Playing the inside line

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dougsterner
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Playing the inside line

Post by dougsterner »

Any hints, tips or drills for teaching yourself to play a tight inside line?

It's becoming increasingly difficult to play right of 15 at our center due to the sponges being thrown by the elder statesmen in in our leagues.

I would like to be able to move in and play 20 to no further right than 12. I am very erratic at this point...any training drills anybody can suggest other than just practice, practice, practice??

Thanks in advance.....
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Re: Playing the inside line

Post by crazyjim »

Draw a line from your break point back to the arrows. Next align your shoulder with that line by opening your stance and positioning your elbow rearward slightly. Now push-away along that line looking through your target at the arrows and then down to your break point through the release. This works very well for myself but if you have figure eight swing then it will be bit diff.
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Re: Playing the inside line

Post by kajmk »

Here's some links for your perusal
http://www.bowl4fun.com/ron/tip42_files/tip42.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
At some point contemplate adding this to the drill
http://www.bowl4fun.com/ron/tip3.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.bowl4fun.com/ron/btm01_files/btm1.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I left off Ron's 3 parter "Break Points and drawing lines on the lane"

If you are not familiar with Ron's articles, give it a gander. He's a good communicator!

I had the good fortune to meet, chat with and observe Ron work with a few bowlers here in the Phoenix Arizona area. I already knew he was a very good instructor. I came away from the experience very impressed by what a quality human being he his.

Joe Slowinski adds a focal point to the targeting system
http://bowlingknowledge.info/images/sto ... geting.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you can obtain permission from the center.Ron Clifton's Magic Carpet tape makes a nice visual and audible (providing the center is not getting the Led out) targeting device.
Realistically hitting 1 board at the breakpoints time after time is upper echelon PBA caliber, so putting two parallel pieces of tape several boards apart like a doorway for your ball to walk thru might be better. You can use 1 piece for the near target and if you are WRW Jr 1 at the far point :P

Aside from tape which is cheap and abundant, one could always build a targeting set -
basic premise, an object is suspended/dangled above the lane for the ball to hit.
Several of these could be used at various distances.

Bowl or practice with a buddy, make a contest for a coke or whatever . Also to watch and critique each other, (what you think you hit versus what he thinks you hit)

Also, I'd advocate posing at the line in your finishing position to watch the ball until it fall into the pit. Path, transition, path thru pins, nature of pin action, location entering the pit; where did your foot end up, board, direction.
This is a good habit, it also exercises your legs more and helps you realize how balanced you are. Closing the eyes, is a tad advanced but helps you feel things and trust things.
I'd advise the closed eye drill without a ball first to evaluate whether or not you should try it with a ball. You close your eyes at the apex of the swing ...

Good Luck and Good Bowling.

What do you think?
Last edited by kajmk on July 23rd, 2011, 10:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Playing the inside line

Post by JohnP »

If you can obtain permission from the center.Ron Clifton's Magic Carpet tape makes a nice visual and audible (providing the center is not getting the Led out) targeting device.
Realistically hitting 1 board at the breakpoints time after time is upper echelon PBA caliber, so putting two parallel pieces of tape several boards apart like a doorway for your ball to walk thru might be better. You can use 1 piece for the near target and if you are WRW Jr 1 at the far point
I use white adhesive tape, two or three pieces layered and cut to the length I want the pupil to hit. I usually use three inches for up to about 180 average bowlers and two inches for higher averages. You can hear the ball "clunk" when it hits the tape. Don't put it on the lanes yourself, have an employee do it. That way you know it's approved. -- JohnP
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Re: Playing the inside line

Post by Mo Pinel »

dougsterner wrote:Any hints, tips or drills for teaching yourself to play a tight inside line?

It's becoming increasingly difficult to play right of 15 at our center due to the sponges being thrown by the elder statesmen in in our leagues.

I would like to be able to move in and play 20 to no further right than 12. I am very erratic at this point...any training drills anybody can suggest other than just practice, practice, practice??

Thanks in advance.....
Doug,

Use focal points. They're in the "See It, Feel It, Do It" manual and the "Playing the High Friction Game" CD. I believe you have both.

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Re: Playing the inside line

Post by dougsterner »

Thanks to all....I have come to the conclusion that I need to keep the ball inside of the 10 board at the breakpoint to maintain a shot that will hold for 3 games. If I can train myself to do this, I am going to have a much better season....
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Re: Playing the inside line

Post by crazyjim »

dougsterner wrote:Thanks to all....I have come to the conclusion that I need to keep the ball inside of the 10 board at the breakpoint to maintain a shot that will hold for 3 games. If I can train myself to do this, I am going to have a much better season....
you need to remain versatle, don't limit yourself to one area. staying inside 10 at the break point may not yeild a good reaction if the backends are not crisp. Sometimes you have to get the ball outside to get enough dry so the ball can start to grip the lane. As the night goes on you usually will be able to pull your break point inside.
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Re: Playing the inside line

Post by dougsterner »

while I thank you for the added wisdom crazyjim, I need to say that I have come to this conclusion based on 3 years worth of bowling here. bumping the ball outside of the 10 board results in an extreme over-reaction that is difficult to control and predict.

keeping the ball tighter keeps the ball playable and predictable for 3 games...hence the reason I want to teach myself to play in there.
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Re: Playing the inside line

Post by MegaMav »

If you're getting an extreme over reaction, try dropping down a grit.
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Re: Playing the inside line

Post by Tampabaybob »

Doug what type of balls are you using, what's your average speed, and do you crank the ball or are you a tweener ? Just wondering how aggressive they are and if you are using too much ball for the oil ? I agree with the previous reply about also buffing it up a little.

