Quite a big difference between Jason Couch and Sam. I was going back through this thread and something that Lefty posted caught my eye.



Here is a picture of Jason Couch at the top of his backswing.



Notice that Couch is just about to put his right foot down to slide when he is at the top of his backswing. If you look at the picture of Sam, he still needs to take his 4th step and then slide.

Both Sam and Jason Couch (at least in the video of the 2007 Motel 6 Classic) use 5 step approaches. From watching videos of both Sam and Couch, they both start their pushaways at around the same point, the second step. Jason Couch doesn't reach the highest point of his backswing until he get to his fourth step, where Sam gets there at his third step. Then, Couch just has his slide step for the ball to come down to his release point, meanwhile Sam has 2 steps during which his ball has to come down from the top of his backswing to the release.

Let's assume that Jason Couch has a very free armswing (I feel that's a safe assumption, you don't do what he's done without one). How can Sam get his ball to the top of his backswing in 1 step without forcing it? How can Sam take 2 steps to get from the top of his backswing to his release point without controlling it on the way down?

You can have a high backswing, but there's a right way to do it and and wrong way to do it. The right way takes a long time to learn and it is not what someone who is trying to learn the basic mechanics of the approach should be doing.

Mark

Actually Jason muscles the ball quite a bit. I don't think you'd ever teach someone to throw the ball the way he does. He's been very successful with how he throws the ball but there's not many people who'd be better off with what he does. The same goes for Walter Ray. No one should try and execute the way either of these guys do. They are exceptions to the rule.

And do comment on the backswing of Couch, he still isn't as high as Sam is and he's also more bent over which will cause the ball to go higher. Tilting forward will cause the higher back swing. Look at how much Jason is tilted forward compared to Sam. Then also notice that Jason's arm is not directly up in the air.

I also noticed that Couch's backswing was slightly lower and the larger tilt. I was looking a bit more at the timing issues that are present.

Also, you are right, upon review, Couch does muscle it a good amount, no way to get the backswing that high in the time period it takes to get there. Even so, the amount that Couch muscles it must be small in comparison.

Mark

Also (a lot of those), if you compare the pause at the top of Jason Couch's swing with the pause at the top of Sam's, you will see a vast difference. Same with the speed of the ball on the way down. Sam holds the ball back - take a huge backswing then slow it down on the way down? Why?

Okay first of all there is no one way to do things in bowling. With that said it sounds to me that a lot of you have been busting on Sam's high backswing when it was his timing that is off.

I would have to agree that Sam needs to reach the peak of his backswing on his 4th step instead of his 3rd step (kind of what I noticed all along, but didin't know what I was noticing. I guess that's what comes with being a novice).

Sam,
I think Couch would be a good reference for you because his style is similar to yours plus he's a lefty.

Lastly, I still think you should try a higher ball position. It will allow the ball to travel longer in the swing cycle. It won't make your backswing any higher because you're almost completely vertical as is. Any higher and you'll be the only bowler that does front flips on the approach. All I'm saying is that a higher ball position has the potential to sync up your timing because the ball has to travel a further distance, ergo, possibly allowing you to reach the peak of your backswing on your fourth step like it should be instead of your third.

For me, it's not that he has a high backswing, it's the fact that he is muscling the ball and then controlling it on the way down. If the laws of physics let it be possible to get to the top of his backswing that quickly or have a backswing that high without muscling the ball, then I wouldn't be worried about the height of the backswing at all. But, he does muscle the ball to get to the top of his backswing and his backswing is much higher than where it would be if it was a free armswing. That's all very easy to see by how quickly the ball gets to that point, it only takes 1 step of his approach. The reasoning behind telling him to try to lower his backswing is to get him to stop forcing the ball so much. So his timing is off because he is forcing the ball and that is seen from both how high the ball gets and how quickly it gets there.



Even though this could help out the timing issue, he'd have to start out high enough to make up for 1 whole step in his approach, that would be a really high starting position. Plus, this does nothing to fix the issue of an armswing that is very muscled, which is why he has the timing problem in the first place. Take away the muscled swing and you take away the timing problem, 2 problems gone from 1 change.

Mark

Practised today a bit again, and when I really tried to feel what I was doing, I noticed that I actually DO slow down the armswing on the downswing, even though now my approach is different than on the videos.

Currently, I start the ball more outside, on the video it may be bit more infront of my stomach, but now the ball is completely lined with my shoulder. The first step is very slow and calm, nothing else moves except my foot and I move my weight a bit forward. The first step is also much smaller than on the video, second step very small and slow too, and now I start the pushaway same time as I start the second step. Also, the backswing reaches now about 10:30 when looked from the side.
I'm going to have another coaching session later on this week, and see what is the next thing to work on the approach.

It's good to hear that you are adjusting and it's working out. It would be nice to see an updated video.

Sounds like progress. Post a new video when you get a chance. Many times, what you feel and what actually happens can be very different.

Yep, gonna post when I happen to shoot something. Gonna try to get video tomorrow.