Am I on the right track??

[Mantis]

Hi folks
I have just started learning hook bowling with a second hand Storm Bolt. I have been shown how to release the ball by pulling the thumb and following through with the fingers and it is hooking pretty well, I think. I am at the moment, bowling straight down whatever board the second arrow is on, at about 24km/h. The question is, should I be trying for more speed, and is that line ok? When I get it on line I get strikes farely often but am wondering if more speed and crank would do better??

Mantis
Must be hooked cause I've cut down the drinkin to bowl more

 

[Birkett]

lemme say this mate

Hook is over rated, big cranks, yes may look amazing and magnifent, but they run a high risk of a wash out! Yes it is good to learn how to crank the ball, and have it stored away in ur ability arsenel incase u need it!

use what ever you feel will work for you! try it, if your average improves keep it, if it doesn't drop it! do what you feel is right for you!

I happen to be very lucky because i can bowl the ball how ever i want it! from straight, to a smooth curve to a back end snap! but the thing is to learn to do it!

Hang in there fella
You will get there

Cheers

Birkett

 

[Mantis]

Bowled Wed night and tried to keep my line down the second arrow with some spin. Scored 174, 124 for the first two games and thought what the!!!!
In the third game I went to bowling down the third arrow with forward roll and letting the weight block bring the ball back and bowled a 208, which should have been a lot better, but thats another story.

 

[Birkett]

Which proves my point dont it lol!

I get that problem with the second arrow, as it id the mark that most right handers aim for, drying it out making it hard to keep the ball down that side of the lane. I bowl across the lane in between 2nd and 3rd arrow! and give it a good pull up with me fingers, making the ball hook in a nice arc 2 the edge of the gutter and snap back at the end in to the pocket! ACE!!!!!!!

So tell me......why sound this game have been more then? 9 pin stay standing a few times?
or had u bin drinking lol

Birkett

 

[Mantis]

Why should it have been more, in 3 of the 4 spares I missed the head pin for 7's and I stuffed up the last frame 7,1. doh.
Damn Storm ball wont bend at all now, dont know what I have done wrong.

 

[Samael]

you probably fell into the trap a lot of people have when trying to increase rotation on the ball.

You have to remember that you should be imparting rotation onto the ball with your fingers, many people in a quest for more hook begin the motion too early. This happens too early when your thumb is in the ball, it can lead to problems like gripping with your thumb, breaking the wrist or coming around the ball. You want to make sure you get your thumb out on top of the ball so your fingers can do the work.

The best description of the basic movement i have ever been given was to get a roll of masking tape, then roll it out in front of you and try to get it to spin back (and roll backwards towards you). Same sort of thing kids used to do with hoops (if you are that old enough?!) on the concrete. It's the flicking motion your fingers perform which help deliver rotation to the ball.

Relax and go back to what you were doing before, try not to muscle the ball and let your release happen. If you cant get it out of your game i would advise you to seek a coach for a little help. It is much easier to get it out of your game early than it is later when it develops into a bad habit.

Keep in mind some bowlers like to use their thumb a lot so it might work for them, but it isnt something you really want to be doing at an earlier stage.

 

[Mantis]

I reckon you might be right Sam. I seem to be just getting side spin and the ball just keeps spinning all the way down the lane, without getting into a roll back to the pocket. Bloody hard to tell with our crappy lane conditions, but I see other bowlers hooking ok, so it must be something I am doing differently. Maybe its the position of my hand at release. I think I am bringing my hand directly behind the ball like lawn bowling, where, when I started learning to pull the thumb and use the fingers to turn the ball, I was coming thru with more of a cupped and angled wrist which possibly put more forward roll on the ball.

 

[Samael]

Might be an idea to get a coach to have a bit of a look at your game then. Front roll on a ball is going to prolong the breakpoint (ie before the ball flips) which generally leads to more energy conserved for when the ball hits the pins (especially in the case of dry lanes). A cupped wrist will generally increase side rotation which is what gives you the hook, it's opposite to forward roll. Even get one of the more experienced bowlers in your center to have a quick look for you, most of them wont bite