For Top Technique, Don't Forget the Finish - bowling tips

Ignore the final steps at your own risk: Some bowlers may flaunt the fundamentals, but a few basic tenets should be followed in order to get the most from your game

IN THIS ISSUE JOHN JOWDY WILL CONTINUE his discussion of the basic components of successful scoring technique. This issue will deal with three of the seven most important aspects according to Jowdy. He ended last issue's column with a mention of the knee bend, so let's begin there.

The KNEE BEND is one of the prime requisites for a solid game. It was one of the most positive forces in the game of Don Carter, who was recently acknowledged as one of the three greatest bowlers of all time. The stoic Hall-of-Famer utilized a low, crouched position and shuffled to the foul line with his nose seemingly to the ground, kept his elbow bent throughout the swing, and finished by almost pushing the ball down the lane. In fact, Carter executed in a manner totally opposed to basic fundamentals--except for one important factor: his knee bend, which was the impetus for one of the most accurate shots in the history of bowling.

There is a misconception among some teachers of bowling regarding the proper knee bend. Too much emphasis has been focused by some on the bending of the knee in the sliding step, while little or no attention has been placed on the step preceding the slide. That's a mistake. The third step of a four-step approach is the most prominent and meaningful step of the entire exercise. It's the catalyst for descending into a slide that is vital for releasing the ball from a low angle. The third step is also known as the power step, and is utilized to push into the slide and into a low, firm position. This prevents the body from rearing up at the line.

A deep knee bend in the third step of a four-step delivery can be far more effective if it's short and quick, because it enables a bowler to descend easier to assume a sitting position. A long third step will hinder any attempt to "take a seat," creating a block in the knee bend and resulting in the bowler rearing up after the initial slide.

Deep knee bends are trademarks for such outstanding past and present PBA players as Parker Bohn III, Chris Barnes, Jason Couch, Tim Criss, Norm Duke, Dave Husted, David Ozio, Amleto Monacelli, Brian Voss, Rick Steelsmith, Pete Weber, and Ricky Ward. Marshall Holman, recently honored with a place among the 20 greatest bowlers of the century, attained his lofty standing by virtue of a deep knee bend that concluded in a low, outward trajectory.

Mike Aulby is a 26-time PBA champion, the only player in history to win the ABC Masters three times, and the only bowler in PBA history to annex all five major championships: the PBA National, the Touring Players Championship, the U.S. Open, the ABC Masters, and the Tournament of Champions. The one chink in his armor is the inconsistency of his knee bend. Though his record seems to refute the importance of the bend, Aulby is prone to occasional slumps, which are due principally to his sporadic failure to descend on the power step.

Aulby isn't alone among successful players who don't possess textbook-model knee bends. Justin Hromek, John Mazza, Bob Learn, Ryan Shafer, Butch Soper, David Traber, Jess Stayrook, Guppy Troup, and Wayne Webb all have fared well in the pro ranks despite their inability to execute ideal knee bends. But with the exception of Stayrook, all are rather small in height, an advantage that permits them to release the ball from a low position.

A strong RELEASE is the envy of all bowlers. Most great players are blessed with this God-given talent. Many develop a desired release through study and practice. Others are simply unable to position their hands in the proper manner and are comfortable in relying primarily on accuracy and simplicity to attain their goals.

In the era of robber and polyester balls, it was not uncommon to see good players release the ball on the upswing. This was a technique referred to as "lift and turn" and was not perceived as the critical flaw it is today, because the balls made in the past didn't contain the gripping characteristics of today's modern missiles.

What constitutes a strong release? Not so simply put, it's the ability to place a ball well in the back of the hand, have the patience to wait for the proper release point, maintain the hand position to the last moment, exit the thumb, and drive the ball off the front part of the hand with strong finger rotation.

How difficult is it? For those who are not naturally inclined, it can become quite difficult to coordinate the release with the release point. They are movements that demand split-second synchronization--they go together, or go nowhere. A great release at the improper release point is nearly useless.

The ideal release point, as I stated last issue in the footwork section, is an area somewhat prior to the ankle in the downswing. The ideal release is executed by exiting the thumb, transferring the weight of the ball to the fingers, and driving the ball from the strongest leverage point. The thumb release should be approximately six or seven boards from the sliding foot, provided the slide is in line with the previous step.

In the modern era of bowling, Holman had a release that was unsurpassed. He once was featured in a promotional slow-motion cybervision demonstrating the proper release technique. Holman's is lightning-quick, but more impressive, the "Medford Meteor" had the ability to seemingly lay the ball into the lane. Some years ago he was featured in an instructional tape called "Maximum Bowling," an indepth video that focuses on proper fundamentals. Holman characterized the advantage of carrying out a superb release that corresponds with an ideal release point.

Pete Weber, arguably the greatest pure bowling talent of the past 20 years, is blessed with one of the cleanest releases ever. It appears effortless, yet it maintains explosive power. And like Holman's, it's placed into the lane smoothly, with no sound, no bounce whatsoever.

Holman and Weber confirm and demonstrate that strong releases aren't manufactured through excessive force or raw power, but rather through exact timing in a delicate fashion. This type of release is best described as a power stroke. Although superstars Weber and Holman exemplify the power stroke and stand out above others in stature, they aren't alone in using it. Barnes, Steelsmith, Ward, Richard Wolf, and Danny Wiseman all generate incredible revolutions on the ball in the same easy fashion.

