Q: I am a 66-year-old bowler bowling in two leagues per week. I average 198 and 211 in those leagues, respectively. My only problem is that I am inconsistent. I do not generate enough ball speed to use the highly aggressive bowling balls on the market today. My balls are currently drilled with a full finger-tip grip. In the past (BJI contributor) Tom Kouros has spoken about changing to a conventional grip. Could such a change help me become more consistent?
— Donald Byarm, Somerdale, NJ
A: The advantage of using a shorter grip (semi-fingertip or conventional) is that it allows the bowler to keep
their fingers in the ball for a slightly longer amount of time during the release. For you, a shorter grip will
most likely create more of a “spinner” release, resulting in greater skid through the front portion of the lane and increased hook in the back portion of the lane. Also, there will be less likelihood of a ball rolling out. If that’s what you are after, give it a try. PBA Senior bowler Tommy Baker uses the spinner release to great effect. The great Glenn “Mr. 900” Allison also has used a conventional grip throughout most of his career, and he still is knocking down plenty of pins. Continue reading ‘My only problem is that I am inconsistent.’ »

Older synthetic approaches and the humidity factor.

Why are all synthetic approaches so sticky, and what can be done to get some kind of slide on these approaches?
— Stanley Bridgestone, Austin, Texas
Actually, all synthetic approaches are not sticky. The cause of sticky synthetic approaches is high humidity in the bowling center. In centers with very low humidity — those in Las Vegas come to mind — the older-style synthetic approaches can be very slick. The reason for the stickiness problem is that old-style synthetic approaches have a relatively small humidity range in which the slide is acceptable. The perfect humidity for old-style synthetic approaches is around 45%, with an acceptable slide generated when the humidity is between 38% and 53%. Wood approaches offer an acceptable slide from around 28% to 60%. In centers with old-style synthetic approaches, the only solution to the problem is to totally control the humidity throughout the building, which is not easy to do in an older bowling center. (Note: I mention “old-style” synthetic approaches because, in recent years, many of the bowling equipment manufacturers have changed their approaches to a textured surface, which gives them a slide characteristic that is more similar to wood approaches. Older synthetic centers can upgrade to this surface.) Continue reading ‘Handeling a Sticky Situation’ »

Here’s one way to cut down on your hook.

I was recently watching the PBA Tour, and it was noted that Chris Warren was using a conventional grip. Can you give me some insight as to why a bowler would use such a grip?
— Bart Hirshfield, Reno, Nev.
While I can’t speak for Chris, I would guess that reducing the amount of hook was the reason for this change in grip. There have been some great bowlers in the past, most notably Glenn Allison and Wayne Zahn, who have used a conventional grip for some or all of their careers. I would not be surprised if other bowlers took a shot at the conventional grip to see if it improves their accuracy with today’s big-hooking balls. Continue reading ‘Taking a Conventional Approach’ »

Q: I am a stroker and would like to know how I can get more revs on the ball. Also, can I use the same ball after making this change?
— Rocco Mayo, Farmingdale, NJ
A: A good way to get more revs is to cup your wrist in a similar fashion to PBA champion Del Ballard Jr. Also keep your back straight during the release and bend with your knee, rather than bending forward at the waist. As for using or not using the same ball, I suggest using a ball that has a lot of skid in the front portion of the lane and a strong backend hooking action. By increasing your revs, this type of ball will give you a “long and strong” ball motion on the lanes. Continue reading ‘Ask The Coach’ »

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. Continue reading ‘One Approach to Developing a Power Game’ »