Q. I am a right-handed bowler and here is my question. Should my right foot be touching the floor and my right hand be over my head after I release the ball?

A. Your follow thru should take your hand over your head. This should happen in a smooth motion. If you can learn to keep your right foot on the approach it does help to keep you balanced. This is not a hard fast rule there have been many great bowlers who lift their foot. But the more solid we are at the line the better. So keeping the trailing foot down helps.

Q.  I have been leaving a lot of splits lately. My bowling friends tell me I am throwing the ball too slow and that I should try a lighter ball. I am using a 14-pound ball now would going down in weight increase my ball speed, and help to eliminate splits?

A. The lighter weight will increase ball speed but going below 14 pounds will begin to decrease your carry. You might not go high as often but you may leave more pocket splits due to the lighter weight. So before going down in weight give this a try. Get yourself a coach and ask him/her to help you develop a free arm swing. You may be able to take slightly longer steps and by raising the ball higher at the beginning of the push away generate speed naturally with the longer approach and free arm swing. This will take some practice to get it down but would be worth it. The 14-pound ball is fine and has great carry but there begins to be a loss of carry as you go down from 14.

Q. I've been an average league bowler for about 8 years or so now and I can't look down the lane to determine the oil pattern. Is it possible to see the oil pattern before you throw the ball? I've been told to throw a plastic ball during the first couple of balls on warm up to determine how well the oil is. Is that a good way to determine what the oil pattern is like?

A.  It is hard to tell the oil pattern by looking at the lanes. The best way to find it is by throwing the ball. No I don't believe the plastic ball will tell you anything. I use what i call a benchmark ball. It is a ball in my arsenal that I know very well. I know the balls characteristics, when it hooks, where it hooks and how much it hooks. I watch it a few times and try to determine the conditions for this outing. Where the break point is and how to play the lanes inside or outside line. Then I can change balls if needed based on the info I get with the ball I know best.

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