Do you feel that you can’t repeat shots even when you have tried nearly everything? Perhaps, you’re drifting on the approach! Here are a few things that you should consider if you are, indeed, drifting.
Definition of Drifting
Technically speaking, drifting is defined as not walking straight during the approach from the dots to the foul line. The bowler should know where to start on the approach and where to slide at the foul line, a point A-to-point B element crucial in determining whether you’re drifting or not.
There’s also a difference between drifting and lateral movement. On one hand, lateral movement typically means starting on board 20 and sliding on board 24 eight out of ten times. On the other hand, drifting means starting on board 20 and ending up sliding on boards other than board 24 two times out of ten.
You should then keep track of your starting and sliding point in determining whether you’re making lateral movement or drifting. You can then assess also whether your movements are caused by your own actions or by your equipment or the lane at Stars & Strikes. You will also know that you’re drifting if when you consistently miss your target, a common occurrence in drifting.
If possible, don’t completely rely on other players’ opinion that you’re drifting. You have to determine it for yourself lest you make a decision based on the bad information provided by others.
Fix Drifting
You can correct excessive drifting with a slight over-compensation. You can use the boards on the approach as your guide in determining if you’re drifting and by how many boards, especially if you feel that you’re not drifting.
If you’re a right-handed bowler, you should line up on the approach with your left foot since it’s the one that you will slide on at the finish. If you’re a left-handed bowler, you have to line up with your right foot.
Why? The only way of determining whether you’re drifting or not is to line up on the approach with your slide foot. When you’re walking crooked on the approach but you start walking straight, you’re not likely to fix your drifting problem either. You will likely feel that you’re still walking straight but you’re actually drifting.
To fix it, you can exaggerate walking in the opposite direction from where you were drifting. You will be able to quickly fix it, too.
For example, if you’re drifting to the left, you can trick your mind by walking to the right. While you will feel that you walked to the right, you actually didn’t – you walked to the left but just a little bit less to the left.