the klog

Not true.

I played at Ms. Chan's place this weekend, and the ball consistantly spun left away from the pins.

I also was able to throw the ball straight using a single hand. I found that it actually imitated my poor bowling skill quite well.

If you start only slightly to the right of the pins, the ball will spin left too far and end up to the left of the pins. This I know. But if you START to the left of the pins, have you been able to get it to spin away from the pins? That I would have to see to believe.

Also, I've found that it does have some measure of the degree of spin.. I can sometimes get it to spin way too much.. and sometimes about right.

Yup, your right, but the amount of spinning is dependant on the speed you spin the ball with, that the ball is released just at the end of your hand-spin, how high you throw the ball (watch the animation) and of course the speed the ball is going towards the pins. So it still is all in the wrist. You don't have to think about aiming your spin in the right direction.

So this still requires skill and is not based on luck. I have been playing Wii bowling a lot now and I am making huge progress. So don't listen to this guy. You do need skill. They just measure the amount of spin and not the direction of the spin.

And this is not a 'glitch' of the Wiimote. It clearly seems like a choice Nintendo made. You should compare it to the fact that with tennis you can't walk yourself, or that you still throw the ball even if you do it 'backwards'. Its just done like this to make the experience a little less complicated.

Put simply, if you stad on the right side of the lane, the ball can only curve to the left, and vice-versa. EVERYTHING else is controlable.

Here is something I posted on Gamespot:

There seem to be three basic groups when it comes to Wii Bowling that I have seen on forums like this on. The first group says Wii bowling is all skill, and any spin on the ball is due to the player’s rotation of the controller. The second group claims that Wii Bowling is all luck, and the ball spins one way or the other based on things like what side of the lane you’re on, where the pins are, or what hand you bowl with. The third group says that the skill in the game is from compensating for the spin that the ball gets by keeping it air longer or by aiming in different directions and at different angles. Why is there controversy around this simple little game?

I think I know why. The answer came from the instruction manual that is otherwise useless:

“Swing gently.”

Most of what I have seen posted is true, under different conditions. If you throw too hard, for right-handers the ball hooks left, unless you’re on the left side of the lane, where it hooks right. In that sense the “ball going to the center of mass” idea is correct. You can test this by telling the Wii you’re left handed but bowling with your right, or throwing as hard as you can in either the left or right side of the lane. If you throw softly, the spin is controlled by rotating the controller, like many people have indicated. People who recommend giving the ball some good airtime were also right. Just like in real life, the ball won’t change direction in mid-air. Less time on the hardwood means less time for the spin of the ball to change its path.

Why Nintendo would do this? There are three reasons I can think of. First, they don’t want you swing like a mad person; the game could be penalizing your overzealousness. This is unlikely, because there are ways to compensate for the curve you get in the ball for throwing too hard. The second is to try to make the game more realistic. That ball must be really heavy. I have yet to have a throw fail to go though 91 pins, but in real life we have all seen (or thrown) balls that can’t make it to, or all the way through, ten pins. But to us the ball weighs very little. It would be hard to throw a very heavy ball as hard most of us do in Wii bowling accurately. The game makes up for that by putting extra spin on very forceful shots.

The third reason is a combination of both of the other two. Nintendo wants us to be able to bowl against our grandmas, so they give straighter shots to those who throw softer. They don’t just want it to be a test of strength. I think this is the most likely. Personally, I would like to be able to throw the both hard and accurately, but I could see why Nintendo would want to make they’re introductory game more inclusive. Wii Bowling is a great game, and I honestly think it will become part of pop culture. Even if the system falls flat on its face, people still my fire up the Wii for a few rounds of Power Bowling. But there is still room for improvement, leaving open the door for a better bowling game for either the Wii or for its predecessor. Let me know if anyone can confirm or disprove my findings.

Happy Bowling!
Matt

lol...

This was quite awhile ago so I'm sure the original blogger has realized the idiocy of his comments here. But the game does zero interpolation for you. You have full control over the ball, and if you are experiencing something different, you simply are not familiar enough with the controls yet.

After some more testing, what Keith Malkassian said above said seems to be correct, and what Erich Albert just said is not: Amount of spin can be controlled, but left or right direction cannot.

Erich, if you're reading this, which you're probably not, when you start a lane, hit "right" a few times to stand to the right of the head pin but facing straight, and try to make the ball curve right, straight into the right side gutter. It is not possible.

However, I concede that you CAN adjust the AMOUNT of spin.

