Bowling!

Aevian Dreaklear · Post by **Aevian Dreaklear** » March 23, 2007, 6:53 pm

I've been bowling a lot lately and finally decided to buy my own balls in hope to change from throwing straight balls to more of a hook. I can't seem to figure it out still. I've tried a natural turning of the wrist to handshake position, lifting the ball with two fingers, and a combination of both. Nothing seems to work. I notice that the ball still skids for a long way down the lane before I get any sort of turn. If anyone had any suggestions on what to try or resources to check on, I'd appreciate it. I've googled the heck out of this topic and still can't get much from what I'm reading.

cid · Post by **cid** » March 29, 2007, 12:11 pm

What ball are you using, how fast do you throw it and where do you stand and what arrow do you use as your mark?

Kluden · Post by **Kluden** » March 29, 2007, 1:40 pm

Clean your balls! if you're using house balls...start playing with your own

Oily buildup (Lane oil, not ball sweat) will not allow the ball to turn the way it should.

Post by **Sylvus** » March 29, 2007, 1:52 pm

I've got a straight ball and a hook ball, though I'm not that great at the hook. Did you have the holes drilled for hook bowling? I find that helps, the holes will be spaced a little further out and they'll be smaller (usually with rubber inserts) to only hold the tips of your fingers.

I usually hold the ball straight down at my side, cradling the ball with my palm facing up toward my armpit. I do the handshake move, and make sure that I can feel the weight of the ball making contact with only my ring finger as the last part of my hand it touches. Sometimes I'll rotate my wrist a little bit more or less depending on what I'm rolling for and how oily the lanes are.

I'd recommend talking to a Pro at your local bowling alley. If they don't have a good one, call around to other alleys. This pro who drilled my balls came out with me and gave me some tips after she was done drilling, and they helped out immensely.

Good luck!

Kilmoll the Sexy · Post by **Kilmoll the Sexy** » March 29, 2007, 2:05 pm

Get a urethane or even better a reactive resin ball. Hammer makes a variety of good balls in this line. As Sylvus suggested, get the ball fingertip drilled. If you still can't get a hook out of it, buy some skirts and replace all your equipment with dolls.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » March 29, 2007, 2:09 pm

Drink a pitcher of beer before you start.

Post by **Sylvus** » March 29, 2007, 3:05 pm

Winnow wrote:Drink a pitcher of beer before you start.

Aiming fluid.

Zamtuk · Post by **Zamtuk** » March 29, 2007, 3:12 pm

why is pitcher singular?

Kluden · Post by **Kluden** » March 29, 2007, 3:58 pm

To add to your thoughts above, my hook shot doesn't break until its past th 70% down the lane mark...then beelines in. So by what you are describing, you may just need to get more "umph" into your handshake maneuver. That, or that ball is not the correct weight for you.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » March 29, 2007, 4:46 pm

Zamtuk wrote:why is pitcher singular?

I've found my bowling game works on a beer bell curve. If I start bowling sober, my second game is usually my best after about a pitcher of beer has been consumed and then goes down for the third game, with multiple pitchers. In a four game set, the #2 and 3 games will be the best.

So, for me at least, if I have a big bet ($1) on the first game, getting that first pitcher down beforehand is critical.

Seriously though, bowling is all about who buys the next pitcher.

Post by **Sylvus** » March 29, 2007, 4:49 pm

Loser/Losing team buys the next round. Shot frame should also be in effect, where if all but one person get strikes in the same frame, that person has to buy a round of shots. If you aren't very good bowlers, change that to strikes or spares.

Midnyte_Ragebringer · Post by **Midnyte_Ragebringer** » March 29, 2007, 4:56 pm

He may also be going to a bowling alley that oils the lanes further down the lane than some others. I have a decent hook, using a Hammer ball drilled for hooking with the inserts and I have the same problem if the lanes are over oiled. Also, if I don't give a full hand extension and snap it upon release it wont hook enough.

miir · Post by **miir** » March 29, 2007, 5:18 pm

This thread is a goldmine of euphemisms.

Post by **Sylvus** » March 29, 2007, 5:23 pm

While I hate a dry lane, I also like to clean the oil off my balls. miir can you help?

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » March 29, 2007, 5:34 pm

I like watching people go down the long line of public bowling balls, sticking their fingers in every one, and then after finding one, they go back to their lane and grab a handful of fries or cheese nachos with the same hand and chow them down. Mmmmm!

If they survive a few years of that, they must build up some serious immunity to germs!

Aevian Dreaklear · Post by **Aevian Dreaklear** » March 29, 2007, 10:29 pm

cid wrote:What ball are you using, how fast do you throw it and where do you stand and what arrow do you use as your mark?

