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Clinic Pro Tips And Ball Reviews THE PRO APPROACH BY BILL SPIGNER { [email protected] } The Ongoing Evolution of the Game, and How Teaching It Has Changed IS BOWLING A DIFFERENT GAME now than it was ten, twenty, arrow because the lane fi nish thirty, forty years ago? Has teaching changed over the years, and do the would wear in that part of same principles apply today as in the past? Are the bowlers different lane, and it was benefi cial to now than they used to be? keep the ball very straight in that track area. If the ball Personally, I think it’s the change came when the soft Then came the introduction was rolled wide of the track, same game I began learning polyester ball became the of the synthetic lane. Since it wouldn’t hook back. to play in the early 1960s and dominant ball. Before that, then, the lane condition- So, players learned to bowl am still working at learn- there was basically hard ing machines have become with their shoulders very ing. Although there have plastic and rubber. With the very sophisticated — to the level and square to the lane. been major technological softer ball, players were able point where the lane man The backswing was low, advancements, just as there to throw bigger hooks. And knows exactly how much oil the upper body was more have been in every other that trend continues with the is applied to each board. vertical, and the turn on the sport, the objective in bowl- current crop of urethanes During the 1960s, accuracy ball was minimal — not a ing always has been and and exotic weight blocks. was the key to success. The lot of side roll. Control was always will be to fi gure out To complement the evolu- style that was taught and the key. Even those with a the right angle to the pocket tion of the bowling ball, developed at that time was lot of power, like Carmen for the best chance to strike. much harder fi nishes were fairly simple. Most of the Salvino, couldn’t hook it like The fi rst really dynamic developed for the wood lanes. bowlers played the second today’s players because of the lane surface and balls. In the late ’60s and early ’70s, a different style of player emerged. The swing was higher and the turn on the ball was greater. Barry Asher, Johnny Petraglia and Don Johnson were some of the top players of the time. They still exhibited the square shoulders and more vertical spine angle, but had more hand action. Johnson was the best of that era. He had great timing, a very loose swing, a rock-solid fi nishing position and could play anywhere on the lane. Don developed a very square upper body position, but was A 45- to 50-degree forward spine tilt has been evident in the games of top stars of several eras. In able to initiate a lot of hand the 1960s, it was Don Carter (left). In the ’70s, Earl Anthony. They don’t get much better than that. action. He did this through his “fi gure-eight” movement 86 Bowlers Journal International | November 2008 www.bowlersjournal.com 886-876-87 PProApproach.inddroApproach.indd 8686 110/21/080/21/08 22:27:15:27:15 PPMM Clinic Pro Tips And Ball Reviews during the swing. The thumb would rotate counter-clock- wise in the backswing, and the wrist would be arched back with the palm on top of the ball as the ball passed the body on the way back. At the top of the swing, the hand would rotate back to square and the wrist would straight- en out, and on the forward swing, the fi ngers would work Other stars who have exhibited 45- to 50-degree forward spine tilts have included (from the left) their way under the ball, then Mike Aulby, David Ozio and Jason Couch. Even so, many coaches still teach tilt of just 15 percent. rotate the ball at release. As the ’70s continued, a whole new crop of talent was resin urethane balls come and release. With these four best of the big-hook players emerging. Mark Roth became into play, with exotic cores attributes, one can develop use more upper body rota- the father of the modern that produced a lot of track a wide variety of shots and tion. The high-swing player’s power game; he had the high fl are and covers that soaked repeat them. Bowlers al- timing is more advanced swing with a lot of hand ac- up the oil. This dramatically ways have had to adjust to accommodate the length tion, speed and revs. But he altered how the lane condi- their release, speed, loft and and height of the swing. still had the old-style square tions would change with where they play the lanes, The other big difference shoulders. Wayne Webb was play, as the oil on the front and the ones who adjust is in forward spine tilt — 45 one of the very successful end was erased much faster. the best go to the bank. to 50 degrees at release is power players who opened his This resulted in a renais- What makes teaching dif- more common than the old shoulders. He had the high sance for straighter players, ferent is that we now have a 15-degree tilt that has been backswing, open shoulders, with Walter Ray Williams wider variety of lane condi- taught forever... and contin- and got lots of lift and turn. He winning 23 times and Norm tions and balls to use. The ues to be. That said, when was wild when he fi rst came Duke 16 times on Tour. Mike fundamentals are the same, one looks at top stars in all out on Tour, but was very dan- Aulby, Parker Bohn III and but much more has been add- eras, the 40- to 50-degree tilt gerous when he had a “look.” Brian Voss also had good ed to the teaching equation. was not uncommon. In the Webb developed into one of runs through the ’90s. The One problem many bowlers ’60s it was Don Carter; in the the top players of the ’80s new balls helped them get have is relying too much on ’70s, Earl Anthony; in the when he tamed down his ball. more hook, and the balls hit the ball to produce results; ’80s, Mike Aulby; in the ’90s, The ’80s saw the introduc- harder. So, accuracy and they don’t look within to David Ozio; and today, Jason tion of urethane balls, starting fast, precise lane adjust- fi gure out how to play the Couch and a lot of others. with AMF’s Angle, which ments were required. lane. Today’s top play- Today, more good coaches out-hooked the soft plastic This trend has continued ers, however, are not ball are being produced than ever and rubber balls. There was through today, with stars crazy; they are very smart in before. PBA Tour players are a saying in the late ’70s and like Pete Weber, Tommy recognizing what the lane representing their compa- early ’80s on Tour: “Crank, Jones, Jason Couch and Wes is giving them to play on. nies in advanced clinics you go to the bank; stroke, you Malott combining big hook A bowler now needs to around the country, getting go broke.” The urethane balls balls with great accuracy. understand ball reaction and heavily into lane play. They carried the oil down quickly, So, do we teach the game pin carry. This requires an will help build the founda- and the power players could differently today than 40 understanding of ball fi t, how tion for the next generation hook the ball around that oil years ago? Yes... and no. to “work out” a ball, taping of bowlers — who, in some and also use it for hold down Through all of bowling’s the holes and ball dynamics. ways, will be very similar to the lane. The straight players eras, bowlers with a num- It also requires knowledge bowlers of generations past... used the front end to get the ber of different styles of how specifi c balls react and also very different in ball into a roll, and the carry- always have managed to on specifi c lane patterns. In ways we can’t yet foresee. down for hold in the backend. win. Over the course of a short, there’s more to know, That has always been part career, solid, repeatable and thus more to teach. Bill Spigner is a Gold- of bowling, but in the era of fundamentals have been and We can see that teach- level coach, three-time PBA the low-fl aring soft urethane, remain the key to success. ers are different today, but champion and long-time it was more prevalent. The fundamentals are what about the bowlers? The pro shop operator. Visit his The early ’90s saw the good timing, swing, balance biggest difference is that the Web site at billspigner.com. www.bowlersjournal.com November 2008 | Bowlers Journal International 87 886-876-87 PProApproach.inddroApproach.indd 8787 110/21/080/21/08 22:27:23:27:23 PPMM.