Two other releases can be categorized: pure strokers, and crankers with raw power. The pure strokers include Aulby, Bohn, Criss, Husted, Duke, Mazza, Voss, Pat Healey, and Jeff Lizzi--all of whom rely on finesse and pinpoint accuracy.

Crankers don't rely on finesse, though. They use raw power and apply extreme wrist and finger turn to manufacture excessive revolutions. These players are less exacting than strokers, and utilize their talents to create a wider pocket--that is, they deliver shots to a specific area instead of a certain board. They're particularly effective when the lanes afford wider angles to the pocket, angles that present a tremendous advantage in strike percentage. They're practically unbeatable when conditions favor their game. The most notable crankers on the PBA tour are Couch (who's great on all conditions), Learn, Shafer (currently tough on any condition), Dave D'Entremont, Steve Hoskins, Jason Hurd, Rudy Kasimakis, Brian Himmler, Robert Smith, and Lee Vanderhoef.

Releases and release points are vital facets of the game. However, equally critical is the motion of the arm in the delivery after the release: the all-important FOLLOW-THROUGH.

The follow-through is one of the most significant mechanical elements in sports, from baseball to football to basketball, billiards, track and field, tennis, golf ... you name it. It's the culmination of most exercises related to athletics that require arms and legs.

Improper follow-throughs have been an Achilles' heel for baseball pitchers since the game began; they develop sore arms, are beset by control problems, hang curveballs, lose speed and movement on their fastballs, and generally slide into funks when they quit executing their follow-throughs properly. Basketball players who excel at long-range shooting rely on delicate follow-throughs to achieve their goals. Golfers who are able to drive balls in the 300-yard range would be ordinary mortals but for crisp and undeterred follow-throughs. Improper follow-throughs on putting greens have been the bane of many professional golfers.

In bowling, inferior follow-throughs hinder many players. This is due principally to the various instructional methods being practiced in today's game. As a practicing coach and instructor, I find it very disconcerting to be critical of other teachers. However, because of the modern trends in equipment and lane maintenance, bowling's physical game has evolved.

The game now features bowling balls with materials that generate greater friction on the lanes. Manufacturers no longer are confined to old "pancake" blocks that merely served to counterbalance the weight removed in drilling; research and development geniuses spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on sophisticated weight blocks that are placed in strategic areas for additional power. Additionally, educated drillers are now able to place weight blocks in such a manner that they can virtually control hook patterns in any ball, on any condition, and at any desired break point. In short, the game has been drastically altered.

Most of the basic fundamentals are still the cornerstones for proper execution. However, one of the most flagrant errors occurring in today's game is found in the follow-through. This common flaw is an unfortunate carryover from the days of robber balls and shellac-and-lacquer lane finishes, an era that demanded aggressiveness in the release and follow-through. Power players were trained to lift and turn, and were taught to "reach for the ceiling" on their follow-throughs.

Power bowling stars like Harry Smith, Dick Hoover, Bill Lillard, and Carmen Salvino applied this type of execution and were extremely successful. Nevertheless, many great bowlers of that era defied this logic and directed their follow-throughs out toward the pins. Don Carter, Junie McMahon, Billy Welu, and Tom Hennessey, to name a few, all ended their deliveries toward the pins.

In this era of active, reactive, and proactive equipment, overly aggressive follow-throughs that head skyward are actually detrimental to proper execution. Modern bowling balls require greater finesse. The reaction of a moderately stroked ball is far more effective than one that's delivered too aggressively, because the gripping characteristics in modern missiles result in overreaction. Balls with excessive revolutions tend to hook too sharply, whereas those delivered in a more delicate fashion move in a gradual arc.

Thunderous follow-throughs in an upward movement result in balls that spin while airborne; when the ball makes contact with the lane, it will react immediately. Conversely, a ball delivered low and out toward the pins will have a greater tendency to incorporate the textbook action the bowler seeks: skid, roll, and hook.

One of the greatest components of a proper follow-through is the softening of the forward swing, sending the fingers to the break point, and extending outward, not upward. Make a concentrated effort to keep the arm extended with little or no bend in the elbow. This can be accomplished only if the swing is delivered from the shoulder. Any delivery that is generated from the forearm negates any possibility of a textbook follow-through.

A couple of quotes from two of the most astute students of the game support my position on proper follow-through. Earl Anthony, arguably the greatest bowler in history, says the proper technique is to "follow the ball with your hand." And Tom Kouros, one of the greatest coaches in the game--if not the greatest--and author of the best-selling bowling manual in history, "Par Bowling," recalls some sage advice from McMahon, an all-time great.

"Direct your follow-through to the pins. They are down there," McMahon, pointing to the pin deck, told Kouros. "When they place them up in the ceiling, you can then direct your follow-through up there."

Armed with these words of wisdom from such bowling luminaries regarding this phase of the game, I highly recommend a softer, longer extended follow-through as part of the ideal execution, and as one of the seven steps to success in bowling.

COPYRIGHT 2000 Century Publishing
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