Targeting

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bksmith81
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Targeting

Post by bksmith81 »

I have an issue with hitting my target.

Lets say I want to hit the third arrow from the right (right handed bowler). If I look at the third arrow, I am always 2 -3 boards left of the target. To overcome this, I look 2 -3 boards right of my target and it works well till I throw that one ball that actually goes over where I am looking. The issue is present on strike shot or spare shots.

I know that muscling the ball can cause me to yank the ball left which when I do it, I miss 4 -5 boards left of target.

I am a stroker or more down and in style of bowling, 4 step delivery

Suggestions????
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Re: Targeting

Post by GrumpyCatFace »

I struggle with this as well. The key is to get your shoulders lined up with the target when you get to the foul line. Your arm will naturally follow the path of the shoulders.
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kajmk
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Re: Targeting

Post by kajmk »



To try to establish cause, a picture worth a thousand words.

http://wiki.bowlingchat.net/wiki/index. ... e_Coaching

When submitting a video, I'd add.
State your stance position, your slide position, your intended line, short target, focal point.

See Jim's comments re: ETT and link to BJI 1 page article by Ondar Gurkin on his ETT drill.






True scale diagram: In ten-pin bowling lanes, the nearest pin is 60 feet from the foul line—more than 17 times the lane's 41.5-inch width.[1] Due to the optical illusion of foreshortening that a bowler experiences when standing on the approach, pins appear closer together and bowling ball angles of entry appear more dramatic than they are in fact.

See how to create your own scale model by folding a piece of paper.
GREAT Visual ...
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bksmith81
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Re: Targeting

Post by bksmith81 »

In talking with local "instructors", it is apparently not to uncommon for this to occur. Still working to fix the issue. Still, 5th straight week of 500 or better, so things are progressing.
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kajmk
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Re: Targeting

Post by kajmk »

bksmith81 wrote: February 25th, 2020, 2:48 pm In talking with local "instructors", it is apparently not to uncommon for this to occur. Still working to fix the issue. Still, 5th straight week of 500 or better, so things are progressing.
It's common because we are not machines.
Coaches and Instructors use video, for a good reason

As with solving any problem, first determine if the same result happens NO MATTER WHAT. If the results differ, chart them.

There is another aspect that Larry Mathews aka Bowling Professor called "Perspective variable", i.e. what you think you hit vs what you really hit.

Somewhere out there, there is a video with Del Warren that recounts his determination not to accept that phenomena of always having to compensate for missing by X, which he shared with many.
Del maintains that the preponderant amount of bowler's have alignment issues.
The mind knows what it wants your body to do and will compensate on the fly, compensation can lead to muscle control, which can lead to flaws.

Again video, what you do versus what you actually did.
It's going to boil down to PROPER alignment, your walk, your swing, your grip, your release.

The closer you can get to a straight swing the better, otherwise you are always launching off of a curved plane.

I'd recommend looking at the KTC tips with Del Warren that deal with:
The set up, the alignment. Review the drills he teaches. Break things down in to pieces, Dick Ritger did and created a system of teaching.

There is if course the question, "is this a battle we should fight here and now?",
that will be based on the results you are willing to accept. If you are consistent and get acceptable results, that might be enough.


Try removing variables by breaking things down to components.
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kajmk
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Re: Targeting

Post by kajmk »

Here's another relevant video


I don't think we have considered the "other side".
Throwing most objects uses both sides of the body.
We are not rigid machines, thus we twist, bend, tilt, all of which affect the launch.

May all beings everywhere be happy and free,
and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life
contribute in some way to that happiness
and to that freedom for all.

John
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Re: Targeting

Post by bksmith81 »

Progress is being made. In last nights play, I was at about 90% of the time hitting the spot I was aiming at. Definitely the best I have been in a long time. I have 8 straight weeks of 500 or better to include my first ever 600. Also in that time, my average is up 7+ pins to 164.