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Re: Playing the inside line

Post by dougsterner »

Sorry for not getting back on this thread sooner but....

tampabaybob......my favorite ball last season was a Hammer Infection drilled 60x5-1/2x65 with a P3 hole. The next ball out of my bag was the Hammer Blue/Silver Backlash drilled 60x4x60with P2 hole. I have access to plenty of stuff but that's what I was most successful with.

Average speed...around 17 off my hand, rev rate in the 300-325 range, low tilt and low rotation (mo, justin and mike can chime in if they think I am out of line with my specs, since they have seen me bowl at the clinic).

I have used all of the following with success at some point however.....Swagga, Sting, Jacked, red/Purple Backlash, Midnight Vibe, Jigsaw Trap, Tsunami and a Tropical Heat Hybrid.

As you can see I have tried a variety of balls and have been successful with many different brands, covers and layouts. I am just searching for something consistent that gives me some margin for error.
Last edited by dougsterner on August 14th, 2011, 1:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Playing the inside line

Post by Triplicate »

dougsterner wrote:Sorry for not getting back on this thread sooner but....

tampabaybob......my favorite ball last season was a Hammer Infection drilled 60x5-1/2x65 with a P3 hole. The next ball out of my bag was the Hammer Blue/Silver Backlash drilled 60x4x60with P2 hole. I have access to plenty of stuff but that's what I was most successful with.

Average speed...around 17 off my hand, rev rate in the 300-325 range, low tilt and low rotation.

I have used all of the following with success at some point however.....Swagga, Sting, Jacked, red/Purple Backlash, Midnight Vibe, Jigsaw Trap, Tsunami and a Tropical Heat Hybrid.

As you can see I have tried a variety of balls and have been successful with many different brands, covers and layouts. I am just searching for something consistent that gives me some margin for error.
Doug... I notice your delivery specs and your layouts. I'd like to point out with your speed, ball layouts, and low rotation, your not likely going to be able to get matched up. See also what others think as well.

You need a lower Val angle .... like 30* +/-, higher ratios, say 2.5:1 and higher rotation angles in the area of 70 to 80 to enable you to make the ball come back to the pocket. Your speed, low rotation and VAL angles of 60-65 are making the ball go too long.

I suspect your finding a lot of situations when your in deep where the ball goes wide and never gets back to the pocket or your not so wide and find the ball grabs too early, never getting right of the pocket. I'm assuming right handed here also.
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Re: Playing the inside line

Post by dougsterner »

triplicate....again I appreciate the response but you are missing the point. I have plenty of equipment that will work well for me. The problem I am experiencing is that the oil pattern we are using becomes a nightmare. The length, shape and volume of the pattern used caters to the knuckleballers who are still using Danger Zones and Blue Hammers. The full rollers are using Virtual Gravitys etc up the 10 board and are just torching the outside part of the lane. I am not consistently able to control the ball reaction out there since I am forced to go away from my A game and options B and C are still in need of work. So I have decided to move to a part of the lane that gets very little play and will hold up with minor adjustments throughouot the night.

I was soliciting practice drills or coaching techniques to help increase my consistency when playing in that area of the lane....ball choice is not an issue....Mo has assisted me with arsenal set up so I have a good selection at my disposal. The higher VAL angles were chosen to help smooth out the ball's reaction to the huge friction we see on the backend of the lane.
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Re: Playing the inside line

Post by RobMautner »

I don't know if this applies to you or not, but often when bowlers have trouble moving in because they can't get the ball back, it has to do with the hand position at release. Traditional bowlers were taught to release the ball with their hand on the side in order to get traditional bowling balls to hook. Contemporary bowlers, ones who move left with ease, keep their hand on the inside lower quadrant of the ball until the thumb has exited, allowing them to project the ball to the right as they release through it. When the hand is on the outside of the ball as the thumb exits, the natural tendency is to come around it more the deeper they play. This causes the ball to lose power resulting in an inability to turn the corner and carry.

I wrote an article called "Release Timing" in the May 2011 BTM. It addresses this in length and has some good illustrations. You might want to try and get your hands on a copy and see if this may apply to you.

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Re: Playing the inside line

Post by dougsterner »

Thanks Rob...I have that issue....I'll go reread it :-)

My problems with my home house have been documented over and over. We have a decently blended pattern left to right but front to back there is very little taper. So what happens is that you see lots of friction in the last 20 feet. When you combine this with a worn ball track and the oil pattern, it gets touchy as the lanes break down. The heads start to go away right of the 3rd arrow and the mids burn right of 12 and we don't get any carrydown. So basically what I see is hooking heads, hooking mids and hooking backends.

Using a weaker ball out there still requires me to alter my release outside of my comfort zone which makes me erratic. This is the path I though was preferred over the last few years and I have thrown lots of layouts and surfaces at the problem but have not been able to match up.

So I decided to try a move away from the rest of the players and move to a tight inside line. I am having some issues training myself to play in here, hence my request for suggestions on playing the inside line. I am not trying to play 20 to 5 or anything. I want to stay 20 to say 15 or 14 or so.

Thanks again for the advice.
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