Do we have European Style and American style?

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Kiani
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Do we have European Style and American style?

Post by Kiani »

Dear JMerrell

I hope that you are doing fine and well and wishing you always the best.

Kindly note that I have a question that has been picking me for some time now and is as follow:

DO we have a European style and an American style bowling?

European style being: the "Yo yo" release that shoulder to wrist action (Like Dom Barrett, Amleto Monacelli, EJ Tackett,...)

American style being: The cupped hand more lifting with the fingers (Sean Rash, Bill O Neill,...) seams more aggressive.

It would be highly appreciated if you would provide me with this information

Also another question is how do you match your speed with your rev? and how do you know that if they are matched? are there points and clues to pinpoint?

I thank you again for everything and looking forward to hear from you.

Best regards
HAKiani
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Re: Do we have European Style and American style?

Post by JMerrell »

Also, another question is how do you match your speed with your rev?


There are several methods for measuring each of these variables in the "WIKI".

http://wiki.bowlingchat.net/wiki/index. ... evRate.JPG" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Type 5 bowler in the chart is one whose ball speed dominates their rev rate.
Example: This type of bowler generally plays straighter up the lane, and will tend to struggle on slicker lane conditions.

The Type 1 bowler in the chart is one whose revs dominates their ball speed.
Example: This type of bowler generally hooks the entire lane, and will tend to struggle on drier lane conditions.

To use the chart you find your ball speed on the left and compare your rev rate to one listed on the right.

Example: 17-18 mph release speed.........300-350 rpm....equals a matched bowler.

This WIKI video will give you a visual of various rev rates and their shape traveling down the lane.

http://wiki.bowlingchat.net/wiki/index. ... son_Videos" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you and your teammates watch this video several times you will be able to determine if each of you are rev dominant, speed dominant or matched.

Do we have a European style and an American style bowling?

Not really.

There are great coaches all over the world and great athletes all over the world. Martin Larsen doesn't throw the ball anything like Dom Barrett, yet they are both from Europe.

The skills we are born with generally determine which style we will be. While we can work to maximize our individual skill sets, we will all have our own style.

I like to compare this to another American sport......baseball.

In baseball, we have those athletes who are known as home run hitters (high rev rate bowlers) and other athletes who tend to always make good contact with the ball but lack the bat speed to consistently hit home runs (matched rev rate bowlers).

Those professional athletes who consistently make good contact with the ball (matched rev rate), hit for higher batting averages do not go out and become obsessed with becoming a home run hitter (high rev rate).

Remember, when you watch the PBA on TV, this is only a small percentage of the athletes in the world that compete competitively. THe PBA also has their own lane patterns, which many feel favor the higher rev player.

International competition (WTBA) also has their own patterns, and many different styles have had success.

In conclusion, social media, youtube, PBA and improvement in coaching worldwide has leveled the field as far as style.

A coaches goal should be to help you develop good fundamentals and maximize your individual skill sets........not make you a high rev player of a clone of someone you see on TV.
-JMerrell
"Simplify the Motion.....Maximize the Results"
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Re: Do we have European Style and American style?

Post by spmcgivern »

To add....

I believe the teaching methods of USBC versus WTBA are a little different in USBC seems to pay more attention to the footwork than WTBA who pays more attention to the swing path/plane (early in the education phase). Neither one is correct or wrong, just different. Personally, I like the concepts of swing plane development having priority over footwork.
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Re: Do we have European Style and American style?

Post by MegaMav »

I've screwed around with footwork for years and havent gotten it textbook, so I've given up beyond the first balance beam step to clear the ball thru.
If the swing is lined up with my head, I finish solid at the line, holding my balance and I hit what im looking at with the ball shaping correctly, I dont care all that much what my feet are doing.

I've watched a lot of the footwork drills online thru Kegel and USBC and its entirety doesnt look all that natural to me.
Big steps, little steps, left, right.
I just cant integrate it correctly with a straight swing.
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Re: Do we have European Style and American style?

