So today I was bowling pretty well for my level, recording my approaches in last practice game, while rolling a good score. But when I saw my video, I was surprised at how different I looked, compared to how I felt.

What I'm trying to do is:

- have a backswing as high as around 7-9 o' clock from the side, therefore I was trying to 'tilt' after the pushway to have a higher backswing (but geez, I'm really slouching, and I think the ball is going behind my back, resulting in a circled backswing?)

- lower my shoulder at the end of my release so it lines up near my line of vision. But in this case, when I tilted forward in the beginning, that was pretty much my position throughout the release, even though I 'felt' that I was dropping my shoulder at the end.

- have my steps lined up. But from what I saw, my third step has my left foot going outside to the left, I think because it's so the ball doesn't hit my right leg. How should it be?

So for my approach, I'm unsure of what is 'proper' and what needs to go. I think the off-path left step, the 'too-much bending forward', the way I'm pushing the ball out?

I was pretty accurate with my shots, but this just doesn't look right. There are plenty of times I feel off-balance, and I'm usually falling off of my shot. I know I need to change something, but that's where I'm need of your help, please!

Thanks in advance for your time.

Looks like your feet are trying to catch up with your ball to me.

You may want to try and compact that pushaway some. It looks like it takes a little too long to develop. You do not need to have your arm completely straight before letting it drop into the swing. Push it away about 3/4 of the distance you currently do and maybe a little lower, that will help your timing and in return your balance.

I would suggest that you throw most of what you are TRYING to do out the window.....for now. You seem to me to have too much on your plate. This is the Frog Guts syndrome. "what do you get when you dissect a frog?"......Frog Guts and they are really hard to put back together.

Get very familiar with a pre shot routine. Make sure you do every thing the same when you set up to bowl. The ball is held the same, the arm to shoulder position is the same, the feet line up the same (in relation to each to other), your stance starts the same way every time. If you wipe your ball with a towel, make sure you do it the same way every time. If you use a grip sack to take moisture from your hands, do it the same time and way every time. If ever you get out of sequence, stop and reboot the whole thing.

And then I would introduce you to balance at the line. You step off. This leads to inaccuracy. And accuracy will hold you in good stead when other issues arise. So you want accuracy. There fore things that inhibit accuracy should be taken out of the equation. And that's the step off to the side at the release point. How you do this is to make sure that you do not rush your feet (and I don't see you doing that) but also setting yourself up for balance at the release in the second to last step. You can really get a feel for this if you do the One Step Drill.

Without tackeling follow through and trail leg ect ect ect (frog guts).....if you can get this issue of balance you will increase your average by at least 10 pins. YOu know how gymnists always quote "sticking the landing", well you need to do this with your release. Watch Parker Bohn III, Doug Kent on youtube. They come instantly to mind of those that really post their shots and release. Watch Tony Reyes, on his One Step Drill. He's flawless.

Erin

adadgag, You are kind of all over the place and working on too many things at the same time would cause more problems than you already have.

That being said, lets work on the pre shot routine that Erin was describing, and the push away is way too big like DD was saying.

Start with the weight of the ball in your left hand and line it up under your right breast with your right elbow in tight to your body. Take your first step (5 steps) without moving the ball, take your second step as the step hits the floor start the ball by slightly pushing it up and then drop it into the swing without bending at your waist and following it down, let the ball just swing from your shoulder. When you follow the ball down with your upper body you are cutting off the swing, not lengthening it. To lengthen it, bend slightly at the waist after the ball passes your right hip and starts heading up in the up swing.

Just work on this for now and then post another video, you don't want to do to much at one time, and what we have told you already will probably take a month of hard practice to Master. Start with the preshot routine and then the set up then the first step then start the ball then drop the ball then let it swing past your hip, then bend at the waist, repeat all of these steps in order without skipping ahead.

This was rather dyslexic of me.

I meant to say ball catching up to your feet. Your ball is already coming down from the top of the backswing before you push into your slide.

The rest of what I said stands though, sorry it was late. Your timing looks off some but the larger issue is balance and the pushaway will help your balance greatly. In the video it looks as if the ball actually pulls you off balance as it drops into the backswing.

