BallReviews
General Category => Beginners Board => Topic started by: newtobowling on February 10, 2015, 02:22:18 AM
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I have been bowling for the last two years. I have been steadily improving my average. I started off averaging 155 but now I am up to 170. I feel like I have hit a wall. I got some coaching recently and he said I have a bad habit of grabbing my ball too much. Any ideas on how I can be more loose on my release so that I am not using too much muscle on the release? I also have a hard time adjusting to lane conditions as it changes after a few games. Open to feedback.
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Could be as simple as bad fit. I'd have your fit and pitch checked first. Look for the simplest answer first.
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My span seems to be fine. My hand is relaxed and it has been measured by two pro shops. What do you mean by pitch? How would I tell if that pitch is right for me?
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Theoretically, if you've had your fit and pitches checked by two different shops, at least one of the two should've ensured that things were as they are supposed to be.
When you say that your hand is relaxed, what do you mean/how do you know? Let me ask you this. Put your bowling hand palm up. When you take your grip into the ball, what best describes the position of your thumb in the thumb hole? Is it bent inward toward your palm, pointing dead straight, or arched backwards away from your palm and pressing into the back of the thumb hole?
I ask because it's very, very easy to start gripping the ball without even realizing it. One of my pre-shot thoughts is to make sure I can feel my thumb pressing against the back of the thumb hole to guarantee that I'm not squeezing on it. Without that check, I find myself backsliding into squeezing, which throws off just about everything involved in my release. I would check that first.
Tension in your bowling arm can also cause muscle/grabbing. Mike Fagan is probably the best example of a totally free arm swing. Anthony Pepe is pretty good too. The less tension/muscle you involve in the swing itself, the less you're likely to impart at release. There are several drills you can use to practice freeing up your arm swing and release. I would hunt around on the net, view some videos, and take to the practice lanes.
Also, if you have video capability, consider shooting some vids of yourself and posting them here for us to see. Seeing what you're doing is more helpful than reading about it. In any event, good luck getting things ironed out, and stick with it; we need all the bowlers we can get!
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If you've been grabbing for 2 years it will take a lot of practice to remove that from your muscle memory. As a former grabber (still not perfect) I've had many tips. One that seems to work for me is when you are on the approach and in your starting position, squeeze that grip as hard as you can, then relax, then squeeze really hard again, relax and then start your approach.
Now I only squeeze once, it's become part of my routine and helps keep me focused.
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Sounds like a coaching problem to me. Your coach should be able to tell you why you are grabbing the ball and what you need to do to correct it.
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Sounds like a coaching problem to me. Your coach should be able to tell you why you are grabbing the ball and what you need to do to correct it.
you beat me to it....
i would assume the person coaching has some idea about his grip and/or why he is grabbing at the bottom...
and if he/she has papers from USBC, it doesn't mean he/she is good lol....
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Thank you for all the wonderful tip. When I have a chance, I will try putting the ball in my hand to see where my thumb is. I think i am just having a hard time removing that bad habit of gripping my ball. I know that when I am bowling bad, I want more speed and revolutions, in that case I grab it and try to throw it harder. I am going to see what is available on the internet to help me out. It just get frustrating sometimes when there are shots that are good and then there are others that are very bad. Then it feels like you don't know what you are doing. I can see if I can videotape myself and post here as well. This might help other people critique me.
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To me, it sounds like a case of not having a proper fit, specifically with too much forward or reverse pitch. Depending on where you're from, many of us may be able to help with recommending some good shops that can help you with this.