Ronnie Russell Wraps up Bear Open Title on PBA Summer Swing
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Changing Deliveries With John Burkett • Legends Battle at Senior U.S. Open • Reno’s Struggles JULY 2014 • $3.95 • www.bowlersjournal.com BEAR HUG Ronnie Russell Wraps Up Bear Open Title on PBA Summer Swing PLUS: Complete Summer Swing Coverage Reprinted/Posted with permission from Bowlers Journal International. BJI_Cover_0714.indd C1 7/15/14 9:18 AM Clinic Pro Tips And Ball Reviews THE PRO APPROACH BY BILL SPIGNER { [email protected] } Kent: Skills Beyond His Years MORE AND MORE like there is no limit for him. young bowlers com- Marshall is a four-step player. He used to take fi ve ing out of college steps, but switched to four have the skills to im- to simplify his game. He had mediately compete struggled with early timing, and eliminating a step has with the best, and helped him delay his timing. there is none better In his set-up, he holds among that group the ball close to his body, than Marshall Kent, with his bowling-side elbow tucked back of his shoulder, who played for three and the top of the ball chest years with Robert high. For most players today, Morris College out of the bowling-side elbow is Chicago. under or a little in front of the shoulder. Marshall Kent’s bowling resumé sets up this way to try and already reads like a sea- delay his ball placement. soned veteran’s. While still At the completion of his an amateur and in college, fi rst step, his arm is not he made two PBA telecasts, extended and his elbow the 2013 U.S. Open and remains close to his body. the 2013 Scorpion Cham- Once the second step pionship (which he led at starts moving forward, last fall’s World Series of he unhinges his arm and Bowling before losing to lets the swing start. Tom Smallwood in the title On his second step, the match), and won a PBA title swing travels a long way — in Europe earlier this year. about 125 degrees — which He joined the PBA in is normal for a higher swing, May, bowled in the Sum- fast tempo player. At the mer Swing in Oklahoma, completion of his third step, and had another TV ap- his swing has completed a pearance, fi nishing fourth full 180-degree arc, which in the Badger Open. is the best-length swing. You can never be certain Kent’s swing is a little inside starting his last step, After his third step is done, where any athlete’s career is which makes it hard to tuck in on the downswing. his swing starts down with going to go, but with Kent’s It could be a little more in line with his head so the the last step, right on time. performances in his early swing could tuck in. Marshall’s spine angles PBA appearances, it looks from a side view start at 22 Reprinted/Posted with permission from Bowlers Journal International. 50 Bowlers Journal International | July 2014 www.bowlersjournal.com ProApproach_0714.indd 50 7/15/14 9:16 AM Clinic Pro Tips And Ball Reviews degrees at the end of step one, 35 at step two and about 50 degrees when he is start- ing his slide. From there to his release, he loses about 10-15 degrees of forward tilt — normally not a good thing. It happens to Marshall be- cause his swing is a little too far inside at the top, and on the downswing he loads up his arm, bending the elbow signifi cantly. This loading up of the arm and wrist engages the upper arm and shoulder muscles to assist in the load- ing-up process. Coupled with the swing being a little too Kent has loaded up his wrist and elbow for his very fast, high-rev release (left). Great inside, this causes his spine position to unload from. Fingers getting ready to exit from the top of the ball after the to straighten up slightly. arm and wrist have unloaded (right). Arm is straight and the wrist has fl exed back so The good thing is when the fi ngers speed up and through the ball. he’s done loading up, he starts tilting forward through the release. This movement, I know he had a rough has always been far from his out on tour involves playing coupled with unloading his college year after returning ankle, about eight boards. straighter angles through arm and wrist, speeds up from playing in PBA Tour Normally, when a player is the front of the lane, because his arm and hand. He has events this past year. This that far from their ankle at they’ve learned how to hook a fast release that gener- little swing issue could have release and the fi ngers are the ball with a lot of revs and ates a lot of revs and speed. been a product of bowling not on the inside just before the swing is very inside-out His follow-through is long in school. The center of the the release, he won’t have entering the release zone. and toward his target, ball is about 7 inches from the range of play that Mar- Marshall has the best of excellent for accuracy. his ankle at release, whereas shall does. But, it does help both worlds: He can play as From the back view, his 4 to 5 inches is considered one play straighter angles straight as Norm Duke up the fi rst step goes right in front good. Walter Ray Williams through the front of the lane. gutter, but with more speed of his left foot, a little left on Regardless of this issue, and revs than Duke, and he step two, straight on three, Marshall still made a TV can keep up with the big- and his last step moves in show in his debut as a PBA hook guys way inside. And about three boards — very member at the Summer he can change his axis rota- good walk direction. Swing, which is testament to tion and speed to match up to Marshall has a very how good his total game is. most angles and conditions. straight inside-out swing, Marshall’s range of play on In Marshall Kent, a although it doesn’t tuck in the lanes is way beyond that genuine star has arrived. I on the down-swing like of most PBA Tour newcom- liken him to Jordan Spieth the swings of Chris Barnes, ers. He can roll the ball 2-to-2 on the PGA Tour. Both have Tommy Jones, Sean Rash up the gutter (laying the come to the table with the or Jason Belmonte because ball down on the 2-board experience and tools to it’s a little more inside and having it still be on the win regularly at a young than theirs at the top. 2-board at the arrows), all the age. First job for Marshall: Just like the side view, he way to launching the left gut- PBA Rookie of The Year. loses some side spine tilt ter cap like Jason Belmonte It’s going to be fun when he loads up his arm on — and he’s able to do all of it watching this person- the down-swing. This causes with control, change it at the able, articulate young man Kent is able to loft the the swing to get a little away drop of a hat, and maintain advance through his career. gutter cap from the from his body, and his hand adjoining lane and still his rock-solid fi nish position. Archived “Pro Approach” squares up faster than most maintain his form. The hardest thing for a features can be viewed on of the top tour players. lot of young players going billspigner.com. Reprinted/Posted with permission from Bowlers Journal International. www.bowlersjournal.com July 2014 | Bowlers Journal International 51 ProApproach_0714.indd 51 7/15/14 9:16 AM.