Hand Position

[Grim]

Thanks for the help with the approach... I am now comfortable with the 8 step approach, and I am not drifting left or right. Approach is good

My problem now is hand position.

First, a bit of background info. I only started fingertip and hook bowling mid last year. Took my average from 135 to 160 in three months, bowled my PB of 238 in that time as well. Was consistently bowling 180+ in that 3 month period, and I was really enjoying my bowling. Then I hit a slump, and struggled to hit average at all. I dropped 6 points in the next 3 months leading up to Christmas. After a few weeks off, I went bowling last week for the first time, and once again bowled sub-150 games. Today I bowled my first over average game in months, then followed it up with a 120. My game was all over the place. I was watching bowlers on the lane next to me (all a whole lot better than me) and noticed that their hand position was different to mine, so I tried that... lo and behold I threw down a 190... which may not be too great to some of you, but after my slump I was ecstatic. Everything felt right, approach was smooth, release and follow through just clicked into place and the ball hooked into the pocket nicely. Apart from a few annoying 10 pins left standing off what looked like perfect bowls, things were great.

The question is, is my hand position at the start of my approach all that important? Ever since I have bowled fingertip, my hand position has been with the ball somewhat cradled in my hand with the fingers more at the front of the ball. Today for one game I changed that so the fingers were well underneath.

Could that simple thing make such a difference?

 

[Grim]

anyone......?

 

[Captain Fudge]

Hi Grim,
Was surfing the different topics on this site and saw you still have no reply.
For what it is worth, I can offer you my feelings. I have been bowling some 30 years, although getting a bit long in the tooth, I have averaged 200+ last couple of seasons, so hopefully you can consider I have a slight idea.

I see many bowlers, especially beginners and some who have been bowling for a longer time, not improving due to a couple of major problems. These are mainly due to a poor swing and poor hand position.
I will not try and confuse you with a lot of detail just to say that the mainstay of good bowling technique, not withstanding proper ball fit and using a ball suited to the conditions (another long story) is to have a relaxed pendulum swing and fingers positioned behind the ball at release.

The relaxed pendulum swing is important for accuracy and consistency to enable you to hit your target on the lane (spots or arrows). The fingers under and behind the ball during release will impart revolutions on the ball which will increase the pin action when the ball hits the pins.
Like most sports there are basics which need to be adhered to to give you the best chance to succeed.

In bowling a lot of the success comes from ones own experimentation in finding what works best for them. I would suggest that you try starting off with your hand under the ball as this will give you the feel of having your fingers in a good position. Try and maintain that feel through your push away (remembering to keep the swing nice and relaxed). Try to feel the weight of the ball during the down swing, let the ball take you to the foul line, instead of you taking the ball to the line.
Try and keep your hand behind the ball just prior and during the release, this will give you the best chance of putting "stuff" on the ball.
This is very basic info and takes for granted that your timing during the push away and during the swing and release is sufficiently co-ordinated to enable all the other things to come together at the point of release.

I hope this helps in some small way.
Good luck.
John Phillips

 

[Grim]

Thanks for the reply John. Back to league bowling tonight after a 3 week Christmas break, so I will see how things hold up.

 

[Grim]

OK, this last week I have bowled 9 games, averaging 161. Not great I know, but compared to my consisted 120's pre-christmas, things are looking good. Thanks for the tip again John!

 

[Captain Fudge]

Hi Grim,
Thanks for the feed back.
I can't emphasise enough how important the pendulam swing of the arm is.
You should try and let the weight of the ball be the reason for the swing, it's when you take over and try to control it that inconsistencies start to creep in. It all sounds very easy, it's not, every one will tell you that.
I also wanted to mention that hopefully you have learned a sparing system. Good bowling books, a few by Dick Ritger are excellent, your local library might have them if you can't get them from your local bowl or coach.
One book by Dick titled "The Complete Guide to Bowling Spares" gives several excellent systems for sparing.
If you want to improve your average you must be a consistent sparer, you must have a proper system so you know where to stand/aim for each possible spare.
These books were written some years ago and are still very valid. All top bowlers would have some system.
You can even you use a combination of systems like I do, again, the experimentation factor, find which works best for you.
The oiling patterns of today can require you to make allowance for the oil, especially down the centre of the lane, but the sparing system is like trying to navigate at sea without the proper charts, you will get lost without them.
Good luck
John P

 

[Grim]

