Bowling this month 2013 11

Vol. 20, #11 $5.00 US November 2013

Jumping in with both feet

November 2013

6 9 13 Learn more at trackbowling.com.

33 37 41

Volume 20, Issue 11

www.bowlingthismonth.com

The T word, Part 2

14

Improve your skill level without keeping score. Here are more games from Susie Minshew to make training fun.

Tiered taping

Orthodox drilling methods make it difficult to get a good thumb fit. Joe Slowinski has a taping procedure that eliminates thumb bending and improves grip pressure.

Your health final exam

How much do you know about health, fitness, and nutrition?

Misunderstandings can result in not meeting your athletic potential.

Paul Butcher tests your ability to know fact from fiction with a quick true/false survey.

Handling adversity

Dean Hinitz looks at what happens when you get hit with one of life’s ice-balls. If you’ve ever been “beaned,” you’ll want to read this.

Playing without a parachute

Rob Mautner shows you how to play inside, even if you’re not a high rev player.

Using your head, Part 4

In the final chapter of his “From the ground up” series, Tyrel Rose addresses your head from the physical point of view and how to use your eyes from the setup through the release.

QUICK INFO 17 At-A-Glance Ball Chart 44-47 Ball Tracking Results 24-25 3D Ball Comparisons

continUoUs? angULar? both.

BALL TALK REVIEWS

smart core design...

Meets Smart Cover Design.

900 Global The Eagle Pearl p18

Motiv Cruel Intent p27

AMF Incinerate Pearl p19

Motiv Tribal p28

Brunswick Mastermind p20

Radical Reax Version 2 p29

Brunswick Melee p21

Radical Yeti Untamed p30

Brunswick Ringer Platinum Pearl p22

Track 400A Special Edition p31

DV8 Dude p23

Track 706C/A p32

DV8 Ruckus p26

NOVEMBER 2013

BOWLING THIS MONTH

PAGE 3

Founder Bob Summerville

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Publisher Alayne Merenstein-Summerville Managing Editor Alayne Merenstein-Summerville Design, Layout, Production Jennifer Hodges Eduardo Ramirez Elizabeth Stanford Marketing Alayne Merenstein-Summerville Subscriptions Elizabeth Stanford

Illustration Jennifer Hodges Contributing Writers Dug Barker, Paul Butcher, Ron Clifton, Steve Fuhrman, Bill Hall, Dean Hinitz, Mike Jasnau, Chris Mesagno, Eric Martinez, Susie Minshew, Rob Mautner, Tyrel Rose, Jack Schmid, Joe Slowinski, Del Warren Copyright © 1994-2013 by Joshua Sports & Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means without permission in writing from the publisher.

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BOWLING THIS MONTH

NOVEMBER2013 2013 NOVEMBER

Home of WebberNOVEMBER Bowling

2013

BOWLING THIS MONTH

1951 Longleaf Blvd, Lake Wales, FL 33859 Phone: 863-734-0200 - Fax: 863-734-0204 PAGE 5

susie minshew

nuts & bolts

nuts & bolts Pin Talk I

Part 2, More games to make training productive and fun

A

s promised, here are more games you can use to liven up your training sessions. There are challenges for your high school, college, league, or tournament team practicing together.

Approach Dots This is a game I learned through Mark Roth.

The goal is to hit the pocket from every dot on the approach. That means stand on the 5th board (sometimes that's the 1st dot) and figure out a way to hit the pocket. Then stand on the

10th board and do the same. You do this all the way across the seven dots on the approach until you're standing on the 35th board. Now, work your way back across to the 5th board.

When playing the extreme outside line it might be easier to use your spare ball to keep the ball on line, especially if you're doing this on a house condition. However, the greater challenge would obviously be to do it with your strike ball and vary your speed and hand position.

A variation of the game would be to not move from a dot until you have struck from that position. A third variation would be to hit the pocket from the 1st dot or 5th board and move to the 10th board. Hit the pocket and move to the 15th board, etc. If you miss the pocket with any shot you have to move back to the 1st dot and start over. Don't lie to yourself. You know where the pocket is and leaving the bucket is not hitting the pocket.

The most difficult variation would be to make striking the requirement for moving on rather than just hitting the pocket.

Susie Minshew is a USBC Gold Coach, Master Silver Instructor, a regional PWBA champion, and past president of IBPSIA. She has authored two new books, Whoever Finds It First, Wins and Bowling Whisperer. Visit her online at www.strikeability.com.

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Standing pins are your friend. They have an unerring message for you. Just to make sure your receiver is on the same frequency as their transmitter, try this: you know what leaves a 2 pin for a righthander, a light shot. Okay, so leave one deliberately. Now move enough that you leave the bucket. Then leave the 3 pin or a combination with the 3 pin ON PURPOSE. If you feel you don’t quite know what leaves some of the pins standing, the following should help. You know that the "perfect" strike ball hits the 1/3/5/9. Just to be sure, let’s go over the rest of the pinfall on this "perfect" strike. The 1 hits the 2, the 2 hits the 4, and the 4 takes the 7, sort of a domino effect. The 3 hits the 6 and the 6 takes the 10. The 5 takes the 8. That’s textbook pinfall. Frankly, we seldom strike this way. There are lots of other ways to strike – many of which I am sure you have used!

Anyway, on this perfect strike shot, the ball leaves the deck with its right edge touching the left side of the 9 pin. You know you are supposed to watch your ball roll over your target and then follow its progress down the lane.

Throw ten shots doing just that with a slight exception. Once the ball hits the pins, instead of watching or being concerned with pinfall, you are going to watch your ball leave the deck.

After it falls into the only pit in bowling, merely observe what might still be standing. You’ll learn lots more about why pins stand in a bit.

Now for a rare treat. This is the only time in your life you have permission not to watch the ball path down the lane. In this exercise, you’ll need to watch the ball roll over the target and then lift your eyes to the pins so you can watch the pin action.

You should have a full rack each time. (You will, of course, not get this full rack by reracking but by shooting whatever spare you might have left). Throw ten shots, hit your target, and lift your eyes to the headpin. Watch what happens to it. For the first few shots, just make

NOVEMBER 2013

sure you can see where it flies. Uh oh. It left the 2 pin? Well, what is supposed to hit the 2 pin? Where did the pin go instead of hitting the 2 pin? Where did the ball go?

After you have watched the headpin for ten shots, watch the 2 pin for the next ten shots.

Then watch the 3 pin for ten shots, and finally watch the 5 pin for ten shots. Notice you are not to watch the 6 pin. Although it is the pin that most often hits the 10, the action of the 6 pin is a result of how you hit the 3pin.

Therefore, seeing what happened to the 3 pin is much more important in understanding 10 pin leaves than the 6 pin is. That’s why you watch the 3 pin. You can see it hit the 6 and know what the 6 did or did not do to the 10.

If you hit high or light in the pocket, don’t necessarily discount that shot. That is, after all, how you leave stuff! Maybe you’ll hit high and leave a 4 pin and hit light and leave a 4 pin.

Yes, you can leave one either way. Watching your ball and the pinfall can really help you understand how all this happens.

This is a lot of shots so be sure. Take smart breaks. For example, rest for 88 seconds between each set of ten shots. This will assure you can evaluate what just happened and refocus your intent for the next phase. Don't be mindless. Be present!

Pin Talk II This is a way cool session. Imagine. Rewards for missing! This is an exercise best done after you have mastered the Pin Talk I training exercise.

After doing Pin Talk I enough times that you're really confident you see and understand the movement of each of the pins you were to watch, miss on purpose. Don’t tell me you can’t. You’ve missed before, just not on purpose. You already know what leaves a 2 pin.

Move inside enough to be light and leave one.

Keep moving and changing angles and rotation and speeds until you leave the 2. Spare it and do it again.

BOWLING THIS MONTH

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nuts & bolts

joe slowinski

Isn't it just incredible how far off you have to be to leave this stuff?

Move more and/or change something else so that you hit differently and leave the bucket.

Spare it and do it again. Isn't this amazing?

Isn't it just incredible how far off you have to be to leave this stuff?

Now try hitting the 3 pin heavy. Based on what you learned about how to be light in the pocket and leave a 2 pin or bucket, opposite or exaggerated moves should hit the 3 pin in the face. Shoot what you leave and leave it again.

Next leave the 3/10 or the 3/6/10. Have you ever wondered what takes the 6 pin out of the 3/6/10 and leaves the 3/10? It's the headpin in my experience. You've left the 3/10 or 3/6/10 many times in your bowling career. Leaving it on purpose almost seems impossible. You know it's not since you've done it, but wow, what a strange leave. Anyway, fool around and see if you can leave it. Spare it. Leave it again.

Now move to be flush in the pocket. Shouldn't be a problem. You've been all around the pocket with this game. Don't forget to shoot every spare you leave, never reracking or discounting them. This is a supremely wonderful exercise for accuracy and understanding pinfall.

To Die For This is a fun game I learned from Coach Glenn Soanes. It’s a great coaching tool, a neat way to hone your personal bowling skills, and a wonderful team practice session.

It will really help you get acquainted with different parts of the lane.

You'll need some dice, preferably two, and preferably different colors. Roll one die and whatever number comes up is the arrow you must play until you or whoever you’re working

out with doubles. At that point, roll again and you’ll get to play a different arrow. You can also wait for a turkey or hambone to move to add a little juice to your session.

If you are using a pair of dice and especially if they are different colors, you can play a more challenging game using boards. Two things here. Low numbers mean a move of your target to the outside and the high numbers mean a move to the inside. For example, a three on the first die means your target is the third arrow and a one on the second die means the new target is one board outside of that third arrow or the 14th board. A two with the second die is two boards outside, etc.

Rolling a four with the second die means your target is now one board inside of your target arrow. A five would change your target to two boards inside and a boxcar means your new target is three boards inside the arrow.

All in all, a very good exercise for expanding your skills, improving your accuracy, and making you a way deadly opponent.

I hope you'll enjoy each of these training games. Training is important. You can't get better without it and these games will keep you focused on things that will improve your skills and help you have a good time doing it.

Roll a

➊

target is one board outside target arrow

➋

target is two boards outside target arrow

➌

target is three boards outside target arrow

➍

target is one board inside target arrow

➎

target is two boards inside target arrow

➏

target is three boards inside target arrow

slowinski at large

Aid to reducing grip pressure

H

istorically, the anatomical nature of the human thumb has presented an enigma for pro shop operators, coaches, and players. With orthodox drilling methods, it is difficult to obtain a fit which prevents the bending of the thumb at the bottom of the hole while fitting the hole well at the top.

The thumbhole will fit at the top or fit at the bottom but not both. A thumbhole which fits the base of the thumb can’t fit well on the tip because the shape of the thumb will leave extra space on the bottom of the hole. Thus, bowlers must bend the thumb at the knuckle to grip and swing the ball as it enters into the swing, throughout the swing, and into the release.

This will delay the exit of the thumb. On the other hand, taping a hole with full pieces of tape, which creates a good fit at the tip of the thumb, would create a hole which is too tight at the top, also delaying the release since the tape acts like a braking mechanism.

This month I'll discuss a taping procedure which can help you improve your swing and release. The tiered taping procedure will eliminate the bending of the thumb and reduce thumb bending grip tension.

What it is Tiered taping is the strategic layering of tape with three thicknesses: full length, half,

and quarter length pieces. The major objective of tiered taping is to eliminate the bending of the thumb since this knuckling creates excessive grip pressure and delays the thumb exit.

This taping procedure is based on the premise that the tip and middle section of the thumb would both require more tape thickness as compared with the base of the thumb (near the palm).

Tiered taping will be defined by tape thickness values at three zones: the tip, middle, and base of the thumb. To illustrate, a 5-3-2 tiered taping would include 5 pieces at the tip, 3 pieces in the middle, and 2 pieces at the base.

The tiered taping process requires several efforts to customize for each individual’s thumb shape. I recommend you experiment until you discover what works best for you.

Release and swing problems Many release, swing, and timing problems can be traced to excessive grip pressure facilitated by thumb bending induced tension.

Specifically, the anatomical nature of the thumb leads to a problem to grasp and swing the bowling ball without bending the thumb.

In fact, this is so common, you will see bowlers with burn marks at the tip of their thumb.

Here are some common problems associated with excessive grip tension.

Joe Slowinski, a USBC Gold Coach, is currently on assignment in Europe. The Portland Maine native served as the Administrative and Men's Head Coach at Webber International University and served for four years as a Master Teaching Professional at the Kegel Training Center.

Slowinski is the former Director of Coaching and Coach Certification for the National Sports Council of Malaysia. Email: joseph_slowinski@yahoo.com or go to www.bowlingknowledge.info

PAGE 8

BOWLING THIS MONTH

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NOVEMBER 2013

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PAGE 9

slowinski at large

slowinski at large

Problem Area # 1 – Swing start movement and timing With the hole too large on the bottom, the first problem area will be the swing start fluidity and overall movement. Since the thumb is bent, increasing grip pressure, the player will squeeze more firmly as the ball moves downward and encounters gravitational forces.

Instantly, this leads to a braking effect as the ball transitions from a supported position downward to a position with no support. This will cause slower feet, reduced forward spine tilt, late timing, and swing movement shapes that reduce energy transfer from bowler to bowling ball.

Problem Area # 2 – Release With excessive thumb tension, the thumb will be delayed in exiting the ball reducing the separation between the thumb and fingers.

Moreover, the thumb will remain in the ball longer, reducing the rev rate since the arc line length the fingers can travel will be shortened.

This reduces the overall potential ball motion.

Often, this will also lead to the player rotating over the top of the ball.

Potential injuries Worse than detrimental physical game effects of excessive grip pressure are repetitive stress injuries associated with excessive tension in the grasp. Over time, this unnecessary pressure creates strain on the wrist and elbow.

With repetitive stress, the added tension of the thumb can lead to injuries of the wrist or elbow. Some common potential injuries associated with excessive thumb pressure include: ➤ DeQuervain's tendinitis - Two of three major thumb tendons run through a channel on the thumb side of the wrist. When tendons on the side of the thumb become inflamed, the lining of the tendons can become swollen causing the tendon movement to be inhibited.

This can cause pain on the thumb side of the wrist as well as potential wrist weakness.

Using an anti-inflammatory medication and a

PAGE 10

support splint or brace is recommended when experiencing discomfort. Please consult a physician before beginning any exercise program or medication. ➤ Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis) - Flexors of the fingers insert at the medial epicondyle at the inside of the elbow.

