I've been bowling for about 4 years.

A thing that made a big jump in my first year of bowling was watching the Dick Ritger tapes.  I call them "Scientific bowling from the foul line back".

The phyiscal concepts are awesome, the adjustment tools have worked pretty well for me in general. Dramatically changed from where I just always used the 2nd arrow as my target!  (he he).

However, there have been times where I just couldn't find the shot!

Lately, I've been practicing a lot and getting in to sort of a different sort of mindset.

I wanted to describe it and see if some of the top flite competitors and regional bowlers tend to use it also.

Lately in practice I've been sort of finding the area of the shot and deciding if the ball matches up or not.  After a yes no and finally settling on something with enough grab but energy and backend or no, I start zeroing in.

Then and this is the change, I'm starting at this point to then sort of watch the pins fall and make adjustments where I don't even look at the floor.
I just step up on the alley and picture the slight adjustment in the path and then look at a slightly different point on the alley and picture the slightly changed shot and try to adjust to it.

For example.  Say I'm standing 27 and throwing about 14 at the arrows and to 11 at the 30 foot mark.  All of a sudden it looks like the balls is travelling a little deep to the breakpoint and coming back with a big backend and leaving a weak 7.(lefty).  Now some carrydown is setting in I'll jump up on that alley and get on approach maybe on 27 maybe nearer 26. But I'll picture looking maybe at 11 down to about 33 or 35 feet.  I'll maybe look down and I might notice my heels are angled a little less.  I'll picture a slightly straighter flight to the breakpoint and all of a suddent I'm up higher on the head pin and the 7s go away.  

Other times I'll see even more is needed and I'll picture a shot through the 13 board at the arrows and look at 11 at 35 feet,  I'll notice now maybe my feet are creeping over in the 25 board area.

I had heard that Mark Roth supposedly never looked at the floor when setting up.
I'm still checking it and I still believe in checking one's fundamentals of starting point, drift and slide point and how far ball is from your slide angle, but I'm wondering are some of the top studs on this site doing a similar thing.

It seems to really let one react to changing conditions.

Last night was a great example, it was a shot I would normally sort of start to lose it on and many did, but this method really seemed to guide me to flushing the pocket more and more all night!

REgards,

Luckylefty