Hi my name is Joey, I just signed up for the forum :]

i'll be the first to admit i dont know any bowling terms or the lingo.

I got my first bowling ball when i was like 13 years old it's a Columbia 300 spider black, only 11lbs, i'm 22 now and have been bowling with this thing ever since. a couple friends and myself have been bowling on a weekly basis and i've decided that a new ball is way past due.

I just recently learned to throw my hook (all fingers in, not a finger tip ball)

anyways, i usually throw my ball about 18mph, i try to throw it slower, but it's a struggle, and when i throw my hook i come up in the hand shake position.

i'm looking for a good ball that has a pretty good hook to it that will work with how fast i throw the ball. i dont really want to finger tip drill it, but i guess i could be talked into it.

thanks

If the ball was fitted when you were 13, how does it still fit at the age of 22?
It will be hard to really hook with a conventional grip, and not a fingertip at that speed. Consider it.

Need more info on how you roll to recommend a ball.

i dont know how it still fits but it fits my hand perfectly. i'm only 5'8.

what info do you need?

Info like are you a stroker, tweener, cranker? Any issues like pain you have on the approach? What type of line are you playing now anmd what type of line do you want to play? Do you want to try a fingertip ball?

Go here to see any other info that could be useful:
http://www.bowlingcommunity.com/b/ubbthreads.php/topics/52446/Help_Us_Help_You.html#Post52446

welcome to site xLn. a good ball to start out with will be one that is drilled with tips. i had a conventional drilled ball for a while and never got over 170 with it. but when i got my first ball with tips and got a coach, i can bowl in the 200's alot more now.

check with the Pro Shop guy where you bowl. he can help you with a lot. one of the better balls to start with is an Ebonite clash or may be a Track temper. or may be an Ebonite tornado. all are real good to start with and may be the Pro Shop can give you some better help. good luck!

xLn, how do you know your ball goes 18 mph? If it is being measured by the machine, it measures speed at the pin deck, and you have allready lost a couple of mph on the lane. That's pretty fast for a hook.
Using an 11 lb ball, it's feasible. But, at your mature age, a heavier ball would be suggested. And, defitinely, slow down.

If you get a heavier ball, 14-15 lbs, and slow down, I would suggest a medium priced reactive ball that would give you a sence of control and help you learn to hook.

i weigh like 145 lbs and i heard the ball is supposed to be 10% of your weight, the only thing is i have really bad carpal tunnel so my grip isnt that strong, so i was kind of weary of getting a 14lb ball with the finger tip holes, but is it pretty easy to hold? i mean, i've never thrown one.

i was looking at the Storm gravity shift because on [Banned-URL].com it's got good reviews and a lot of people said it works on a bunch of different lane conditions. good or bad idea?

thanks for the info so far.

Well, the pearl reactive finish will give you sone length and may be a little more difficult to control for your first ball. It all depends on how you get it drilled. Ask your driller for a controllable pattern rather than a snap.

And, the 10% rule generally applies to youths. You are a grown up and have more muscle. Carpal Tunnel may be a problem, can't answer that. But, you may be a candidate for a wrist support. Again, your driller or coach can help you with that. I know I occasionally use one because I broke my wrist a while ago.

Since you haven't thrown fingertip before and will probably want to if you want a good ball reaction and pin carry, I think a medium oil ball is a good choice to begin with because there's no way of telling whether you'll be speed or rev dominant. I'd think you will be speed dominant even if you go up in weight because the speed shouldn't drop that much and because of the new grip you may not be able to produce the revs to match your speed right away. Like Dennis said you will also need to slow down, most likely your feet.

For a ball a Gravity Shift might be somewhat uncontrollable for learning to throw a hook properly. I'd strongly recommend going to fingertip because if you stay with conventional grip(which I hear makes you squeeze to hold on more than fingertip does), there's not going to be a big difference in hook between your equipment. For a ball I would recommend something like a Rival, Anger, or Pluto to start with.

Even with carpal tunnel, a properly fit finger-tip drilling shouldn't be an issue for you. As far as ball choice, I agree that the Gravity Shift might not be the best choice for someone learning the game. A good analogy would be a 15 year old kid trying to pass driver's ed. behind the wheel of a Z06 'Vette. Please don't read that as a knock on you or the ball; there are just balls that will suit you better and cost less money. A mid-performance reactive pearl or polished solid with a tame drilling pattern would be what I'd recommend. Some examples would be the Tropical Storm, Storm Street Rod series, Ebonite Clash or Bash, Hammer Vibe, Columbia 300 Dead Flush or Scout, Brunswick Avalanche series, and 900 Global Creature series. Good luck!