Coach, I’ve Got a Question! – March 2025

In this recurring feature, I answer questions from Bowling This Month readers and bowlers that I work with. If you have questions, please leave them in the comment section below so I can address them in a future installment of Coach, I’ve Got a Question!

I feel like I am pulling the ball through instead of waiting for it to come down, and I feel like I am forcing the swing. Could that be a timing issue? I have tried most of the foul line drills (one-step, two-step, no-step), but when I get into league play, I feel like I am just throwing the ball. My average is 190, down about 10 pins. I am retired, so practicing is not a problem. Any suggestion would be great!

Let’s start by discussing the swing itself and what feeling we want to have. Then we can talk about potential causes for why you are pulling the ball down from the top of the swing and forcing it a little.

Freeing up the swing

While there are very few pure pendulum swings, what matters is where and when the force is applied. Think of it as being similar to an ideal grip—it’s very hard to eliminate all of the grip tension, but you can eliminate most of it with the proper spans, pitches, and hole sizes. Similarly, we probably can’t eliminate every little bit of muscle in the swing, but we can reduce it as much as possible.

Since this question focuses on the top of the swing, let’s stay here in the analysis. That said, you’ll see when we look at potential causes that the ball start and the early part of the swing can also contribute to pulling down from the top.

With a pendulum swing, momentum from the start of the swing propels the ball to the top of the backswing, and gravity brings the ball back down. Unfortunately, bowlers will often add some force, particularly on the way down, in hopes of generating more speed and revs. For two-handers, this really isn’t a problem—in fact, it’s the basis for generating a ...