G’Day All,
Time for another ten minute thought.
I have been emailing Roysa about bowling and general chit chat, the conversation came up which is the topic for this thread.
“Is Straighter Greater?”
Now to expand on that thought, as a junior it was always, hit it harder and throw it faster and hook it as much as you can. Not to different to a lot of the younger bowlers I have seen in the last ten months of bowling again.
Back in the seventies the only person in the world that could do that successfully was Mark Roth. Everybody else that was successful where more of the “straighter is greater” model. Roll it up ten board and bowl at the pocket. Get the ball hooking in the last ten to fifteen feet and conserve all the energy you can fo down the lane.
Today’s game is dominated by better ball technology meaning that area bowling is good enough for scoring high games, winning every so often. But does it cut it week in week out.
In the last few months I have really tried to bowl straight at every spare and roll the ball at the pocket. Something that dad always preached and really proved to be the right way back in the seventies and really, today it is still very relevant.
Take a look at the true champions over the last 20 odd years in the U.S, who can go past the like of Norm Duke, Walter Ray for keeping the pocket in site as much as possible. But these guys also proved that they are versatile and can change their style to suit the requirements of the lane conditions laid before them. I know there are many many more like PDW, but he went a long time bowling at the pocket also.
So for now my thought pattern goes like this, and no, I still don’t do this well but it’s my game focus.
Goal number one is to move from Official League Hack (OFL) to THB.
What’s the difference, OFL’s will stand on the same spot and toss the ball at their spot if it works, great, if it does not there is always next week.
The THB will have a few targets to choose from but really they would be aiming at the one target always in league and moving a few boards either way to reach the pocket or have few other balls to pick up and try if that fails.
Goal number two would be to reach the Elite Tournament Bowler (ETB) Level, to me this is like obtaining a Black Belt in Martial Arts.
The Elite Tournament Bowlers (ETB), they have good revs, a great shot from multiple location on the lane to play with. They know when to flatten the shot, they know when to hit it the shot. Something I have spoken to dad a fair bit about over the last few months as he rarely changed his shot but played with his line and ball speed.
Late last years I meant Mr George, just general chit chat, he mentioned that he had a dozen odd different releases he would use from house to house depending on how the lanes are playing. I would expect that to be more in keeping his natural line to the pocket for his natural shot and making the rest fit his comfort zone.
How many times have you seen on the TV where one guy is hitting the ball as hard as they come, hooking the ball 15 boards. Only to have Duke bowl at the pocket and roll them by 50 pins on the same pair. Look at the hall of fame guys and they all did the same thing from one era to the next. Bowl at the pocket and keep the pocket in site.
I truly understand that some bowlers mechanics will dictate their game, but is “Straighter still Greater?”
Should we perfect subtle changes and keeping the pocket on line, move a little left and little right and learn ball speed and release. Is that the real secrete that the Elite Tournament Bowler’s don’t want the THB’s to know?
Is playing the “Straighter is Greater” shot and carrying 8 or more per shot a better game for the bowler wanting to progress from OFL to the end goal of ETB?
Thanks for reading.
Time for another ten minute thought.
I have been emailing Roysa about bowling and general chit chat, the conversation came up which is the topic for this thread.
“Is Straighter Greater?”
Now to expand on that thought, as a junior it was always, hit it harder and throw it faster and hook it as much as you can. Not to different to a lot of the younger bowlers I have seen in the last ten months of bowling again.
Back in the seventies the only person in the world that could do that successfully was Mark Roth. Everybody else that was successful where more of the “straighter is greater” model. Roll it up ten board and bowl at the pocket. Get the ball hooking in the last ten to fifteen feet and conserve all the energy you can fo down the lane.
Today’s game is dominated by better ball technology meaning that area bowling is good enough for scoring high games, winning every so often. But does it cut it week in week out.
In the last few months I have really tried to bowl straight at every spare and roll the ball at the pocket. Something that dad always preached and really proved to be the right way back in the seventies and really, today it is still very relevant.
Take a look at the true champions over the last 20 odd years in the U.S, who can go past the like of Norm Duke, Walter Ray for keeping the pocket in site as much as possible. But these guys also proved that they are versatile and can change their style to suit the requirements of the lane conditions laid before them. I know there are many many more like PDW, but he went a long time bowling at the pocket also.
So for now my thought pattern goes like this, and no, I still don’t do this well but it’s my game focus.
Goal number one is to move from Official League Hack (OFL) to THB.
What’s the difference, OFL’s will stand on the same spot and toss the ball at their spot if it works, great, if it does not there is always next week.
The THB will have a few targets to choose from but really they would be aiming at the one target always in league and moving a few boards either way to reach the pocket or have few other balls to pick up and try if that fails.
Goal number two would be to reach the Elite Tournament Bowler (ETB) Level, to me this is like obtaining a Black Belt in Martial Arts.
The Elite Tournament Bowlers (ETB), they have good revs, a great shot from multiple location on the lane to play with. They know when to flatten the shot, they know when to hit it the shot. Something I have spoken to dad a fair bit about over the last few months as he rarely changed his shot but played with his line and ball speed.
Late last years I meant Mr George, just general chit chat, he mentioned that he had a dozen odd different releases he would use from house to house depending on how the lanes are playing. I would expect that to be more in keeping his natural line to the pocket for his natural shot and making the rest fit his comfort zone.
How many times have you seen on the TV where one guy is hitting the ball as hard as they come, hooking the ball 15 boards. Only to have Duke bowl at the pocket and roll them by 50 pins on the same pair. Look at the hall of fame guys and they all did the same thing from one era to the next. Bowl at the pocket and keep the pocket in site.
I truly understand that some bowlers mechanics will dictate their game, but is “Straighter still Greater?”
Should we perfect subtle changes and keeping the pocket on line, move a little left and little right and learn ball speed and release. Is that the real secrete that the Elite Tournament Bowler’s don’t want the THB’s to know?
Is playing the “Straighter is Greater” shot and carrying 8 or more per shot a better game for the bowler wanting to progress from OFL to the end goal of ETB?
Thanks for reading.
