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Before I discuss my philosophy
about the evil 'drift', I'll need to explain what I believe about
shots and how they are executed. There are really only three types
of shots in bowling and each has a different methodology. Here are
their definitions:
 •
An up-the-boards shot is a shot which goes from right to left. This
means at no point on the lane does the ball travel further right
than the board on which it was placed. If the laydown point is 7,
for instance, the ball would then go to 8 and then to 9 until (you
hope) it gets to the 17th board at the pocket.
• A down-the-boards (or down and in) shot is a shot which goes
in the same direction as the boards until some point down the lane
where (you hope) it will break for the pocket.
• An away shot or 'out and in' can also be known as swinging
or bellying the ball. Any shot which goes further outside than the
board on which it was first laid down is an away shot (the name
comes from the fact that, initially, the ball is directed 'away'
from the pocket). If the ball is laid down on 12 and goes out to
11, it is an away shot. If a shot is laid down on 12 and goes across
the lane to the 1st board, it is an away shot. How many boards it
crosses doesn't matter. It's still an away shot if it goes even
one board outside of the board it first contacted.
THE EVIL DRIFT
Drift is a very important and often misused word in bowling. We
talk about it being too much or too little - we shouldn't do it
- it's really okay if you only do it two boards - it doesn't matter
how much you drift only that you do it in the same direction the
same amount every time - whew! You can see there are a lot of ideas
about drift.
In my opinion, unless you are a power player, you should walk parallel
to your intended ball path for all shots. It's difficult to execute
consistently when you walk a different path than you intend to throw.
This, of course, does not apply to certain types of power players.
There is a different set of considerations for those players which
I'll discuss later.
The picture on the far right shows one ball path with a different
walk path. If you try to perform this shot, you will probably get
your swing away from your body (no power, no leverage) and lose
accuracy. In addition, your perception of how the ball is reacting
will be tainted by an inaccurate and inconsistent approach path
and ball reaction. Other than those considerations, it's a good
idea...
 •
Since the projection of a down-the-boards shot is the same direction
as the boards, you should walk in that direction and end up on or
VERY close to the board you started on.
• For an up-the-boards shot for a right-hander, the projection
is right-to-left. You should walk right-to-left. That would mean
that you would end up left of the board you started on. That is
not drift. You are walking perfectly straight; it's just not straight
with the boards. How much left you walk depends on the severity
of the angle you are playing. Laying the ball down on the 2nd board
and sending it to the 17th board at the pocket creates a more severe
angle than laying it down on the 10th board and sending it to the
17th board at the pocket. Since the angle of the shot laid down
on the 2nd board is greater, walking parallel to it would require
that you end up farther left of your starting position than you
would on the shot laid down on the 10th board.
• For the away shot, the projection is left-to-right. You'll
walk left-to-right and end up right of where you started. That's
not drift. You're walking perfectly straight; it's just not straight
with the boards. Again, the amount depends on the severity of the
angle.
I often see people lined up too far left to execute a shot. Standing
on 25 does not draw comment until I see them walk dead right and
try to send the ball down 10. On the way to the foul line, that
ever-dependable body says "Hey, we can't get there from here", so
they walk too far to the right trying to compensate for the alignment
error and either pull the ball or send it to the ditch, the graphic
on the right.
 Another
danger is that same stand-on-25-hit-10 alignment but instead of
walking right, you just walk 'straight with the boards' and now
you're too far left to hit the target, the graphic on the left.
The swing gets away from the ankle and there is no accuracy or leverage.
Since your body is always inside of your swing, walking parallel
to the target path can sometimes mean walking a straight line that
is diagonal to the foul line rather than perpendicular to it.
 Just
as the severity of the angle dictates how far inside you walk when
rolling an up-the-boards shot, how close you finish to where you
started on an away shot also depends on the severity of the angle
you are playing. If you are only bellying the ball a couple of boards,
you will probably end up at the foul line on, or very close to,
the board on which you started. But if you're trying to send the
ball from 15 at the arrows out to the 2nd board, you are creating
more of an angle on the lane, therefore you need more of an angle
on the approach.
