Method for assisting bowlers in maintaining an optimum follow-through angle

#The present invention relates to the sport of bowling, and, more particularly, to a method and device that aids a bowler in maintaining the proper position of the bowling.

#It has been demonstrated that the proper upper body position for a bowler requires that the shoulders remain "square". In other words, an axis passing through the shoulders, perpendicular to the direction in which the upper body is facing, should be perpendicular to the plane in which the bowling arm swings the ball and the direction in which the ball is thrown. The ball direction, as referred to here, is the direction of the ball as it leaves the bowler's hand, not the direction it may assume later, as it proceeds down the alley under the influence of its imbalance or its rotational, frictional curving forces.

#Once the ball has been thrown and the arm has been fully extended in the direction of the initial ball movement, the arm should form an angle of ninety degrees with the shoulder axis. This angle is referred to as the follow-through angle and provides a quantitive measure of the squareness of the shoulder position and a substantial measure of the efficacy of the flight of the ball in rotational motion.

#FIG. 1 is a pictorial illustration of a bowler wearing a training aid in accordance with the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is an enlarged, perspective view in which the training aid of FIG. 1 is shown separately;

#FIG. 3 is a plan view of the training aid;

#A training device 10 for bowlers, constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown in FIGS. 1-3 of the accompanying drawings, includes, as its primary components, a body belt 12, an arm belt 14, and a restraining strap 16 connecting the two belts. In this exemplary embodiment, the body belt 12 is made of a relatively tough, stiff woven fabric and is wrapped around the torso of a bowler 18 at the waist, as shown in FIG. 1. At the front, the body belt 12 is closed by a Velcro-type fastener 20 and fits snugly. It will, of course, be understood that the body belt 12 can be made of another suitable material, such as leather, and can be closed by a buckle or other such fastener.

#The arm belt 14 is similar in construction to the body belt 12, but is shorter and somewhat narrower. In this embodiment, it also is closed by a Velcro-type fastener 22. It is worn on the upper arm 24 of the bowler 18 around the biceps, this being the bowler's free arm that is not used to throw the ball 25.

#The restraining strap 16 is secured at one end to the arm belt 14 by a triangular link 26 around which the belt and the strap are each looped and sewn at the back of the arm 24. The opposite end of the strap 16 is secured to the body belt 12 by a second triangular link 28 around which the body belt is looped and sewn at the middle of the back at the waistline. Securement of the strap 16 to the link 28 is by an elongated adjustable loop 30 formed in the end of the strap. The length of the strap 16 between the two belts 12 and 14 is controlled by the a cinch buckle 32 used to close the loop. Preferably the strap 16 is elastic.