In the last of the three Raiders of the Lost Ark series, "Indiana" Jones searches the world for the mythical Holy Grail, symbolizing man’s quest for immortality. Without fail, bowling’s Holy Grail is the search for stronger back-end hooking action. Ask any pro shop technician, and he/she will tell you, "If it hooks, I can sell it!"
Despite the negative comments you read in many of today’s bowling publications, the technological innovations that have occurred in the last five years have greatly enhanced our sport. Some may argue that skill is no longer important with the powerful bowling balls being made today. They will tell you that your average is inflated or that you’re not really good enough to average 200. More often than not, these are the ramblings of "has beens" who denigrate others to hide their own shortcomings.
But I digress.
You cannot stifle technological innovation; to do so would ruin the sport. However, bowlers need to understand the limitations of their equipment. During this segment, we are going to discuss the physical aspects of your game that determine your style, ball reaction, and what you can expect from your new ball.
Every bowler has a unique style, but most can be placed into four categories:
• High Speed/Weak Rotation.
• High Speed/Strong Rotation.
• Slow Speed/Weak Rotation.
• Slow Speed/Strong Rotation.
The high speed/weak rotation player will have the least natural hook of the four. This bowler is more comfortable playing an outside line with a direct trajectory to the pocket. Overreaction by the bowling ball is generally not a problem, but carrying corner pins can be difficult. This type of bowler bowls best when the lanes are fairly dry. Because of the fast speed with little axis rotation, a strong back-end hook is virtually impossible to create, regardless of the ball’s surface and construction. Bowlers with this type of game will generally peak at about a 200 average due to their inability to string several strikes in a row.
The high speed/strong rotation player is the least common of the four. Characterized by a high backswing and powerful hand movement through the ball, this style produces medium-to-strong back-end reaction with strong hitting power. Unfortunately, bowlers with these characteristics are usually not very good spare shooters, but they make up for it with a powerful strike ball. The normal ball reaction for this type of player is a large inside-to-out swing with a strong back-end reaction.
The slow speed/weak rotation player is usually very accurate, but sometimes lacks the ability to strike. Usually a very good spare shooter, this type of bowler generally will peak at about 200 unless conditions are very favorable. For fear of sounding sexist, most amateur women fall into this category (Sorry, Mom!). It is very common for this type of style to have severe "rollout" before the ball hits the pins, greatly reducing back-end hook and hitting power.
The last category, slow speed/strong rotation, generally creates the most natural hooking action of the four. Because of the slower ball speed, there is ample time for the ball to grip the lane even on heavy oil. Almost always, this bowler will prefer longer and heavier oil patterns, combined with a deeper inside target line. On the right lane conditions, high scores can be had with this style, but beware of dry lanes. You can only move so far left!
Understanding the physical forces involved in your bowling style will greatly enhance the accuracy of your next ball purchase. It is important to be honest with yourself during the evaluation. Bowling balls are very expensive today, and making the right purchasing decisions is more important than ever.
Below is a list of each style type with some suggestions on possible equipment choices and drill layouts.
Style #1: High Speed/Weak Rotation
It is important for you to remember that strong back-end hook is virtually unattainable with this type of style, regardless of the ball’s power. This does not mean that you cannot bowl high scores consistently. You should stick to low RG bowling balls with medium-to-strong differential. Be careful to choose the right drilling layout. Leverage patterns may work on heavier oil, but too much track flare can cause early hook, causing even more loss of back-end power.
Style #2: High Speed/Strong Rotation
If this is your style, be thankful. Most bowlers out there would give anything to throw the ball like you. The type of balls you should throw can run the gamut, depending on the lane conditions. When the lanes are dry in the heads, use higher RG balls and layouts. Early on, when there is more head oil, you can try the lower RG models with more controllable drilling layouts. For the most part, you won’t need leverage layouts unless for tournament play or heavy head oil and carrydown.
Style #3: Slow Speed/Weak Rotation
Given your slow speed and forward roll, you need to delay the hooking action of the ball as much as possible. Try high RG balls with lower differentials. You should not need more than two to four inches of track flare. This will help fight the ball’s tendency to roll out on the back-end, which greatly reduces hitting power. Definitely work on accuracy and become the best spare shooter you can.
Style #4: Slow Speed/Strong Rotation
If this is your style, one thing you never lack is hook. Because the ball is traveling slowly with a great deal of axis rotation, you usually have trouble on any type of drier oil pattern. As stated for Style #3, you should stick with higher RG ball constructions and "weaker" coverstock formulations. This will both delay the break point and reduce the overall hook on local "house" conditions. Stick with high RG drilling layouts. Leverage patterns will probably hook too much, and low RG patterns will hook too early. Low RG patterns can be successful on very sharp wet/dry lane conditions, as they will reduce overreaction.
The guidelines above are very general. The truth is, in bowling there are so many exceptions that there are no rules. Although some styles of bowler should stick with certain ball types and layouts, if you are a tournament player, you should have a wide selection of equipment for different oil patterns.
The important thing to remember is that every physical style tends to produce a certain type of ball reaction. Learning what your equipment can and cannot do will greatly enhance your scoring potential and make you a better bowler in the long run.