Old Versus New Techniques

It's been about 20 years, give or take, since synthetic lanes were introduced. While not all bowling centers have switched over, the number that have are now in the majority. The advent of reactive resin (and subsequently, particle) bowling balls, in order to combat the changing lane surfaces and oiling patterns probably started shortly after that.

Statistically speaking, a cultural generation is approximately 25 years, which is the birth of a child(ren) to the birth of their child(ren). In bowling, a child may start bowling around 5 or 6 years old in junior bowling leagues and move to adult leagues at about 20 years old, a total of approximately 15 years. This means that nearly a generation of bowlers has grown up bowling only on synthetic surfaces.

This means, also, that a generation of bowlers has grown up learning the sport with newer and up-to-date techniques and subtleties compared to bowlers from the “pre-synthetic“ era.. Many of us learned to bowl with rubber or urethane balls and the techniques we used were a little bit different then what are needed now. While this article is directed toward the “pre-synthetic” bowler, the hints I give here may be of benefit to the bowler who has only bowled with the modern-era equipment. (There is that adjustment time after synthetics and reactives were introduced where old-style coaching methods were still being taught.)

My “Choc-List”:

1) Do not “hit up” on your ball at the point of release. Instead, let the ball roll off your fingers and let the ball do the work for you. There is a tendency to think that in order to put more revs on the ball, you have to really do something to the ball at the release point and that is not true. Reactive resin bowling balls have, among other factors, surfaces and cores that are designed to impact the pocket with a lot of power. You have to, however, not force the ball to do anything - you have to just let the ball work for you. The ball has been designed to react in a certain way as it rolls down the lane. Anything you do against that design will only work against you rather than for you. The most common term used by bowlers having problems is, “over-under reaction.“ Do not “hit up” on your ball at the point of release.

2) Do not slow down your approach. A common tip in the past has been to slow down your step and approach - “you’re going too fast,” “you’re speeding up,” or “take your time.” Slower footwork and deliberate steps lead to more tightened armswings and what is referred to as, “muscling” the ball. Your accuracy will suffer. In easier house shots, there may not be a problem for scoring because you sometimes have a 14-board margin of error for getting strikes; but, on tighter conditions (sports shot leagues, tournaments with flatter conditions), you will see the poor results very quickly. Let the weight of your bowling come into play, allowing it to be the main force swinging your arm forward, backward, and forward again to your easy release. Without applying any muscle tension into your arm, stand straight up and go through an armswing, letting the weight of the ball swing your arm - this is the pendulum armswing that coaches are talking about today. It may feel awkward at first, but with enough practice, your timing will adjust by itself and you will find your approach speed synchronizing with the “weight of your ball armswing.” Do not slow down your approach.

3) Do not try to throw the biggest hook. No doubt there are balls nowadays that will hook tremendously and be impressive looking as they roll down the lane. There have always been bowlers that were able to throw fantastic curves; but, who have been the most successful in the long term? The longevity of your bowling game and consistently high scores do not rely on throwing a super hook. The bowling ball has to save up its energy for when it hits the pocket so the most direct line will be the best line to play. A “dead ball” in terms of reactive resins is one that has no power as it enters the 1-3 (pins) pocket (or the 1-2 for left-handers), if the ball crosses too many boards, it “rolls out” by the time it travels the 60 feet down the lane to hit the pocket. Do not try to throw the biggest hook.

4) Do not buy the most expensive, top-of-the-line, bowling ball. You cannot, and will not, improve your bowling scores by spending top dollar for a bowling ball merely because someone else bowled good with it. You have to study your game and “know your limitations.” There are tons of bowling balls out there but they are each designed to do certain things under certain conditions, depending on how they are drilled. Each of those bowling balls can be drilled to perform well for you according to your style of bowling. Another thing to consider is how long will that top dollar bowling ball last before it is deemed “obsolete?” I have seen too many bowlers spend a lot of money for their bowling ball and end up giving them away because, “it did not do what they thought it would for them.” Do not buy the most expensive, top-of-the-line, bowling ball.

A Hui Hou! (See You Again!)