So, with repetitive motion that includes excessive grasping and gripping, the tendon can become inflamed. It is also aggravated by the resistant forces of wrist flexion (cupping).

Squeezing a tennis ball, wrist curls, and reverse wrist curls are recommended to help with this injury. ➤ Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) – A similar overuse injury to medial epicondylitis is tennis elbow. Tennis elbow is the inflammation of the area on the opposite side of golfer’s elbow, the outside. Symptoms include pain on the outside of the elbow and a weak grip. ➤ Carpal tunnel syndrome – The median nerve provides feeling for the thumb, index, ring, and middle finger. When this nerve becomes compressed due to repetitive grasping and flexing of the wrist, the carpal tunnel space shrinks due to inflammation of the nerve. When swelling increases, it is possible that numbness or pain can move from the center of the ring finger all the way to the thumb. In addition to pain, this can also weaken one’s grip.

Taping procedure

be one full tape at the top. Changing the top tape every three games is recommended to minimize unnecessary grip pressure resulting from oil and residue.

Step 2: Calculate needed tape

Step 5: Place the tape Calculate how many half and quarter pieces you will need. Remember that the goal is one full base piece and one full piece which would be put on top. For example, a 6-3-2 will require 4 half pieces and 1 quarter piece. The half pieces would go on the bottom of the tape and the quarter pieces will go just above the half pieces.

Step 3: Preparing the tape Cut the rounded top off a full piece of tape. Prepare the half pieces by cutting the full piece of tape into two equal pieces.

To make a quarter piece, cut the half piece in half. With each of these, you can use 2 half pieces, 1 half and 2 quarter or 4 quarter pieces.

Step 4: Putting it all together

To improve the grip, I strongly recommend testing the tiered taping process. Here are the step-by-step directions on how to construct a tiered taping. Read the instructions as well as review the photos for each step.

With your calculation and initial experimentation, construct a tiered tape with the half and quarter pieces. Begin with a full length normal 3/4” white tape. Attach the half pieces to the bottom of the full piece (non-rounded

Step 1: Estimate the thickness of each level of the thumb Turn your thumb to the side and look at it.

Study the thickness difference between the base, middle, and tip of the thumb. How much variation do you notice? Are there three layers?

Two layers? Estimate how much difference you will have at each level. Ideally, there should

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end). Then add the quarter pieces just above the half pieces to make the middle thickness.

Ideally, place one full piece on top of this. The rounded end will be on top of the top, nearest to the palm.

NOVEMBER 2013

The finished tiered tape should be placed at approximately 1 o’clock for a righthander and 11 o’clock for a lefthander (where the top of the hole, closest to the grip center, is 12 o’clock). To test the exact location of where your tape should go, place your fingers in the hole and then put the thumb in and note the opposite side intersection. This should be 90 degrees relative to your oval angle cut.

Conclusion A product called Thumb Straight was sold in the past and is still available. I believe the thickness of the long portion of the device and the overall bulkiness make it difficult to use as compared with the tiered taping method. It also does not allow the customization of the tiered taping method.

Tiered taping presents a relatively easy method to improve the grip and reduce unnecessary thumb tension. With a reduction of a bent thumb knuckle, a player will instantly realize improvements in the swing start, swing, and release. Tiered taping will take a few efforts to customize perfectly for you and your unique thumb shape. But, the experimentation will lead to a significantly more enjoyable experience on the lanes.

I have created a Change Your Damn Tape Facebook group. I encourage you to join and post your tiered tape construction and successes utilizing this tension reduction method.

Members of the group have been experimenting with tiered taping and developed unique solutions for themselves, which they share.

We have seen many successes with this process with members stating their accuracy is improved and their swing/release is effortless.

You, too, could enjoy these benefits by trying tiered taping.

BOWLING THIS MONTH

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paul butcher

Your health final exam How much do you know about health, nutrition, and fitness?

I

t’s exciting to visualize that brand new bowling ball humming down the lane.

The men say it has a finish resembling the freshly polished paint of a red classic Corvette.

The women liken the ball finish to hot red fingernail polish that catches attention from all.

Those unfamiliar to bowling may be afraid to even touch the ball, since the high gloss finish makes it look like it’s still wet. The deep red glow of the ball in the dimmed lights of the bowling center reminds you of a magical orb you read about in a book that contained tales of medieval times.

After hearing the pop of the fingers coming out of the grips, the ball approaches the gutter and then makes a violent angular break toward the pocket like someone kicked it. You walk out the shot as it crushes the pocket dead flush. The messenger dances across the pin deck for good measure, even though the corner pin was destroyed on impact. You look up and cry out with the roar of a Yeti, “Yes!” synchronized with a fist pump strong enough to shatter a cheap end table.

The still revving ball in the pit finally comes to a stop. As you walk back toward the ball return, out of the corner of your eye, you see a wide-eyed fellow with his jaw dropped

on the next approach. He is staring at you as if you were a superhero who had just launched a spinning ball of fire down the lane to incinerate the pins.

Many can identify with the story above.

Throwing that perfect shot with a goodlooking ball is exciting and makes you feel satisfied. The problem is that many bowlers look to new or different equipment when it comes to an arsenal instead of considering the most important tool in the arsenal, the human body. What good is sharp looking equipment and dress on the lanes if a poorly fit body can’t deliver?

There are many common misunderstandings and beliefs in regard to health, nutrition, and fitness. Athletes unaware of these misconceptions continue with what they believe is the correct way of achieving health. The uninformed fail to meet their athletic potential. With the current abundance of talent seen in bowling, even a small edge over the competition can be the difference between not qualifying and winning a tournament.

The purpose of this month’s Training Room is to test your ability to distinguish fact from fiction in

Paul Butcher practices physical therapy and personal training for New Mexico Sports and Physical Therapy Center in Santa Fe. He has a Bachelors Degree in Biomedical Science and a Masters Degree in Physical Therapy. He has taken post-graduate training in Orthopedic Physical Therapy, and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. E-mail: ptorthoguy@yahoo.com

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PAGE 13

training room

training room

the realm of health, nutrition, and fitness with a true/false exam. After the test, there will be follow up providing evidence based answers and explanations.

Exam 1. The best way to reduce fat accumulation in a certain area of the body is to perform isolated exercises to that area. For example, if a man has a “beer belly” he should do large volumes of sit ups. Similarly, if a woman has wide hips, she should do hip exercises for the buns to lean up.

TRUE / FALSE 2. It is not necessary to take vitamins and supplements because the normal American diet supplies the necessary nutritional value needed for health.

TRUE / FALSE 3. In regard to fitness training, it doesn’t matter if you work out alone or with a partner or group. What counts is heart and dedication to the program.

TRUE / FALSE 4. It is okay to take any of the supplements that are “natural,” since these substances are from nature and not chemically processed.

TRUE / FALSE 5. Those who have lost weight through diet and exercise usually skip breakfast in the morning. As a result, they consume fewer calories a day.

TRUE / FALSE 6. Yoga can be a dangerous method of exercise.

TRUE / FALSE 7. If you're not working up a sweat at the gym, you're not working hard enough.

TRUE / FALSE

PAGE 14

8. Most of the old PBA Hall of Famers weren’t big on exercise, so I shouldn’t have to do it to have a strong game like them.

TRUE / FALSE 9. Cardiorespiratory exercise like walking, biking, and swimming done in 10 minute sessions are not as beneficial to health.

Sessions need to be at least 20 minutes in duration to achieve full benefit.

TRUE / FALSE 10. Lifting lighter weights and doing more repetitions will make one’s muscles more defined and toned.

TRUE / FALSE

Answers 1. The best way to reduce fat accumulation in a certain area of the body is to perform isolated exercises to that area. FALSE. This myth is referred to as the “spot reduction” of fat. No exercise, diet, or other nonsurgical treatment can produce spot reduction. Simply exercising an area where there is increased body fat will make the muscles underneath the fat stronger or more tolerant to activity.

To lose fat weight in these “storage areas,” a daily caloric deficit or negative calorie balance must be established. This can be accomplished by adding exercise of any type, eating less, or combining the two.

Unfortunately, the first area that tends to gain fat is the last place you lose. Everyone has “six pack” abs, but in many the overlying belly fat hides them.

2. It is not necessary to take vitamins and supplements because the normal American diet supplie the necessary nutritional value needed for health. TRUE. The American diet supplies all of the recommended daily intake of protein, fat,

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carbohydrate, along with required vitamin, mineral, and micronutrients. Those who eat reasonably healthily need not purchase supplements to round out dietary deficiencies, because there aren’t any.

Some who indeed eat well and take supplements anyway excrete the excesses into the toilet. It was once said the richest sewers in the world exist below health clubs. Those with certain medical conditions may need supplementation. Always ask your physician when it comes to supplementation.

3. In regard to fitness training, it doesn’t matter if you work out alone or with a partner or a group. What counts is heart and dedication to the program. FALSE. Exercising with others has been shown to greatly improve exercise adherence. This can be accomplished either by taking part in group exercise classes or by having a training partner. Having a regularly scheduled exercise time, at which others are depending on you, is an exceptional way of ensuring high exercise adherence.

When arranging to exercise with a training partner, it is more likely for most to keep that appointment.

The same is true when taking part in a group exercise class. If a class is missed, it is common to have to explain the reason for the absence to others. Embarrassment is often enough to maintain high exercise adherence, which is the desired outcome.

4. It is okay to take any of the supplements that are “natural” since these substances are from nature and not chemically processed. FALSE. Check with a doctor or other healthcare provider before using any supplements.

Just because a product contains “natural” ingredients does not confer safety. Arsenic is an all natural chemical and also a deadly poison.

One third of all hospital admissions are a result of a negative drug interaction. Some products may interact with prescription

NOVEMBER 2013

and over-the-counter medications (as well as other supplements) and cause serious adverse effects including death.

This year it was discovered that even grapefruit juice taken with certain medication adds a strengthening effect to the medicine and is potentially dangerous. Certain supplements such as herbs can have unwanted effects during surgery. Read product labels, follow all directions, and pay attention to any warnings.

5. Those who have lost weight through diet and exercise usually skip breakfast in the morning.

As a result, they consume fewer calories a day.

FALSE. According to the National Weight Control Registry, 78 percent of members eat breakfast on a daily basis. These members lost an average of 66 pounds and kept it off for 5.5 years.

6. Yoga can be a dangerous method of exercise.

TRUE. Although yoga is usually an excellent mode of exercise, some styles are quite rigorous and demanding. The author encountered a patient in physical therapy rehab who had a complication with her hip replacement.

Long after it had been replaced she had been to a yoga class which resulted in a hip dislocation.

Certain conditions of the spine such as spinal stenosis or hip arthritis can be exacerbated by yoga positions and exercises.

Bikram yoga is performed in a room that is heated to a minimum of 105°F and 40 percent humidity and would certainly not be recommended for those with heart problems or MS. As with any form of exercise, qualified, careful instruction is necessary for a safe, effective workout.

7. At the gym, if you're not working up a sweat, you're not working hard enough. FALSE. Sweating is the body’s way of regulating temperature and is not an indicator of exertion. This is evidenced by sitting outside in

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PAGE 15

Month Review ed

.053 .050 .052 .052 .054 .052 0.052 .049 .050 .056 .053 .052 0.053 .054 0.048 .054 .045 .048 .054 .043 .050 .049 .046 .038

5+" 5" 5+" 5+" 5-6" 5+" 5+" 5" 5" 5-6" 5-6" 5" 5+" 5-6" 5" 5.5" 4-5" 4-5" 5.5" 4+" 5" 5" 4-5" 3-4"

7.5 6.0 7.5 7.5 7.0 7.0 6.5 7.0 6.0 7.0 6.0 7.0 7.0 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.0 6.5 7.5 7.5 7.0 7.5 6.0 7.0

16.5 11 11 13 13 10 13 11 10 13 12 15 15 13 13.5 16.5 13 15 16 14 11 15 12 15

17.5 16.0 17.0 17.5 17.5 16.0 15.0 16.5 16.0 17.0 16.0 16.5 16.5 16.0 17.0 17.5 16.5 16.0 17.5 18.0 16.5 17.0 15.5 16.5

54 54 55 53 54 55 52 55 56 53 53 51 55 52 53 54 50 49 54 52 54 50 54 50

A S A A A A A A A A S S A A A A A S A A S A A S

R Prl R R R Hyb R Hyb R Hyb R Hyb R Hyb R R Prl P Prl R Prl R Prl R Prl R R Prl R Prl R Prl R R Prl R R Prl R R Prl

9/13 6/13 11/13 8/13 8/13 8/13 11/13 10/13 7/13 10/13 9/13 6/13 11/13 8/13 11/13 9/13 6/13 10/13 9/13 10/13 8/13 8/13 7/12 10/13

Grip It Protocol The Eagle Pearl Incenerate Pearl Solar Flare Meanstreak Beatdown Melee Smack Down Source Amp Primal Rage Tank Yeti Untamed Hy-Road Pearl Reign On 706C/A 706T

4000 Abralon 2000 Abralon Polished Polished Polished neaT 500,4000 SiaAir 500 SiaAir/Royal cmp/Royal pl 500,500,2000,2000 Abralon 800,1000,2000 w/PHff 500,1k w/PH Clean N' Sheen 1500 grit Polished 2000 grit Sanded 500 SiaAir/Royal cmp/Royal pl.

