New here also

[wolf army soldier]

Greetings and felicitations!

Don't know why I never registered...since I could definitely use tips/pointers and have very little access to them.
I've actually been bowling a LONG time, never had a formal lesson and currently carry a 160 average. I use a Tropical Storm--
14 something pounds. I guess I should know what it exactly weighs--up until a few years ago I was using a 16lb Hammer--which
I really liked, but I hurt my arm playing softball and had to come down in weight. My team here in TN took first place in last years
state tournament which was cool. I got a new ball after that. I think it's a DV8 Reckless--it's sitting in my locker at the bowling alley.
I just couldn't make it work. I essentially throw a straight ball with a tic of a back up. I tried moving my stance all over the approach
and it just wasn't working so into the locker it went. I showed it to someone who used to own a bowling alley and he told me it was
drilled for a left hander...sigh....

Anyway--I'd like to learn to throw a hook, since when I watch bowling vids it seems everyone throws a hook, but as I mentioned before I have limited access to resources.

Thanks for listening!

[Perrin]

Welcome to the boards.

they may have drilled it lefty for you since you bowl backup but that would be odd.

if you can take a picture of it the guys on here could tell you more.

And if you want some advice the best thing you could do would be to get some video and everyone on here is helpful and will be happy to try to help

[75lockwood]

Welcome Aboard! A great place to start your learning would be the FAQ which you can get to via the link in my signature, feel free to post questions for any questions you may have!

Couple things:

the Reckless, is it drilled fingertip or conventional? (how far do you insert your fingers)

even with the ball drilled poorly you should still be able to throw a hook (it will stall out, and deflect a lot on contact with the pocket) but you should be able to hook the ball. that being said, if it is drilled poorly you will want to have it redrilled. when you got it i assume the pro shop didn't watch you bowl/ find your PAP

Basic method to hook the ball:
Insert your fingers then thumb in the ball and hold the ball with your hand under and behind the ball.

Your thumb should be pointed towards the right side of the lane and your fingers the left (imagine a clock with the thumb at 1 o'clock and fingers at 7 o'clock)

This is the position your hand should be in until the moment you release the ball.

At the moment of release you want to rotate your hand around the side of the ball (imagine the clock with the thumb at 11 o'clock and fingers at 5 o'clock)

[wolf army soldier]

@75lockwood--it's a conventional drill--and she watched me throw my Storm.When I was telling her what I wanted to do--perhaps I wasn't clear in my explanation. I think the biggest issue could be--and don't laugh--I don't have a "mark". I look at the pins, but that's not what I use to throw the ball--it's where I put my left foot. I do the same thing on my second throw(I only use one ball)and I cross alley to p/u the 7 or the 10. I "know" where the ball is supposed to go, but it's not the alley arrows I use. Most of my strikes are on the Brooklyn side--which is fine for me--some people don't like them. I'll have to try changing my throw, but not during league play.

@Perrin--Take a picture of the ball? I can do that tomorrow.

[75lockwood]

@75lockwood--it's a conventional drill--and she watched me throw my Storm.When I was telling her what I wanted to do--perhaps I wasn't clear in my explanation. I think the biggest issue could be--and don't laugh--I don't have a "mark". I look at the pins, but that's not what I use to throw the ball--it's where I put my left foot. I do the same thing on my second throw(I only use one ball)and I cross alley to p/u the 7 or the 10. I "know" where the ball is supposed to go, but it's not the alley arrows I use. Most of my strikes are on the Brooklyn side--which is fine for me--some people don't like them. I'll have to try changing my throw, but not during league play.

@Perrin--Take a picture of the ball? I can do that tomorrow.

Ok, so if you want to learn to hook the ball you will want to go to a finger tip ball, the finger tip grip gives you a lot more leverage on the ball which allows for hook. (you can hook a conventional ball if you try hard enough but its efficient)

using a mark is good starting point, for beginners you should be aiming at arrows to provide a relatively close target to hit, more advanced bowlers learn to change there focal target up and down the lane to affect roll.

[billf]

Welcome to the forum.
Are you looking to throw a normal right handed hook or increase the hook of your back up ball?

[wolf army soldier]

@billf--just a normal right handed hook

@lockwood--I'll have to put my hand in someone's ball that has fingertip grip. My fingers are so short I have this vision of throwing the ball behind me. ROFL!

[75lockwood]

@billf--just a normal right handed hook

@lockwood--I'll have to put my hand in someone's ball that has fingertip grip. My fingers are so short I have this vision of throwing the ball behind me. ROFL!

trying to throw a fingertip ball that's not fitted to you probably wouldn't end well...

Going from conventional to fingertip can feel very strange, you will feel like you are going to drop the ball and such want to squeeze the ball which is a bad idea. it will take a while to get used to, just stick with it.

[UBowling]

Welcome to the boards! Good to have new members contributing.

[wolf army soldier]

I tried putting pic of my Reckless using the "insert image" icon,but it didn't upload. I just got a red explanation point that said "not defined" ...what did I do wrong?

[75lockwood]

I tried putting pic of my Reckless using the "insert image" icon,but it didn't upload. I just got a red explanation point that said "not defined" ...what did I do wrong?

the built in uploader is broken, to upload a picture first upload it to an image host such as photobucket and past the direct link to it here wrapped with "" "" tags

[wolf army soldier]

http://s1298.beta.photobucket.com/user/wolfarmysoldier/library/

[75lockwood]

Sort of worked, if you want to see how images work press the reply with quote for this post:

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag48/wolfarmysoldier/Bowling003_zpseaea81c7.jpg
http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag48/wolfarmysoldier/Bowling002_zpsf4b9c80f.jpg
http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag48/wolfarmysoldier/Bowling001_zpseb5e4197.jpg

[billf]

Given that you throw a back up ball, it's drilled as expected, for a left hander. Going fonger tip grip will increase the hook potential once you're comfortable with it. The ball won't fall, or at least not often, as long as you keep your hand under the ball with the least amount of thumb pressure possible.

With a finger tip grip just as the ball gets to your slide ankle rotate your hand as if shaking hands with your target. Let the ball come off your finger tips and accelerate your arm through the follow through.

[75lockwood]

I'm a little surprised by the condition of the ball, you said you got it little over a year ago and stopped using it between now and then, but the ball looks really beat up especially for such little use. do most people's balls look like that that bowl where you do?

[wolf army soldier]

@lockwood--There are alot of complaints about those issues--whenever we have to call for a ball return I cringe. First thing we do is look for chunks taken out. Mostly its the black crud and some other marks. It is the only bowling alley we have. Nearest other one is 30 miles or 70 miles. There are rack breakdowns, 180's etc, but we can either put up with it or not bowl. IMHO the house doesn't really care. We recently had someone bowl a 300 and first thing I asked was "were the lanes certified". I "thought" the lanes had to be measured,oil verified etc, but I was told it's not like that anymore. We even had to prebowl one afternoon because the lane we were to bowl on that night was broken and wasn't going to be fixed in time and since the lanes/league are full we had no spare lanes to go to. It's really sad because if they just put alittle money into it, it could be very nice.
@billf-Once this season is over I may drag it out and ask her to put fingertips in it OR I'll ask my friend who used to run bowling alleys to help me with it. I often wondered--since I have no clue as to HOW to buy a ball--I thought this one was cool looking and the little "guts or gutter" made me laugh! I really like the "AURA" ball--and you can roll your eyes (LOL!) but I like it because of it's name. ;)