Wow, so much activity on this thread after it was dead for a week. I bought an Ebonite Tornado reactive resin ball that's fingertip drilled with inserts. The holes are lined up to throw a hook. When I used to throw my straight ball, it was slower than average, like 14-15 mph maybe. Anyways, I've gotten really angry that I couldn't throw a hook, so I've decided to throw the ball really damned hard and have pretty violent wrist action instead of finessing a curve out of it. It seems to add a lot of hook at the backend so that seems to help, although I do get a lot of skidding early still. I line up three boards right of center and use the 2nd arrow as my mark. I bowled 27 games last weekend since I had some time off work and seem to have my line down, I just need some consistency. There really isn't a pro at the local bowling alley and I live in quite a small town, next bowling alley is like 30 minutes away. Although I was out of town and bowled with my friends and at the bowling alley there I was getting some decent hook, so it might just be that the local lanes are extra slick. I also weigh about 145 lbs so I bought a 14 pound ball. I figure that's about right isn't it?

Zamtuk · Post by **Zamtuk** » March 30, 2007, 12:08 am

Sylvus wrote:Loser/Losing team buys the next round. Shot frame should also be in effect, where if all but one person get strikes in the same frame, that person has to buy a round of shots. If you aren't very good bowlers, change that to strikes or spares.

I would like to add that while we are good bowlers (my friends at least, not me) we still consider spares a shot/beer frame. Not because we aren't great, but because that is yet another reason for someone other than you (hopefully) to buy drinks. However, for reasons mentioned above, roughly 50 percent of shot frames are paid for by me.

sarlen · Post by **sarlen** » March 30, 2007, 3:51 am

Aevian Dreaklear wrote:
cid wrote:What ball are you using, how fast do you throw it and where do you stand and what arrow do you use as your mark?
Wow, so much activity on this thread after it was dead for a week. I bought an Ebonite Tornado reactive resin ball that's fingertip drilled with inserts. The holes are lined up to throw a hook. When I used to throw my straight ball, it was slower than average, like 14-15 mph maybe. Anyways, I've gotten really angry that I couldn't throw a hook, so I've decided to throw the ball really damned hard and have pretty violent wrist action instead of finessing a curve out of it. It seems to add a lot of hook at the backend so that seems to help, although I do get a lot of skidding early still. I line up three boards right of center and use the 2nd arrow as my mark. I bowled 27 games last weekend since I had some time off work and seem to have my line down, I just need some consistency. There really isn't a pro at the local bowling alley and I live in quite a small town, next bowling alley is like 30 minutes away. Although I was out of town and bowled with my friends and at the bowling alley there I was getting some decent hook, so it might just be that the local lanes are extra slick. I also weigh about 145 lbs so I bought a 14 pound ball. I figure that's about right isn't it?

Its a good weight to start with. As for the inserts in a ball I can tell you not everyone can throw a hook with them, I have a very mean hook with out them but if I try a ball with them in its only a lazy hook.

Ball speed on the other hand makes or breaks a good hook (for me anyway), I throw a 15 pound ball and my sweet spot for my heavy hook is 13.5 to 14mph. If I go much over that it just slides down the lane with little to no hook at all. If I want to get all crazy and do a right to left to right hook aka rainbow hook (I'm left handed) its 12 to 12.5 mph. I know that sounds slow but once you master keeping the ball speed in a small range your consistency in your hook will go up fast.

Kilmoll the Sexy · Post by **Kilmoll the Sexy** » March 30, 2007, 9:02 am

Most of the lanes I ahve ever been on, the oil is much heavier in the middle boards. You may even find that throwing your normal ball out of the 3rd or 4th boards when you start left of center will actually bring it crashing back when it hits those dry boards. A real problem with throwing from the center is that your shot will change during the 2nd and 3rd games as the oil moves from the balls tracking through it.

Bubba Grizz · Post by **Bubba Grizz** » April 11, 2007, 2:40 pm

It's all in the follow through. Keep your shoulders square to the pins. Don't duck your head. Get that leg behind you when you roll. Remember the thumb comes out first. The hook requires a certain amount of lift from the fingers and that is why the follow through is so important.

For shooting spares look at the reflection of the pins on the lane. If you can hit the reflection with your ball you will more often then not hit the pin. I tend to throw a faster and straighter ball for my spares than my initial ball.

If you find yourself limp wristing or 6-packing the release then get yourself a wrist brace. That will prevent your hand from bending backwards and give you a more consistent release.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » April 11, 2007, 2:47 pm

Bubba Grizz wrote: If you find yourself limp wristing or 6-packing the release then get yourself a wrist brace. That will prevent your hand from bending backwards and give you a more consistent release.

6-packing sounds like a different form of the shocker!

Bubba Grizz · Post by **Bubba Grizz** » April 13, 2007, 4:58 pm

*licks his fingers and thumb* Oh yes it is.

masteen · Post by **masteen** » April 13, 2007, 5:43 pm

Jesus, this thread is a gold mine of things that sound dirty, but aren't:

Drilling balls
Dry lanes
Oil
Fingering
Germ filled holes