Do you stay cupped or cocked at release or uncup and uncock at release?

[Hammer]

I used to stay with a straight wrist or cupped wrist at release. Then after seeing videos lately with the pros uncupping and uncocking at release I decided to try that and see how it would work for me. I noticed that the pros get good revs on the ball doing this. I noticed that when I do it there is a lot less stress on the wrist doing this because it seems to take away the force of the weight of the ball putting pressure on the wrist when trying to stay cupped.

My trigger for uncupping as I enter the release area is when I feel my thumb quickly coming out. What I find makes it even easier is holding onto the ball with a relaxed grip especially with the thumb. What I tried on one shot last night during the third game of league night was to see how light gripped I could hold the ball. When I went through the release area my hand uncupped quickly. At first I thought that I dropped the ball early but the ball went out to the five board and came roaring back to the pocket for a strike. I was playing with my slide foot arch on board 28.

I have a video posted in this forum about the correct release from the Kegel Training Center. I remember the coach telling his students that you cannot think about the release because it happens so fast. He told them to just setup and let it happen on it's own through the release area. So my two thoughts last night were to lead the shot with the ring finger and hold the ball with a light grip so the hand can uncup on it's own. The only thing was doing this I was getting more of a hook and had to adjust for that. If you are used to keeping your cupped wrist through the shot it might be a little hard to let it uncup because your brain will make it feel like you are just dropping the ball and you won't get a good reaction from your ball.

This is something to try at practice. Like the coach in the video said the pro release is not that easy to do but if you can at least get close to it then you will get a better ball reaction.

[mc_runner]

I'm working on the cocked-uncocked release approach - thinking its something to practice over the summer. I do have to say that when I try it, it adds probably 100+ revs to my normal shot. Right now the challenge for me is to avoid coming up the side of the ball, which messes up the axis rotation. It'll definitely be a change from what I've been doing for years, but in a good way.

[vdubtx]

I stay cupped until point of release.


http://youtu.be/kvibVq5Xwak

[noeymc]

yea u do right at the end u mess it up lol when i do get under the ball i cup it on my down swing

[Hammer]

I'm working on the cocked-uncocked release approach - thinking its something to practice over the summer. I do have to say that when I try it, it adds probably 100+ revs to my normal shot. Right now the challenge for me is to avoid coming up the side of the ball, which messes up the axis rotation. It'll definitely be a change from what I've been doing for years, but in a good way.

I had trouble coming up the side of the ball too much sometimes until I started doing the lead with the ring finger thing that I heard about from different sources. In order to get used to that move when I make my approach I think to myself that I want to face my palm or the tips of my fingers towards the gutter as long as possible until my thumb starts to come out and then I let my hand uncup and my hand seems to make the slight turn I need to put hook spin on the ball all by itself without thinking of doing it.

I have a post on this forum that has a video about the correct release that is from the Kegel Training Center. As a matter of fact there are two videos there. You might want to take a look at that if you haven't already.

[kingtut]

To me, it's all about how comfortable you are making the shot repetitively. Usually, I will stay cupped until the moment of release. This is one thing I have practiced for many years and have gained several hand positions I will when needed. It does however take time to get use to each position and get them locked into muscle memory. My main objective in the release is to make sure the back swing is the same hand position where I started from and make sure I am lifting out of the "cocked" position with my fingers. It's pretty much load, cock, and unleash with more finger, more revs.

I have tried the "uncocked" over the years and never got it fluid enough to use in competition mode. It feels like I'm loosing grip of the ball before the release. I would label that as my "D" game.

[rv driver]

I'm working on the cocked-uncocked release approach - thinking its something to practice over the summer. I do have to say that when I try it, it adds probably 100+ revs to my normal shot. Right now the challenge for me is to avoid coming up the side of the ball, which messes up the axis rotation. It'll definitely be a change from what I've been doing for years, but in a good way.
After watching that great video and thinking about the ergonomics, I've come up with an inspiration that might be helpful to some who have trouble coming over the ball on the release.

If you're leading the shot with the ring finger & have your wrist cupped (which is really the only position from which you can lead with the ring finger), then when you "unload" the wrist at the release and flatten it out, the wrist will naturally and automatically give the fingers just the right amount of rotation. If you keep your arm straight and your elbow is following a straight arc toward your shot, you won't turn your wrist over the side of the ball.

I think what's really happening in the case of over rotating is that your upper arm is rotating at the shoulder, and at the elbow. If you think about simply unloading the wrist, that will give you the rotation you need. Concentrate on leaving the shoulder and elbow static.

[Hammer]

After watching that great video and thinking about the ergonomics, I've come up with an inspiration that might be helpful to some who have trouble coming over the ball on the release.

If you're leading the shot with the ring finger & have your wrist cupped (which is really the only position from which you can lead with the ring finger), then when you "unload" the wrist at the release and flatten it out, the wrist will naturally and automatically give the fingers just the right amount of rotation. If you keep your arm straight and your elbow is following a straight arc toward your shot, you won't turn your wrist over the side of the ball.

I think what's really happening in the case of over rotating is that your upper arm is rotating at the shoulder, and at the elbow. If you think about simply unloading the wrist, that will give you the rotation you need. Concentrate on leaving the shoulder and elbow static.

I agree with you that if you cup your wrist and at release you uncup your hand will automatically turn just enough to put some rotation on the ball to get it to hook. As a matter of fact I made a post about it. I asked if anyone else had a natural rotation of the hand as your hand went through the release area. The harder part for me is keeping my hand to the inside of the ball as long as possible until I start to go through the release area. If I make it there or at least close I don't have to think about the rest of it. It seems to mhappen on it's own.

[fsbjcm]

I try to stay cupped until release, when my hand begins to uncup, I feel like I can actually get my thumb out of the ball cleanly and not drag (I'm notorious for doing it). I'm messing around with the cocked thing, but I'm not sure I have the wrist strength or the confidence in it to use it just yet. Something I'm messing around with in practice for right now.