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From Finish to Start

Posted Jul 2, 2013 In: Coach's Corner
By Bowling.com

Everything we start has to be finished. You can either finish poorly, decently, or excellently. Bowling is the same way. In bowling you can start your approach and shot with good execution, but how you finish (poorly, decently, or excellently) plays the biggest role in the outcome of your shot. I am talking about posting the shot on your final foot., whether that is your slide foot or plant foot.

Upon releasing the bowling ball, what are some things you may think about? It could be of some of the following - hand position, balance arm and leg, distance from the foul line, body tilt, spine tilt, and other items. This should bring about the point, that everything you do in bowling depends on how you finish, the release.

Do not get me wrong here, there are things that happen during your approach that can throw you off at the finish. When you watch the pros, the main thing that sticks out is how they all finish the shot at the line. Always posting their shot, and making sure nothing is off balance upon release.

One thing that I have noticed of lately, everyone wants to do something different to make them stand out. Mainly the 2-handed style! Thanks to Jason Belmonte and Osku Palermaa. Their style of play is Very powerful! One thing that stands out though, how they finish the shot upon release at the foul line. They post the shot with the balance arm and leg going into the correct spots. They look like a 1 handed bowler at the release of the ball.

Something that may help your game would be to imitate your favorite bowler. Whether your looking to have a Chris Barnes approach or a Jason Belmonte approach. It may be a Mika Koivuniemi or Norm Duke approach. What makes their games so good is what you have to look for and copy. My two favorite bowlers to watch were Amleto Monacelli and Pete Weber. I enjoyed watching how they torque their body upon driving the ball through the shot.

Now we will talk about how to work just on the finish and slowly bring the rest of the game into play. If you have a mirror in your house, I would recommend playing the video of your favorite bowler and then imitate that in front of the mirror. Work backwards by working on the finish. Post the shot just like that bowler. Make sure your balance is the same, hand is doing the same thing. Once you have a perfect replica of that release point, bring the steps into play and get to the same finish with the steps involved. During this process keep thinking of what the finish looks like in front of that mirror. Keep thinking of what you have to do in order to get to that finish. The more that you can post the shot without falling off, the easier repeating the shot will get for you.

Work on your game backwards. Have a great finish to your shot and soon you will be finishing higher in your events. Remember to enjoy the game of bowling and always Practice, Practice, Practice!

Tagged As: Coach's Corner