Timotheus accuracy and consistency are the end results of good fundamentals. If you are inconsistent it is usually because of inconsistent thumb release caused by a bad fit causing you to let the ball go instead of it coming off your hand on it's own at the same time.

Accuracy has several enemies:

1. Forced or muscled swing from bad ball fit.

2. Improper timing

3. rushed foot work

1,2 and 3 are usually the result of an ill fitted ball, so start off in the Pro Shop.

4. Mentally trying too hard to hit your target or hook the ball will cause you to miss horribly.

Start your quest in the Pro Shop and post back what they have to say about your grip. You have to learn not to squeeze the ball, so be honest with yourself about if you are squeezing or not. Start off by looking at your thumb as you put it in the ball and see if it starts bending at the knuckle before you even put it in the hole. Then try swinging the ball and see if it slips and at what point, then either tell your ball driller or post back here and we will tell you how to go about getting it fixed.

I reality, Jim has been a member for 605 days. And, with 1203 posts, that's fewer than 2 per day. Sure seems like more than that.

Maybe this is skewed towards the back end. I know my body is. Gravity works.

Not me I have Hank Hill butt syndrome.

Jim,

My fit and span are good, I've had discussions with my drillers about that before and all my balls are drilled properly for me. For the most part my fundamentals are good, but problems creep in every now and then and if I don't recognize and fix them quickly they snowball. As it is when I miss I only miss by a board or two unless something goes really wrong, but that won't fly in a PBA league like it will in a regular house shot league. Generally when I say "I want to work on accuracy" I'm more talking about getting my margins down to one board at most. Bowling on a house shot is tough to do that with though since subconciously you're mindset tends to be "ok I can miss a little since I have room" instead of "if I miss I'm not even hitting the pocket" like on PBA patterns, and it can affect how much you concentrate on it.

I can't tell you how many times I have heard them say that, but that doesn't mean that it is true. You need to decide for yourself, and be honest with yourself if the ball is slipping and you are squeezing the ball or not.

Missing a board or two at the arrows is like missing by 4 or 5 at the break point. On a PBA pattern you can miss by 1/2 a board at the arrows which is 1 or 2 boards at the break point.

Try to find a coach and be objective with your grip, post back if you want my help.

One of my drillers is my old coach, and the other is probably one of if not the best driller in the Syracuse area.

I've been focusing a lot in the last few months on my grip to see if I'm squeezing or if my fit is off, and trying different things to see if its too tight or loose (adding/removing tape, standing in my family room or back off the approach and free swinging a ball, etc). I've noticed times where I grip the ball and others where the ball is falling off wrong, and other times I grip on purpose to see what it feels like. So far everything I've tried has come back positive and now I have a better idea of how to recognize it if I'm gripping. It still needs work, but I'm making progress with it.

Have you thought about getting a second opinion, either from another ball driller preferably one who is IPBSIA certified and or another coach. If you are having problems with squeezing the thumb even occasionally, then your grip is not right. You need to make an adjustment. My ball fits now, that doesn't mean it will still fit a month from now if my hand learns to relax a little more I might need to move the thumb pitch forward, it is not a one time perfect fit and because the book says so or because so and so has been drilling balls for a million years, I have heard it all before and none of that will stop you from bending your thumb to hang onto the ball, so you need to decide for your self what is best for you.

There is a reason that ball fit is the first 3 of Ron Clifton's 6 basic fundamentals, and that is if the ball doesn't fit or slips from your grip even the slightest, then you don't stand a chance in having a consistent game.

This is a good thread.

Here's my list of 'things to work on':

1. Leg kick--never had one before, but I expect to have one for every shot from now on. You're supposed to kick out to 7 o'clock, but so far, it's more comfortable for me to push out closer to 8 o'clock.

2. End-over-end shot--I have to keep my shoulder closed, with a different position for my balance arm and possibly a different kick position, but even so, it's already more comfortable than the three-finger stuff I tried last year. On the other hand, I'm still hooking about five boards, so there's more work before I get it right. Right now I'm trying to throw it directly down the middle, leaving the 4-6.

3. Liberator--still trying to learn the ball, what it's good for.

4. Twig--I worked on expanding my range leftward last summer; this summer I'll see how far right I can go.

5. Adjustments--I feel like I've become better at switching balls than at making adjustments, so when I go bowling for fun, I'll bring one ball, get one lane and try to keep making it work.

If you are bowling thumbless its hard to get a ball to go completely straight even plastic, as the wrist has to be cupped to be able to hold the ball which contributes to getting a little around the ball and even at 15 degrees it will allow the ball to hook a little. You might have to just understand how much the ball will hook when trying to go straight at it and adjust accordingly.

You're likely correct. As long as I had so much arm turn, finger turn wasn't worth considering, but with the arm turn gone...

I'll try to lead with my pinky next time, and see what the ball looks like on the lane.