Amazing how these Nintendo fanboys keep on insisting you can do anything you want with the controller. I noticed this strange spin behavior the first time I played it. I couldn't get the spin in the direction I wanted to, no matter how I twisted the controller. We then started testing it with my friend, and we couldn't figure it out. After reading this, I think you're correct. Those who deny it, you should REALLY try it before posting.

Hmmm.... when I bowl I can get it to spin left by letting go of B later and spin right by letting go of B earlier - but I cant really get it not to spin at all! maybe gently does it is the key. But anyway I can get it to spin R or L all day.

yeah i agree that you can spin left or right at ease... i also agree that it's hard not to put on any spin at all... however it is possible....

the game is programmed to spin left if you're right handed and right if you are left handed.... and yes just like you said that it's somewhat like real life...

timing is also important when it comes to how fast and how much your spin is.... when to release B bottom really is the art of perfecting the game i think... lol..

anyways, just my 2-cents

wouldn't it also depend on if you choose right handed or left?

I won!

word

It also seems that when you release the ball has some affect on the amount of spin you get. If you loft the ball you'll see very little spin. If you release it just before your swing comes down vertical, you see mroe spin. If you release it even sooner, the ball slows down and the spin affect is even greater.

HOw does the skill level go up or down? You can get a relatively high score and get a minus on the skill level chart. Why? How is that scored? ( NOt the ten frames) How is the skill level determined?

ive had wii bowling since 1st Sep i get it to hook to the left as a right handed bowler, i do control the hook but sometimes it dosent hook at all and i get 3 or 5. i bowl straight at spares but sometimes get unintentional hook on it. my high game is 289, my high series is 705 and my average is 191

bowling straight seems to always leave a 5 pin or a split, youve got to be perfect in the 1-3 pocket

CAN'T FIND A GAME TO BUY SO I CAN PLAY THE GAME. REFUSE TO PAY THE HIGH PRICES, SUCH AS; 700.00 TO 1.500.00 DOLLARS

I dont know if it has been answered yet, but you can control spining left or right no matter how you "spin" your wrist, it is all based on the tilt that put on the controller, either left or right, so tilt the controller left or right to the buttons faced outwards and the side if facing up, then throw the ball as normally and it will curve alot, so to get a strike, like 90% of the time, tilt the control aim over one hash, then aim again at the last outside pin. Play around with this and you will learn that it sick and you will be getting perfect games in no time

I played a few nights ago and was confused by the action of the controller and the spin of the ball...and nobody else understood it...especially the owner of the unit. I decided to try and figure it out, the following is what I did and the results. I am right handed and held the controller in my right hand, the main face of the controller facing me and the right side of the controller was parallel to, and facing the floor, so the "B" button was facing to the right. This would simulate holding a bowling bowl. Has I swung the controller towards the screen I would rotate my hand to the left and then release the "B" button; this would cause the ball to spin left more or less depending on how much, how fast and how hard I would swing and rotate the controller. I got to the point where I would move to the second arrow from the left side and then rotate the aim to the first arrow past middle; I could cause the ball to go towards the right gutter and then the spin would pull it back towards the middle and give me a strike. I'm not saying this is full proof, I want to do more testing, but it seemed to give me better control than anything else I've seen or heard of. Try it and let me know what you think. Problem is I have to buy a Wii for myself so I can do further testing...good excuse to buy I think!

Wii bowling is all about you finding what works for you and utilizing it to your advantage. You have to decide if you are a straight ball thrower or a curve ball thrower. To decide this, throw a few balls. You'll notice right away if your ball has curve in it or not. For me, I tend to throw the ball with a slight curve to it. I keep the curve consistent based on the speed of my throw.

Whoever said that the curve of the ball is determined by the speed of the throw is absolutely correct. I've figured out exactly how much curve my ball will have based on when I throw a ball hard as I can. I let go of the B button late in the throw so that it will fly farther in the air. I never intentionally put any additional curve on the ball, because I throw a perfect straight ball in real life, and it curves slightly when I throw it fast. My "sweet" spot is putting my aim all the way to the right, just inside of the gutter and I aim for the center of the 3 pin. Then I just throw it straight from there. The natural spin of my arm will carry the ball to the left and it consistently his the 1-3 pocket which gives me great strikes.

I have to disagree. It is all in the skill of the bowler. and knowing the game and even more so, knowing (or having someone watch) your tendencies as you throw. I know you may not have people to watch as you are sitting home alone trying to change prove it by yourself....

Example for you all....the common belief with the peeps who we play with and own the game is that the sensor has to be lined up perfectly. It does not.

