The trail leg can be a great
asset in helping you maintain balance. It
can act like a
kickstand or a balancing rod, like tightrope walkers use.
helpful. You may think pushing the ball too early is causing the ball to get into the swing faster when in fact your forward posture is the culprit. Based on a four-step approach with
the ball being pushed out on the fi rst step, early timing (or what is now being called Roller Timing) would put the ball ahead of the feet. The result is the weight of the ball can pull the upper body forward, creating an imbalance. Delaying the ball’s start will help you retain good posture and balance. Conversely, late timing (now referred to as Leverage Tim- ing) means the ball swing comes after the feet are already moving. This can cause the upper body to lean back, forcing you to stagger to maintain balance. Moving the ball sooner will help the upper body remain still and slightly forward, keeping the body centered throughout the approach.
18 USBOWLER JULY 2012 BILL O’NEILL
ARMED AND DANGEROUS: Your opposite shoulder should move away from the ball and off to the side at release, and should never be higher than your shoulder.
TRAIL LEG The trail leg can be a great asset in helping you maintain balance. It can act like a kickstand or a balancing rod, like tightrope walkers use. Power bowlers tend to fi nish with their trail leg in the air. That’s okay, as long as they maintain good balance at that point. If you are off balance at the fi nish, correction might be as simple as lowering the leg a bit to create better balance.
OPPOSITE ARM Likewise, your non-bowling arm is a great source of leverage when properly combined with the trail leg. Your opposite arm keeps you steady. Power players with the high leg kick normally need to open their right shoulder, so the opposite arm will often be slightly in front of them to create balance. Regardless, the op- posite arm should be moving away from the ball and off to the side in a smooth motion. Don’t allow it to get higher than your shoulder. The arm needs to come back to your side when going into the slide, which creates a natural counter balance.
EYES Remember, whether you like to target the foul line dots or ar- rows with your eyes, use your eyes only. Your head needs to remain steady throughout the approach.
— T eresa Ross is Coaching
Specialist and E-Learning Specialist for the United States Bowling Congress.
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