1500 grit Polish 4000 Abralon 500 Abralon/1500 Abranet Soft/PHff 800,1000,2000,2000 Abralon

2.49 2.53 2.489 2.54 2.50 2.536 2.539 2.51 2.49 2.49 2.55 2.48 2.488 2.57 2.57 2.52 2.52

.040 .042 0.058 .050 .040 .048 0.050 .053 .050 .054 .050 .034 0.054 .046 .048 .053 .053

4" 4+" 5-6" 5" 4" 4-5" 5" 5+" 5" 5-6" 5" 3-4" 5.5" 4-5" 4-5" 5" 5+"

6.0 7.5 7.5 7.0 7.0 6.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 5.0 7.0 7.5 7.0 7.5 7.0

12 15 15 15 14 13 15 12 15 13 15.5 13 14.5 15 12 15.5 11

14.5 17.5 17.5 17.0 17.0 15.0 17.0 17.0 17.5 17.0 18.0 11.0 17.0 17.0 16.0 16.5 15.0

49 53 54 51 52 54 51 55 51 53 51 40 51 51 54 50 54

S A A S A S S S A A S S S S S A S

R Hyb R R Prl R Prl R Prl R R R Hyb R Prl R Hyb R Prl Ure R R Prl R Hyb R Hyb R

10/13 8/13 11/13 11/13 8/13 8/13 11/13 7/13 8/13 8/13 7/13 6/13 11/13 8/13 10/13 11/13 7/13

Rip It Vixen Disruption Dude Marauder Mutiny Echo Treason Absolute Curve Tribal Torrid Affair Deranged 400A Special Edition 505C²

Polished Polished 800,1000,2000 Abrln, PHff 500 SiaAir/Royal cmp/Royal pl 500, Rough Buff, Hi Gloss 4000 Abralon 1000 Abralon Matte 500,500,500 Abralon w/PHff 2000 grit/ Power Gel Polish 500,1k,2k SiaAir, rb, Hi Gloss 1500-grit Polished 500/1000/2000 Abralon w/PHff 800,1000,2000 w/PHff

2.57 2.56 2.46 2.557 2.524 2.545 2.527 2.48 2.55 2.48 2.50 2.58 2.49

.045 .045 .040 0.040 .050 .048 .048 .048 0.037 .047 .043 0.055 .038

4-5" 4-5" 4" 4" 5" 5" 5" 4-5" 3-4" 4-5" 4-5" 5.5" 3-4"

6.5 6.5 7.0 5.5 6.5 7.0 7.5 7.0 7.5 6.5 7.5 7.5 6.0

15 15 12.5 14 15 15 13 15 16.5 14.5 15 17 16

15.5 16.0 16.5 14.0 16.0 16.0 17.0 16.5 17.5 16.0 16.0 17.0 15.0

48 48 51 48 49 49 55 50 49 50 49 49 45

S S S S S S S S S S S S A

R Prl R Prl R R R Hyb R Prl R Hyb R Hyb R Prl R R Prl R Prl R Prl

6/13 8/13 7/13 11/13 8/13 9/13 9/13 8/13 11/13 8/13 9/13 11/13 8/13

Polished 2000 Abralon 500 SiaAir/Royal cmp/Royal pl 4000 Polished 800/1k/2k/4k PHff 800,1000,2000 w/PHff 1500-grit Polished 3000 Abralon 800,1000,2000,4000, PHff

2.49 2.555 2.534 2.56 2.55 2.56 2.57 2.57 2.56

.033 .046 0.038 .047 .042 .054 .022 .022 .055

3-4" 4-5" 4" 4-5" 4" 5-6" 2-3" 2-3" 5-6"

6.0 6.5 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.5 5.5 5.5 6.0

15 14 15.5 16 16 16.5 17 15 16

15.0 16.5 16.0 15.0 16.0 17.0 14.5 13.5 16.5

45 50 48 46 49 49 47 48 49

S S S S S S S S S

R Prl R Prl R Prl R Prl R Prl R Prl R Prl R R

9/13 9/13 11/13 7/13 6/13 8/13 9/13 9/13 7/13

Polished 500 SiaAir/Rough Buff/Hi Gloss 2000 wet sand, Power Gel

2.61 2.578 2.59

.026 .028 .025

2-3" 3" 2-3"

5.5 6.0 6.0

17 18 18

14.0 14.0 14.0

43 42 44

S S S

R Prl R Prl R Prl

9/13 7/13 7/13

Length

2.48 2.49 2.488 2.481 2.50 2.505 2.54 2.48 2.477 2.48 2.493 2.497 2.55 2.49 2.50 2.49 2.53 2.48 2.485 2.52 2.48 2.50 2.50 2.57

Core To

neaT nEat 500/1500 SiaAir 500 SiaAir, Rough Buff 500/3000 Abralon 500, 1500 SiaAir 500 SiaAir/Royal Compound 500 Abralon, 1500 Abranet 1000 Abralon 500,500,1k Abrln w/ Clean N' Sheen nEat Polished 4000 girt Sanded 500, 4000 SiaAir 500 SiaAir/Royal Compound 1500-grit Polished 2000 grit polish Polished 4000-grit Polished 1500-grit polished 3000 Grit 500 Abralon,1500 Abranet w/PHff 1500 Abranet Soft Polished

Flare Potenti al

Type

Symme try

rque

h

Hook

Bowling This Month, and Paul Butcher MPT, CSCS do not endorse any treatments, procedures, or products referenced herein. This information is provided as an educational service and is not intended to serve as medical advice. Anyone seeking specific medical advice or assistance should consult a physician.

Back E nd

Garber CE, Blissmer B, Deschenes MR, Franklin BA, Lamonte MJ, Lee IM, Nieman DC, Swain DP. American College of Sports Medicine position stand.

Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011 Jul;43(7):1334-59.

Differe

REFERENCES

June-November 2013

Low R G

In conclusion, bowlers who want excel in the game must recognize the importance of building an arsenal of health instead of first resorting to equipment. As always, consult a physician before beginning any exercise program.

Ball Comparisons

Box Fin is

recommendation for cardiorespiratory exercise includes: ➤ Adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio exercise per week. ➤ Exercise recommendations can be met through 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (five days per week) or 20-60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise (three days per week). Multiple shorter sessions of at least 10 minutes are acceptable.

10. Lifting lighter weights and doing more repetitions will make one’s muscles more defined and toned. FALSE. Proper nutrition and exercise leading to weight loss will only make one’s muscles appear more defined. Reduced body fat is what fashions the lean and tight look, not high repetitions. Reduced body fat is a result of strength training, proper amounts of cardiovascular exercise, and nutrition that places one in a calorie deficit.

Ball

the hot sun of Arizona in July. Although it yields a good sweat, sitting isn’t exercise.

It’s just the body cooling itself in response to heat.

Conversely, walking for ten miles properly clothed on a crisp January day in Minnesota wouldn’t yield much of a sweat, if any, but plenty of exertion along with many calories burned would have occurred.

8. Most of the old PBA Hall of Famers weren’t big on exercise so I shouldn’t have to do it to have a strong game like them. FALSE. It is correct that most athletes from the 1900s to the 1970s who played professional sports didn’t engage in the volumes of fitness training done today. But, as new research into exercise science has been realized, the top athletes today all engage in some form of training outside their sport.

In addition, the old PBA Hall of Famers didn’t have as large a competition group compared to today's sport which includes international players.

9. Cardiorespiratory exercise like walking, biking, and swimming done in 10 minute sessions is not as beneficial to health. Sessions need to be at least 20 minutes in duration to achieve full benefit. FALSE. One continuous session and multiple shorter sessions (of at least ten minutes) are both acceptable to accumulate the desired amount of daily exercise. Examples of cardio exercise are walking, jogging, biking, swimming, dancing (including Zumba), or use of gym machines such as the elliptical trainer, stair climber, and treadmill.

The exercise intensity is such that the activity can be maintained without stopping and is usually rhythmic in nature. If intensity is such that you are out of breath and have to stop and rest, as when sprinting, then the anaerobic system of energy is the primary energy system being used and you are not doing cardio. The American College of Sports Medicine summary of

Compa ny

®

ntial

At-A-Glance

training room

HIGH PERFORMANCE 900 Global Hard Drive AMF Incinerate Brunswick Mastermind Brunswick Mystic Aura Columbia 300 Antics DV8 Endless Nightmare DV8 Ruckus Ebonite Pivot Elite Alien Abduction Hammer Cold Blood Lane #1 Crank Lane #1 Grind/R Motiv Cruel Intent Radical Reax Pearl Radical Reax Version 2 Roto Grip Totally Defiant Seismic Raging Bull Long Horn Seismic Solaris Platinum Edition Seismic Venator Storm Byte Storm Marvel-S Track 910A Track 912T Visionary Warlock XV Pearl

UPPER-MID-PRICE 900 Global 900 Global 900 Global AMF AMF Brunswick Brunswick Columbia 300 Ebonite Hammer Motiv Motiv Radical Storm Storm Track Track

MID-PRICE 900 Global 900 Global Columbia 300 DV8 DV8 Elite Elite Hammer Motiv Radical Roto Grip Track Track

LOWER-MID-PRICE AMF Bowlers Paradise Brunswick Columbia 300 Hammer Hammer Roto Grip Roto Grip Track

Heat Stroke Pegasus Ringer Platinum Pearl Freeze Nail Titanium Spike Scream 2013 Shout 2013 300C Solid

ENTRY LEVEL 900 Global Brunswick Motiv

Desert Hook Strike King Ascent Pearl

S: Symmetrical A: Asymmetrical lt. light , g.s. grit sanded, nb no buff, rb rough buff, ms. micron sanded, snd. sanded, PH. powerhouse, pl. polish, w.s. wet sand,

PAGE 16

BOWLING THIS MONTH

NOVEMBER 2013

cmp. compound, f.f. factory finish, P particle, R reactive, Prl Pearl,BOWLING Abrln pol. THIS Abralon polished, gt. grit, gls. gloss, PHff Powerhouse Factory Finish, Abnt. Abranet NOVEMBER 2013 MONTH PAGE 17

RATINGS*

*Scale: 1-10 Ratings, drillings and diagrams listed in the following order: Stroker/Tweener/Cranker

OILY: 6/6/8 MEDIUM: 9.5/9.5/9.5 DRY: 7.5/8/5 SPORT: 6/6/6

GENERAL INFO Coverstock Name: S70 Pearl Type: Reactive Pearl Box Finish: Polished Color: Black Core Density: Dual Enhanced Mass Bias: .024 Asymmetrical For Lane Conditions and Drillings, Please see Ball Notes at bowlingthismonth.com/ballnotes

2.489

BALL TALK REVIEWS

BALL TALK REVIEWS

THE EAGLE PEARL

INCINERATE PEARL

RG: The Eagle Pearl uses the same weight block as all Eagles with the exception of the War Eagle. This lower RG core revs up quickly off the bowler’s hand.

.058

Diff/Flare: This core shape can produce over five inches of track flare. Cranker’s higher rev rate allowed him to see nearly six inches of oil rings, while Tweener and Stroker were closer to four and a half.

7.5

Torque: The pearl polished coverstock keeps its energy for a big transition down the lane.

15

Length: The polished veneer of The Eagle Pearl wastes very little energy in the oil. The

Scale: 1-10 Scale: 1-25

The move at the breakpoint sets this ball up for a nice change of direction at the back end.

polish helps this ball pop hard off the breakpoint.

RATINGS*

*Scale: 1-10 Ratings, drillings and diagrams listed in the following order: Stroker/Tweener/Cranker

OILY: 5/5/6 MEDIUM: 8/9.5/8 DRY: 8/7/6 SPORT: 5/5/5

GENERAL INFO Coverstock Name: F73 Pearl Type: Reactive Pearl Box Finish: Polished Color: Black/Orange

17.5

Back End: The back end is where bowlers will see the majority of motion from The Eagle

Scale: 1-20

Pearl. It did not matter if we attacked the lanes down and in or swinging the ball to the breakpoint, the back end recovery was always present with this ball.

Core Density: Dual Symmetrical

54

Total Hook: This ball can cover a good amount of boards for a shiny pearl ball. It hooks

For Lane Conditions and Drillings, Please see Ball Notes at bowlingthismonth.com/ballnotes

Scale: 1-100

slightly less than the previous solid sanded Eagle balls.

Comments: The Eagle Pearl is the newest ball carrying the Eagle name. It uses the core from the original Eagle with a polished pearl version of the s70 coverstock. This gives users easier length with a stronger change of direction at the breakpoint than any previous Eagle release. This gave us the best reaction on our medium test pattern. All three testers were able to strike with ease on this pattern. This core has been really good to us from its birth through all of its incarnations. The addition of a pearlized coverstock gave us even more down lane recovery. We never had to make any change to the coverstock for the duration of the testing session on this pattern. The dry test pattern gave us our next best reaction. Tweener and Stroker had the better reaction, moving a good five boards left of where they were on the medium pattern. Cranker struggled with the big back end motion on the shorter pattern. He used a 4000 Abralon pad to get The Eagle Pearl to burn off energy and give him a less violent move at the back end. Moving to the heavy pattern, Cranker was the only tester able to strike with The Eagle Pearl at the box finish. Stroker and Tweener needed to adjust the surface to find some extra hook on this slicker pattern. Both testers knocked the cover down with a nEat pad. The rougher surface got them to the pocket. All three testers had an average reaction on our sport pattern. We liked it more and more on this pattern as it transitioned. The oil carrying down gave our testers more hold and helped calm down The Eagle Pearl from jumping into the headpin on shots that were inside of target.

SUMMARY

2.54

RG: The Incinerate Pearl uses the same shaped weight block as the Incinerate. The densities

.050

Diff/Flare: The differential stays identical to the Incinerate. Because of the polished cover,

7

Torque: The polished coverstock and higher RG core combine to give the Incinerate Pearl

Scale: 1-10

a stronger change of direction when it sees friction than the Incinerate had. Bowlers who had problems with the Incinerate burning up will like the added pop at the breakpoint.

15

Length: The pearlized coverstock with the polished finish easily skids through the front of the lane. The high RG core helps promote more length.

17

Scale: 1-20

Back End: The cover and core combination promotes a substantial move at the breakpoint.

The Incinerate Pearl offers much more back end than its solid counterpart.

51

Total Hook: While the Incinerate Pearl has more back end and torque than the solid

Scale: 1-25

Scale: 1-100

have been changed in this version to create a higher RG.

we were closer to the four inch mark in flare rings than to five.

Incinerate, it is noticeably less in the total hook department. That is no surprise for a polished pearlized coverstock.

Comments: This ball modified the RG from the core design used in the first Incinerate. The higher RG and pearl F73 coverstock are both in place to give the Incinerate Pearl more length and a stronger change of direction at the breakpoint and back end. This ball was built to complement the original Incinerate and that is exactly what it does, giving us a much better reaction on our medium test pattern. The polished cover easily glided through the front, picked up strongly at the breakpoint, and made its move to the pocket. While Stroker and Cranker could get to the pocket, they had no where near the success Tweener did. Cranker saw the core offer too much length, giving him some unwanted wiggle at the breakpoint. Stroker saw the same and had a difficult time kicking out the corner. Tweener by far had the best reaction on this pattern. He was able to take full advantage of this cover and core combination, having hold on shots he missed in and just amazing recovery on shots that got to the dry quicker. The pins acted like his ball weighed twenty pounds. Moving to the dry test pattern, Stroker’s reaction was best. His lower rev rate kept the Incinerate Pearl on line to the pocket easier than the other two testers. The extra friction also allowed him to have added hit at the pins, eliminating the flat leaves he was having on the medium pattern. The other two testers needed to add more speed to their delivery to help combat the drier conditions. On the slick test pattern, we needed some extra surface to help bite through the oil. All three testers took down the Incinerate Pearl to a nEat finish, which gave us overlap with the original Incinerate. This ball give us a little too much skid/flip on our sport pattern at the box finish. We would recommend the Incinerate Pearl when the Incinerate starts to hook too early or too much.