At presentation night for the last league, I picked up the most improved bowler award (+11, from 144 - 155). However, when the latest league season started, the last 12 games were used, and my average for those was 142. The last few weeks have been fantastic. A few back to back 210+ games, and lots of 180+ games. Since the league started, I am averaging 176. Things are starting to look up

As for spare systems, I use the 3-6-9 system. The technician/pro-shop/ball-driller at my centre gave me some tips on this when I first started bowling fingertip last year. I went through a rough stage where I couldn't hit the 10 pin regardless of where I was standing... always hooked too much, or into the gutter, but I have it all sorted now. My sparing isn't what bothers me though... its bowling a dozen gorgeous looking pocket balls in a row, and getting one strike out of all of them. Still, its a whole lot nicer than how I was bowling last year, so its not really a complaint.

Once again, thanks!

 

[griggsy]

thought i would put my two cents worth in, as being one myself who has struggled to hold a consistant average, it has always been hard for me to be consistant and get a consistan release, but i will testify to what john phillips has said as he has said it to me on many a night of bowling. he is dead right though and i put it into practice for the shield roll offs, it certainly works. all you have to do is stay behind that ball and let the weight of the ball be the swing then just follow your arm right through the shot, and basically that is all there is to the release and swing as you will find out will be the reason for your release, it will help you to shoot the same thing over and over, other than that its just practicing that one motion over and over, even standing in your lounge room with the ball in your hands and pushing it out and letting it fall(still holding the ball though lol) is a good way of practicing this while not being at a bowling centre.
goodluck with it all grim

 

[androooo]

Go Dad...lol

 

[GBS]

Just a few ideas

Having had the opportunity to spend some time with Dick Ritger and another very famous American ball driller and two famous Australian ball drllers, here is a clue.

"Does the" face " (ie angle , shape and position) of a golf club head change during the swing?"

Hope this helps

GBS

 

[Gail Torrens]

Coaching - reply to Grim - hand position

You have received excellent advice from John Phillips on how to reconstruct your game. Do not attempt many releases until your approach and swing are keyed in. The advice of a coach is invaluable to someone who is pin pointing the major keys in your game that may need to be adjusted.

Too many people starting out try too hard with the objective of putting more revs on the ball to open the pocket - use incorrect ball selection to match the amount of oil they are bowling on or simply bowl with the wrong ball at the wrong time. All information about your release is tied to combining your equipment, the oil and how well you can train your arm to hit the same area in the heads.

Once you have achieved this with one type of release you can then move around and estimate the correct break point to achieve the correct pocket angle - all systems of lane read are connected to what length you can get the ball down the lane (conserving energy on the ball )- judging the break to the pocket then the 'carry' at the pocket. There are 15 feeling adjustments to get 10 pin raps out of your game (there is probably more - I don't know) - most high skilled bowlers master at least 4 of these.
While you are experiencing results from the release you are using note your wrist position and what the wrist position contributes to the release you have created - Experiment on wrist behind and fingers under the ball - let the ball roll of the fingers. Never rush your release as this prevents hand extension (thumb exit first then the ball is carried to the business part of the release the fingers) Try the wrist to the side and fingers under the ball. Note the change in tilt (produced by the wrist) and also rotational direction (produced by the fingers exit). Experimenting is the key. Try the intermediate wrist position between the two mentioned - This release is the simplest and most effective when starting out. Keep it simple principle. Get a competent coach to give you the feeling of axis tilt with the Dick Ritger rotation drill (you will never go back to guessing the release when you get this one right). Build on this with your own adaptations.
If you have no repetitive timing in the approach and swing - John Phillips is correct don't compensate by trying to throw the ball with different releases this will prove disasterous and of no long term benefit.
I am pleased there are those around who have given you excellent feedback and I hope you enjoy training and make it fun - Keep all training simple and when you discover something about yourself and your game write it down.
I am sorry you did not get many replies - I try to keep an eye on Grahams coaching forum but my computer has been out of action for some time. Hope this information helps you.

Best of luck
Gail Torrens

 

[topdog46]

Here Is an articles on - The Different Hand Positions in Bowling - I hope it is helpful

 

[nuthouse]

what I also found myself after my average crashing and bowling fingertip was...... less speed, more accuracy.. make sure you find your marks each time. Everyone has a different technique and has balls drilled differently. Just a matter of working out what works best for you..... with accuracy. I now start a full pace in front of nearest dots to foul line to slow my release

 

[topdog46]

The Different Hand Positions in Bowling - I hope this helps someone.