ASK BOB 9/01/2016
Q. I have been having a problem with chicken winging so I bought a new 16 pound ball to use
instead of 14. I thought this would cure the problem but it has not worked. Is there something
else I need to do?
A. The weight of the ball has nothing at all to do with chicken winging. This is caused by turning
the ball too early in the down swing. When the hand turns early the elbow fly’s out and you have
the chicken wing. This is caused by several things you could be out of time causing early turn.
You could be just trying to hard to put rotation on the ball. This can cause early turn. For a cure
try this think ring finger the one next to the little finger. Try to point at your mark with the pad
of your ring finger. This will effectively keep your hand behind the ball longer. If you don’t see
a change with this get to a coach in your area and have him/her look at your game and see if
they can find the problem. Slow motion video can be a big help with this problem.
Q. I have bowled for the last few years in a center with wood lanes. This summer they converted to
synthetic. What is going to be the difference. Do I have to reload with bowling balls?
A. The difference generally is that wood lanes being old and requiring more maintenance usually
have heads that are beat up. This means they are devoid of lane finish and very dark from oil
that is soaked in. This makes the ball hook very early in a wood house. So bowlers have to
learn to get the ball through the fronts. You probably have been using weaker and more polished
bowling balls to keep them from rolling to early. With your new synthetics you will find the ball
get through the fronts much quicker and easier and the ball will maintain a lot more energy in
the back of the lane. This will affect the shape that you are used too. Straighter in the front takes
longer to get a read in the mids and a sharper hook in the back-end. You may have to go to the pro
shop and have them dull the ball some to get a better mid-lane read and to help calm down the
reaction at the pins. You may want to get a couple of new balls but I would start with what you
have and just have the pro shop tweak the cover to get an idea of what you might want to buy.
Q. The new season is about to start. What should I do to get ready for league and tournaments?
A. I hope you did not take the whole summer off. A summer league is useful to keep your game in
some sort of shape. Either way first go to the pro shop and have them check your arsenal to see
if you need something new to fill in what you have. Get your other balls cleaned and the covers
polished or sanded to again have all your bases covered. Then get in a few games to make sure
you can get some feel back for the game. Spend a hour or two on spares, these are going to be
your downfall if you have been off for awhile. Last if everything really feels awful ask for a
lesson,to give you something to work on. Anytime is a good time for a lesson. But the very best
time is after a layoff. You have had a chance to forget many of the bad habits. Get a fresh start.
To ask a question email askbobk@gmail .com
