Getting better is relative to the effort you are willing to put into it. I have rarely seen anyone that could NOT get better. Its just a matter of how far you are willing to go to do so.

You bowl with a style that you know is inconsistent. You could change to a more consistent style.

You know you "spot bowl", which has only one target eliminating multi targets (like the pros do) and a vizualized ball path through those multi targets. What I would call you is not a "spot bowler" but an "area bowler". No specific spot.

You probably are not 100% on spares. Until you are 100% on all spares you can still get better.

We don't know if all other parts of your physical game are at the maximum level. We know you bowll thumbless and there's issues with that. But there's other phsyical parts of the approach and release.

Erin

I didn't notice he bowls thumbless. Hmm, that'd DEFINITELY be something to work on changing. Get that thumb in that hole man

You are right...but it's a style I'm comfortable with and I'm succeeding with it. I'd say that my spare conversions are in the high 80%. I'll post a video sometime soon of how I bowl so yon guys can tear me apart. ;]. Haha...I'm happy with how I bowl but I do admit that I need to become a spot bowler and not a area bowler. I dont' get much respect from the bowlers at my center because of how I bowl. It bothers me a little but I always believed in the say that it doesn't matter how you bowl, just as long as the job gets done.

The reason to get your thumb in the ball in my opinion is because of injuries. It may seem o.k. to you now but over time you are probabaly going to develop shulder, back, and knee injuries.

Make that Shoulder not Shulder!!!

The main injury form bowling thumbless is wrist and maybe elbow. The shoulder, back and knees you are just as likely to injure using the thumb.

This is true. As long as you are enjoying the game that's all there is to it. You can try to get better, but most of us have a life and finances that preclude doing so when we get to one point or another. But once you realize that you are plateau-ing then you have to accept it or make some changes. Accepting it is a perfectly reasonable option.

Erin

Cal the reason I said that is I read it in "Bowling-Steps To Success" by Doug Wiedman. It said those injuries could occur more likely because of the tense swing and exagerrated body positions need to throw the ball thumbless.

This is something I am starting to work on. I am usually very inaccurate, missing my spots all the time. This happens because I tend to pull my arm across my body, rather than swinging it straight. The next time I get out to the lanes (which may not be until Monday in my league), I need to focus on picking my spot, and not taking my eyes off of it until my ball is out of my hand. I think this is the first and most important issue I need to fix with my game, before anything else.

Slightly off topic...I remember years ago, when I bowled on my high school team, our coach said to "pin bowl" on spares...that is, use the pins themselves as your target. What is the general consensus on shooting spares, to pin bowl, or to use a different spot??

Sorry for the thread hijack!

All I can say. There are pros and cons in thumbless, two handed and one hand release.

Back to the topic in general. You want to target first where you are comfortable and more likely to hit that spot/target over and over with the little mistakes of missing it.

Whether you prefer to the target to be the arrow or closer (spot) or further (area). That is your preference. Everybody is different and everybody can see or do thing differently.

Myself. I have a combination of all three but I prefer using the spot on most conditions and the arrows for spare shot.

To find out what works for you. Practice different range and narrow down whats comfortable and what is harder for you. And work on the harder range since you never know.. it could be useful one day.