I got a buzzbomb about 2 months ago. I ordered it with a 1 - 2'' pin, and a topweight of 2.5-3 oz. No matter how much rev I seem to put on it, It just doesn't seem to bite the lane and slam into the pocket. It's my first ball, but I'm also wondering if it was drilled wrong.... they drilled the pin center between my ring finger and middle finger. Was this correct in order to maximize spin? or should I have gotten different specs?

Let me first welcome you to the board MrVrooman.

As for your question, it could be several things. I'm assuming its drilled fingertip span. One could be a defective ball, but its more likely user error or wrong lane conditions. In this game less is more and trying too hard is counter-productive. The Buzzbomb also is a medium heavy to heavy oil ball and if used on the wrong condition will lose too much energy and just won't hook. I think you should have went with a much milder cheaper ball as a first ball.

A ball with a 1-2" pin doesn't give a Pro Shop much to work with. Besides that, the most probable reasons the ball doesn't hook is either you have expectations that aren't reasonable and/or you're not throwing it properly.

Can you take a video of yourself and post it in the videos section?

Welcome to the forum Mrvrooman.

I think infernocal is right, for your first ball you probably would have been better of with a cheaper and milder ball for your first ball. Also, a thing I have learned over the past couple of months is that a big hook ball isn't necassarily (spelling) always good for everyone. If you look at Walter Ray you can see that he bowls it fairly straight. And he is still one of the best bowlers there is. All you need is just a little bit of hook to get into the pocket at the right angle. And like lefty said, it might just be the way you are throwing your ball. Try getting us a video so we can see how you throw it and what type of rotation you get on it. But for now, just try moving way to the right and throw over probably the first arrow or so. If you are playing a house shot then the lanes are dryer on the outter parts. That should give you more hook and help you to get into the pocket better. I hope this helps and good luck.

The potential for a ball to hook is dependant mostly on how the bowler releases the ball and the lane condition. If you roll the ball down the middle of the lane where there is usually the most oil, then its not going to hook much no matter how well you release it. On the other hand, use the part of the lane where there is less oil and it doesn't take too much skill to release the ball so that you will see some hook.


When you see people hooking the ball, its not happening by itself. There's a lot of physical motions that take place to cause that reaction. Not everybody has the ability to hook the ball like you see on TV. And those that do, have usually been taught by a coach how to do so.

If the pin is in the middle of the grip, where did the driller put the cg? What hand do you use. Typically that drill pattern is good for a full roller or spinner. Did the driller watch you bowl?

Erin

Thanks for the tips. I will try to get video and post here later in the week. I'll let you know. One thing that I did notice, was when I didn't try as hard to hook it, it did hook more! I'm on synthetic lanes, so not sure if that makes a difference. I haven't put any oil on the ball either. I'll try stayin to the right and shooting for the first arrow.

Remember this adage: "less is more". This is a phrase that coaches use in every sport. Essentially is means the less you try, the better your results. If you're "thinking" about trying to hook the ball, I can tell you it won't hook like you want it to. When you're trying to do too much, you are too rigid and your body cannot flow like it should.

Relax and don't be unrealistic about your expectations. In fact, don't expect anything. Learn as you go along and be surprised at every ball.

There are a couple good things that were mentioned that you should take into consideration. The first is technique. Your technique or rather your release or something in your swing could be off and affecting the hooking potential of your ball. A video would a great idea.

Next it could be the pin and the drilling. That is a rather short pin and like it has already been said, it leaves the driller with very little to work with. You have what is called a Pin In setup- The pin of the ball is located within two inches of the CG, it is an excellent choice for control and less hook. If you were looking for more hook than go with some bigger pins. Granted there are still ways to make balls like this hook, you'll just end up playing straighter than having the ball go across the lane snap back and smash into the pocket.

It was also mentioned about how balls made for heavier oil will burn up energy on lighter patterns and not hook as much. I've had this happen with my Cell and BW Solid. My Cell would hardly hook on some conditions and would be outhooked by my Widow a lot of times. I really wasn't taking into consideration what the pattern or the volume of oil was doing to the ball. So the Buzzbomb that you have might not be the best ball for the conditions that you are on.

Hope this helps some.

I know of a few people that have Pin In balls. If you have good technique and a good rev rate they can hook as the people I've watched throw them has shown. The biggest thing is they limit how you can lay out a ball but technique is more important than equipment.

Yeah I kind of disagree with that definition because I read somewhere else that pin-in setups were 1 inch or less between cg and pin. But I guess, since I can't find it that one will have to work. Meaning that I have all my balls drilled very close to pin-in (I usually request a 2-3 inch pin). Although that does suit me because I'm really big on being technically sound.