Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-17
BOWLING AS AN ART.
AL Setback, Captain Of All-America
Team, Talks Of the Sport.

AL Setback, Captain Of All-America
Team, Talks Of the Sport.
AL Setback. the ball player, who captained
the Baltimore American League team last
season. and who is at the head Of the all
American bowling team now touring the
west. In discussing the game, says:
Control is the whole thing In bowling.
The knowledge of how to hold a ball or
push ball is the entire science, and it re-
quires careful attention and constant prac-
tice; knowledge Of the alleys comes next.
Now. as to style and manner Of deliv-
cry. my main hold Is spares. am not
strike bowler. like Wolfe. I am a
spare bowler because I have two differ
ent kinds Of balls. / use a curve which
is not the same as Voorhees, great twist
The ball use Is fast ball with a hook.
It Is the ball that goes three-quarters Of
the way down and then shoots In and
twists. l seldom leave the No. pin. and
use either side playing for the No. 1 and
or the and 2.
For beginner the first thing is to know
how to start. He should first of all get
ball in which the thumb and finger hole Is
just fitted for him. 1t should be just the
same size as the thumb and finger. SO that
both can slip In and out easily and at the
same time afford close and positive grip
The holes should be bored so the finger will
not stick at the delivery.
in rolling he should first try to lay the
ball on the edge of the alley from the
right corner or edge and shoot for the CEN
ter trying to stay there and hit No. and
No. pins. With hit of these two pins
you will seldom have split. az the ball
goes in and gets the five pin, and Is bound
to bring a strike or leave up but one PIN
After getting SO he can hit the head
pin and control his ball, the bowler should
learn to twist the ball, which Is done by
throwing his thumb toward the head pin.
This must be done with tight grip. not
a loose grip, and the ball should be shot
from the edge.
"A right-handed bowler will shoot from
the right edge or corner and turn the
thumb in toward the left ever 50 little, with
a firm grasp. BY so doing he catches the
head pin and scores a strike. or. at the
worst. gets nine on the roll. The curve
ball demands practice. ball such as
Voorhees, uses and is father Of is the most
difficult to attain. There is no man living
who can surpaSs voorhees, with his curve
that of the other men on the team, and few
have attained real proficiency In that de-
livery, although there are short curves or
hooks and twisters which are used by all
of the professional bowiers and the crack
amateurs.
"a straight ball bowler should always use
the same kind of ball. but should shoot to
hit the head pin about three-quarterS full.
to win a strike. Wolfe uses this kind OF
ball, but with a slign. reverse twist. Peter
son. to some extent uses the same kind Of
a ball.
before he swings. He should swing
and step together He should stand with his
feet together and start the left foot for
ward at the same time he swings He
should draw an imaginary line from the
right edge of the alley to the No. l and
No. pins. Don't look at the bunch of
pins, but at the one and three. just as II
they were the only pins up. In looking at
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half way down the alley to place the ball,
and If the bowler has control which he
will get with practice, which Is everything
In bowling he will strike or get nine.
lone main point Is never to start. when
In q contest to bowl at the same time the
man on the next alley starts Either go
ahead of or wait on him, and never hurry.
You must watch the foul line. but II you
remember always to take three steps and
become accustomed to this you will never
go over q ine. Some bowlers take short
steps instead Of the regular stride. and then
they take four or even five, but you must
time. and then you will acquire the proper
poise or balance and be able to stop at the
right instant. One effective delivery Is to
take ordinary steps to gain momentum and
step with a little slide This is effective.
but many of us do not use the slide now as
frequently as in former days.
Don't try to use more speed than you
can control the bail with. This is the trou-
use more speed than they are able to con-
troll.
with light pins we use slow ball and
take chance, and never hit them full In
case heavy pins are used we put on more
speed and hit the head fuller. That Is to
catch the five pin. With light pins you
must hit thin. as light pins win fly up In the
air instead of rolling into the others, Just
the same as any light object will fly up If
hit hard by heavy substance. The object
is to drive the heavy pins in so as to hit the
No. S pin.
''In holding and delivering the ball al
ways have the thumb forward before drop
ping 1t. Never drop a ball back Of you.
Watch the average bowler and notice how
many times he drops the ball behind instead
Of in front Of him. This loses the control
and the aim is destroyed.
New boWlers can only hope to acquire
control and easy delivery with practice
Speed Is not 30 essential as control, and
the main fault with amateurs Is that they
slam the ball down the alleys with the idea
that the harder they throw the more pins
are going down. As a matter of fact, balls
too speedy go through the pins"