100 TOP COACHES • 16 BALLS REVIEWED • GET YOUR (BOWLING) KICKS ON ROUTE 66 TECH TIME ITRC Has an Array of Tools to Help Build Better Bowlers Posted with permission from Bowlers Journal International. 0712_BJI_COVER.indd C1 7/6/12 10:21:46 AM Clinic Pro Tips And Ball Reviews THE PRO APPROACH BY BILL SPIGNER { [email protected] } 3 Basic Ball Placement Options THE SET-UP IS THE FIRST THING a bowler should pay attention fect; the movement needs to match the player. Let’s to and work on to help make the initial ball movement and the talk about three different transition to the swing consistent and effortless. If you missed my types of ball movement... feature on that topic in the April issue, check it out. A proper set-up 1. The standard term is extremely important. that most use to describe the movement of the ball at the start of the approach Equally important is the impacted by this initial move- fi nish.” Fortunately, there are is the “pushaway.” fi rst movement of the ball ment. There’s an old saying in a variety of ways to get your 2. Then there is the concept from the stance position. Ev- bowling: “If you have a good approach off to a good start. of “ball placement,” which erything that follows will be start, you will have a good No single way is per- USBC Hall of Fame coaching Mike Fagan’s “over the bar” pushaway puts his body in the If ever there were a perfect position at the end of a pushaway, perfect position to initiate his great armswing. Fagan had a this would be it. Parker Bohn, who pushes the ball straight out, breakout season on the PBA Tour in 2011-12, and was one of has enjoyed a hall of fame career based on consistently hav- three “fi nalists” in the Player of the Year voting. ing everything in the right place, and in time. 58 Bowlers Journal International | July 2012 Posted with permission from Bowlers Journal International. www.bowlersjournal.com PRO APPROACH 0712.indd 58 7/6/12 10:43:01 AM Clinic Pro Tips And Ball Reviews great Tom Kouros describes Let’s start with some basics. hand positions on the ball, ing toward the target. The in his book, Par Bowling: The The movement of the ball that will allow the shoulders bowling-side shoulder should Challenge. Kouros feels “ball should be completed by the to be in the correct position be lower and slightly behind placement” is a better way end of step one for a four-step at the completion of the ball’s the non-bowling shoulder. of describing the movement delivery, by the end of step movement into the swing. This position with the because the term “pushaway” two for a fi ve-step delivery, The movement should be shoulders is attained primar- implies a forceful pushing of and by the end of step three with both hands, performed ily because of the spine the ball away from the body. for a six-step delivery — re- in a smooth (not forced) man- angles, which are established 3. The third term used is gardless of the bowler’s style. ner, and toward the target. in the stance. Even though “hinge start,” describing how The arms should be The opposite hand comes they look more pronounced the arm “unhinges” the ball extended (but not locked off the ball at the comple- after the ball placement, in a downward movement. straight) at the elbow joint, tion of the placement. the shoulders don’t move; This is probably the least- and the movement should At this point, the oppo- it’s the whole upper torso used method, but it can be not be over-exaggerated. The site arm (from a side view) that has moved, creating the an effective start for some. shoulders do not move from should be higher than the illusion that the shoulders No matter what you want their stance position with bowling-side arm. The op- have moved. So, the move- to call it, this discussion the movement of the ball. posite hand should be ahead ment of the ball and arms are will be about the move- A set-up that’s correct will of the bowling hand after independent of the shoulders. ment involved in placing establish the angles of the the opposite hand leaves ■ The Pushaway — the ball into the swing. shoulders and spine, and the the ball, initially point- This method involves two www.bowlersjournal.com Posted with permission from Bowlers Journal International. July 2012 | Bowlers Journal International 59 PRO APPROACH 0712.indd 59 7/6/12 10:43:02 AM Clinic Pro Tips And Ball Reviews basic options: “over the Once he starts his third bar” and straight out. step, the ball drops straight Coaching great John Jowdy down and he is in time at is the No. 1 proponent of the the completion of that step. “over the bar” method, which When it comes to the initial has the bowler moving the ball movement, the method ball up about 4 to 6 inches, is less important than the then out, at the start. This timing and tempo of the style has a more circular ball placement. The timing shape to it before the op- and tempo of the placement posite hand leaves the ball. control the speed of the steps. The best examples of this For example, if a player has type of pushaway on the PBA a late ball placement, the feet Tour come from Mike Fagan, will slow down to wait for Pete Weber and Chris Lo- the swing. On the other hand, schetter. (Although Pete origi- if a player has an early ball nally used the hinge style of placement, the feet will speed ball placement early in his ca- up to catch up to the swing. reer, he has gradually evolved To control the speed of your to this method.) These players steps, you need to control have long, free, soft swings. the speed of the movement The “over the bar” method of the ball out of the stance. is very good for this style of When you start your ap- player, and for anyone looking proach well, you will have to have a very free armswing. a much better chance of The second pushaway fi nishing in balance — and method is the most common: being able to work on your pushing the ball straight balance. So, practice your ball out and slightly downward. placement with the purpose The downward movement of exploring how different set- of the ball stems from the ups and styles of placement upper body tilting forward Wes Malott is considered the “poster boy” for the “hinge start,” impact your overall approach. which involves pushing the ball downward as the approach is during the pushaway. As you build up a mental initiated. It’s a method not commonly used on the tour, but it Some of the players who library of “feels” for these can work well for some bowlers. use this style are Parker Bohn movements, you will be bet- III, Norm Duke, Mika Koivu- ter able to understand your niemi and Jason Belmonte. The ball is being “placed” Wes Malott is the poster game during competition and They all swing the arm free to a spot out in front of the boy for this style. when things go wrong. Often, from the shoulder (except the player, who then lets the ball With the hinge start, the things that go wrong late “two-handed” Jason), yet have unhinge into the swing. bowler normally would hold in the approach are caused fi rmer armswings than the Chris Barnes is a good ex- the ball about chest-high so by what you’re doing in the “over the bar” practitioners. ample of a player who embrac- that when the arm unhinges, beginning of the approach. ■ Ball Placement — This es the ball placement method. the ball would drop into the The playing environment is could describe all methods He moves the ball out slightly, swing from a high posi- constantly changing. If your of ball movement, but for and right at the completion of tion. This helps create a free start is changing as you bowl this discussion, it will be the his second step, his elbow un- swing — the kind Pete Weber — and you don’t know it — “in-between” style. It’s not a hinges and the ball drops into had in his early years. you will not be able to iden- full pushaway, nor a hinge; the swing. His movement is a Wes holds the ball waist- tify the problem should you it’s a combination of both. combination of a slight push high, and at the completion start running into trouble. The player moves the ball and an unhinging motion. of the second step of his fi ve- straight out toward the target, Doug Kent and Steve step approach, his arm is still Bill Spigner is a member of but the bowling-side elbow re- Jaros also have a lot of this hinged. This would be consid- the USBC Hall of Fame. Read mains closer to the body than met hodolog y in t heir sta r t. ered a late pushaway — if he archived “Pro Approach” with the full pushaway style. ■ The Hinge Start — had a traditional pushaway. features at BillSpigner.com. 60 Bowlers Journal International | July 2012 Posted with permission from Bowlers Journal International. www.bowlersjournal.com PRO APPROACH 0712.indd 60 7/6/12 10:43:02 AM.