Straight Ball Focus on your target when youre throwing a straight ball. Some bowlers like to curve the ball, but others prefer being straight shooters. If you can’t get the hang of the hook, or you’re simply more comfortable rolling the ball straight, you can still knock ‘em down if you use the correct form. Follow a few bowling tips for straight bowlers to improve your average. Heavy Ball a heavier ball will continue on a more direct path after hitting the pins, while a lighter ball is more likely to be deflected. Thats why you should use the heaviest ball you can handle when you’re throwing straight. If a right-hander strikes the 1-3 pocket, for example, a lighter ball is less likely to hit the 5-pin, and much less likely to strike the 8, because it’ll be deflected to the right after hitting the head pin. Additionally, you may try to throw a lighter ball harder, to make up for its lack of power, which can force you off-balance and decrease your accuracy. Release Point Executing your throw for each frame should begin by releasing the ball from the side of the lane. If you’re right-handed, release the ball close to the right gutter. If you release the ball from the middle of the lane and strike the first pin head-on, you’re likely to produce a split, leaving yourself an almost impossible spare. Alignment Angling your shoulders a bit toward your target will help with alignment On a first ball, for example, if your shoulders are square with the foul line, your body moves straight ahead while your arm angles to the left to throw the ball toward the pocket. Angling your shoulders a bit to the left lets your body and arm move in the same direction, resulting in a smoother arm swing. Target After you’ve found a comfortable spot to begin your approach, observe your ball as it rolls toward the pocket and see which of the lane’s arrows it rolls over. Take particular note of which arrow it touches when you throw a strike, then aim for that arrow in the future. It’s easier to be accurate when you aim at a closer target. Once you’ve chosen a target, always follow through directly along your target line. Right-handers typically aim for the first arrow to the right of the center mark. Spare Shooting If you don’t throw a strike, adjust your stance on your second ball, depending on which pins are standing. If a single pin remains you can use the lane’s arrows as targets. For example, the middle arrow corresponds with the 5-pin. So if you leave the 5 standing, throw the ball parallel with the gutters -- rather than from an angle -- and try to hit the middle arrow. Throw across the lane to hit the edge pins, particularly the 7 and 10. A right-hander throwing straight for the 10 pin, for example, has less margin for error because the ball can fall into the gutter. Instead, stand toward the left of the lane and roll the ball at an angle. Bowling with the right ball will dramatically improve your scores and consistency. For beginners, finding the right ball is often a daunting task, so you may want to consult your local pro shop or bowling-center operator for help. 1. Find your ideal ball weight. Some say your ball should be approximately 10% of your body weight, up to the maximum 16 pounds. Most pro bowlers use 16-pound balls, although more than you think use 15-pounders. Another method is to add one or two pounds to the weight of the house ball you normally use. A heavier ball drilled specifically to your hand will seem to weigh about the same as a house ball two pounds lighter. Even with these guidelines, you should never use a ball too heavy just because you feel you should. The real ideal ball weight is the heaviest ball you can comfortably throw. 2. Determine your ideal cover stock. The stock is the material on the outer surface of the ball, and is very important in determining how your ball will react to the lane conditions. There are four types of cover stocks: polyester (more commonly referred to as plastic), urethane, reactive resin, and particle. To figure out which is best for your game, see the tips below with detailed information on each cover stock. 3. Choose your ball. Once you know the weight and cover stock you need, you can find a large number of balls online, or you can ask your local pro shop. There are differences in each category, but a conversation with a pro-shop operator or some online research should be enough to get you the right ball for your game. You can find a good plastic ball for 2,150 or even less. Reactive-resin balls start around 4,300 and go up from there, though some, as well as particle balls, may cost several hundred dollars. 4. Get it drilled to fit your hand. You can find pre-drilled bowling balls, but if you’re going to use one of those, you might as well save your money and use a house ball. A ball drilled specifically to your hand gives you more control and also significantly decreases the risk of injury. Take your ball to a pro shop and have an expert measure your hand and drill your ball. Some stores will include free drilling with the purchase of a ball, but in other cases, you shouldn’t expect to pay more than 1,290 for drilling—and it’s worth it. 5. Be patient. When you first hold (and release) a ball drilled to your hand, you might be afraid it doesn’t fit. This is because the house balls you’re used to don’t fit. With a little practice, your new ball will prove to be infinitely more comfortable and controllable than a pre-drilled house ball. Tips: 1. Plastic cover stocks are the way to go if you normally throw the ball straight and want to continue to do so. Almost every house ball has a plastic cover stock. This is the least expensive category, but also the least versatile. 2. Urethane and reactive-resin cover stocks are perfect if you throw a hook or would like to start throwing a hook. These cover stocks will grip the lane better than a plastic ball, thus hooking into the pins. Urethane balls take a gradual path to the pins, hooking throughout the whole lane. Most bowlers prefer reactive resin to urethane, as the ball will cut through the oil without hooking too much, and will pick up friction at the end of the lane, hooking aggressively into the pins (this is called backend) and creating more strike potential. 3. Particle cover stocks are essentially a hybrid of urethane and reactive resin. They have the consistent grip of urethane and the massive backend of reactive resin. Best used on oily lanes, particle balls are mainly used by experienced bowlers who know how to control the ball and react to different lane conditions. Choose the right bowling ball One difference between golf and Bowling is that in golf one is taught how to hold a club. In Bowling, a grip is provided in the drilling of the holes into the ball. If the grip is poor, the bowler has to squeeze the ball with excessive pressure. A quality fit enables a bowler to relax the hand during the swing. Choose the heaviest ball you can throw without compromising your ability to have a full, relaxed arm swing, good speed, and a firm wrist at the release. A general rule is to throw 1 pound of ball per 10 pounds body weight, then add 1 pound. For example, a typical 120-pound bowler would consider throwing a 12- or 13-pound ball. There are exceptions, because physical strength and skill also need to be taken into consideration. Once identifying the ball weight this formula suggests, you can further choose a ball of the proper weight by extending your arms in front of you and having another person place the ball into your hands (figure 1.7). The weight should not pull you off balance or make you lose your posture. Then try a heavier ball. Use the heaviest weight that does not compromise your body position. Although a heavier ball can have more power on impact at the pins, more weight is not always better. Using a weight that causes you to labor over a good push away or letting the ball swing will compromise the power, speed, and consistency of the swing itself. Maintaining good ball speed is important. Your ability to handle the ball’s weight is critical at the beginning of the swing, or the push away (see chapter 2). Allowing the weight to swing over the full arc of the swing also requires strength. A full back swing is integral to power and ball speed. Finally, it takes strength to maintain a firm wrist position at the release. Frequently, bowlers who begin to throw the ball with more speed decide immediately to increase ball weight without realizing the effects that ball weight has on the wrist position and release. Professional bowlers have both good speed and a strong wrist action to create revolutions. And many professionals do not even throw 16-pound balls because of the effect ball weight has on the wrist position and release, proving that more is not always better!
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 09:39:52 +0000
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