SUMMARY

Strengths: The strong change of direction and hitting power at the pins are what we liked best about The Eagle Pearl. A good, proven weight block this time is matched up with a proven pearlized coverstock.

Strengths: The Incinerate Pearl will give bowlers a skid/flip motion with its strong coverstock. It will fit below the Incinerate Solid and above the Solar Flare and Heat Stroke.

Weakness: Only heavy oil patterns will keep this Eagle from soaring. Bowlers can remove the polish or choose the Black Eagle for these types of conditions.

Weakness: This ball will struggle on heavy volumes of oil. Those types of conditions are where the original Incinerate will be the ball to use.

Overall: While this Eagle has slightly less total hook, it makes up for it by offering a different shape going down the lane. Bowlers who want to see more skid and flip from their ball will want to look into this one.

PAGE 18

BOWLING THIS MONTH

NOVEMBER 2013

Overall: The Incinerate Pearl is the ball of choice from the AMF line up for a skid/snap motion on medium type conditions. Bowlers who need a ball to shell down to when the Incinerate starts to hook too early will want to check out the Incinerate Pearl.

NOVEMBER 2013

BOWLING THIS MONTH

PAGE 19

RATINGS*

*Scale: 1-10 Ratings, drillings and diagrams listed in the following order: Stroker/Tweener/Cranker

OILY: 9.5/9.5/9 MEDIUM: 8/8/7 DRY: 4/4/3 SPORT: 7/7/7

GENERAL INFO Coverstock Name: Honor Roll Solid Type: Reactive Solid Box Finish: 500/1500 SiaAir Color: Black/Blue/Orange Core Density: Dual Enhanced Mass Bias: .015 Asymmetrical For Lane Conditions and Drillings, Please see Ball Notes at bowlingthismonth.com/ballnotes

2.488 .052 7.5

Scale: 1-10

11

Scale: 1-25

BALL TALK REVIEWS

BALL TALK REVIEWS

MASTERMIND

MELEE

RG: The Mastermind uses a new core design from Brunswick. The new core name tells us what it is, Mastermind Ultra Low RG. This core design also has the famed Brunswick Crown visible in its design.

Diff/Flare: This new core produces just over five inches of flare potential. The oil rings are

easily seen on the Mastermind’s rough coverstock.

Torque: The Mastermind provides a sneaky amount of movement at the breakpoint for a

ball at such a rough box finish and a low RG core. Bowlers on heavy volumes who want a ball with some movement down lane will like the reaction the Mastermind provides.

Length: The rough box finish is officially 500 followed by 1500 SiaAir pads. This rough

finish easily creates friction, even on our slickest test pattern.

17

Back End: This ball can still move when it gets out of the oil pattern toward the end of the

55

Total Hook: The Mastermind is right up there with the biggest hooking Brunswick prod-

Scale: 1-20 Scale: 1-100

lane. This motion will come in very handy on heavier patterns.

ucts in recent history. This ball will be the one to go to when nothing else in the bag is creating enough movement.

RATINGS*

*Scale: 1-10 Ratings, drillings and diagrams listed in the following order: Stroker/Tweener/Cranker

OILY: 6/6/8 MEDIUM: 9/9.5/9.5 DRY: 8/7/7 SPORT: 6/6/7

GENERAL INFO Coverstock Name: Savvy Solid Type: Reactive Solid Box Finish: 500 SiaAir/Royal Compound/Royal Shine Color: Red Core Density: Dual Symmetrical For Lane Conditions and Drillings, Please see Ball Notes at bowlingthismonth.com/ballnotes

Comments: The Mastermind is the latest Pro Performance release from Brunswick. It has a new core design and new coverstock. These two elements come together to give users giant amounts of hook on heavy oil conditions. It was no shock to any of our testers that a ball this rough and aggressive would be best on our heavy oil test pattern. Stroker and Tweener felt more comfortable on this pattern with the Mastermind than they had with any previous Brunswick release. This ball made up serious ground for them, even on shots leaked right that usually have no chance of striking on this pattern. Cranker liked the ball as well, but it did not take too many shots before he was seeing too much hook. Tweener and Stroker also liked this ball best on the medium test pattern. They were able to open up the lane because of how aggressive it is. Again, it did not take many shots for Cranker to run into too much friction and he went to the spinner to raise the finish to a 4000 SiaAir. The smoother surface gave him the little extra length he needed for this pattern. The aggressive nature of this ball gave us a good look on our sport pattern. We were able to start farther right, which allowed us to make small moves left and really break this pattern down nicely. Each tester had the confidence to know the ball was going to get back to the pocket, even on shots missed a little wide. We left it at the box finish for the entire time on this pattern. The short test pattern was the only one to give this ball trouble. We added compound and polish to all three test balls, but it was still too much hook for any of our test staff.

SUMMARY

2.539

RG: The Melee uses a new core shape. This medium RG core revs up strongly in the midlane.

.050

Diff/Flare: The Melee's medium RG symmetric core gives users up to five inches of track

7.5

Torque: This is one of the heaviest rolling balls we have thrown in a while. This resulted in

15

Length: The polished solid coverstock provides medium length for all styles of bowlers.

This ball at the box finish is best suited for medium oil conditions.

17

Scale: 1-20

Back End: This ball is just shy of being a skid/flip reaction. The back end is a really strong movement, but it's more on the arc side than flip.

51

Total Hook: The Melee is the most versatile of this month’s Brunswick releases. It fits

Scale: 1-10 Scale: 1-25

Scale: 1-100

Like the Mastermind, this core has the Brunswick Crown shape utilized in the core design.

flare. Lower rev rate bowlers will be closer to three and half to four inches, while high rev players will see the full five inches.

all three testers having increased pin carry on all our test patterns.

right between the Mastermind and the Ringer Platinum Pearl in reaction shape and total hook.

Comments: The Melee is the first solid one color ball since the C System Versamax. The ball stores a good amount of energy while not over-skidding in the oil. This heavy rolling ball gave us our best look on the medium test pattern. Cranker and Tweener really liked it on this pattern. They felt they could be as aggressive as they wanted at the bottom of the swing without the Melee going sideways when it saw friction. Stroker had a good reaction on this pattern as well, but it just was not as good as Cranker and Tweener saw. We did not feel we would be doing this ball any justice by altering the coverstock on this pattern. We also left it at the box finish on the dry test pattern. The polished cover gave Tweener and Stroker enough skid to allow them to open up the lane on this shorter pattern. Cranker saw a little too much hook for his liking until he started projecting the Melee farther out on to the lane. The loft gave him the extra length to catch up to Tweener and Stroker. Stroker and Tweener needed to remove the polish with a 2000 SiaAir pad for our heavy test pattern. The added surface texture gave them the grip they were lacking from the box finish. Cranker was able to keep this ball at the box finish on this pattern also. He moved his feet right and was straighter through the front with his angles and was able to strike plenty. Tweener and Stroker made the same surface adjustment on the sport pattern as they did on the heavy pattern to find their best lines to the pocket. Cranker again liked the box finish best on this pattern. We usually see too much angle when a polished ball exits this pattern, but the Melee rolled so heavily in the midlane for Cranker, he was able to control the back end just fine.

SUMMARY

Strengths: The ability of this ball to create traction is its biggest strength. We have not seen anything close to this much hook from Brunswick besides the Paranormal Aura.

Strengths: The Melee offers a unique motion going down the lane. The ball is remarkably clean through the front while picking up strongly in the midlane with an arcing motion through the back end.

Weakness: Dry lanes will have this ball in the bag quickly. There are plenty of weaker options than trying to tame down this hooking monster.

Weakness: There is little the Melee cannot do on the lane. Our lower rev testers had a few problems on the heavy oil test pattern.

Overall: The Melee is the most versatile release we have seen from Brunswick in quite a while. This ball can find use in almost any bowler’s bag.

Overall: The Mastermind is the Brunswick ball to own for heavy oil patterns. This ball can hook on anything.

PAGE 20

BOWLING THIS MONTH

NOVEMBER 2013

NOVEMBER 2013

BOWLING THIS MONTH

PAGE 21

RATINGS*

BALL TALK REVIEWS

BALL TALK REVIEWS

RINGER PLATINUM PEARL

DUDE

*Scale: 1-10 Ratings, drillings and diagrams listed in the following order: Stroker/Tweener/Cranker

OILY: 4/4/6 MEDIUM: 9/9/9.5 DRY: 9.5/8.5/6 SPORT: 5/5/5

GENERAL INFO Coverstock Name: CPT Flip Type: Reactive Pearl Box Finish: 500 SiaAir/Royal Compound/Royal Shine Color: Platinum Core Density: Dual Symmetrical For Lane Conditions and Drillings, Please see Ball Notes at bowlingthismonth.com/ballnotes

2.534

RG: The Ringer Platinum Pearl uses the same medium RG core as the original Ringer. This ball wastes little energy in the first half of the lane.

.038

Diff/Flare: The differential stays the same in this new Ringer as well. Bowlers can expect

6

Torque: We will use this time to remind readers that our ratings are based on Tweener’s re-

Scale: 1-10

action on our medium test pattern. While Tweener saw the Platinum change directions about the same as the original Ringer, our other testers saw it turn over harder than the original.

15.5

Length: The polished pearl coverstock on this Ringer gives it more length than the original.

between three and four inches of flare potential.

Scale: 1-25

Bowlers looking for more length and recovery than the original Ringer will like what it offers.

16

Back End: Once again, Tweener had this ball similar to the original Ringer at the back end.

Scale: 1-20

48

Scale: 1-100

Cranker and Stroker saw added movement and a stronger down lane reaction.

Total Hook: All three testers saw the same amount of total hook from this ball as the original Ringer, but a different shape going down the lane.

Comments: The Ringer Platinum Pearl is the second installment in the Ringer series. This ball uses the same core shape as the original Ringer, but the coverstock has been changed to the more angular CPT Flip. These balls are designed for medium to lighter lane patterns. We had our best reaction on our medium pattern. We were able to line up and not have to move much at all on this pattern. We had added length and back end compared to the original Ringer provided by this new formulation of coverstock. This ball was much more angular than the first Ringer. We had our next best reaction on the dry test pattern. The polished coverstock still gave us good length despite being a shorter pattern. Stroker and Tweener had a better reaction than Cranker because of their lower rev rates. None of the three testers needed to change the box finish on either of these patterns. We did not have much success on our heavy or sport test patterns. Balls that are designed for good length and an angular back end are not what we like to see on the sport pattern. We removed the polish with a 1500 SiaAir pad on all three test balls to give us added traction and to help smooth out the response to friction. We went even lower on the surface on the heavy pattern, using a 1000 SiaAir pad on the three bowling balls. While the rougher surface gave us more hook, we would much rather have the Mastermind in our hands on the slicker conditions.

SUMMARY

RATINGS*

*Scale: 1-10 Ratings, drillings and diagrams listed in the following order: Stroker/Tweener/Cranker

OILY: 5/5/6 MEDIUM: 9/8.5/8 DRY: 7/7/6 SPORT: 6/5/5

GENERAL INFO Coverstock Name: Class 4F Type: Reactive Solid Box Finish: 500 SiaAir/Royal Compound/Royal Shine Color: Black/Purple Core Density: Dual Symmetrical For Lane Conditions and Drillings, Please see Ball Notes at bowlingthismonth.com/ballnotes

2.557

RG: The Dude uses the same core shape as the Diva from January. The densities have been

.040

Diff/Flare: The differential has also changed in this version of the Diva core. This ball has a lower flare potential than the Diva.

5.5

Torque: The Dude provides a smooth shape as it makes its way down the lane. This ball will

14

Length: The Dude’s solid coverstock does not allow it to have as much length as the Diva.

This cover takes well to surface changes for bowlers who want to get it going even earlier.

14

Back End: The Dude is strongest in the midlane with a smooth controlled motion at the back end. We added polish to the cover to get more back end reaction.

48

Total Hook: We found the Dude to cover just about the same amount of boards as the Diva. While it covered the same amount of area, we had this ball much smoother through the entire lane.

Scale: 1-10 Scale: 1-25 Scale: 1-20 Scale: 1-100

altered in this ball to give it a slightly higher RG.

be a good selection when the back ends are super crisp.

Comments: This latest release is the follow up to the very successful Diva for DV8. This time the core has been modified in addition to changing from a pearl coverstock to a solid. The higher RG core does not flare as much as the version in the Diva. The solid coverstock was very smooth rolling down the lane. That smooth and predictable motion was best on our medium test pattern. Stroker liked the Diva best and also had the best reaction with the Dude on this pattern. He was able to camp outside where the other two testers were and had the most miss room out of the three. He used the smooth rolling reaction to create hold on shots that were yanked and the box finish was just rough enough to not over-react when it saw friction early. Tweener was next on this pattern, but because of his higher ball speed did not have as much recovery as Stroker. Cranker got stuck having to move farther left, deeper into the oil, and had trouble with some over/under from the Dude with the box finish.

He was able to add polish to the cover to give him added back end motion which allowed him to go around the lane more. He also had the option of roughing the ball with a 2000 SiaAir pad and playing deeper in the oil, keeping the ball in the oil longer. Both options were good for him on this pattern. The dry test pattern was up next and all three testers took full advantage of how smooth the Dude was down lane. Even with the added friction, the testers were able to keep the Dude on a more direct line to the pocket. We needed more surface for the sport and heavy test patterns. At the box finish, we could not create enough hook on either of these pattern. We went with a 1500 SiaAir finish on both of these patterns to give us the extra hook we needed to get to the pocket.

SUMMARY

Strengths: The Ringer Platinum Pearl adds a bigger change of direction at the end of the pattern to the predictability we loved out of the original Ringer. This ball is still weaker than the Mastermind and Melee.

Strengths: The Dude offers a very predictable motion through the entire lane. This will help bowlers on over/under THS or conditions with very strong hooking back ends.

