Any suggestions on how to control a twisting forearm? When I go into my back swing my forearm seems to twist around. I also have a tendency to swing the ball behind my back rather than out to the side but I am not sure what to do because if I concentrate too much on my arm swing I miss my mark.

Which way does it twist? As long as it doesn't keep your fingers from being on the inside of/behind the ball on the way down, it's probably not a problem.

Re: arm behind back, which part of the swing? On the way up? down? both? Always, or only when you're playing inside? Up the boards?

My forearm twists outward when the ball is behind my back but then straightens out during my delivery.

My arm swings behind my back on the way up and then striaghtens out to my side on the way down. I know I should get a video but do not have one so hopefully describing it is good enough.

So you mean the inside of your arm faces out? That's probably actually helping you stay inside the ball longer, giving you a more powerful release.

As far as the swing path, it sounds more conducive to playing straight, as opposed to bellying the ball. Do you have trouble getting the ball outside when you need to move in?

Basically, if you can do it consistently, it's really probably not a problem. If it's actually affecting your game, then it needs to be fixed. 2 probable causes are either:
- You're muscling the ball. Fix: free armswing!
- Your pushaway is going too far to the right. Fix: pushaway straight at your target (keep in mind that your ball is not where your eyes are, so to pushaway to your target, it will look to your eyes like you are pushing a little bit to the right of the target. Just for fun in practice one day, you can try leaning your head a bit in your starting position so it's over the ball, just to see the difference in perspective.)

Another "just for fun" that you can do one day is to throw some shots one day with your normal delivery. Really watch the ball path - where it hits the arrows, and what angle it travels down the lane. Then try a couple with your ball 2 inches left in the starting position. Then try a couple with the ball 2 inches right of your normal starting position. Watch how the path changes.

This sounds like a common condition that a lot of bowlers have to deal with at some time in their bowling career.

The easiest way that I have learned to overcome the twist is to make sure that I "shake hands with the lanes" and I use a "mark and reach" technique to make sure that my arm stays straight. Let me explain.

"Shaking hands with the lanes"
This is just as it sounds. You should try to finish your shot with your arm in the same position that it would be if you were shaking hands with someone. You can keep your eyes on your mark to be sure that you are rolling the ball over the mark and your hand should follow through as if you were shaking hands.

"Mark and Reach"
I use this technique to be sure that I don't twist my arm. I focus on my mark (the "Mark" part) and reach for the ceiling with my thumb (the "Reach" part). This allows me to be more consistent in hitting my mark with the best follow through that I can get.

When my form goes to $@#, I use these two techniques to get back on Track.

Hope this helps...

The biggest problem I have when playing in is actually the opposite. I tend to get the ball too far outside and then it doesn't come back (unless the lanes are really dry). I tend to like to play the outside line because I do throw a straight ball.

I will try those suggestions in practice. I am not sure if it really affects my bowling but people do comment on it. I have had more people ask me if my arm hurts to bowl the way I do and I tell them no, my arm is not even sore the next day. Another comment I got last week was that the way I bowl it shouldn't work but it does (whatever that means, I should have asked). I do hold the ball out to the right of my body when I am set because I thought that would help me keep my arm from going behind my back but from what you said it looks like the opposite could be true.

Well, with a free armswing, your arm is the pivot point. If you start out away from and in front of your body, and drop the ball, it will move to a point directly under the pivot, which has it moving towards the back of your body, and in towards your body, and then it will continue on that path, which will have it end up behind your back. if you start it in front of your body, the opposite will happen - it will move towards your shoulder, which is to the outside, and continue on that path.

I have been personally plagued with a suitcase type arm swing or the handshake arm swing for longer than I care to mention. Even with coaching I felt like I was staying behind the ball, only to videotape it later and see my hand back on the side of the ball again as the ball headed into another dead on arrival release.

I can not recommend anything more than getting a video camera and record your swing from behind and try different feels and angles to change your swing to how you want it. A coach is helpful with techniques to alter your swing, but seeing is believing because what it feels like you are doing is not necessarily what you actually are doing.

Jim,

Try pointing your thumb at the right wall the entire shot so when you do close, it will be late rather than early. See if that helps, and of course the old Jowdy trick of leading with the ring finger.

Pushaway determines swing direction and how loose the armswing is. If your arm is coming behind your back, that tells me you are pushing the ball too far right during the pushaway. Disengage your arm muscles and let the ball swing your arm. Basically, you want your bowling elbow to slightly brush your bowling side hip as you do your pushaway, and keep the ball under your shoulder the whole swing so it comes very close to your bowling side hip on the forward swing. You actually want to try and hit your sliding leg with the ball just prior to the release. You want to stay behind the ball as long as you can, and then after the thumb clears, rotate the fingers to produce an effective hook.