From what I've gathered, you're not supposed to "turn" your hand at the release, but rather start at the hand position that will give you the desired axis rotation and just follow through the ball. Let me know if this is right or wrong.

After reading the tips by Ron Clifton about learning new releases I'm a bit confused on the concept of cupped and cocked relative to axis rotation. It seems that cocking your wrist, if I understand it correctly, automatically puts your ringers at the 45 degree release position. Is that what it's meant to do?

What about if you want your fingers in the 90 degree or 0 degree release position? Would you just cup the wrist and not [censored] it?

I'd really like some light shed on these questions because I intend to at least practice the 45 degree AR release while maintaining a cupped, cocked wrist position and see if I can't make it my primary release.

When just starting a hook release, you generally want to set your hand in that position and keep it there throughout the swing. However, this type of release is relatively weak. You will not see any pro really using this type of release - even Walter Ray stays behind the ball, then turns it at the point of release, and that is for end-over-end shot. The 4th article in Ron's release series says as much.

Both cupping and cocking are ways to get a stronger release, if done correctly. Cupping can remain throughout the release, although some people, like myself, or Chris Barnes, will keep the ball cupped till the release point, then let the wrist uncup a bit, then follow through with the fingers once the thumb is out.

As far as cocking this wrist, this puts you into a position to give the ball axis tilt, which is generally not what you want. Thus, you need to make sure that, at the release point, you get the wrist uncocked. Otherwise, you'll throw more of a spinner, and your ball will not have as much backend.

Just a terminology note to make sure we're talking about the thing:

Cupping - when your hand is in front of you, palm up, this bending the wrist so that your hand comes up.

Cocking - when your hand is in front of you, palm up, this is bending the wrist so that the hand angles to the left.

Okay, that seems a lot easier to understand. Although releases are more complicated than I ever imagined, I think I get it now. I think due to my weaker wrist I shouldn't worry about cocking my wrist anyways even though that probably contributes to more revs. Cupping I feel I can do.

When talking about Axis Rotation are those angles where the hand/fingers should be just at release(at least if you want more revs)? If that's true, I feel I always have close to 90 degrees because I turn my hand to 3 on the clock. I've always felt it won't hook enough without doing that except on desert dry lanes. However, if I understand it now, it's the rotation that's different, not the rev rate. Is that right?

Terminology: Axis rotation is the difference between the direction the ball is traveling in and the direction the ball is rotating in. Looking from above, with a clean release, the fingers coming out at 3 would give 90 degrees, and at 6 would give 0. Most of the time, you want to come out between 4 and 5.

That said, always having a 90 degree release is usually bad.

A) On oil, your ball will skid much longer than it would with a straighter release. You actually want less axis rotation on really long, or really heavy patterns, to get the ball to read earlier.

B) On tight shots, you'll experience a lot more over/under

c) I guarantee that if 90 degrees is your only release, you are turning it way too early. You are probably starting your release around your hips, but it probably doesn't feel like it. You will not learn how to stay behind the ball if you are trying to get 90 degrees of axis rotation.

That said, these techniques are all about increasing rev rate. Cupping your wrist gives the ball more area to roll down your hand. Doing the uncupping motion speeds up that rolling down, following through with your fingers speeds up the rotation even more. Uncocking your wrist at the release point, having started in a cocked position, has the same effect - it speeds up the ball rolling down off your thumb.

So, all of these are about changing rev rate. As far as changing axis rotation, there are several methods for that. Finger dancing, as taught by Ron Clifton, actually works by tweaking axis rotation. Joe Slowinski teaches about key finger positions to adjust axis rotation. I put together their tips with some insight of my own for a post here: http://cmgbb.wordpress.com/2008/04/03/axis-rotation/

I had read that article before. I think it's pretty useful. I feel I should not that my rotation is not exactly sideways, it just seems that way sometimes. I think I have something between the 45 degree and 90 degree rotation. I'm not angle expert so I can tell by looking at it, but I'd estimate like 60 degrees.

Thanks for the explanation on cupping and cocking. The way I understand it, if the release is done correctly, you get a quicker thumb exit thus more revs. This is because of the speed at which the ball rolls off your thumb at release.

The easiest way to check your rotation is my putting a piece of tape on your PAP, as I did in the videos higher up on the page, and also in the pictures. That way to can actually see how much rotation you've put on it. Putting a longer piece of tape above your finger holes, or form your pap to your finger holes can help you see how many revs you're getting on the ball. Both of these are easier if you use a low flare ball.

cgeorg, do you actively uncup and uncock your wrist or do you just let the arm and hand go limp at the point of release?

I tried doing the cup-uncup a year ago and had really no success. But I did try to actively uncup my wrist - thereby probably overdoing it.

But a few months ago, when looking at Chris Barnes' release, I realized I should probably just keep my wrist cupped until release and then just relax the muscles and let the weight of the ball uncup the wrist. Is this how you're supposed to do it?

Honestly, I'm not exactly sure what happens at the bottom, but here's what I can tell. I notice it more when I stay up the back of the ball. When I'm putting a lot of axis rotation on the ball, my wrist stays pretty much where it is (cocked/cupped, uncocking as I come around but maintaining the strong wrist). When I'm behind the ball, as my thumb starts to come out, my wrist starts to break back. I don't know if it looks like cupped to uncupped, cupped to straight, or straight to uncupped, but it feels like it's breaking somewhat. Once it is off, and the weight is about to leave my fingers, I feel my hand and wrist come back into a strong position again, which would have the effect of pushing the finger holes in the direction of rotation, giving me some extra revs. It is not something I think about, it's just something that happens when I'm bowling and releasing the ball well.

Was watching a show from 82 on Classic. 19 yr old Pete Weber was on the side of the ball will cupped wrist, and broke it down to straight as his thumb came out.

It is more of a snapping motion than a conscious uncupping of the wrist. Ron describes it like throwing a yo-yo or a frisbee. If you consciously do it, then the motion will be too slow and you will not get the benefit of the added revs that this release produces.