Weakness: Heavy volumes of oil will make it difficult for the Ringer Platinum Pearl to pick up fast enough to keep it from going past the breakpoint. Keep this one on medium or lower volumes of oil.

Weakness: The Dude will struggle at the box finish on heavy conditions. Keep this one on what it was designed for.

Overall: This Ringer Platinum Pearl gave us added pop at the back end and a bigger back end move than the original Ringer. This ball is best on medium to lighter conditions.

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Overall: The Dude is the solid counterpart to the Diva. This ball will offer the same amount of hook, while providing a different motion on its way to the pocket.

NOVEMBER 2013

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NOVEMBER 2013

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PAGE 25

RATINGS*

*Scale: 1-10 Ratings, drillings and diagrams listed in the following order: Stroker/Tweener/Cranker

OILY: 7/8/9 MEDIUM: 9/9/8 DRY: 6/6/5 SPORT: 7/6/6

GENERAL INFO Coverstock Name: Class 8F Hybrid Type: Reactive Hybrid Box Finish: 500 SiaAir/Royal Compound Color: Black/Blue/Lime Core Density: Dual Enhanced Mass Bias: .013 Asymmetrical For Lane Conditions and Drillings, Please see Ball Notes at bowlingthismonth.com/ballnotes

2.540

BALL TALK REVIEWS

BALL TALK REVIEWS

RUCKUS

CRUEL INTENT

RG: The Ruckus uses a new core shape. This asymmetrical shape visually looks like a meaner version of the skull shaped core in the Brutal and Endless.

.052

Diff/Flare: The Ruckus offers a big flare potential for all styles of play. Our lower rev testers both saw over four and a half inches of track flare.

6.5

Torque: The sanded cover blends out the reaction of the Ruckus before it gets to the end of

Scale: 1-10

the pattern. This ball is great for people who saw too much angle from the Endless Nightmare at the breakpoint.

13

Length: The compound box finish gives the Ruckus a similar length to the Brutal Nightmare.

Scale: 1-25

Bowlers who had trouble with the Endless Nightmare starting too early will like the added length from the Ruckus.

15

Back End: The hybrid coverstock provides a good combination of back end and total hook.

52

Total Hook: The Ruckus gave us a perfect fit between the Brutal and Endless Nightmare in

Scale: 1-20 Scale: 1-100

We were able to keep this one on a straighter trajectory than the Endless Nightmare.

the total hook department. We had plenty of motion on our medium pattern and just enough on the heavy pattern.

RATINGS*

*Scale: 1-10 Ratings, drillings and diagrams listed in the following order: Stroker/Tweener/Cranker

OILY: 9/9/9 MEDIUM: 8/8/8 DRY: 6/5/4 SPORT: 7/7/7

GENERAL INFO Coverstock Name: Fusion Pearl Reactive Type: Reactive Pearl Box Finish: 4000 grit sanded Color: Navy/Green Core Density: Dual Enhanced Mass Bias: .018 Asymmetrical For Lane Conditions and Drillings, Please see Ball Notes at bowlingthismonth.com/ballnotes

Comments: The Ruckus is the newest toy in the DV8 Pro line. It uses a new core shape and a hybrid version of the Class 8F coverstock. This high performance release is best on medium to heavy lane conditions. We had just a slightly better reaction on our medium pattern than our heavy. The compounded hybrid coverstock gave Stroker and Tweener a strong read in the midlane with great continuation at the back end. The aggressive coverstock hooked just a bit too much for Cranker’s liking on this pattern. He added a layer of polish to his Ruckus and quickly had a much better reaction. The added length from the polish allowed him to move a little farther right, covering fewer boards and increasing the amount of back end hook. Moving to the heavy test pattern, Cranker liked his reaction better than our other two testers at the box finish. Cranker’s high rev rate allowed him to have much more recovery than the other two testers on this slicker pattern. Stroker and Tweener could get to the pocket, but they had to be very careful not to get their speed too quick or the Ruckus would go light.

This was easily fixed by scuffing the surface with a 2000 SiaAir pad. With the extra grit, these testers could be more aggressive and had much better reactions. Stroker’s reaction was best on the sport pattern. The hybrid coverstock had the right amount of traction and back end reaction on this flatter pattern. Cranker and Tweener saw their Ruckus a little too angular at the end of the pattern. These two testers removed the compound with a 4000 SiaAir pad to help smooth out the reaction. The dry pattern did not offer much for this strong bowling ball.

Weak layouts and lots of shine would be needed to have a good ball reaction on short dry patterns.

SUMMARY

2.55

RG: The Cruel Intent uses the same Sinister weight block as the 2 Cruel. This core is un-

.053

Diff/Flare: The differential stays the same as the 2 Cruel as well. All three testers had

7

Torque: The coverstock from the Primal Rage is paired with the Sinister core in this release.

15

Scale: 1-25

Length: The Cruel Intent is finished with a 4000 grit sanding process. This gives users more traction on heavy volumes of oil.

16.5

Back End: The Cruel Intent is cleaner through the front than other heavy oil balls like the 2

55

Total Hook: This ball fits above anything in the Motiv line except the Raptor Talon. We

Scale: 1-10

Scale: 1-20 Scale: 1-100

touched and offers the same RG.

around five inches of oil rings.

This ball starts earlier, taking away a little bit from the back end reaction.

Cruel and Raptor Talon. The added energy stored allows a bigger back end reaction.

found the hook from the Cruel Intent to be much more useful than the shape we saw from the Talon.

Comments: The Cruel Intent shares the same Sinister weight block as the 2 Cruel, this time surrounded by the coverstock used on the Primal Rage, Fusion Reactive Pearl. It comes out of the box with a 4000 grit sanded cover, giving us the best reaction on our heavy test pattern. All three testers were able to see strong traction in the oil, while the Cruel Intent kept a generous amount of energy for the back end. This coverstock has proven it has what it takes to have some pick up at the back end and the sanded cover helped give our testers hook in the slickest part of the pattern. None of the testers needed to change the surface on this pattern. All were able to keep the Cruel Intent at the box finish on our medium test pattern as well. They amped up their ball speed on this pattern without ever sending the ball past the desired breakpoint. The Cruel Intent was not sanded enough to pick up too early, even as the pattern went through its transitions. The three testers were playing three completely different parts of the lane and all had success with this ball. We liked the ball on our sport pattern.

The sanded cover gave us some miss room right instead of squirting to the out of bounds. The pearl cover kept enough energy to continuously slap out the corner, allowing us to stay straighter for a longer period of time on this pattern. The dry test pattern was the only one that gave us trouble. The aggressive core and cover combination is better for heavier volumes. We polished the Cruel Intent to try and make it usable on this shorter pattern, but balls like the Tribal or the Ascents would be better options.

SUMMARY

Strengths: The hybrid coverstock shows plenty of power, handling both medium and heavy oil patterns. The cover also takes very well to surface changes to alter the reaction.

Strengths: The ability of the Cruel Intent to handle oil and maintain energy for the back end is its biggest selling point. The Fusion Pearl Reactive coverstock has been a winner on every ball on which it has been used.

Weakness: Different styles will have different weaknesses magnified with the Ruckus. Our lower rev tester had some problems on the heavy pattern and Cranker had trouble on the dry pattern.

Weakness: Dry lanes will not allow the Cruel Intent to be used. That’s where the Venom Toxin and the Tribal come into play.

Overall: The Ruckus is the newest addition to the DV8 high performance line. This ball uses a new core shape with a hybrid version of the Class 8 reactive coverstock.

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Overall: The Cruel Intent gives users a big hooking ball that is not done hooking at the arrows. Motiv has found a cover that gives them hook as well as a big down lane movement.

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PAGE 27

RATINGS*

*Scale: 1-10 Ratings, drillings and diagrams listed in the following order: Stroker/Tweener/Cranker

OILY: 5/5/7 MEDIUM: 9/9.5/9.5 DRY: 8/7/6 SPORT: 6/6/6

GENERAL INFO Coverstock Name: Fusion Pearl Reactive Type: Reactive Pearl Box Finish: 2000 grit/Power Gel polish Color: Charcoal/Silver Core Density: Dual Symmetrical For Lane Conditions and Drillings, Please see Ball Notes at bowlingthismonth.com/ballnotes

2.55

BALL TALK REVIEWS

BALL TALK REVIEWS

TRIBAL

REAX VERSION 2

RG: The Tribal offers Motiv’s first version of a traditional light bulb shaped core. They call this shape the Halogen core and it offers a medium RG.

.037

Diff/Flare: This core has a medium differential of just under four inches. All three testers

7.5

Torque: This cover continues to be the most angular Motiv offers. With the polished finish,

16.5

Scale: 1-25

Length: The Tribal’s 2000 grit with Power Gel polish makes it very clean through the front of the lane. The easy length is best for medium to lighter conditions.

17.5

Back End: The strong change of direction at the breakpoint sets the Tribal up for a big back

Scale: 1-10

were between the three and four inches.

bowlers can expect a big change of direction at the breakpoint.

*Scale: 1-10 Ratings, drillings and diagrams listed in the following order: Stroker/Tweener/Cranker

OILY: 9/9/9 MEDIUM: 8/8/8 DRY: 5/5/5 SPORT: 7/7/7

GENERAL INFO

Scale: 1-20

end reaction. Between the Primal Rage, Cruel Intent, and Tribal, bowlers can see a large back end motion on heavy, medium, and lighter conditions.

49

Total Hook: The polished pearl cover and lower differential core keep the total hook lower

Scale: 1-100

RATINGS*

on the Tribal than the other balls that share this coverstock. We still had plenty of hook on our medium test pattern.

Coverstock Type: Reactive Solid Box Finish: 500 SiaAir/Royal Compound Color: Light Blue/Dark Blue Core Density: Dual Enhanced Mass Bias: .016 Asymmetrical For Lane Conditions and Drillings, Please see Ball Notes at bowlingthismonth.com/ballnotes

Comments: The Tribal uses a new core shape and design for Motiv. The light bulb shape has appeared in weight block design since early reactive resin balls. Motiv’s version of this design is the Halogen core, a medium RG/medium differential offering. The Motiv Tribal is the second release from Motiv this month that uses the Fusion Reactive Pearl coverstock. This time the shell comes at a 2000 grit polished finish. This shiny cover ball was best on our medium test pattern. The Tribal gave our testers good length through the front with a strong move at the breakpoint and back end. The shiny box finish had Stroker playing a more direct line to the pocket.

His rev rate was not high enough to get the Tribal to recover on shots swung farther right. Tweener was around the same mark at the arrows but was able to get his ball farther right at the breakpoint. Cranker was deeper than both testers at the arrows and able to go around where the other testers were getting the Tribal down lane. Stroker liked his reaction best on our dry test pattern. The extra hook provided by this pattern allowed him to find the recovery he was missing on the medium pattern on shots farther right. Tweener and Cranker increased their ball speed to keep the Tribal in the pocket on this pattern. We were able to keep the Tribal at the box finish on both of these test patterns. Moving to the sport pattern, all three testers needed some help controlling the breakpoint.

The Tribal wanted to snap too hard at the back end, making it difficult to control on this flatter pattern. We lowered the finish to a 2000 wet sand lowered the finish to a 2000 wet sand to help smooth out the violent move we had down lane. We needed this surface on the heavy pattern as well. Even with the rougher finish, our reaction was better with stronger balls like the Cruel Intent on the heavy stuff.

SUMMARY

2.50

RG: The Reax Version 2 core has a slightly higher RG than the Reax. The change is really

.048

Diff/Flare: This core shape also has a little less flare potential than the Reax and Reax

7.5

Torque: Despite the changes to the core and coverstock, the Reax Version 2 has just as much

Scale: 1-10

movement when it sees friction as the previous two releases in the series. The solid coverstock keeps the reaction strong, without being too flippy.

13.5

Scale: 1-25

Length: This solid coverstock comes at a compounded finish out of the box and, combined with a high RG core, was cleaner through the front than both previous Reax offerings.

17

Back End: The Reax Version 2 offers a new level of back end reaction to the Reax line.

Scale: 1-20

The added energy stored by this cover and core combination can be seen from the breakpoint to the pins.

53

Total Hook: While this version has more back end, it does not quite have as much total hook as the Reax Solid. We saw this ball fit between the previous two in terms of total hook.

Scale: 1-100

not noticeable as this ball revs up just as strongly in the midlane.

Pearl. All three testers still saw over four inches of flare.

Comments: The Reax Version 2 is the latest high performance release for Radical. This solid covered ball gave us one of our favorite reactions on both the medium and heavy test patterns. It offers a unique motion going down the lane. For our testers, it revved up very strongly in the midlane while maintaining energy for one of the most continuous reactions we have seen. It is very easy to see this ball transition in each stage of its roll as it goes down the lane. We liked the reaction just a little bit better on the heavy pattern than on the medium. The extra volume on the heavy pattern gave us more hold while not taking away anything from the hooking motion.

While the ball was plenty strong, we were a few boards right of where we were with the Reax Solid. When we moved to the medium pattern, we left the ball at the box finish and moved farther left with both feet and target.

Again, we saw just a strong arcing motion with massive continuation. All three testers were able to play all over the lane on this pattern by just adjusting their ball speed. On both of these patterns we had slightly more length than the previous two Reax releases. Moving to the dry pattern, we needed to add a heavy coat of polish to all three test balls. This gave us more length, but the overall motion of the Reax Version 2 was still too strong for our liking. We really liked this ball on our sport pattern. The strong motion at the breakpoint and back end gave us a good amount of recovery. The box finish also gave us hold on shots missed a little inside.

SUMMARY

Strengths: We really liked how much energy this ball saved for the breakpoint. Even as the lanes got drier, the Tribal had no signs of wanting to hook early.

Strengths: The Reax Version 2 combines a strong hooking motion with massive continuation. Bowlers of all styles will find plenty of use for this ball.

Weakness: We had little use for the Tribal on our heavy test pattern. Motiv offers plenty of better ball options for these types of conditions.

Weakness: There is little this ball struggles on. Only short oil patterns with light volumes would hinder its performance.

Overall: The Tribal combines the most successful coverstock Motiv has used to date surrounding a new core shape for them. While it will not be a benchmark type ball, it will definitely come in handy as lanes break down or when they hook from the get go.

Overall: This latest high performance offering from Radical can cover most medium to heavy lane conditions. Slap your favorite layout on this ball and strike away.

