For Bowling professionals, is it possible to have to much speed on the ball?

Question

I wonder if there could be so much speed on the ball that the amount of "pin action" decreases.

Answer 1

You do need the right speed.....too much would cause too much deflection when contacting the #1 pin.......seems that I read something somewhere that 15 to 17 turns of the ball was about the right speed.....you have to realize that the "true" King Pin in the rack is the #5.....it sits something like 30+ inches behind the head pin....the ball has to have the "torque" or "spin" just right to hit the #1 and then travel almost 3 feet to hit the #5.....if you don't hit it you will have problems resulting in splits most of the time.....also remember with the right amount of spin you can also hit them "thin and make them spin" that could result in a strike or at the least a easier spare without hitting the #5.....but you have to have the right amount of power on the ball and you are not going to get it by "chunking" it 100mph......about 15 to 17 turns and some side spin on the ball.....good luck on the tour and in getting your first 300.......I always choked the 2nd frame!!

Answer 2

When I bowled in PBA regional tournaments, it was definitely possible to have too much speed on the ball, but will not hit the pocket, if thrown off target. Take Robert Smith or Eugene McCune, for instance, their strike balls are basically close or at 20 MPH, and are at least 3-4 MPH faster than other professionals, but if you see them hit the target correctly, the pins have no chance. If they miss, then splits or other messy spare conversions are to come.

It's just a matter of accuracy plus speed control. I deliver the bowling ball at around 15-16 MPH, which is slower than most professionals, but it's when I miss my target when pin action decreases. Hope this helps!

Answer 3

I do believe it is possible to have too much speed. In one respect, having too much speed reduces the amount of movement on your ball, preventing it from achieving the full amount of hook that it was probably intended to do. And when it comes to pin action, I have seen plenty of times where the ball was thrown too hard, and it just seemed to cut right through the pins. If it is thrown too hard and doesn't hit perfectly in the pocket, the pin action won't be as great as if the ball were thrown a little slower.

Answer 4

Throwing it too hard can be a problem. I've had to tell plenty of people to slow it down, and then they usually get more pin action, if their ball is heavy enough. It's more the weight than the speed of the ball.

Answer 5

you need the speed and also direction