Post by Kiani »

JMerrell wrote:Also, another question is how do you match your speed with your rev?


There are several methods for measuring each of these variables in the "WIKI".

http://wiki.bowlingchat.net/wiki/index. ... evRate.JPG" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Type 5 bowler in the chart is one whose ball speed dominates their rev rate.
Example: This type of bowler generally plays straighter up the lane, and will tend to struggle on slicker lane conditions.

The Type 1 bowler in the chart is one whose revs dominates their ball speed.
Example: This type of bowler generally hooks the entire lane, and will tend to struggle on drier lane conditions.

To use the chart you find your ball speed on the left and compare your rev rate to one listed on the right.

Example: 17-18 mph release speed.........300-350 rpm....equals a matched bowler.

This WIKI video will give you a visual of various rev rates and their shape traveling down the lane.

http://wiki.bowlingchat.net/wiki/index. ... son_Videos" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you and your teammates watch this video several times you will be able to determine if each of you are rev dominant, speed dominant or matched.

Do we have a European style and an American style bowling?

Not really.

There are great coaches all over the world and great athletes all over the world. Martin Larsen doesn't throw the ball anything like Dom Barrett, yet they are both from Europe.

The skills we are born with generally determine which style we will be. While we can work to maximize our individual skill sets, we will all have our own style.

I like to compare this to another American sport......baseball.

In baseball, we have those athletes who are known as home run hitters (high rev rate bowlers) and other athletes who tend to always make good contact with the ball but lack the bat speed to consistently hit home runs (matched rev rate bowlers).

Those professional athletes who consistently make good contact with the ball (matched rev rate), hit for higher batting averages do not go out and become obsessed with becoming a home run hitter (high rev rate).

Remember, when you watch the PBA on TV, this is only a small percentage of the athletes in the world that compete competitively. THe PBA also has their own lane patterns, which many feel favor the higher rev player.

International competition (WTBA) also has their own patterns, and many different styles have had success.

In conclusion, social media, youtube, PBA and improvement in coaching worldwide has leveled the field as far as style.

A coaches goal should be to help you develop good fundamentals and maximize your individual skill sets........not make you a high rev player of a clone of someone you see on TV.
Dear JMerrell

It is always a pleasure to read your comments, There was this discussion the other day regarding styles it was not based on which is good or bad it was the origin of the style that they were discussing, I personally think that each person has their own style, but some things seams to be universal in all the styles, and if I am wrong please correct me.

For example: the release: Index finger pointing at the ground before the thumb comes out, or as you have analyzed the check points in timing if the person has a late timing or not, the shoulder and the hand when you are releasing the ball (the ball needs to be inside of the line) and so on,

therefore as long as those universal points are covered you will keep on progressing and executing each time you stand on the approach.

I personally during practice have so many points in my head that sometimes I lose the reason of my practice, and each time I have to tell my self that sometimes less is more.

Thank you again for providing me with awesome information as always.

regards
HAKiani :D
JMerrell
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Re: Do we have European Style and American style?

Post by JMerrell »

HAKiana,

Concerning origin of style……….as a coach I have never developed a style of my own and then taught bowlers to use it. But, rather I have spent countless hours studying successful athletes and evaluating both the uniqueness (each person’s own style) and commonality of those athlete.

The uniqueness of the successful athlete is something they own and it comes naturally to them. Personally, I feel we should never try to teach something that is a unique individual trait to the masses. As I’ve just said they do it naturally, for us it would be uncomfortable and more than likely not repeatable or help us achieve success.

However, I do teach the commonalities of the successful athletes to all students.

My goal as a coach is to help you simplify your game, make it sound and repeatable. We all have thrown a strike, but can we repeat that motion over and over making a strike a possibility and at least leave a makeable spare.

