Article Contents

• 1. Ball velocity
  • 1.1. Slower toes
  • 1.2. Decrease armswings
  • 1.3. What about each?
• 2. Seniors are crankers
  • 2.1. Lane play evolution
  • 2.2. Gear decisions
  • 2.3. What about urethane?
• 3. Lane play decisions
• 4. Launch points
  • 4.1. Decreasing axis rotation
  • 4.2. Growing ahead roll – choice #1
  • 4.3. Growing ahead roll – choice #2
• 5. Last ideas

Be aware: This text is barely out there to Bowling This Month subscribers.

Through the years, I’ve primarily coached two sorts of bowlers: aggressive and elite bowlers trying to break into the nationwide/worldwide stage and senior bowlers trying to lengthen their enjoyment of the sport. This text will give attention to the latter.

As we age, we regularly lose mobility and power. Whereas a health program and wholesome habits can lengthen our competitiveness and delay this decline, we ultimately need to face the fact that our our bodies can’t do what they used to. Even in my early 40s, I’m feeling it myself, and I do know that I’ll must adapt as I age if I need to proceed bowling for an additional couple of a long time.

Earlier than we get began, I need to be clear: I’m not a physician, nor do I’ve coaching in any type of medical discipline. Continual ache and different points must be addressed by these with the related experience. That being mentioned, I’ve helped loads of bowlers get a bit extra out of their recreation. Except for limitations attributable to joint paint, the principle two points that older bowlers face are lack of ball velocity and extreme axis rotation.

The objective of this text is not going to be to magically produce 20 mph ball speeds in senior bowlers. Moderately, the objective is to debate methods to extend velocity by 10 to fifteen p.c and to make use of tools or different means to adapt to the sport you have got as you age.

We will’t flip again the clock, however we are able to adapt to the fact we’re in.

Ball velocity

As we all know, ball velocity outcomes from the mix of the momentum that we generate with our toes and the vitality we get from the armswing. Roughly talking, our foot velocity contributes about one-third of the velocity and the armswing the opposite two-thirds.

As we age, we are able to face a couple of completely different points that may influence these parts, primarily knee and hip ache that may have an effect on the foot velocity, and shoulder points that have an effect on the armswing. Relying in your bodily situation, you may compensate for one by adjusting the opposite.

Slower toes

In case your footwork is slowing down due to decrease physique points, you could possibly improve the peak or tempo of your swing to generate extra velocity.

One bowler I labored with discovered it a lot simpler to easily use an even bigger pushaway and achieve extra peak within the backswing as a way to generate the velocity he was lacking. This was an older bowler who’d at all times gotten by with a mode much like Marshall Holman: a decrease backswing and really …