TOURNAMENT GUIDE • LESSONS LEARNED FROM CHRIS PAUL • ORIGINS OF ‘THE BJ’

MARCH 2013 • $3.95 • www.bowlersjournal.com

From the left: Dallas Strikers franchise player , No. 1 draft pick and celebrity team owner Terrell Owens.

A League of Their Own Will the PBA’s New Team Concept Fly? Posted with permission from Bowlers Journal International.

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Pro Tips And Ball Reviews

THE PRO APPROACH BY BILL SPIGNER { [email protected] }

Swinging for Success: 4 Options THE BOWLING SWING comes in various shapes and lengths. A good ball placement will be straight, but because the shoulder is way to learn about how the swing functions, how to correct a flawed lower and open, the place- swing and how to work on developing a good swing is to utilize some ment will follow the shoulder terms that describe the good and no-so-good things about this extreme- position from the set-up, thus ly important aspect of the delivery. placing the ball out slightly. Once the placement is All swings follow a path teach it when working with ball, simply because it can’t completed, the ball will swing on the way back and on the newcomers to the game, for produce the kind of hook and back in a straight inside line way forward. This path is whom control and being able ball rotation needed today. and then forward along the greatly affected by how we to throw the ball straight The in-out swing starts with same line it went back. This set up and the movement of at spares are key building part of the ball held slightly is a good swing, provided the ball out of the stance. blocks. There are no top tour- outside the shoulder, with the that the direction of the steps The four good paths/ ing pros that use this kind bowling-side shoulder slightly moves the body out of the way swings are: 1. straight; 2. of swing path for their strike lower and a little open. The of the swing. A right-hander in-out; 3. loop; and 4. tuck. would have to walk slightly Three common bad armswing left, while a left-hander would directions are: 1. sidearm; 2. need to walk slightly right. out-in; and 3. reverse loop. If the body doesn’t get out All of the top pros have of the way, the swing gets one of the good swings. There trapped behind the body and are some very good play- two bad things can happen. ers who have unorthodox The sidearm swing occurs swings to the top, but once when the swing gets inside the ball starts down and is and the body is in the way ready to accelerate through of the downswing, leaving the release zone, their swings the arm with nowhere to go are generally right on spot. except around the body. This Let’s start with the straight results in the loss of direc- swing. This swing starts tion relative to the timing out in the stance with the of the ball off the hand. ball held in line with the The second bad thing that bowling-side shoulder facing can happen is the reverse loop straight ahead. The ball is motion. The same in-out swing then placed straight out at gets trapped with nowhere the start of the swing, and the to go, and bumps out at the swing goes straight back and top when the shoulders close comes forward along the same early. This causes an outside- path it followed back, with in swing to the release, which minimal shoulder rotation. makes misses to the inside of This type of swing is ideal One of the most successful players today with an in-out the target line — unless one for accuracy with minimal armswing is reigning PBA Player of the Year . can realign it inside-out in hand action. Many coaches time, which takes a lot of work.

www.bowlersjournal.com Posted with permission from Bowlers Journal International. BJI’s 100th Anniversary Celebration • March 2013 55

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Pro Tips And Ball Reviews

Some great bowlers who and the arm swings through of the loop swing are Mike and the recently have an in-out type of swing on an in-out path. This swing Fagan, Walter Ray Wil- retired Robert Smith. Through are Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, also requires the footwork to liams and . the years, even as lane pat- , , move the body out of the way, The fourth good swing is terns and bowling technology Sean Rash and PBA50 star and the upper body has to the tuck. This is the most com- have evolved, the tuck swing Tom Baker. All have mastered have enough side and forward monly used swing and always has been the most reliable. getting out of the way of the tilt so there’s plenty of space has been the best of them all. The key for any bowler is to swing so it can move straight under the body to receive the The tuck starts out with learn about their swing and through from the top down. ball into the release zone. the ball held in line with how it affects what they want The loop swing starts out With the ball held inside the bowling-side shoulder. to do with the ball. Working on with the ball being held inside the shoulder in the stance, The placement of the ball is your swing should be an every- the shoulder, or more toward this type of swing can cause straight out, the arm swings day practice. Take some video the center of the body. The ball a sidearm swing when the straight back and the shoul- and watch where your swing is placed straight out from this shoulders severely open and ders don’t open until the ball goes in relationship to your position. The shoulders stay then close too soon. The starts passing the body on the ball placement, walk, spine square to the lane until the ball reverse-loop also can occur backswing. The backswing tilts and shoulder rotation. has started to pass the body, with this set-up when the fi nishes along a straight line, The key to good bowling — then the swing fl ares outside shoulders don’t open on the right behind the head. and bowling enjoyment — is the body on the backswing. At backswing and the swing On the downswing, when to develop one of the four the top of the swing, when the goes outside. (Because of the the player starts fi rming up for good swings and execute shoulders have opened and lack of shoulder rotation, the the release, the swing is drawn it on a consistent basis. the ball has started its descent, swing stays outside and comes inside, close to the body, and the player will start “loading forward in an outside-in path, the arm fi nishes in an inside- Bill Spigner is a Gold-level up” their wrist and/or elbow to which requires realigning out direction to the release. coach, and a member of the get ready for a strong release. the ball at the release — very Players who have this type USBC Hall of Fame. Archived The “loading up” draws diffi cult to do consistently.) of swing are , “Pro Approach” features can the swing toward the body, Three really good models Norm Duke, Chris Loschetter, be accessed at billspigner.com.

Bowlers who use the tuck swing, like Chris Barnes, Wes Malott uses the loop swing with great profi ciency. have a downswing that draws the ball in very close to Note how his wrist is “loaded up” for a strong release. the body.

56 March 2013 • BJI’s 100th Anniversary Celebration Posted with permission from Bowlers Journal International. www.bowlersjournal.com

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