Thanks for the tips and advice!!!
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Re: Targeting

Post by JimH »

Eye/hand coordination can be improved over time. Hitting a target is easy for people who have good eye/hand coordination, the rest of us need to work at it. Practice exercises can be done at home. Playing darts is effective, put the dart board at the same distance as the bowling target you are having difficulty with. Make sure the dart board is not on a wall or door that can be damaged by a dart that misses the dart board.

Other practice drills involve tossing something into a cup or bowl. Small coins or small candy or even clothes pins can be used. As you get better you should move the cup farther away. A child can be rewarded with the coin or candy when the target is hit an agreed number of times. This must be approved by the child's parent beforeh and as some children may have dietary considerations.

I have used this with children and adults for years and it does work.
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Re: Targeting

Post by Starion »

JimH wrote: May 27th, 2020, 12:09 pm Eye/hand coordination can be improved over time. Hitting a target is easy for people who have good eye/hand coordination, the rest of us need to work at it. Practice exercises can be done at home. Playing darts is effective, put the dart board at the same distance as the bowling target you are having difficulty with. Make sure the dart board is not on a wall or door that can be damaged by a dart that misses the dart board.

Other practice drills involve tossing something into a cup or bowl. Small coins or small candy or even clothes pins can be used. As you get better you should move the cup farther away. A child can be rewarded with the coin or candy when the target is hit an agreed number of times. This must be approved by the child's parent beforeh and as some children may have dietary considerations.

I have used this with children and adults for years and it does work.
So basically, the recommendation is to start playing darts and beer pong! The older children are rewarded by making their friends drink :lol:

BTW - Great thread. I'm grateful for all this info & the vids. Bumping it with my reply.
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Re: Targeting

Post by boomer »

It's interesting - you ever watch Dudeperfect on Youtube? The more they do, the better they get, and no, they don't fake it. They DO repeat it a LOT, but they don't fake it, and it's interesting that they are actually quite good, and the more they do a thing the better they get. :)
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Re: Targeting

Post by bksmith81 »

Update: I received a little coaching from MR. Steve Lickliter. I was bending over too much at the foul line resulting in pulling the ball left. Also got a better launch angle. Still a work in progress, but, I am now hitting within a couple of boards of my target. In my most recent outings, I shot a 761 for 4 games in a 195 and under scratch tournament with a high game of 237. Good enough for 10th place. Shot a 599 in league play with a high game of 254 (169 and 176 ) for the other games.
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Re: Targeting

Post by TonyPR »

Congratulations on your progress. Don’t forget that a line of play needs two points. Hitting your target down lane is very important too. All lanes are 60’ from the foul line to the pin deck and 3’6” wide without including the gutters. They all have 39 boards and arrows are at around 15 feet from the foul line, this is about 1/4 of the total length of the lane. There is exactly one board where you would lay the ball down so that it goes over a specific board at the arrows towards a specific board at the pins.

This example is for a right handers, left handers you know what to do to interpret this as y’all count boards from left to right yet the pin numbers are the same.

For example if you lay down on 10, use 10 at the arrows as a target and the left base corner of the 6 pin (right corner of the 4 pin for lefties) as a focal point the line of play would be straight up ten with 0 degrees of launch angle. In order to hit this line your slide should be on 15 so that you allow 5 boards from the ball laydown to your non ball side ankle (this will keep your release close to your body’s center of gravity and allow for more control of the release and better energy transfer to the ball). In order to acheive this, body and swing should be aligned to the intended line of play at address and ball should be started on this line so that the swing goes up and down not around the body. Boards walked left if you have a cross step (or balance beam step as Jim Merrell says) on the second step of a 5 step approach should be taken into account so that you start your address x amount of boards right of where you intend to slide (usually 4 boards which is the width of a bowling shoe but this may vary).

Ball should replace the right leg on the way down and on the way forward so the swing is straight up and down.

If you miss your lay down one board left but hit your target at the arrows you will miss your focal point target at the pins 3 boards right. This is mathematical.
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