I am not a power player, but I would like to find timing that will allow me to cup the ball at the top of the backswing. After watching Chris Warren bowl again, should I adapt the same technique where I’d wait for the ball to reach the top of the backswing before making the last step?
— R.J. Nalasco, Pearl River, N.J.
The easiest way to create a power game is to develop footwork that is slightly ahead of the swing, so that the slide foot arrives at the foul line ahead of the downswing. If, for example, you are a four-step bowler, you would take your first step before putting the ball into the swing. In that way, you’d arrive in a power position prior to the release. As for cupping the ball like Chris Warren, he does employ an approach that is ahead of the swing, and simply allows the ball to be cupped during the backswing and downswing.

LIMITED POSSIBILITIES

My release is close or similar to a “no-thumb release” [like Mike Miller formerly used on the PBA Tour], except that my thumb is half-way in the hole for balance. I have noticed that the first two oil rings are over the thumb hole, and then it flares out. Do you have suggestions for improvement?
— Shinoda Iyots, Osaka, Japan
With the type of gripping action you have, the only way you can release the ball is with the fingers directly under it. Because you have little or no control with the thumb, you can’t rotate the hand sideways during the release. That said, you can work with your pro shop operator to change some of the weights in the ball to create a little more side roll. This probably won’t alter the roll pattern much during the first revolution on the lane, but it will help to move the roll pattern off the thumb hole during ensuing revolutions. You also could decrease the size of the thumb hole so that your half-inserted thumb controls the ball a bit more during the release.

IT BEGINS WITH THE SWING

The shot at my center is usually inside, around the 3rd or 4th arrow. On some league nights, I find myself constantly throwing the ball through the nose. I know I’m playing the correct line because some of my teammates who throw the ball similarly to me have little problem hitting the
pocket. Is there something I can quickly correct to stop hitting the nose?
— Michael Faxton, St. Paul, Minn.
The first area I’d check is the direction of your pushaway. Sometimes, you begin bowling and the pushaway may be directed toward the center of the body rather than the intended line down the lane. A right-handed bowler who plays an inside line usually has a pushaway that pushes the ball slightly to the right, and then the armswing follows the intended line as it swings freely backward and then downward
through the release point. The first area I’d check is the direction of your pushaway. Sometimes, you begin bowling and the pushaway may be directed toward the center of the body rather than the intended line down the lane. A right-handed bowler who plays an inside line usually has a pushaway that pushes the ball slightly to the right, and then the armswing follows the intended line as it swings freely backward and then downward through the release point.

ADJUSTING THE HOOK POINT

Is there a way to adjust the hook point of the ball without changing your line on the lane? I have watched a number of professional bowlers who seem to be able to get the ball farther down the lane, yet they have not moved on the lane. What is their secret?
— Tami Tilton, Mesa, Ariz.
You can adjust the hook point quite easily by bending your slide leg a bit more and getting the ball on the lane earlier. When you set the ball down earlier, it contacts the lane conditioner sooner and should result in a longer skid before starting its hooking action back to the pocket. Additionally, your back is bent forward more, thus reducing the leverage that you impart on the bowling ball. The opposite effect will occur if you keep the back straighter during the release, resulting in a bit of loft that will reduce the skidding action and get the ball hooking sooner. Please note: These effects occur only if you maintain the same amount of speed on the ball.

AN ARMSWING PRIMER

I’m having a problem with my armswing. If I try to bring my arm back farther, to increase speed, it does not stay straight; it hitches at the elbow. It gets even worse if I start my ball at the waist. So I hold my ball at my side with the arm hanging down. Any ideas?
— Rick Bichel, Cannon Falls, Minn.
It sounds like you have a desire to control your armswing rather than letting your arm swing the ball freely. I would practice your armswing at home without a bowling ball, and concentrate on keeping the arm free as it swings back and forth. When you go back to the lanes, try to concentrate on letting the ball swing the arm, rather than the arm swinging the ball. As for hanging the ball at your side to begin the approach, this is not the worst idea. Two great bowlers, Carmen Salvino and Wayne Webb, used this starting position at different times during their careers.

Need help with your game? PBA Hall of Famer Mike McGrath
is here to help. Send questions to McGrath in care of Bowlers
Journal International, 122 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 1506,
Chicago, IL 60603. You may contact McGrath via e-mail at
MikeMPBA13@aol.com.