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NOVEMBER 2013

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PAGE 29

RATINGS*

*Scale: 1-10 Ratings, drillings and diagrams listed in the following order: Stroker/Tweener/Cranker

OILY: 6/7/8 MEDIUM: 9.5/9.5/9 DRY: 7/6/5 SPORT: 7/7/7

GENERAL INFO Coverstock Type: Reactive Solid Box Finish: 500 SiaAir/Royal Compound/Royal Polish Color: Emerald Green/Black Core Density: Dual Symmetrical For Lane Conditions and Drillings, Please see Ball Notes at bowlingthismonth.com/ballnotes

2.48

BALL TALK REVIEWS

BALL TALK REVIEWS

YETI UNTAMED

400A SPECIAL EDITION

RG: The Yeti Untamed has the same core properties as the first Yeti. The low RG core will rev up quickly off your hand.

.054

Diff/Flare: This Yeti, like the last, can produce up to five and a half inches of flare. Cranker

7.5

Torque: Despite a coverstock change from a pearl on the original Yeti to a polished solid

Scale: 1-10

14.5

Scale: 1-25

17

Scale: 1-20

51

Scale: 1-100

saw the full five and a half inches, Tweener saw just fewer than five, and Stroker was over four inches.

on this one, the Untamed offers a big change of direction down lane. This shape was best on our medium test pattern.

Length: The polished coverstock has moderate length. The low RG core and the solid

coverstock keep the ball from skating past the breakpoint.

Back End: We had just as much back end from the Untamed as we did from the original

Yeti. The big difference we saw was an increase in total hook.

Total Hook: The Yeti Untamed will provide users with more hook than the Yeti and any of the Torrid line. This ball adds more total hook to the strong back end motion of the original Yeti.

Comments: The Yeti Untamed provides a solid coverstock matched with the same core properties as the

RATINGS*

*Scale: 1-10 Ratings, drillings and diagrams listed in the following order: Stroker/Tweener/Cranker

OILY: 5/5/6 MEDIUM: 9.5/9/9.5 DRY: 7/7/7 SPORT: 5/5/4

GENERAL INFO Coverstock Name: Luxury MA Type: Reactive Pearl Box Finish: 500/1000/2000 Abralon w/ PowerHouse Factory Finish Polish Color: White Diamond Core Density: Dual Symmetrical For Lane Conditions and Drillings, Please see Ball Notes at bowlingthismonth.com/ballnotes

original Yeti. It comes at a polished box finish and, despite its shine, offers plenty of hook. We matched up best with the Yeti Untamed on our medium test pattern. The ball offered moderate length with a big hooking motion.

The Untamed is not as angular down lane as the first Yeti, but it is easily a few boards stronger. Cranker almost saw too much hook from this powerful ball on this pattern. He was forced left pretty fast, but was still able to stay in the pocket. The sport pattern was the pattern we went to next and the Yeti Untamed handled it with very few problems. Usually polished covers give us trouble because of the strong reaction at the back end, but the Yeti Untamed was a more blended shape. The strength of this cover easily provided us with enough hook and, at times, made this pattern look almost like a house shot. Cranker was the only tester able to use the Yeti Untamed on our heavy oil test pattern. His higher rev rate allowed him to play straighter down the lane and let the strength of the Yeti Untamed take over at the midlane and back end. Our other two testers needed a little help on this pattern. They removed the polish with a 2000 SiaAir pad to give them earlier traction on this heavier volume of oil. Moving to the dry pattern, Tweener and Stroker had a better reaction than Cranker. They were able to move farther left and open up their angles in the front, feeding the ball farther outside and watching it hook right into the pocket. Cranker saw too much hook from his Yeti Untamed on this pattern. He would need a ball with the pin closer to his axis to tame down the reaction on this shorter pattern.

SUMMARY

2.58

RG: The DNA core from the 300C Solid is back in its original form. The higher RG core

.055

Diff/Flare: This core still offers over five inches of flare potential. All three testers were

7.5

Torque: The new pearlized coverstock saves lots of energy for the breakpoint. This is an

17

Scale: 1-25

Length: The polished coverstock uses minimal energy until it sees the friction down lane.

Bowlers on medium to dry conditions will find this type of reaction most useful.

17

Back End: We have yet to be let down by Track with their naming system. Any balls

49

Total Hook: The 400A Special Edition provides the same amount of total hook as the 300C Solid, but goes about it in a totally different way. This ball is cleaner through the front and much stronger down lane.

Scale: 1-10

Scale: 1-20 Scale: 1-100

loops through the front of the lane with no problems.

easily over the four inch mark.

“A” series ball for a reason.

carrying the “Angular” name in them have made a significant move in the back end.

Comments: The 400A Special Edition is the newest symmetrical cored release from Track. The white color of this ball will not be confused for anything else sitting on the rack or going down the lane. The 400A Special Edition is a combination of the DNA core first used in the 300C Solid with a new pearlized cover formulation called Luxury MA. This shiny coverstock provides a long and strong ball reaction that was best for us on our medium test pattern. The 400A Special Edition wastes little energy getting to the breakpoint where it unleashes a powerful left turn. Stroker and Cranker liked this one just a bit more than Tweener on this pattern. Tweener had a good reaction, but was just forced a little too far left to give him as good a reaction as the other two testers.

We were able to have success on our dry test pattern as well. We left the 400A Special Edition at the box finish and made sure to get more up the back of it at the release to keep it from jumping too much at the back end. The length from the box finish was a big help on this pattern. We were able to make the 400A Special Edition work on our heavy test pattern after some surface work on them. We removed the polish on all three test balls with a 2000 Abralon pad. While we got the extra hook we needed, there are simply better ball options from Track for these types of patterns. The same goes for our sport pattern. We have had minimal success with “A” series balls because of their intent to offer a skid/flip reaction. We like the reaction shapes from the “C” and “T” lines of balls on this pattern much better. We made the same adjustment to the 400A Special Edition cover on this pattern that we did on the heavy pattern to give us extra hook in the oil and smooth out the violent back end reaction.

SUMMARY

Strengths: Even with a shiny box finish, this ball had no problem hooking plenty on our medium pattern. Bowlers who bowl on a little slicker THS will like being able to throw a polished ball without giving up total hook.

Strengths: This ball provides a long and strong reaction in addition to giving Track users an additional symmetrical core option. Its best on medium to dry conditions.

Weakness: Low rev players will struggle on heavy volumes with the Yeti Untamed at the box finish. Removing the polish immensely increased our Stroker’s reaction on this pattern.

Weakness: Heavy volumes of oil are not where “A” series balls were designed to be effective. Find a “Traction” ball for the slick stuff.

Overall: The Yeti Untamed takes the reaction from the first Yeti and adds more motion in the midlane which equates to more total hook. This ball will be useful on a wide spectrum of lane conditions.

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Overall: The 400A Special Edition provides an angular motion on medium to dry lane conditions. This marks the first 400 series release to the US market.

NOVEMBER 2013

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BALL TALK REVIEWS

RATINGS*

*Scale: 1-10 Ratings, drillings and diagrams listed in the following order: Stroker/Tweener/Cranker

OILY: 5/6/8 MEDIUM: 9/9.5/9.5 DRY: 8/8/5 SPORT: 7/7/7

GENERAL INFO Coverstock Name: Gen X C/A Hybrid Type: Reactive Hybrid Box Finish: 500 Abralon/1500 Abranet Soft/ PowerHouse Factory Finish Polish Color: Teal/Black/Lime Core Density: Dual Enhanced Mass Bias: .006 Asymmetrical For Lane Conditions and Drillings, Please see Ball Notes at bowlingthismonth.com/ballnotes

706C/A 2.52

RG: The 706C/A uses the same Helmet core as the previous two 706 releases. The medium

.053

Diff/Flare: The Helmet core offers just over five inches of flare potential. The shinier coverstock will not show as much flare as the 706T.

7.5

Torque: As expected from a ball with the “A” name on it, this ball comes off the spot pretty

15.5

Scale: 1-25

Length: We have really liked polished covers coming out of Kentucky that are sanded with anything less than a 4000 Abralon pad before they are polished. This keeps them from being too sensitive to oil and sliding past the breakpoint.

16.5

Scale: 1-20

Back End: This ball fits between the previous two 706 releases at the back end. It is not as strong as the 706A down lane, but has more than the 706T.

50

Total Hook: Like many of the other ratings, this new upper mid performance release fits

Scale: 1-10

Scale: 1-100

the mind game

RG core starts up in the midlane.

strongly. Unlike other “A” balls however, it has added continuation through the pins.

right between the other two balls that share this weight block in the total hook category. The coverstock changes in the three balls make all the difference in reaction.

Comments: This is the third time the Helmet core has been used to power a 706 release. This time the weight block is surrounded by the new Gen X C/A Hybrid coverstock. This cover does exactly what the name says, providing a continuous angular motion that was best for us on the medium test pattern. All three testers were able to strike easily on this condition. Cranker liked being able to really circle the lane, having the back end motion of other “A” series balls and the added continuation after the big move at the breakpoint. Tweener liked the reaction as well and was able to strike just as much as Cranker on this pattern. Stroker was not far behind, having a good reaction as well. We kept this ball at the box finish for the entire session on this pattern. Tweener and Stroker liked this one at the box finish on our dry pattern. Their lower rev rates let them move left with their feet and the hybrid coverstock gave them recovery down lane. Cranker had issues keeping this ball right of the headpin on this drier condition. He removed the box finish by going down to a 1000 Abralon, then a 2000, 3000, and 4000 pad before reapplying a healthy dose of PowerHouse Factory Finish Polish. The higher surface gave the ball a shinier finish and the added length he needed on this pattern. Cranker was the only tester who could find success on the heavy test pattern with this ball at the box finish. The other two testers needed it to pick up a few feet sooner, so both removed the polish with a 2000 Abralon pad. The extra grit was enough to get them into the pocket. We had a good reaction on the sport pattern as well. The 706C/A picked up just in the right part of the lane without going sideways when it came out of the pattern.

SUMMARY Strengths: The 706C/A provides a reaction that is less condition specific than other 706 releases. This coverstock is less sensitive to oil than the 706A, while storing energy more easily than the 706T. Weakness: There is little the 706C/A could not do with the proper cover adjustments. At the box finish, it could have some trouble overskidding on heavier volumes of oil.

Overall: The 706C/A can be one of the first balls out of the bag to find the best line to the pocket. The ball provides the right shape going down the lane to be successful for a number of different styles.

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dean hinitz

BOWLING THIS MONTH

NOVEMBER 2013

Getting hit with one of life’s ice-balls.

“Toughness is shown in how you respond to adversity. Can you respond without losing your footing and your direction? If so, that shows me that you’re tough."

—Tony Dungy

T

here is a lot that happens in the world of bowling that is really really hard. Most of it does not get discussed. Maybe you think that it doesn’t count. Maybe you are old school and don’t want to complain. Maybe you just don’t know what to do.

Really challenging stuff happens sometimes.

I never met anyone older than about 18 years who hasn’t figured that one out. The thing is, the hard stuff can take so many forms. The obvious ones are injuries that take you out of the game for a little while or maybe for a long while. There are things like choking on an opportunity and having to live with the results, losing cherished friends and teammates in any number of ways, and of course—aging.

This month we are going to look at what happens when you get hit with one of life’s

ice-balls. There is a remarkably predictable set of responses that athletes have when the adversity hits. So if you have ever been “beaned” read on. There is always a way through the woods. The only problem is that sometimes it really is through the woods, so to speak.

Getting hurt “Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strenth.”

—Arnold Schwarzenegger

Bowling is unique in the sporting world.

Players have an asymmetrical approach to delivering the heaviest object in conventional sports. Even if you are a fitness buff, with great core strength and a balanced body, with enough repetitions, anyone can break down.

The types of injuries that show up can range from toes, to fingers, to hips, to lower

Dr. Dean Hinitz is a clinical sports psychologist in Reno, Nevada, a bowler, former competitive gymnast, and black belt in Japanese-style Karate. You can email him at deanhinitz@gmail.com

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the mind game

the mind game

backs. If that happens to you, it is never fun.

When it is a smaller thing like stress on the thumb or toe, it is hard to really know how to react. It is amazing how such a little thing can cause such major alterations in the ease of bowling. You wouldn’t think a pinky finger could matter so much, but it does.

When the injury is more serious, like a lower back or a knee, things get more involved.

First of all, you can’t bowl or perhaps you can, but it is not easy. If you are sidelined, you have the misery of not being able to play. But worse than that, there is often the fear that you will never return to being your normal self.

Bowlers react to injury with a wide variety of mental and emotional reactions.

These may include denial that anything is really wrong, anger about being hurt, pain or depression around not being able to be in the game.

If you are hurt, you can follow these steps: 1. Know that feeling is healing. What you feel, your brain and body can heal. If you numb out with pain killers, your body may be compromised in reading what is needed to self-repair. If you numb your feelings out with denial, minimization, or alcohol, you don’t give yourself the opportunity to move past the hard parts.

2. Deal with the realities of the situation. Get the skinny on exactly what is wrong and what is needed for recovery. Any time spent on what could have or should have happened is completely wasted.

3. Your new goals are recovery goals. Find out what is needed to get better.

4. Actually do what is needed to get better. (see #3) 5. The more positive you are, the more quickly you will recover.

6. Be patient. There is an ethic in sports that it is somehow noble to play through pain. The truth is that sometimes playing through pain is the exact wrong thing to do. Go slow to go fast later.

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Losing

If you say, “I am a choker,” you are. The power in your reflections about why you haven’t succeeded more often is under-recognized.

“Winners have to absorb losses.”

—ICE-T

Losing can be really tough. Coach Dean Smith said that if winning or losing was a matter of life or death you were going to have problems…you were going to be dead a lot.

Losing can be hard for a number of reasons: • You train hard and sometimes it feels like there is just no payoff.

• You may not be getting what you want out of your results and it can lead to some real questions about how good you really are.

• You may be bowling well in practice, but messing up in competition. This leads to potential thoughts about your mental game or your worthiness as a champion.

• You really wanted to win a significant event.

You know that making some form of “the show” is special and sometimes rare. It matters to you and you didn’t get what you came for.

When any of the above happens, you can get mad, frustrated, embarrassed, or just shut down inside. Sometimes feelings of wanting to quit go along with the experience. Your reactions usually depend on the magnitude of the defeat you went through.

