Two-Handed Bowling Ball Speed
By: Bowlingball.com 4/29/2017Ball speed is such a vital part to any two-handers game. We always have to ask ourselves “what is the best ball speed for us”. Are we too quick? Are we too slow? We need a happy medium for ball speed just as a one handed bowler does.
Two-handed bowlers tend to generate a lot more ball speed and create more momentum that can be imparted at release. Two-hander create ball speed via our legs. Our legs are so important to create the momentum and speed to support a higher rev rate. Younger bowlers who use two hands will tend to have lower ball speed. This is because their body is not yet big and strong enough to generate the ball speed many two handers need. I have had the privilege of coaching a 10-year old two-handed bowler for the past month. He is still so small and I have to stress to him that he has to use his legs to generate any kind of ball speed, which he has done very well. As a USBC bronze coach, I couldn’t be prouder. As a reference point. slower ball speed will be somewhere in the eleven to twelve miles per hour.
What happens when your ball speed is too quick? Generally if your ball speed is too quick you won’t be able to play the deep inside line that two-handed bowlers are known for doing. Being speed dominant is something I don’t encourage because you can limit your options for lane play and ball selection. You will normally be playing the outside part of the lane and using a very aggressive ball. Two-handed bowlers who are speed dominant will have quicker tempo and will have ball speed around 20-21 miles per hour. Think Osku Palermaa when thinking of a speed dominant two-handed player.
The happy medium for a two hander’s ball speed is roughly around sixteen to seventeen mph. Being in that realm of ball speed can be more effective on a wider variety of lane patterns you face. Make sure though that you have your legs underneath you and that you are not too quick or slow. As a two-handed bowler, you want to build your tempo throughout the approach just as one-handed bowler does. With a two-handed bowler’s ball speed being at 16-17 miles per hour, we will of course still be able to be aggressive throughout our approach and still be effective and deadly when we hit the lanes.
Hello everyone and greetings from the Bowling Mecca of the World, also known as Las Vegas! My name is Nick Pollak. I am 18 years old and I’m a two-handed bowler as well as a USBC Bronze level coach. I am thankful to have been invited to join the bowlingball.com team to write about the sport I love. I look forward to sharing many articles with you and hope to interact with many of you to get feedback and topic ideas you would like to see.
Did I mention I am a two hander? I wasn't always but that all changed in January of 2015 when my one-handed mechanics became a tremendous liability. For each and every one of my fellow two-handers, it should be noted that we are all different in our styles of approach, rev rate, speed and release. I look forward to sharing my perspective of the sport I love, as a competitive bowler and as a two-hander.
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