Slight inconsistancys between shots some times in a game

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krava
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Slight inconsistancys between shots some times in a game

Post by krava »

This could apply to anyone. Lets suppose that you know what you did wrong. Suppose the following is what happend in a game:

Shot1 Good Shot
Shot2 Missed target Right a little ( maybe got elbow just a little away from side not sure what else would cause that)
Shot3 Broke the wrist otherwise good
Shot4 good Shot
Shot5 turned hand too early
Shot6 Put a little too much speed on the shot (little forced shot)
Shot7 good shot
Shot8 broke wrist otherwise good
Shot9 Missed target right (elbow a little again)
Shot10 good shot

So in conclusion, it isn't the same problem shot by shot.

Lets say I break down a shot into a few catagories #1 no force in the swing , #2 Keep fingers to the inside of the ball until the very end, #3 try to keep wrist bent almost the entire swing #4 Don't grip the ball (loose grip) #5 don't close off the shoulder if throwing the ball to the right (closing the shoulder off to me means I turn at the end and face the pins directly instead of having my body turned toward the 10 pin the entire time throwing the ball.

Is this common when your trying to learn how to change alot of things wrong all at the same time? Also how would you practice to fix this? Just maybe more repetitions and be aware of what is going wrong each shot? It isn't like before where shot after shot the same thing is wrong. For instance maybe A ball gets only forced 1 time in game 1, twice in game 2, and then either 0 or 1 time in game 3. So what I mean it is random when things happen but it is hard to get 2 back to back "good shots" where everything is perfect.

Didn't have a problem with #4 even threw the ball in the gutter on a spare on the last game which god knows when that has happend, then turned around and threw an absolute perfect shot to get the spare.

I don't think doing 1 step drills will fix this. 1 step drills might fix the muscling the ball but have nothing to do with keeping the wrist bent etc. I had balls thrown with a lot of foward roll, I had a few balls thrown with a tun of side spin or something and then some where thrown in the middle which should be the correct way.

I might be wrong but I think this gets fixed with just regular practice. Lets say that a person was forcing shot after shot and been doing it for an extremely long time. I don't think that that gets fixed over night. They might slowly get better not forcing it maybe get 1 or 2 non forced shots out of 10 the first week. maybe 2 or 3 each game the week after etc. Same with the wrist issue, Going from never bending the wrist to doing it shot after shot doesn't get fixed over night.

I don't have a problem with doing 1 step drills but how is a 1 step drill going to each me not to close off my shoulder when I am throwing the ball / (outward)
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kajmk
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Re: Slight inconsistancys between shots some times in a game

Post by kajmk »

Like it or not, humans are not machines.
One on the reasons elite athletes are elite, is that they have been gifted by their maker!
Many people can sing and carry a tune, they may even have perfect pitch.
However, how well they sing is their natural ability. Granted training will optimize their performance, but it could never make me sound like Pavarotti.

Ever watch the radar gun on pitch speed?

The videos below have been posted before.

This one by ELITE coach Richard Schockley
Watch the entire video listen attentively to his comments all based on data collected at KEGEL for various levels.



Sport Science - what this does not show is any variations that might occur in the course of a game. As noted in the Shockley video, even Walter Ray is not perfect, just closer than most.








Instruction gives you methodology, drills ensconced memory and improve performance.

My bet is that if somehow we were to monitor every aspect of the bowler, the lanes, during a 300 game, we would see variance.

Always strive for improvement, but get a realistic view of what's reasonable for you.

You already know some of the things in your game that adversely affect your game.

Here's a twist, Try Softer. For example, dial back your power a bit, soften your release, find your goldilocks zone.
The Great Sandy Koufax did not achieve his star status until he reduced his velocity and gained control.


Set modest performance goals. Once you achieve them, set the bar higher.



Perceptions vs Reality -
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: Slight inconsistancys between shots some times in a game

Post by boomer »

Shot1 Good Shot
Shot2 Missed target Right a little ( maybe got elbow just a little away from side not sure what else would cause that)
Shot3 Broke the wrist otherwise good
Shot4 good Shot
Shot5 turned hand too early
Shot6 Put a little too much speed on the shot (little forced shot)
Shot7 good shot
Shot8 broke wrist otherwise good
Shot9 Missed target right (elbow a little again)
Shot10 good shot
Welcome to being human. LOL

I'm going to assume that missing "a little" means 2 boards since for us mortals, hitting my target typically means hitting it +-1. Missing by 2 or 3 . . . welcome to being human. We're not PBA pros, we don't throw hundreds of balls every day for getting utterly precise. Expect it - and that's why we try to get our lines where we have that little bit of leeway.

The other errors:

1. broke wrist - does this mean you're cupping? Still - twice in a game? not bad.
2. Little too much speed - once a game? Not bad.
3. Turned your hand a little too early - again, human. This should leave you with a 4 or a 4-7 if you've not done it too badly, leaving a 9/.


Seriously, if you've planned your line, this game should NOT be a bad game (as long as 11 and 12 are within reason as well) - if you've found a line with a little tolerance, you should be at:

X 9/ 8/ X 9/ 8/ X 8/ 8/ XXX - 204. That's a solid game.
krava
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Re: Slight inconsistancys between shots some times in a game

Post by krava »

kajmk thanks. I saw the Shockley video a few times. I also saw the Sean rash video a time or two. I am not aware that I am muscling the ball if I am and I continually watch the speeds. I hit 17 once and could tell I got fast with it.

boomer: I am trying to cup my wrist on every shot for now. I can usually tell if I had a cupped wrist when I release. Take Thursday, every single shot that I missed right (except for the gutter shot) came back and hit the pocket no matter how far right it got. I had miss room all the way to the gutter and I was playing 10 to around 6 or 7 and in. I threw one ball a bit too far to the right but also messed up on the release and had way too much side spin and that ball went Brooklyn. That was the only ball I got left of the headpin I never missed left of the target at the arrows, not even 1 board left of the target. I didn't miss more then 2 boards right of the target. I had a lot of release issues, too much side spin, too much up the back of the ball nothing too consistant.