Hope this helps, but CoachJim and Erin know their stuff so you may wanna pay close attention to what they are saying. I do myself since my own game is stuck in the 80's...LOL

Thanks a lot for all of the guidance. I'll be practicing these basics for the next month or two.

Here's another video. I'd like to know if I'm on the right Track?

I think I shortened my pushaway. Now I'm kind of dropping the ball from my chest into the backswing, only extending my arm gradually.

I've tried to use my balance arm and leg so I don't fall off of the shot. It feels much better in terms of balance, But I feel like I'm not aligned to my target. I can't aim at anything at this point.

Even though I'm trying not to, I keep lurching over after the pushaway, rather than keeping upright, then bending over slightly when the ball clears my hip: still working on that one :p

Here are some things I'm wondering about so I know what I'm doing:

1. When I slide, and move my balance leg and arm to the left side, should my sliding foot's toe still be pointed at my target? Every time it's been pointing to the outside, even if it was just a little bit. My body kind of twists to straighten the swing out so it's square to my target (I'm talking about the end of my approach, and the release).

2. Regarding the step path, I have a little bit of drift to the left around the 2-3 steps. Ideally, should I be walking nearly one foot in front of the other?

3. How does my backswing look in terms of alignment? When I've consciously tried to 'swing' my arm to my right to straighten my swing out, it still is a little crooked. Since my upper body is a little tilted, is this OK? What should I do ideally.

4. I need help as to what ideal timing is. When my sliding foot is out there, should my ball be on the top of my backswing (at the second to last step)? I think for the whole time I've been bowling, I've always been bowling with late(ball ahead of me) timing, so I'm not completely sure of how it should feel like.

Once again, thanks for your time and help.

Ideally, yes. The one step practice Erin suggested should help.



yes because your upper body is twisting, causing you to walk a little crooked.



You turn your upper body a little by opening up your shoulder and your arm swing is behind your back. Move your ball more outside on presentation.



Your ball and your slide will get to the foul line at the same time. Now, your foot slides before the ball gets down.

This vid is an improvement over the last one. Keep your shoulders parallel to the pins. Don't open your shoulder. Move the ball to the outside more. Swing in a straight plane. And, bend your knee at the slide. Try to hold your release on your slide foot.

This is still early timing, your slide foot has to be completely stopped and you need to be in a stable balanced position when you let the ball go. If your foot is still sliding, as the ball enters the release zone, your upper body may not be in a stable position to let the ball go. If your foot stops as the ball reaches your right hip and your upper body settles into a stable position as the ball passes your right hip (right handed), you will maximize your leverage at the release, regardless of style.

Your first right foot step should be in front of your left foot to allow the ball to pass your right hip on the back swing, the next step with the left foot should be straight ahead, the next to last step with the right foot should be short and bend to lower your upper body into the slide, the slide should be back toward your target in front of the previous right foot step to allow room for the ball.



Yes except for the left foot step on the second step of a four step delivery, that one should be straight ahead, the rest will probably be in front of the previous step.



Ideally you have the weight of the ball in your left hand, with no squeezing or gripping of the right hand, it just stays in position to release the ball, then the left hand starts the ball toward the target then pours the ball's weight from the left hand to the right hand and the ball takes the arm back into the swing without pulling the ball back or trying to direct it.



To get the feel of perfect timing you need to do the one step drill. Stand about 3 or 4 ft from the foul line, feet together start the ball like I said above and let it drop into the swing, when the ball reaches the top of the swing, bend your right knee and slide your left foot in front of the right foot as the ball falls from the top of the back swing and let it roll off your hand.

You can then add another step. Take another step backward from the foul line. Start the ball as it passes your right hip, step with your right foot as the ball reaches the top of the back swing, bend your right knee and slide and get into a stable position, then release the ball.

You can then add another step, Start the ball, as it drops step with your left foot, then as the ball will be straight down at the bottom as the left foot compresses then the ball reaches the top of the back swing as the right foot compresses and bends into the slide.

You then have a finished product by Starting your right foot as it touches the floor, start the ball, it should drop into the swing as the left foot is going forward, and then progressing as mentioned above.

Since you take 5 steps you should take the first two steps before starting the ball.