Controlling Ball Speed | Bowling This Month

Article Contents

• 1. Why you need multiple ball speeds
  • 1.1. Understanding a bit more about friction and ball speed
  • 1.2. The bowling ball matters
  • 1.3. The angle and area also matter
  • 1.4. Putting it together with the pattern
• 2. Reducing your ball speed
  • 2.1. Changing the approach length
  • 2.2. Going extreme
  • 2.3. Changing the ball start
• 3. Increasing your ball speed
  • 3.1. Shortening the slide
  • 3.2. Adjusting my body position
• 4. Conclusion

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I first faced the need to change ball speeds back in 2006, when dual lane conditions were first used at the Junior World Championships. We were bowling on 33-foot and 48-foot patterns that year when I realized the need to change speeds during training sessions in my home center.

At first, I fell into a common trap. Some bowlers believe that it takes increasing the rev rate on the long oil pattern and reducing it on the short oil pattern, while…