Simply put, when you suffer results that are not what you hoped and wished for, you have two response options, helpful or non-helpful.

The negative path is the one that has you living in fear and self-criticism.

Bowlers who fail, which is everyone from time to time, can become so self-critical that they create choking and negative future results that are consistent with their selfcriticism. We really do set up self-fulfilling prophecies that give us outcomes, positive or negative.

If you say, “I stink,” you will. If you say, "I get to make the show, but I never win," you won’t.

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Succeeding "I've never known anybody to achieve anything without overcoming adversity."

—Lou Holtz

Bowlers who succeed have a very different progression of adaptive thoughts. By far the most important thing here is to objectively find the truth of why you didn’t get what you wanted.

The bottom line is that if you really learn what you need to, every shot, every game, every tournament, then you are a self-improvement machine. Your confidence builds because you know that you are getting better every single time you compete.

This last point is critical. Players who live in regret over what happened, who self-punish and self-doubt, create pressure. Instead of competition being fun and exciting, it becomes an arena to keep trying to prove they are not the player they fear they are. Most of those fears center around four themes: • I’m not a good enough bowler at a physical game level.

• I am not the stuff true champions are made of.

• I am not destined to be a winner; I am a runner up kind of person.

• I am unlucky.

The cure here is to boldly tell the truth in each of the four categories. Almost mathematically to the degree that you have the courage to tell the truth, you can have the possibility of change and success.

Let’s look at the items in order. First, there is plenty of objective data available about your skill level. All you have to do is get feedback from any reputable coach or even to look at smart phone video of what you are doing.

NOVEMBER 2013

Maybe your game is limited. Perhaps you struggle with certain oil patterns or transitions. You may not have the speed control, ball command, or understanding of where and how to play that would put you in the champions seat. All that is really needed here is an accurate analysis and the commitment to get better at what is weak in your game.

This doesn’t guarantee that you will win, but it does guarantee that you will give yourself a much better shot at it.

“If you're a champion, you have to have it in your heart.”

—Chris Evert

With respect to item number two, for better and for worse, players will tend to have results consistent with what they think they are. Most people do not remember that famed champion Carolyn Dorin-Ballard was on television twenty times before she won a professional Tour event. But what happened after that was transformational.

During her best year on Tour, Carolyn won seven times. One could argue that all of a sudden her game took a quantum leap with respect to her physical ability. But that does not make sense entirely, given the stellar physical skills of some of the other players on Tour with her at that time.

What happened instead, perhaps, is that Carolyn’s idea of what she is (not who, but what), shifted to champion. Hence, she tended to win because she expected to and deserved to. She kept re-proving what she already knew about herself. It looks really similar for Walter Ray. If, however, you think you are not a champion until you actually win, it is going to take a lot longer. You can be proving or you can be being. Actually being a champion up front will cut down on your choking and increase your excitement when you play. And, when you line up right, you get to win!

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the mind game

rob mautner When you live like this, some things happen in practical terms. Your armswing gets looser.

You stop over-aiming shots. You don’t back off your shots and you will likely exit the ball more cleanly, without dumping or steering it.

Your formula for success “The roughest roads often lead to the top.”

"Luck is not a magical ability or a gift from the gods. Instead, it is a way of thinking and behaving."

—Richard Wiseman, PhD

Lastly, if you believe that you are unlucky, you will find plenty of evidence to prove that this is so. There are plenty of studies that show this (see BTM March 2012). On the other hand, bowlers who literally create lucky breaks do the following: • They are good at creating, picking up on, and acting on life’s opportunities—both planned and unplanned ones. They see the opportunities that are all around in their environments.

• They make “lucky” decisions by checking their gut and taking action.

• They expect good things to happen, hence the world tends to line up more for them.

• They are resilient, shaking off the bumps and bruises of circumstance and making good things happen out of short term misfortune.

—Christina Aguilera

Your formula for success is grounded in the way you deal with adversity. Virtually no one gets through their bowling life (or their outside life) unscathed! The point isn’t to shoot 900 every time or to win every time you shoe up. It is not to go through your athletic career imagining that you will never hurt, grow older, or lose flexibility.

No. The target is to have a way of showing up, facing up, and sometimes growing up, that allows you to stare down adversity until it says, “I get it and I give. I brought my game, but yours was more convincing.” Only then will life step aside, take a bow, and admit you into the champions circle.

Do you have what it takes? You wouldn’t have made it to this spot if you did not.

Congratulations, you are on your way!

“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.”

—Haruki Murakami

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What we are saying here is that you will keep re-confirming your idea of yourself. If you think you are always a bridesmaid, never a bride, i.e. a runner up, every time you play you will mess something up in order to land there. You will start choking or missing spares.

You can change your stars in an instant. It’s just that most players don’t get that.

Playing without a parachute How to learn to play deep

N

ot long ago I had the memorable experience of bowling in a league situation next to top senior bowler Ron Mohr. Aside from marveling at the incredible score of 1085 that he shot that day (when you watch a top pro bowler bowling on a Typical House Shot, you can really see how easy we house bowlers have it), I noticed the way he was playing the lanes. Despite the fact that the league is one of the top senior leagues in the area and attracts most of the high average bowlers, a great majority of them still play the 2nd arrow. Ron started at the 3rd arrow and had moved almost to the 4th by the end of the last game.

I asked him about his decision to play the lanes so totally differently than the typical house bowler. He told me he knows most house bowlers play to the right and it

Some source material drawn from “The Mental Side of Athletic Injuries” at https://www.competitivedge.com/rebounding-injuries-0, and “Dealing With Defeat” at http://sportspsychologyconsultant. blogspot.com/2009/11/dealing-with-defeat.

was his goal to stay inside of them. He said, “I practice that shot a lot, even when it’s not there. I try to open up the lane for myself.” If you would like to learn to play more inside lines despite the fact that you are not a high rev player, read on.

Five changes There are five things you have to do to learn this valuable skill. Please note this article is written from the perspective of righthanded bowlers since, in most cases, it’s righthanders who are required to make moves to find fresh oil on the lane. The same principles will work for lefthanders, should they need it.

1. Change your attitude Whenever the subject of playing inside or “playing deep” comes up among house bowlers,

Rob is a USBC Silver Level Certified Coach and a PBA member living in Las Vegas. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the SNUSBCA. E-mail: robbob5@embarqmail.com

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PAGE 36

BOWLING THIS MONTH

NOVEMBER 2013

NOVEMBER 2013

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smart moves

smart moves

I invariably hear, “I don’t have enough hand to bring it back.” Once you understand the reason for moving inside is that the track area has dried up providing more friction than it did earlier, you will see that you don’t have to “bring the ball back.”

Modern bowling balls will find the track friction to the right and come back all by themselves. They don’t need any help from you. Besides, soon after the lanes burn up at the arrows, they also burn up at the breakpoint, which means you don’t have to go so far out. That means you can keep playing your straighter line and striking.

Shortly after the PBA animal patterns were introduced, I bowled a PBA Senior Regional event in Flagstaff, Arizona. We were bowling on Scorpion which is known for the development of an out-of-bounds area as play progresses.

By the 6th or 7th game, the out-of-bounds area was all the way in to the 3rd arrow. In other words, if your ball got outside of the 15th board at any point on the lane, it would miss the headpin right. If it got outside the 10th board, you were most likely looking at shooting a full rack for your spare.

There was a bowler to my left who threw one of the most memorable games I have ever seen. He shot 279 playing the 4th arrow and never getting the ball outside the 15th board down lane. This was not unusual except for the fact that this bowler was not the usual “cranker” used to playing a line like this.

He was a low rev player who relied not on power, but on accuracy, to play that inside line so effectively. I’ve since become friends with Terry Leong. I remind him about the PBA telecasts where the announcers talk about “ten in the pit” where that day his game was “three on the deck!” Terry has used his accuracy and ability to play inside lines and become a senior bowler with a reputation to always be a factor in tournaments including the Senior U.S. Open and the Senior Masters.

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2. Walk straight Often when house bowlers move their feet left, they walk directly back to their comfort zone at the 2nd arrow. This has two negative effects. First, you really haven’t changed your line much and second, as you walk farther right, your armswing is no longer in line with your target, so you tend to come over the top of the ball, losing power.

In order to move inside effectively, I believe it is imperative you walk straight to the line regardless of where you are on the approach.

See the Walking Straight drill.

3. Understand your line Whether you are playing the 2nd arrow, the 3rd arrow, the 4th arrow, or beyond, you can only roll the ball in a straight line. The physics of the ball makes it hook. To understand your line properly, you need to evaluate how you throw the ball in the comfort zone of the 2nd arrow.

First, note the location of the inside of your left foot. It is important to use this point on your slide foot to align yourself on the approach since you can easily see where that foot ends up at the foul line. In other words, you can see if or how much you have “drifted.”

Second, note your target at the arrows and your intended breakpoint down the lane. If you are bowling on Brunswick ProLane, you can use the dark tracer boards down the lane.

For the next step, have someone watch and tell you the location of your ball as you release it over the foul line. This is your laydown point - the point where your ball first makes contact with the lane. You now have all of the information you need to learn to move inside.

Let’s look at a hypothetical example. We'll say that, for you, the laydown point is ten boards right of the starting board. To play the 2nd arrow, you stand with your left instep along the 22nd board. You lay the ball down on the 12th board. Your shot crosses the arrows at the 10th board and goes out to the 8th

BOWLING THIS MONTH

NOVEMBER 2013

board at the breakpoint. Your normal line is 12 to 10 to 8 when playing the 2nd arrow.

So what happens when the lanes break down and you must migrate to 3rd arrow?

You already know your laydown point is ten boards right of your starting board. If you are making a totally parallel move with all three points of your line, then you will be standing with your left instep along 27th board, crossing the arrows at 15, and throwing to 12 at the breakpoint.

So what happens, you ask, if the breakpoint hasn’t moved all the way in to 12, but is now at the 9th board? You simply draw a line back from the 9th board to your laydown point, which is now the 17th board. Where does that line cross the arrows? That’s your new target.

Since the new line is a slightly larger angle, you simply open your hips and shoulders enough to accommodate it, being careful to walk straight. In other words, your feet still move parallel with the boards on the approach, your shoulders and hips face your intended line, and your armswing is parallel to it, perpendicular from the angle formed by

In Line Angles As you move left on the approach, open your hips and shoulders to project the ball right. Notice the feet move in the direction of the pins, while the armswing moves in the direction of the intended target (perpendicular to the shoulder/hip angle).

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your hips and shoulders (see In Line Angles diagram). Your armswing adjusts to the new angle. The direction of your feet do not. If you are starting on 27, you should be sliding to 27.

4. Change your perception of ball progression Make sure you don’t help the ball even when the angle becomes large enough you are afraid it won’t make it back to the pocket. Simply change to a more aggressive and earlier-rolling ball that will react more to the friction and turn harder back to the pocket.

To do this, you will probably have to change your mind set about your arsenal. A common carryover from pre-modern bowling days is that you start with the most aggressive ball you can and change to a less aggressive ball (ball down) as the track area breaks down.

This is a common way of insuring you never leave the comfort zone of the 2nd arrow.

What would happen if you started with a less aggressive ball to take advantage of the friction outside on a house shot and changed to a more aggressive ball as you migrated left?

Wouldn’t the strength of the ball “bring it back” without you having to help it?

If you are not a high rev “cranker,” you will probably reach a point where you can no longer stay inside the power players. That’s okay.

When you reach that point, you can once again begin to “ball down” to less aggressive equipment to play a straighter inside line and take advantage of the oil that remains on the mid part of the lane. Although high powered players are crossing it, you can play more direct to take advantage of it.

5. Improve your powers of observation It used to be that moving on the lane was a fairly routine proposition. The idea was (and is) to follow the oil line to give yourself maximum miss area to the left and right of your intended target. Moves were simple. You either moved two left with your feet and one left

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smart moves

the coaching canuck

with your target or two left with your feet and two left with your target. If a really big move was required, it might be three with your feet and two with your target, but that was about it.

The reason for this was simple. Most bowlers played “down the boards,” keeping their line to the pocket roughly parallel with the boards on the lane. Another reason was that bowling balls were not nearly as powerful as they are today and the covers did not absorb oil like the covers of today.

With modern equipment and a great diversity of styles and rev rates, bowlers are not all adjusting the same amount or at the same time. It is not uncommon to find traditional bowlers playing the 2nd arrow by laying the ball down on 13 and going to the 8th board at the breakpoint on the same pair of lanes with high-powered contemporary players who are laying the ball down on 18, crossing the arrows at 15, and going to the same breakpoint at 8.

Let’s consider this particular scenario and see if we can predict what will happen to the traditional player’s line as the games progress.

As his line begins to change, we can predict he will have to move his feet to the left a couple of boards, moving his laydown point to 15 and his target to 12 to reach the same breakpoint at 8. A few frames farther on, he may find himself having to move again - laydown point to 17 and target to 13 to reach the breakpoint at 8.

Things are fine until the next move when his laydown point, his target, and his breakpoint are all right on top of where the contemporary player started (he’s long gone by now).

To prepare for this eventuality (and anticipate it), you have to be aware of where every bowler is playing in terms of laydown point, where the ball is crossing the arrows, and the breakpoint. By being aware, you will know beforehand how far you will have to move to get left of other players or what kind of ball change you will have to make to compensate for playing the same part of the lane someone has already played.

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tyrel rose

Once you have mastered these five changes to your game and become comfortable with them, you will find your bowling has reached a new level. Not only will your league average improve dramatically, but you will be able to easily adapt to tournament conditions where playing different parts of the lane is not only preferable, it is mandatory.

Walk Straight Drill To learn to walk parallel to the boards regardless of where you are on the approach, try this drill in practice.

Put a piece of tape about a foot over the foul line on your laydown point as you are playing the 2nd arrow. Throw a few shots looking at the laydown target as you approach the foul line.

Once you are comfortable doing this, move both your feet and the tape five boards left. Again, practice throwing the ball as you are looking at your laydown point. Repeat this process until you have moved all the way to the left gutter. As you become comfortable at each position on the approach, be aware of your angle down the lane, from the laydown point to your target at the arrows and finally to your breakpoint. Practice opening your shoulders and hips slightly to keep your armswing going in the direction of your intended line, despite walking straight to the foul line.

The idea of this drill is simple: if you concentrate on laying your ball down on the correct spot for the line you are intending to play, you cannot possibly walk to the right and still hit it.

