Add Bowling Power & Torque To Your Game
By: bowlingball.com, 2/13/16
Add bowling power and torque to your game. If you are a skilled competition player and feel the need for additional power in your game, then apply a greater amount of torque to your approach motion.
Turn your shoulders for bowling power. That is correct, turn your shoulders open and then close them as you enter your slide step and deliver your bowling ball.
This tip is for athletic players with sufficient agility to rotate your shoulders open slightly more than your hips on your backswing as you walk to the line and then close your hips and shoulders to a square position on your forward swing and as you release the ball.
If you can rotate your bowling shoulder up to 90 degrees open at the top of your backswing, you will apply torque to your upper body and then the unwinding of your shoulders against your hips and lower body coupled with your swing gaining momentum build-up on your forward swing will add power to your delivery.
For years and years, bowlers have been taught to keep their shoulders aligned to their target. This technique still works for “stroker” type players who hook the ball only a slight amount.
If you wish to add power, however, then add torque by rotating opening and closing your shoulders.
The power players we see today both in local leagues, in tournaments, and with the professionals on TV who can hook the ball considerably will rotate open their bowling shoulder from 75 degrees open to perhaps 90 degrees open on the backswing and then rotate the shoulders closed swiftly on the forward swing.
This rotation creates body torque. If the shoulders rotate 90 degrees, as an example, then the hips will rotate open about half as much.
If you try this in practice, you will feel a pulling sensation on the opposite side of the torso from the non-bowling shoulder down to the hip as the swing opens on the backswing.
This pulling sensation is caused by the torque created turning the shoulders more than the hips and feet.
Since the feet are essentially moving straight toward the pins during your approach, the upper body torque will assist the forward swing in generating increased speed and acceleration thereby also increasing power.
If you think your swing can do with some rotation and added torque, practice rotating your shoulders open a slight bit, perhaps 30 degrees open to 50 degrees open, before making a decision to create a maximum full 90 degrees of rotation in an attempt to generate maximum torque.
It is best to work on adding torque and power to your game when working with an experienced instructor who can monitor your new motion to make sure you are accomplishing what you want without losing too much accuracy or balance during your initial phase of change.