I carried my controller to another room, out of the line of sight. It dinged for my turn. I hit A, moved my three-ish clicks right, and went through my usual swing/release/twist...then walked back into the room to see my GF standing jaw dropped...wondering why my Mii had just bowled a strike when I was nowhere in sight....

I explained what I had done. I then, knowing her wicked late spin at the time, had her take her control to the bathroom...I lined her up kknowing her spin with her in the other room...she threw and hit a text book strike....

Subsequently I have bowled an entire game, and winning, lining up looking at the screen then turning my back to the screen and throwing hitting 6 yes six strikes in a row....

try it.....

I thought this was a great game of fun and some skill - until my daughter would walk upstairs to her bedroom and fire off a strike (yes the wii still received her signal even though she was upstairs in her bedroom!)

i need physics of wii bowling. not a spin

does the wii bowling lanes change ? oil patterens etc...

I tested your theories last night. I was a skeptic, but now I believe.

I am right handed bowler, but bowl with a reverse hook. I typically move two diamonds to the left. I hold the remote with the buttons facing directly toward me, but turn the remote like a clock hand to point between 1 and 2 O'clock (similar to this //). I lock my wrist and elbow and only move my shoulder to bowl (no twisting at all). In other words I bowl like a straight bowler, but with the remote cocked to one side.

Bowling like this my average game is between 200 and 240.

I was able to confirm that the curve increases as you move away from the center. I was NOT able to move two diamonds to the right and curve the ball to gutter like I had expected to be able to do. As a matter of fact I attempted to stand right next to the gutter and still was not able to bowl a gutter ball.

Timing seems to be the biggest factor.

I believe you can increase the hook by twisting the remote ( the training sessions have some scenarios which show this should be possible).

I am very surprised and will be paying close attention to any new bowling games that come out.

mj

You all smoke crack

Hey all. Yes you can spin to the right in the position shown above. I bowl right-handed and just converted that very spare with a hook to the right. I think you can control spin either direction based on my experience. It's just not a natural feeling movement to twist the wrist outward. Keep trying!

I am rather disappointed with Wii sports in general. It's funny how people think the controllers are so accurate. I guess these people are just easily amused.

uhhh... actually no

the reason its hard to get the ball to curve right for a right handed person is because its almost impossible to do it on a real bowling lane. right handers have a natural left hook due to the way we hold and release the ball. I have found that lift is the key to getting your ball to hook not the amount of twist you impart on the controller. try rotating the controller while you swing the ball so that the controller is pointed at the ceiling when done or no rotation so the the controller is pointed roughly horizontal for a straight ball. my experience suggests that the hook is controlled by three things 1. how far you loft the ball down the lane 2. how much speed you put on the ball. 3. how much loft or spin you put on the ball itself.

these are just my observations and are not necessarily based in reality.

the reason its hard to get the ball to curve right for a right handed person is because its almost impossible to do it on a real bowling lane. right handers have a natural left hook due to the way we hold and release the ball. I have found that lift is the key to getting your ball to hook not the amount of twist you impart on the controller. try rotating the controller while you swing the ball so that the controller is pointed at the ceiling when done or no rotation so the the controller is pointed roughly horizontal for a straight ball. my experience suggests that the hook is controlled by three things 1. how far you loft the ball down the lane 2. how much speed you put on the ball. 3. how much loft or spin you put on the ball itself.

these are just my observations and are not necessarily based in reality.

to bowl straight
turn ur wii controller upside down,and as ur swinging through
flick the wii remorte forward,like instead of flicking it to 1 side to spin it,flick it forward.
straight everytime
now go to the right or left side depending on ur hand.
put the red line right on the edge of the gutter.
so that half of the red line is on the left half is on the red
angle it in to the first arrow
and make sure the bottom left corner is only jus touching the arrow
bowl straight
strike 99% each time
sometimes it misses like 1 pin,but rarely very vey rarely

Some of you are crazy... there is no restriction on spin, from anywhere on the lane... at all. It doesnt matter where you stand, it will spin any direction you make it spin.

I pick up the 10 pin spare all the time, by moving halfway to the right side, and throwing a hard "right" spinning shot..

Some of you must be incorrectly holding the controller for spin reasons, which will not work. Hold it right side up and straight, take your windup, and twist during the throw up until release. I agree with a few others above... someone is smoking crack, and alot of it ;)

Update to last post. The spare example I gave didnt prove anything LOL. I can also pick up this spare, by moving way LEFT, and throwing a big right hook to the gutter, and back left to the pin.