This post is mainly for CoachJim but anyone can answer. If you did your push away, freeswing and release standing at the foul line would the ball speed be the same as if you did your full approach. Or do you gain speed from your push off into your slide?? Also, I know you adjust your speed with the height of the ball falling into the swing.. What is a typical speed that you get on your ball? What is your max ??

The speed that you walk plays into it too. You add several miles an hour compared to just standing at the line. My ball speed at the pin deck is around 16mph.

Norm Duke generally adds speed to his ball by running on the approach, because his shorter stature doesn't allow for a free swing that reaches the height someone like Malott or Mika can achieve.

I am relegated to bowling at the foul line at least for now, and I get next to no ball speed, like 10mph at best.

4 step bowlers get more speed than 5 step bowlers Norm Duke takes as much as 7 or 8 steps to help get the speed he needs to play certain angles.

Just to add to this, it's not just the slide that causes this. You have to remember that the ball is still moving forward as you carry it. You stopping doesn't mean that the velocity of the ball stops. You walking to the line has given the ball speed and direction. It will take some other force to stop the ball from moving forward. That's what a kid who runs up to the line and just lets go of the ball has ball speed. It's all generated by the approach. There's no swing at all.

A coach gave me a drill to work on getting my arm more relaxed which consisted of standing at the line, knee bent and trailing leg behind and a bit to the side, as if I had already finished my slide. From that position I do my pushaway and swing like normal, and stay as relaxed as I can. The first number of times I did this I was hitting about 12-13mph and was pulling the ball left. After practicing for awhile (like a few days!) I am getting about 8-9mph and not pulling the ball left anymore. So I concur with CoachJim, if you have a relaxed swing and are just standing at the line your ball speed should be under 10mph, if you get over that you are probably helping the ball some.

And I really like this drill...well actually I'm not real fond of doing it but it really works! I know a number of people with muscled armswings (um, 90% of the people in my league...don't tell them I said that!) and I recommend they try it. When I go back to my normal approach after doing this drill a number of times, my ball speed is about 16-17mph, which is a huge improvement for me. Previously I was about 17.5-18.5mph on every shot. I'm also in better sync and don't lose my balance as much as before too.