However, even that 15 to 2 shot doesn't allow you to walk ten boards
in the direction you're throwing. To walk ten boards and throw the
ball on the angle that walk creates would require a very wide lane
indeed as you can see from the earlier graphic. Just to make sure
you have the feel of this concept let's try this: Without a ball
in your hand and without looking down at your feet, stand on the
approach and move wherever you need to move to feel that you could
throw a shot which crosses 15 at the arrows that gets to the 2nd
board at the far end of the splice. The splice is the area of a
wooden lane just past the arrows where the transition from maple
to pine is made. In a synthetic house without a fake splice, just
look about 18" past the arrows. Move your feet wherever they need
to be for you to do this. Pretty steep angle, huh? Ignore the feeling
that the ball might be going in the channel. This is only an alignment
exercise. You would have to be on the approach of the lane next
to you and maybe even farther left, wouldn't you? See graphic.
 Now
let's say the ball is not going to get to the 2nd board until halfway
down the lane. You would need to decrease your angle on the approach
and move your feet right, probably ending up in the middle of the
ball return! What if you don't want the ball to get to the 2nd board
until 45' down the lane? Ah, finally back on your own approach.
Each of these shots played from the 15th board to the 2nd board.
What is critical about your alignment is when you wanted the ball
to get to the 2nd board. This exercise can help you see there are
different angles to be played from a single target and how proper
body alignment can make the shot look doable and even easy. It also
points out the importance of having a line in your mind so that
you can get your body properly aligned to execute that visualization.
 Once
you have your feet where you think they need to be, slowly rotate
your shoulders and hips until you feel like you would miss right
and then rotate enough to feel like you'd miss left, all without
moving your feet. Somewhere in between is the correct body alignment
for you. Notice you have not changed your target, only the way
you cross it.
Use these visualization exercises to help you see different lines
on the lane and different alignments for each. How much you walk
in the direction of your projection depends on the angle of the
projection. A croaker (between a cranker and a stroker) or tweener
cannot walk one direction and throw another without affecting the
armswing. Walking parallel to the ball path is essential to keeping
the armswing under your shoulder and in its groove and enabling
you to repeat shots.
Well, that's my soapbox presentation about drift for croakers. Keep
in mind that Dick Ritger won 20 titles drifting four right. If you
must drift, do so in the same direction the same amount each time
and you'll be much more likely to figure your adjustments properly.
Remember, it is not drifting to walk parallel to your intended ball
path.
Power Players
There is no one style to define a 'power player'. Some think that
a power player is a cranker. Crankers have very late timing, walk
left, and whack on it. Well, all bowlers except rollers have late
timing. It is one of the requirements for leverage. It is said that
Mark Roth was the first power player. Mark did not have a John Edward
step (you know, a crossover step!). Marshall Holman from that same
era did. Chris Barnes is great power player who is smooth and flowing
to the line yet releases a ball with devastating roll.
Some power players have a John Edward step (or several). The first
step crosses over in front of the body and maybe a few of the other
steps do as well. People watch them bowl and want to give them a
breathalyzer test. It almost seems like they are walking out of
the way of their swing. Actually that's pretty close to what they
are doing.
Bowlers of this ilk start on 15 to shoot an away shot at the 4th
arrow. Stand on 15 on the approach and see a line in your mind from
20 at the arrows toward the 6/10. What??!! "I would have to walk
left and then back to the right to do that!" That's correct. You
would. By aligning too far right, these players clearly see a line
that requires them to walk left and open up to execute the shot.
This shot might never have been developed if our lanes and approaches
were wider. This allows for a deep projection across the lane and
with enough hand and the right lane condition, a powerful move back
toward the pocket. |