A cupped wrist is not good if you want to play straighter angles. That is where the 1 step drill comes in handy, it will teach a good firm wrist if it is done right. Take nationals, you don't want a cupped wrist trying to do a lot of hook. The firm wrist more up the back of the ball I believe isn't that hard to learn so saving that for last.

I just wanted to know if anyone else had issues like that and it seems people do.
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Re: Slight inconsistancys between shots some times in a game

Post by boomer »

So - I don't use a cupped wrist ever. First - my wrist has been injured and I cannot bowl without a brace, and while I could have my brace set to cup for me, I don't like it. It has the feeling of being muscled and I don't want a muscled swing.

I don't throw straight

(btw, 10-6 is VERY straight)

But still - a: you sound human and b: you sound pretty danged consistent for a human. :)
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Re: Slight inconsistancys between shots some times in a game

Post by TonyPR »

Cupped wrists are over rated, cocked wrist may cause wrist injury.
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Re: Slight inconsistancys between shots some times in a game

Post by boomer »

That's what I hear - mine is actually BECAUSE of a wrist injury. I hurt my wrist in a work related injury . . . 30 years ago (HOLY CRAP. . . sigh) so I have to use a brace or my wrist actually grinds. :P Meh. No cupping - just straight.
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Re: Slight inconsistancys between shots some times in a game

Post by krava »

If anyone ever ask that question, the answer is that the person hasn't been throwing the ball that way long enough and needs more time. I changed the way I hold the ball to point my ring finger toward the target, that means also shoving the elbow into my side and other things. The last 4 times or more that I bowled since this was posted, this doesn't happen. There isn't 2 or 3 of something here and 2 or 3 of something else. There might be 1 thing a game if that. That might have been due to getting the ball speed (measured on the monitor) down to an average of probably 15.3-15.6 (high point) from being around 16.5-17.1 on most shots. I have seen the speed down to 14.7 without even trying to slow the ball down and throwing an average shot.

There was inconsistencies because I went from a broken wrist, forced muscling the ball, and being on the outside of the ball to doing the way it should be doing. if your breaking your wrist an average of 2 times or more a game then you need to work on that, if your muscling the ball more then 1 time I would say in 2 games, you still have a little work to do. But if you keep working on it and aware your doing it and trying to fix it, over time hopefully it will get worked out. It takes time and it isn't as easy as saying "well I am not going to break my wrist any more" or "I am not going to muscle the ball any more" you can't just stop something that has been happing over and over. you can gradually get better at it with practice if you focus on it.

I also suggest if you change the way you throw the first ball, do that with the spare ball also. I havent' switched over yet (I am on the outside of the spare ball and with too much speed and force). Speed is 18.1+ This is playing havoc with my spare game. I am missing 4-6 easy spares per series since things have been going correctly (estimate I am making around 60%ish of easy spares). This should be an easy fix though, just need to take time to practice and switch over.

The more you change in your game, the more time it will take to fix all those inconsistency's. I used to line up facing the pins. Standing lets say 24 and throwing across 10. For someone not as wide as I am, that is probably the same as someone standing on 18 throwing up 10 for example. Now to start I usually start at 33 with my left foot and throw across 12-13 to start or I can take a stronger ball stand at 37-35 and throw over 3rd arrow. In order to do that. I have to walk straight and keep my body slanted toward the right the entire time because if I accidently turn a little and face the pins, that makes me hit left of target bad (closes off the shoulder). It isn't easy going from being straight for however many years to having to walk with your body being turned to one direction a bit. That takes time to get used to.

I can attest that there is a lot of frustration that goes on when you try to get something fixed. I suggest you keep fighting and working on it and don't give up on it. Also I suggest working on 1 thing at a time. Don't try to fix for example keeping your elbow tucked in and also working on not muscling the ball at the same time.

From all I have done if I had to tell someone what to fix first I would tell them to fix the swing. Fix Muscling the ball first. The 2nd thing I would suggest fixing would be gripping the ball to hard or squeezing with your thumb. Then the next would be keeping your fingers to the inside of the ball and elbow tucked in. I left out about having a cocked/cupped wrist so you will be behind the ball and more under it with your fingers. I would probably put that in 2nd. Gripping the ball to hard isn't too hard to fix. It needs to be a tight hole . to me a tight hole is that if you put 1 piece of tape in it, then you will snag the ball every time you realease it. I want the hole tight enough so that I can feel almost every side of it gripping my thumb when I pull it in and out straight. If there is room to one side then it needs tape. Then to break this, once you get a good fit just pull back your thumb to the back of the ball during a throw. I am guilty of gripping my phase III Monday when I used it because the fit was off and it needs a piece of tape badly. That loose fit is what made me grip it though. My first thought when I held the ball was "oh my god I am going to have to grip this in order to throw it".

I am only posting this because maybe someone is going through the same things I went though and can learn from the time I put into things trying to fix things. Stuff just doesn't get fixed overnight.
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Re: Slight inconsistancys between shots some times in a game

Post by boomer »

Krava - are you answering your own question? sounds quite strange. . .
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Re: Slight inconsistancys between shots some times in a game

Post by GrumpyCatFace »

Going through the exact same learning process now. The hardest part was realizing that I needed to tighten the thumb hole when I got stuck in the ball (gripping with the end of my thumb)
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