The Upperman High School boys bowling team finished this season sweeping White County and posting multiple dominant wins in early matchups. One bowler even flirted with a perfect game.
The Bees head into the playoffs with a record of 13-2, finishing undefeated in their district. Head Coach Brent Green said much of the team’s early success stems from a shift toward the two‑handed bowling style, popularized by professional Jason Belmonte.
“When they get more rotation on it, the bowling ball will usually hook more,” Green said. “The two handed bowling style lets a bowler throw the ball harder and lift more so in return, down the lane it hooks harder and faster with a more violent reaction when it hits the pin.”
Eight of the nine bowlers on the Upperman roster are using the two‑handed approach this season. Green said the style allows players to generate more rotation and power than a traditional one-handed throw.
“A one handed bowler, there’s only so much lift and spin that you can get on a ball to make the ball hook,” Green said. “So more kids are saying, oh they’re more effective, I’m going to change to the two handed style.”
Green said the two-handed technique has also influenced equipment choices. Bowlers purchase balls that fit their body size, with smaller players sometimes using balls as light as four or six pounds. Drill patterns vary to maximize a bowler’s style, whether it emphasizes early roll, balanced arcs, or strong hook potential.
“That [approach] has come out over the last ten years,” Green said. “Those bowling balls are drilled up completely different than a one handed bowler has theirs drilled.”
Upperman heads into the postseason with momentum. The Bees enter the playoffs having won their last seven matches. Green said the early results are encouraging, but the focus remains on improvement and preparation for the postseason. Upperman will begin their postseason run alongside other bowling teams in the Upper Cumberland later in December.
Cameron Gruneau and Kaden Holroyd qualified for individual playoffs based on their total combined score. Gruneau and Holroyd will compete for an individual crown January 21.
