Im having a problem with my ball not hooking into the pocket, i get spin on the ball but it just slams into 3 and 6 pins. I use a Columbia yellow dot, and a blue Hammer. The lanes i bowl on are always very oily. Is it the ball or do i need to be doing something other than turning my hand and forearm. Should i keep my hand and forearm steady and just flip my fingers? Any help would be appreciated.

[ 03-16-2001: Edited: NewBowler73 ]

With those balls you will have to keep the ball a little straighter up the lane. Try to go up the lane between 1st and 2nd arrow where the oil will be thinner

You surely don't want to put spin on the ball NewBowler. Spin and oil is a bad combo. One key to a powerfull hook is in the fingers. The thumb should exit well before the fingers and the wrist should be straight or cupped NOT BROKEN BACK. As the fingers stay in the ball they will naturally turn the ball for you just lift up and out with your fingers. Make sure you get the thumb out of the ball first! Learning to throw a proper hook should help. The reason your ball skids so far is because it is spinning all the way down the lane and never gets into a roll. DON'T think TURN instead think LIFT and ROLL.

Thanks guys. Some good tips.

yes... listen to Choazman... thats the correct way u need to start throwing the ball..(NO spin)...if it helps.. get a wrist Lock 2 help you get stable your wrist.. so you can stay under an behind the ball on release

The Wrist Lock will help you stay under and behind the ball, but I would realy work on strengthening your wrist so that you can stay under and behind the ball without it. You don't want to be too reliant on a device like that until you learn the right delivery. After you can stay behind the ball without any wrist device then you can start to use one if you want. Stay away form the cobra wrist device though because this particular one makes you come out of the side of the ball more. It's your choice newbowler but I quote my old coach when I say "the pins seem to know when your getting a little too mechanical".

Went Bowling today, tried all of the great tips Chaozman. My ball was hooking in pretty good, not a big snap hook at the backend or anything, but it had a nice arcing hook. Bowled a couple games in the 170s and a 182. It felt much better keeping my wrist cupped, and then lifting with fingers. My biggest problem was the lanes were spotty. keep the good tips coming though. Thanks.

[ 03-22-2001: Edited: NewBowler73 ]

The corrections Choazman prescribed are on the right Track. Some of the corrections depend on what you refer to as "spin". If you really are turning your forearm and wrist trhough the release point, you're probably right, as this creates a small, circular Track with the axis tilted toward the ceiling. A way to check this, and get feedback to improve your release, is to find the axis point on the positive side of the ball and mark it with a small piece of white tape. The object is to get the axis when the ball is released a little above half way up the ball and pointing back toward you somewhat. The more the tape points toward the ceiling, the smaller the Track, the more you are throwing a "spinner", which doesn't get into the necessary roll to grab and hook. Keeping your hand behind the ball more will help cure some of that, and the suggestions about the straight and cupped wrist help. The forearm never really needs to be turned, since you can **** your wrist to get the side roll on the ball. Side roll is not spin. It is necessary to get the ball to hook, through.

Note should be taken that side roll (axis rotation) may not be spin (axis tilt) but it does have the same effect on the reaction. Just as you get more length and more snap out of spinning the ball, you will also get more length and more snap out of putting a lot of side roll on the ball. You don't want either of these on oil. Clark is right about the axis should be facing toward you a bit and be a bit higher than the middle of the ball. Putting a piece of tape on the axis is a great thing to do because it will show you just how consistently you are releasing the ball.