Hi guys!

It's me again I hope you guys are not so obsessed at me haha. I have these 2 pictures from Marshall Kent releasing the hook ball. It can help us understand a lot about the release.

[img]https://www.facebook.com/happybowlersdot...e=3&theater[/img]

[img]https://www.facebook.com/happybowlersdot...e=3&theater[/img]

When I began practising hook few years ago, I thought we should rotate the wrist around the ball to make create rev and make it hook. Now, to my opinion, it's totally a misconception.

I think when make the hook release we should not think about rotate the wrist or hand or arm...etc. The rotation should be from the fingers (ring finger lead) when the thumb gets out of the hole. At that moment, the ball falls off onto the fingers and has a tendency to fall to the left side of the hand (right hand bowler). Then we don't need to rotate wrist or hands but just project the ball straight to the target with a thought of letting the hand behind the ball as it is from the top of the swing. The ring finger will automatically rotate as the ball is off the thumb.

I had the "chicken wing" mistake for a very long time. And when I apply this concept to myself. it's totally a Game Changer to me. No wrist, no hands turn, just keep the hand behind the ball, ring finger leads and magic happens by itself.

So obviously, we should not think of any hand or wrist rotation! Do you think like me? Please correct me if i am wrong.

You are Not wrong

Modern balls work just like you stated.

In the "old days" with rubber/plastic you did need to put a lot of wrist and twist into it to hook.

But with the modern core fingers up the back will hook em.

JOE


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When I see league bowlers really start trying to figure out how to add revs, most of them end up looking like this guy here: hand on top of the ball and fully rotated around the outside.

This will produce a lot of skid, a modest hook, and a weak roll along with bad carry (maybe that's how he ended up with a 5-10 ) All of that energy you're creating when you go through your approach...you're not imparting it to the bowling ball with a release like this.

I blame all the coaches who tell their students to imagine throwing an underhand spiral with a football. A proper bowling release is NOTHING like the underhand spiral. The underhand spiral requires to rotate your wrist around and over the ball. You don't want to do that with a bowling ball.



A proper bowling release has the hand behind the bowling ball. (Not directly behind it;that will create an end over end roll great for spares. But only slightly to the outside.) Some pros get to that position by rotating from the inside of the ball and then uncupping the wrist to force it off the thumb quickly. That's how you create a very high rev rate. You don't have to do that if you goal is just to get a stronger release with better roll and carry. All you need to do is lock your hand in the position this guy is in, in the third frame of the series.

When I was a kid in the 60's, we were always told turn the ball not your wrist.

The only glove in those days was a Don Carter glove which was kind of like a golf glove with a raised pad that forced the ball on to the fingers and thumb. Most people just tucked their little finger which created the same effect.

If a person then spread their index finger and stayed behind the ball, the combination accentuated an early thumb exist and created a great deal of axis rotation as the fingers cleared. A straight, firm wrist also helped.

Today, all that isn't necessary. I may be committing heresy, but I'm not sure gloves of any kind are necessary with modern bowling balls.

Most people probably lose RPM's wearing a glove. It may give them a more consistent release, but I'm not convinced they get more leverage or more RPM's. I'm not sure those who wear gloves allow their wrists and forearms to relax enough to throw a ball with optimum efficiency. I'm sure many women would disagree.

From previous discussions, speed out of the hook phase and RPM's are what create conditions for the best carry, assuming the ball hits the pocket. Any device that limits speed or RPM's has to be questioned.

As a matter of release our hands will rotate as the thumb comes out, the ball begins to tilt and then the fingers clear. Allowing that to happen with a completely relaxed hand seems to be the best way.

This may all be mute for those who didn't learn to turn the ball in their youth. I don't know anyone who is raising their RPM's dramatically if they don't already know how to do it.

Some kind of perverted muscle memory that keeps people stuck between stroker, tweener and crankers. You can take stuff off the ball but its really hard to learn to put stuff on the ball.

Finally, for those who don't get a lot on the ball, should they try to learn to crank or just drill their ball for the way they do release the ball and optimize their delivery that way?

I agree completely. For starters, they get people to think in terms of firm wrist; and firm wrist becomes firm squeeze; and that becomes bad bowling. Even if you feel like you need a glove to support an injured or aging wrist, those gloves fight against a proper fit, and its a proper fit that is a must to keep your wrist safe.

And secondly, look at the picture I posted above. That young fellow is wearing a large, cumbersome, expensive contraption and still doing exactly what he doesn't want to be doing.

Hey Boat,
I want to thank you on this Thanksgiving Day. You got me to look into this dual angle stuff. I bought a Storm Code Black and had it drilled up yesterday. Talked with my PSO and provided some parameters that he agreed should work for me pretty well. I need as much help as I can get. So the drilling angle was around 50 and the VAL angle around 30 with a strong pin to PAP. Nice!
It took me a while to get used to this, but rolled a 264 in game 2. Had plenty of hold to the left and a strong move to the pocket once it hit the backend. It worked perfect.
Regarding gloves we had a team from high school and our team name was "The Gloves". We all bought Don Carter models back then. A few years ago I bought the Mongoose lifter and it let me know that I was letting my wrist bend back. It also helped me to learn to use my fingers quickly. I seldom use it at all now, but I've at times used Steel Fingers as I have developed some arthritis in my finger tips. Changed to reverse pitch in the fingers and that helps a lot.
Again, thanks for guiding me to look more carefully at the dual angle method.

I carry a Robby's glove in my bag, but only when I get a pain in the center of my wrist. Since I began unhinging at the bottom of my swing like New Hui Fen, I haven't had to use it.

I'm very surprised by how relaxing my arm, wrist and hand during my delivery has helped my game. More speed and more RPM's with less effort.

That would be the number 1 recommendation I would give to anyone over 50 struggling with speed or rev's. Just learn to relax.

Totally agree my friend. I misconceived for a very very long time. I regret for that!

But people with glove have a great consistency, buddy. I have to admit that, like they have a machine arm.

Recommend it to any bowler, period. Its a fundamental of bowling; if you want good consistent results, and you don't want to get injured, you need a ball that fits your hand allowing you not to squeeze or use muscle.