dot that is Pink in color. At 15lbs it's a great spare ball and beginner's ball to hook the lane a little just like you may do. It's great to use to build up repetitions from a good release.
Most people underestimate the importance of beginning with a spare ball and moving into the more reactive bowling balls. With one beginning ball like that, you can cut a trail to a great spare shooting game, and top it off with learning to curve a reactive ball later for a powerful strike ball. A bowler is not worried about leaving pins because they already have invested a lot of time in shooting spares and they can maintain that edge during play.
As for falling off balance at the line, there is nothing that is closer to the heart of a Silver level coach like myself, than when you can see great balance at the line. The biggest enemy to a bowler who falls off their shot in my experience is "rushing" to the line. Lots of things can cause that! Don't rush....
When a player has balance at the foul line they can watch the ball travel, lane response from the ball, and the entry of the ball into and through the pins.
If you are like some bowlers and you land on one leg, and the trail leg is in the air, there can be a problem, but not always. It's big problem if you loose your balance. It's small problem if you maintain your balance but you can't track the ball down the lane.
I see players all the time on one leg, however they play enough games that the leg they are on "is strong" and they can post the shot. Regardless, you don't see them "rushing to the line!"
Getting the trail leg down is a key point in a good delivery. Do you have to have the trail leg down? No. Is it better for a bowler? Yes, that is if the bowler can not maintain their balance at the line with the trail leg in the air.
Leaning too far forward will cause you to fall off your shot also, "finding that pace" which makes you slow down enough and deliver a great shot is icing on the cake!
"Turning your slide foot too far in, or to the outside" can throw you off at the line. This can be compounded also by "a high or too fast pushaway" in the beginning of your delivery that can end up having "you run after the ball to keep up," but only to find you have out run the bowling ball. Suddenly you have to stop "soon" before the foul line.
In my book "True Bowler Adjustments" I discuss "timing," "balance" "your non-ball arm and it's hand position," "your hips," "your trail leg,foot and toe."
Looking at it here you may say "that is a lot to consider" however, what we are talking about is developing "new muscle memory." Muscle memory that will serve you well in the future because right now your muscle memory is a little bit out of sync with your shot James.
In summary: Find a USBC certified coach. Let them eyeball your delivery to get the kinks out.
What they are going to watch will be your start, your tempo or timing, your hips, your non ball arm, how you come off of your power step (which is the next to the last step), your slide foot, your trail leg(which direction it goes in, an how much support it gives you, and whether or not you recoil on to it) along with watching your trail foot and toe for collapsing at the line.
As you can see a coach has many areas to consider! You have many areas to look at. If you don't have coaching in your area you can watch other great bowlers and just try to notice the areas that I have mentioned. Those with good balance won't run to the line they will have a nice pace or tempo. "You have to develop yours." You'll get to the line and releasing a great shot..."but with balance" Don't rush!
You know you can deliver the ball now, but with a slow pace, or tempo, you will "feel" yourself getting to the line and giving the ball good leverage. That leverage will only come from having good balance James.
Nothing in bowling is really done in a hurry accept running to the bathroom and back. And if you are lucky, you will be on a 5 person team.(smile)
Thanks for making the little hamster run on the wheel in my brain today James!
-Gary
Las Vegas, NV
www.TrueBowlerAdjustments.com (it's a great blue book!)
