The importance of the balance arm in your swing cannot be overemphasized yet many first-time bowlers overlook it – a shame, indeed! The balance arm, or the arm opposite the arm holding the ball, has an effect on balance, energy transfer, and performance.
Keep in mind that great balance is necessary in making great throws in bowling. Your balance arm is part of achieving and maintaining great balance in motion, from the time you start the swing to the time when you follow through. You must then pay more attention to it starting with the following tips.
Think of Natural Walking Movement
As you begin your push-away, both of your hands will move forward. As you release the ball, your balance hand should move downward into the swing. When the ball moves downward in its swing, your ball-bearing arm swings back while your balance arm moves forward. Think of the natural motion of your arms when you’re walking and you will get the natural movement.
As the ball starts to move forward, your balance arm should move backward. Your body’s good balance will be maintained at this position. You are basically reversing the positions of your ball-bearing and balance arms during the swing.
Think of Whole Body Position
But your balance arm should be positioned in such a way that it works effectively with the rest of your body. Take a closer look at the power players and you will observe a few things that make a difference in their game.
First, their trunks slightly turn in the backswing while their balance arm moves forward. Second, they assume a shoulders squared release point but with a difference – their bowling shoulder is lower than their balance arm shoulder. Third, they make the ball swing directly in line with or under their head.
If you will observe the elite bowlers at Stars & Strikes, you will be impressed by their consistency in hitting the target. The open secret: Their swing stays under their head aside from staying in a straight line.
For this reason, you should move your balance arm forward while your bowling arm moves back toward the top of your backswing. You are creating a good arm slot, a must for hitting the targets more often.
You should keep the thumb in your balance hand pointing down, too. You can then prevent moving your arm backward past your shoulder during the downswing.
The bottom line: Keeping your balance at all times during the swing comes from proper use of both your ball and balance arms. Take one away and you will likely lose not just your balance but your target.