|
ASK BOB 7/6/04
Q: I bowl fingertip. Without a wrist guard on, I can get little to no pin action. I can feel my wrist feeling very weak at the point where I'd need to be "Under the ball". During the back swing, it will go up fine, but when I bring it down, it feels very cumbersome like my wrist is not strong enough to support the weight of a ball. I have a 13-pound reactive (particle) & 12 pound plastic and I find the 12 pound slightly easier to bowl and get revs on, even without a wrist guard some action can be achieved. Is my ball too heavy and should I go lighter? 1 problem I would find in doing this is a lot of manufacturers don't make balls in lower weights to cater for that. When I feel that I am getting it right, my wrist ends up sore for about 2 days after. A: It sounds like the ball might be a little heavy for you. There are some 12 lb balls out there with the good weight blocks. One company the does this is Dynothane. The newest ball from them is the Element AU 79 it is a very aggressive ball. Another good one from them is the Thing. This ball goes longer but finishes great. I also like the Vendetta pearl it is a polished particle pearl also goes longer and hits great. All of those come 12 lbs with the same weight block as the 16's. Below 12 you can't get the same weight block in the balls. So try to stay at least with 12. Also if you need it use the wristband that's what they are for. If they help you use it. You could try to build up some by using some light dumbbells start with 5 lbs and work up to 10 lbs do some curls and such to gain some strength in you arm and wrist. You can do that at home while watching television.
Q: I want to know how to gain muscle memory as fast as possible. My approach is not right and I am working on fixing my problem. I have a tournament coming up and I need to get this down as soon as possible. How should I proceed? A: I wish I had an easy answer for you but I don't. The way to build muscle memory is through practice. This could come to you fast but most likely will take some time. I also would like to suggest to you to get a coach and take a lesson or two. It is good to work on what you know to be a problem but you want to work on the right problem. Muscle memory doesn't know if what it is doing is right or wrong. So get that approach checked out by an expert.
Q: My physical game is in pretty good shape right now but my mental game needs lots of help. How can I learn more about the mental game? A : My suggestion is to email Dr. Dean Hinitz, he has written a book on the mental game specifically for bowlers. Dr. Hinitz is a clinical sports psychologist from Reno, Nevada and his articles appear regularly in the Bowling This Month. You can email him and order his book at hinitzlimited@aol.com. I have used some of his tips and they work very well. I myself am ordering his book as soon as I finish this article.
Thanks for reading. If you would like to ask a question write me at sosbob@charter.net
|