How to Find Your Proper Bowling Shoulder Rotation

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Bowling is a sport that cannot strictly adhere to a one-size-fits-all model. To be a successful bowler, you have to adapt the components of your stroke to suit your capabilities and style. For instance, your natural rev rate and launch angle determine where you should release the ball at the foul line, as well as what your posture and body position should look like at the point of release.

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37 Comments on “How to Find Your Proper Bowling Shoulder Rotation”

    1. I bowl at St. Clair, too. I’m in the Friday Nite Early Birds…the first time I’ve ever been in a prize-money league. The first 1/2 of the season the team I’m on ended up in 6th place but this half we’re in 1st with like 6 wks to go. I need some more lessons though – took a handful a few months ago but I only work part time so finances come into the picture. Too inconsistent. I’ve bowled (officially) from about 30 under average to 99 above (265 – lifetime best)

  1. Great video! Very helpful and informative! I can’t wait to get back on the lanes and put this to practice. Thank you for posting these videos for everyone!

  2. So is the foot plant becoming more excepted? I usta slide but got tired of sticking approaches and went to a plant. I just had to shorten up my approach and speed up my feet but that was about it.

    1. my foot doesn’t slide as much anymore but my toes twist to the left (lefty) after i release it. I wish I could fix it…i over extend my trail leg and can’t relax it enough like Shannon does. Maybe it’s a core weakness.

    2. And then unfortunately depending on how powerful of a ball you throw the less amount of time it will take before your knee is toast

  3. Wrapping around the body is a symptom of a larger issue.  Shoulder rotation should happen regardless if your male or female.  “fixing” the shoulders closed is fighting the ball and puts a lot of pressure on the shoulders.  Liz Johnson rotates as well.   You don’t need a lot, but the shoulders should move some.  Look at a modern woman bowler like Diana Zavjalova and you’ll see a woman bowler that is exceptional with shoulder rotation whom can generate power.  Putting all woman in the roll of Norm Duke is a disservice.

    1. Hi,

      The two-handed bowler shoulder rotation is slightly
      different in that as the opposite hand stays in contact with the ball
      throughout the swing the shoulders rotate to follow the back swing then
      as the ball comes forward the shoulders rotate to complete the ball
      path.

      There are several videos in the Bowling Academy that
      address the two handed approach, including the arm swing. A short list
      of titles is below.

      -Training the Two-Handed Bowling Approach | USBC Bowling (https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.usbcbowlingacademy.com/video/training-the-two-handed-bowling-approach-008607/&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwi-poTxge3XAhXEOCYKHWiwAyUQFggEMAA&client=internal-uds-cse&cx=partner-pub-9803348624097437:9753022016&usg=AOvVaw0tOcy8mz55dQN2b6xJFgw_)

      -Two Handed Bowling – Spare Bowling (https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.usbcbowlingacademy.com/video/two-handed-bowling-spare-bowling-008610/&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwi-poTxge3XAhXEOCYKHWiwAyUQFggGMAE&client=internal-uds-cse&cx=partner-pub-9803348624097437:9753022016&usg=AOvVaw1iCVPgHdo6PwSP0TIozTUs)

      -Two-Handed Bowling Tips | USBC Bowling Academy Video (https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.usbcbowlingacademy.com/video/two-handed-bowling-tips-006857/&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwi-poTxge3XAhXEOCYKHWiwAyUQFggJMAI&client=internal-uds-cse&cx=partner-pub-9803348624097437:9753022016&usg=AOvVaw1DsfZ2VlJ6OrVj3Kl_nHhu)

      -Two-Handed Bowling: Adjusting for Oil Pattern Length (https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.usbcbowlingacademy.com/video/two-handed-bowling-adjusting-for-oil-pattern-length-008613/&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwi-poTxge3XAhXEOCYKHWiwAyUQFggLMAM&client=internal-uds-cse&cx=partner-pub-9803348624097437:9753022016&usg=AOvVaw3grIozDe9IvCuJ1xS5c_7g)

      Having a certified coach evaluate your game can offer
      correct solutions to your specific needs. The find a Coach feature of
      bowl.com can be accessed here: http://webservices.bowl.com/USBCFindA/Home/Coach

      Thanks for continuing with the Bowling Academy.

      Stephen Padilla

  4. I had no idea Mckendree was associated with this channel! I used to go there all the time back in the college days!

  5. I am a power player and i got away from the swim and i started pulling the hell out of the ball anytime i moved deep and i was getting so frustrated. Thanks for the video. Now for a question. If you are a power player playing up the boards should i try to swim less?

    1. Hi,Based off the scenario of a power player with a lot of
      opposite shoulder motion, YES, it would be beneficial for have less
      motion playing straighter up the lane. As a general rule you should look to have a “quite”
      shoulder rotation regardless of where you’re playing so we would
      recommend working to quiet the shoulder overall.Thanks for continuing with the Bowling Academy,Stephen Padilla

  6. I’ve been bowling for a little while now, and have a few things down. But I do not have my own ball, I ordered one and was wondering if the new ball would give me better scores, Thanks.

    1. I’ve been bowling since I was 6… I’m 31… And I’m sitting here thinking about what my left arm does. 😮😮😮

    2. Agreed – this is great info. I typically play down and in, and I started noticing that after I got warmed up, I would gradually throw the ball out to the right more and my ball speed would creep up. It never dawned on me that I was bowling with my off arm out to the side at first and opened up my shoulders more as the game went on. Last night in league I made a conscious effort to keep my off arm to the side the whole night and not let my shoulders open, and my shot consistency increased dramatically.

  7. Should the shoulder rotation change based on how much the lanes are hooking and the need to get the ball to the right

  8. Reviewed this again today. Like it! Now I am going to try that same approach as Shannon including the ball drop on 3rd step. I have late timing now.

  9. I see Shannon is the newly Belted National Bowling Academy Champion . Can you tell us when she will be defending her belt? @ 0:19

  10. The first 2:15 of this has no meaning to me. The camera work, slow-mo, reverse, is excellent. It would have been helpful to freeze frame, then use arrows to indicate exactly what is being discussed. I can only guess as to what “shoulder rotation” actually means. I’ll watch this a few more time, with the volume off .

  11. I’m going to try opening up more. Years ago I bowled like he does but I would hook gutter to gutter. So I’ll find my happy spot between the two.

  12. I see two main releases in everyday bowling – 1) body bent far forward (like Steven) and 2) the ball is released a foot above the lane and lands with a thud. Would absolutely proper form mean an upright body where you bend your leg almost to a 90 degree angle to release the ball smoothly onto the lane as Shannon does? Are so many bending over or thudding the ball because they’re too weak or too lazy to bend their leg to bring the body and ball down for a smooth release onto the lane?

  13. Yea well she also starts her push away on step 3 of her 5 ( which would be step 2 on a 4 step), not recommended nor it conventional

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