Once you have practiced this drill and adjusted your attitudes, you will find that a whole new world of bowling has “opened up” for you (please pardon the pun). Good luck!

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NOVEMBER 2013

T

he final chapter in the From the Ground Up series, for obvious reasons, is the head. For the most part, when bowlers and coaches talk about the head in bowling, we are referring to the mental or tactical game. In reality, what you do with your head from a physical point of view is also important, from how you use your eyes in the setup to its position through the release.

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

—Wayne Dyer

Eyes There are several factors that go into using your eyes properly when bowling. Effective targeting is an important part of the game, but the big question is at which depth should you look when targeting? Most commonly, at the beginner level bowlers

target pins, arrows or dots as they improve, and later become aware of the importance of breakpoints and exit points (see Canuck Coach’s Corner). Some will even target their laydown point or look at the dots in front of the foul line. Which one is best?

The one thing that is almost universally agreed upon is that targeting pins doesn’t work. It is easier to hit a target that is closer to you and, when you are not throwing something in a straight line, it is more effective to pick a point along the intended path.

After that, looking at the laydown point or foul line affects your head and posture in a negative way and is generally considered the second worst of the targeting systems, although back-to-back Canadian National Champion David Simard does just that. Looking at the foul line will generally cause bowlers to tuck their head down, which is an inefficient position for the spinal column doing any kind of movement. It can also cause too

much forward posture, which limits leverage and the ability to follow through.

The dots are a more common targeting tool. As a primary target, their main drawback is that they do not go all the way across the lane. There are no dots in the middle of the lane and bowlers must pick out boards without any significant identifiers. Depending on the bowler, the dots can cause some of the same issues as looking at the foul line and more often than not, looking closer to the foul line is associated with earlier roll for when lanes are oily.

Arrows are the most common targeting tool. They create an approximately 3:1 ratio dividing the portion of lane in front of them and the back of the lane behind them, making for easier adjustments. It is a comfortable distance for many, allowing the head to stay straight atop a slightly forward posture.

Breakpoints are commonly used among more competitive bowlers, but not always as

Tyrel Rose is Head Coach of Team Canada's Men’s National Team, a director on the national board for the Canadian Tenpin Federation, an NCCP Competition Development level and USBC Bronze Certified coach, and a former Canadian National Champion. He owns and operates Gold Medal Bowling Boutique and lives in Montreal, Canada. Follow his blog at www.goldmedalbowling.ca and on twitter: @canuck_coach NOVEMBER 2013

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the coaching canuck primary targets. The understanding and use of breakpoints gives rise to the best targeting method, which is trajectory based.

Trajectory and targeting Knowing the trajectory you’d like to achieve and visualizing the path the ball will travel is about more than a single point.

The targeting methods above imply that the target is a single board at a specific depth on the lane. In reality, the target is, and always will be, the pocket. What changes is the path to get there.

That being said, effective targeting relies on seeing multiple points along the path and choosing to look at the ones most suited to your game. For some bowlers, the arrows and breakpoint will be the primary and secondary points, while for others it will be the dots and laydown area.

What’s interesting here is that in talking with many high performance athletes, it’s clear that how a bowler sees the lane and the resulting effect on their shotmaking (or at least the perceived effect) is different. For example, some bowlers will move their eyes farther down lane when trying to extend through the shot and get more length, while others find that same adjustment causes them to hit up on the ball causing earlier hook.

The important part of targeting is learning what is best for your game, not using a cookiecutter approach. Different targeting depths can all be associated with negative physical effects and bad habits, which is why it is important to focus on the trajectory of the ball over single-point

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the coaching canuck targeting somewhere along the ball path. For many, the simple act of staring at or focusing intently on a single target point is the very cause of problems.

The art of unlooking Team Canada member and Steve Nagy Sportsmanship award winner on the PBA Tour, George Lambert IV said it best in a recent conversation. "The more I focus on that target, the less I hit it." Knowing where you want the ball to go is more important than trying to hit a specific spot.

For the same reason that beginners have a hard time with spares because they are so focused on the pin, more advanced players can become overly concerned with hitting a target.

Unlooking is the ability to look at a single point along the desired trajectory without placing undue importance on that specific point. For the most part, the intended path of a ball should be wider than a board.

Therefore, hitting an arrow or a dot is irrelevant in the greater scheme of things. Like a car on a multi-lane highway, effective bowling is knowing that you’ve got more than one lane that will take you to the right place.

With correct fundamentals, simply telling your body to "throw the ball that direction" will be enough. This kind of targeting keeps tension away, allowing more accuracy than if you were actually trying to be accurate through intense focus.

A word of caution though - there is a fine line between unlooking and not paying attention whatsoever. You should always know where the intended path

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of the ball is and the important points along that path, even if you are not letting any single point become your only focus.

Head movement during the approach In discussing targeting, one of the negative effects associated with different target systems is what the head does during the approach. With all the moving parts of a bowling approach, the head is the one part that is expected to stay still. A lot of times, well-meaning friends will suggest "keep your head still," when in reality head movement is more often a symptom of another problem.

The lunge Sometimes you’ll see bowlers lunge their head at the foul line.

While remaining relatively still for most of the approach, the bowler suddenly thrusts their head and shoulders forward prior to releasing the ball. This kind of awkward movement just prior to release is often caused by early timing. With the ball ready to be released and the body out of position, there is a sudden need to get the center of gravity forward. The head and upper body shoot forward in an attempt to maintain equilibrium.

Quick fix: Identify the cause of the early timing (usually the feet) and focus more on that aspect of the approach, along with keeping the core stable. The head will naturally move much less.

The head turn Everyone knows the bowler who seems to have a pretty solid approach until just prior to release

NOVEMBER 2013

when suddenly their head jerks left (for a righty) so they appear to be looking three or four lanes over while releasing the ball. The most well-known bowler with this kind of movement is Tommy Jones, although his is much more subtle than we often see in league. His ability to keep his swing online is the antithesis to this kind of problem, most often caused by pulling the ball down from the top of the swing.

Quick fix: It could be slightly late timing or it could be simply muscling the ball too much. Get the ball started earlier or work on bringing the ball down with your hand, not your shoulder.

The bob Often associated with high backswings and steep swing planes, bowlers who tuck their chin and bob their head in a U-shape as the ball comes down in the swing resemble chickens bobbing their heads as they walk.

It’s usually not as noticeable from behind, but from the side you see that instead of a steady head throughout the release, the head goes down then up as the ball comes out of the hand. Any upward motion during the release is typically not a good thing.

Quick fix: Make the swing plane shallower with earlier timing or adjusting the footwork for a longer slide. If the whole torso is bobbing, work on maintaining good posture throughout the approach.

From the feet to the head Throughout this series, each area has been isolated in order to discuss some of the more important aspects of the movements

NOVEMBER 2013

Canuck Coach’s Corner Exit point vs breakpoint Many bowlers have learned the ‘rule of 31’ over the years.

Not so much a rule as a guideline, it is a basic mathematical formula to help bowlers figure out how to attack different patterns.

Pattern length in feet – 31 = Breakpoint Wrong!

This equation is meant to find the exit point which is the board the ball is supposed to be on when it exits the pattern.

Once the ball exits the pattern, the breakpoint occurs several feet later. Depending on the ball’s trajectory leaving the pattern, this could be several boards outside (or inside) the exit point.

The formula does help you find the breakpoint in an indirect sense, but it’s important to distinguish the difference here.

Two bowlers can be using the same exit point, with different breakpoints because of differences in their physical game or equipment selection. They can also be using the same breakpoint with different exit points for the same reasons.

related to that area. However, to view the approach in anything but a holistic view is ignoring the obvious. Every movement is related to another and the sum of the movements is what allows us to transfer energy to the bowling ball. Here are a few things to keep in mind about how interrelated everything is: • Our legs are the foundation of our game, but proper footwork can be impeded by an improper swing. Often, the direction of the initial ball movement will influence the direction we walk. Make sure both are going in the right direction.

• Having a good swing is dependent on a good fit. More often than not, bad grips lead to muscled swings, poor timing, and bad posture, so

BOWLING THIS MONTH

it’s imperative to have your grip checked regularly.

• Your swing plane and ideal targeting system are interrelated.

The pattern length and volume will also affect what kind of target you use to achieve the correct release and trajectory. Keep an open mind.

• Using your core effectively requires the help of your arms.

You will not achieve ideal torsion in the core without getting your non-bowling arm in front of you, so you should try to incorporate both into your game at the same time.

Remember you will require different positions and movements, based on body type, flexibility, etc. When working on improving a weakness, maintain what you already do effectively.

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BALL TRacking test results

MEDIUM-41’

MEDIUM-41’

MEDIUM-41’

Entry Angle BBC Hook Power TBC Alpha Angle

4.9

8 63.81

6 10 42.47 40.31

27 8.7

13 5

16 5.95

Entry Angle BBC Hook Power TBC Alpha Angle

5.2

4.35

2.8

7 8 60.36 41.9

7 27.76

24 7.85

10 3.27

14 5.55

Entry Angle BBC Hook Power TBC Alpha Angle

Stroker

4

Stroker

6

5.65

3

2.9

8 56.1

6 29.19

8 25.46

24 7.95

13 4.2

11 3.27

Entry Angle BBC Hook Power TBC Alpha Angle

Tweener

MEDIUM-41’

Cranker

Full Review on Page 23

Tweener

Full Review on Page 22

Cranker

Full Review on Page 19

Tweener

Full Review on Page 18

Cranker

dv8 dude

Stroker

brunswick ringer platinum pearl

Tweener

amf incinerate

Cranker

900 global the eagle pearl

Stroker

BALL TRacking test results

5.9

5.33

5

9 59.91

11 12 43.53 27.75

25 8.2

18 6.73

14 5.6

motiv cruel intent

Full Review on Page 20

Full Review on Page 21

Full Review on Page 26

Full Review on Page 27

MEDIUM-41’

MEDIUM-41’

5.27

9 12 7 59.32 40.96 36.05 25 7.63

19 6.43

11 3.8

Entry Angle: The angle the ball is traveling just prior to entering the pocket.

Entry Angle BBC Hook Power TBC Alpha Angle

Entry Angle BBC Hook Power TBC Alpha Angle

9 7 11 68.31 45.97 34.43 27 9.3

13 5.8

15 6

DEFINITIONS

Backend BC (BBC): The total number of boards crossed from the breakpoint to the entry board at the pocket.

4.9

4.4

7 51.84

7 10 44.31 31.56

22 7.1

15 5.6

4.35

14 5.25

Entry Angle: The angle the ball is traveling just prior to entering the pocket.

Entry Angle BBC Hook Power TBC Alpha Angle

Stroker

5.3

Tweener

4.8

Cranker

6.6

Stroker

Stroker 3.08

Tweener

5.27

OILY-44’

Cranker

Entry Angle BBC Hook Power TBC Alpha Angle

Tweener

Cranker

OILY-44’

Stroker

dv8 ruckus

Tweener

brunswick melee

Cranker

BRUNswick mastermind

5.8

3.55

2.87

10 59.56

8 27.7

7 24.49

23 7.95

12 4.3

10 3.5

DEFINITIONS

Backend BC (BBC): The total number of boards crossed from the breakpoint to the entry board at the pocket.

Hook Power: This is not about ball speed but rather is an indicator of how strongly the ball moves horizontally toward the pocket from the breakpoint. A higher number indicates a

Hook Power: This is not about ball speed but rather is an indicator of how strongly the ball moves horizontally toward the pocket from the breakpoint. A higher number indicates a

strong move to the pocket while a lower number indicates a smoother movement.

strong move to the pocket while a lower number indicates a smoother movement.

Total BC (TBC): The total number of boards crossed from the time the ball contacts the lane until it enters the pocket.

Total BC (TBC): The total number of boards crossed from the time the ball contacts the lane until it enters the pocket.

Alpha Angle: Calculated by using the launch angle and the entry angle to compute a total angle change (the movement of the shot).

Alpha Angle: Calculated by using the launch angle and the entry angle to compute a total angle change (the movement of the shot).

PAGE 44

BOWLING THIS MONTH

NOVEMBER 2013

NOVEMBER 2013

BOWLING THIS MONTH

PAGE 45

BALL TRacking test results

BALL TRacking test results

motiv tribal

radical reax version 2

track 706C/a

Full Review on Page 28

Full Review on Page 29

Full Review on Page 32

8 6 40.56 29.59

26 8.5

15 5.4

8 2.75

6.15

3.2

3.95

8 57.57

7 8 33.38 28.24

26 8.4

12 4.2

12 4.75

5.5

4.1

3

7 59.26

6 42.1

7 25.94

23 7.7

12 5

9 3.5

Entry Angle: The angle the ball is traveling just prior to entering the pocket.

Entry Angle BBC Hook Power TBC Alpha Angle

Stroker

MEDIUM-41’ Tweener

MEDIUM-41’

Cranker

Full Review on Page 31

Stroker

Full Review on Page 30

Tweener

track 400A special edition

Cranker

radical yeti untamed

Entry Angle BBC Hook Power TBC Alpha Angle

Entry Angle BBC Hook Power TBC Alpha Angle

5.8

4.6

3.9

8 79

8 9 43.28 20.31

25 8.2

15 5.53

7.6

3.95

Stroker

10 55.29

Entry Angle BBC Hook Power TBC Alpha Angle

Tweener

2.1

Cranker

Stroker

4.3

Stroker

Tweener

5.9

MEDIUM-41’

Tweener

Cranker Entry Angle BBC Hook Power TBC Alpha Angle

Cranker

OILY-44’

MEDIUM-41’

3.2

12 7 64.93 39.6

7 21.07

30 10.5

8 3.5

14 5

10 4.2

DEFINITIONS

Backend BC (BBC): The total number of boards crossed from the breakpoint to the entry board at the pocket.

Hook Power: This is not about ball speed but rather is an indicator of how strongly the ball moves horizontally toward the pocket from the breakpoint. A higher number indicates a strong move to the pocket while a lower number indicates a smoother movement.

Total BC (TBC): The total number of boards crossed from the time the ball contacts the lane until it enters the pocket.

Alpha Angle: Calculated by using the launch angle and the entry angle to compute a total angle change (the movement of the shot).

PAGE 46

BOWLING THIS MONTH

Advertisers: For information & rates for Bowlers Blvd e-mail btm@ bowlingthismonth.com or call 800-282-7043 NOVEMBER 2013

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PAGE 47

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NOVEMBER 2013