The cash is on the delivery: whether it's the result of God-given ability or hours and hours of practice, a great release is the foundation for successful bowling - The Coach's Corner

Bowling Digest, August, 2002 by John Jowdy

ONE OF THE MOST COVETED skills for a serious bowler is a great release. For the fortunate few, a great release is a God-given talent. For everyone else, it is the outcome of diligent practice and determination.

The PBA tour is replete with individuals who possess great releases. They unleash incredibly powerful balls that rip racks, demolish pins, and create an aura of invincibility.

For example, picture Robert Smith beginning his stance about five or six boards left of the left gutter. Smith literally steals the breath from audiences as he launches his strike ball over the gutter and across the sixth arrow. The ball arcs down the lane 45 to 50 feet to the fourth or fifth board at the breakpoint and roars back into the pocket like a bulldozer.

Several others--Brian Himmler, Steve Hoskins, Dave D'Entremont, and Rudy Kasimakis, to name a few--spare no energy in similarly releasing from this deep, deep angle.

However, a great release is not measured by the revolutions applied on the ball or the explosive power it generates. Great releases are also trademarks for power strokers like Pete Weber and Chris Barnes, as well as pure strokers like Brian Voss and Mike Aulby.

In any case, a great release alone does not ensure success. This is particularly noticeable in the games of power players who apply inordinate force and fail to control ball reaction. In many cases, the power game can become feast or famine. Contrary to popular belief, excessive revolutions are not the,key to a good strike percentage.

In the long run, strokers with average revolutions deliver with greater accuracy and are far more effective than players who deliver high-rev balls covering 15 to 20 boards before entering the pocket at extreme angles. While explosive missiles can be impressive, power players who don't execute a graceful release lose their effectiveness easily, leaving ringing 10-pins, solid 9-pins, hard 7-pins, stubborn 4-pins, and the "swishing 7-10 split." Furthermore, their wide-arcing shots are perilous when back ends are slightly slick from oil carrydown. Such back ends can often demoralize a power player in the form of the ugliest of all splits, the "PBA 2-8-10 split."

So, what constitutes a great release? Simply stated, in a great release the thumb exits the ball rapidly and cleanly, with all the weight transferred to the palm and fingers. This weight transfer is the prime ingredient for a strong release, regardless of the number of revolutions being applied to the ball. The number of revolutions are determined by the position of the hand and fingers prior to launching the ball out on the lane. This area of execution separates and categorizes power players, power strokers, pure strokers, and straight players.

Various hand positions determine the path of the ball, the desired hook, and the pocket entry. If you're a righthander, the farther left you position your fingers in the bali at the top of the backswing, the greater the movement of the ball will be on its path to the pocket. This method of execution for generating maximum revolutions is highly visible in the games of such strike-masters as Jason Couch, Steve Hoskins, Amleto Monacelli, Rudy Kasimakis, and Weber.

Bowlers are able to employ diverse methods for applying added power to their releases. Some come by it naturally, others incorporate it in their games through unrelenting work habits.

The "cup and collapse" release has been used with great success by Del Ballard Jr., Barnes, George Branham, Marshall Holman, Jason Hurd, Jeff Lizzi, Mike Miller, and ex-touring players Bob Benoit, Bob Spalding, and Bob Vespi. In the cup and collapse method, the hand is cupped, with the ball sitting well back into the hand. At the point of release, the hand collapses and releases the ball into the lane.

No matter how you deliver the ball, the ideal position of the hand is under the ball. Many bowlers are blessed with a natural ability to keep this position throughout the forward swing with little or no effort; others are not so fortunate. Bowlers who are unable to maintain this position naturally must rely on inventive exercises to release with their hands underneath the ball.

Instructional manuals illustrate various methods for achieving this goal. One of the oldest recommendations is to keep the palm facing the ceiling. Many coaches favor keeping the thumb outside the ball from the top of the swing throughout the forward swing until the release point. Others suggest that you maintain the forearm facing the intended target throughout the downswing, or close the armpit throughout the forward swing to the release point.

The "armpit method" was applied with great results by Jim Stefanich, one of the all-time greats of the game. Stefanich assured his ability to hold his position to release by placing a towel under his armpit and keeping it there throughout the swing.

Each of these release techniques has successfully stood the test of time. Yet there is no set pattern that fits everyone.

However, I do take minor exception to each of these methods. Inasmuch as I firmly advocate a free armswing, I've come to the conclusion that, at least theoretically, all these techniques produce muscular strain that may actually deter the flow of that free armswing.