As for practice, I allow my students to have a maximum of two thoughts in their head. Perhaps a thought about their address position, approach or a thought about the release. If there is something in particular that you are working on, that should be your only thought. Also, during my lessons, the scoring system is never turned on, just turn on the pinsetters. Reaching a certain score should never be a goal during practice, your score will be a by-product of your execution during competition.

I may be old, but I wasn’t around when Rome was built, but I have heard it wasn’t built in one day!

Your friends and you need to have patience developing your physical games.

Evaluate what you feel is best for you and what is not.

All the best.
Jim
-JMerrell
"Simplify the Motion.....Maximize the Results"
Kiani
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Re: Do we have European Style and American style?

Post by Kiani »

JMerrell wrote:HAKiana,

Concerning origin of style……….as a coach I have never developed a style of my own and then taught bowlers to use it. But, rather I have spent countless hours studying successful athletes and evaluating both the uniqueness (each person’s own style) and commonality of those athlete.

The uniqueness of the successful athlete is something they own and it comes naturally to them. Personally, I feel we should never try to teach something that is a unique individual trait to the masses. As I’ve just said they do it naturally, for us it would be uncomfortable and more than likely not repeatable or help us achieve success.

However, I do teach the commonalities of the successful athletes to all students.

My goal as a coach is to help you simplify your game, make it sound and repeatable. We all have thrown a strike, but can we repeat that motion over and over making a strike a possibility and at least leave a makeable spare.

As for practice, I allow my students to have a maximum of two thoughts in their head. Perhaps a thought about their address position, approach or a thought about the release. If there is something in particular that you are working on, that should be your only thought. Also, during my lessons, the scoring system is never turned on, just turn on the pinsetters. Reaching a certain score should never be a goal during practice, your score will be a by-product of your execution during competition.

I may be old, but I wasn’t around when Rome was built, but I have heard it wasn’t built in one day!

Your friends and you need to have patience developing your physical games.

Evaluate what you feel is best for you and what is not.

All the best.
Jim
Dear Jim

I really thank you for taking time and pointing out the important points it means a great deal for me personally.

To be honest with you during practice I am thinking of two things, smoother swing and release do to the nature of my hands physic my wrist is not that flexible, I cup my hand with no problem but for example if I want to throw a "Backup" ball my wrist has a problem turning to outside therefore as you can guess my hand will turn faster a quicker during release, meaning that the execution of the release will happen at the heel of my sliding foot instead of front.

result is that my ball is missing the pocket!!!

one said that I should try to throw it in "backup" I have tried it and it does work better and on the other hand I am trying to smooth out the swing so that the speed of the ball would increase more trying to overcome early execution of the release.

when trying to hold the ball in the back up position the weight of the ball falls into "U" shape part made by the thumb and the index finger is like if I am carrying the ball with that part of the hand maximum weight of the ball is on the bone and meat part of the start of the index finger.

as long as the ball maintains the pressure on the "U" part that I mentioned the end result with the follow through is awesome it usually hits the pocket like a runaway train, but executing it at all time is becoming something that is on and off have thought about it a lot and noticed that my follow through does not come straight up or "In my face".

So I am back to base one again doing a 1 step release then doing a 3 step release to get this correctly.

You have no Idea that what I would be willing to give just to have 1 day work out with you face to face but unfortunately you know my case :cry:

Also It has been more than 1 year that I have not payed any attention to score board not even in the tournaments (just to keep my feelings intact and sharp), always trying to play and do what is right and how it should be not to hit scores in any way possible (at least not now).

It is almost at the end of out year and I and up to my neck in work (still have time to practice though) but as I promised I will send you the videos either by the end of this week or the next.

Thank you again for everything and being here for us.

wishing you the best always
HAKiani
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Re: Do we have European Style and American style?

Post by JJakobsen »

I got my theoretical part of ETBF stage 1 done in November, and I am working on the practical part now of practice and coaching with bowlers. The focus we had was on footwork and timing.
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