Does anyone else think the underhanded football drill is the wrong simulation

[NewToBowling]

To me an underhanded football drill forces your hand to rotate too much. It isn't the correct simulation of rolling a bowling ball. If you do the simulation at home you'll notice your hand over rotate and thumb past vertical. That would make for a very extreme and unpredictable back end hook.

This is my thought of the day...:)

[LOUVIT]

I personally do not think you can simulate hand motion unless you have weight in your hand ..yea a bowling ball

[fokai73]

I do. I was overseas about 10 years ago when I saw a local coach teaching his students about the release. He was using a softball and not a football. It made me think about the release for some time, and then I started using a softball/baseball a year later.

[bowl1820]

Here are the football and softball drill.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2Oc2d29dd8

[RobLV1]

I agree. The football drill was great when you had to make the ball hook. Now, not so much!

[ChuckR]

At a kids party 2 years ago, I came across a what became a tool for a while. It was a plastic ball with holes. It was used in the swimming pool. The holes and colors
let you see what was happening when tossed differently. No weight, but showed what effect hand position has.

[fokai73]

Here are the football and softball drill.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2Oc2d29dd8


thanks for posting....

[Turkey Track Hammer]

Works for me

[zacks]

I definitely think this is the wrong 'simulation' because it keeps your hand on the side of the ball from start to finish, though this video does help explain how to stay behind it. I did use this to help one of my friends understand the 'concept' of throwing a hook. He had never owned his own ball or bowled in a league but was very effective throwing the ball straight. He couldn't figure out how to hook a ball so I tried to help. The shake hands method didn't work, then I remembered this method from my days as a junior bowler and told him to try it out. It's not perfect, but it helped him understand how his hand needed to finish.

[billf]

I absolutely deplore the football drill. Even using a yo-yo underhand is more effective. I bought softballs on clearance and handed them out to all our youth bowlers then had the high school team demonstrate how to do it at each table.

www.eileensbowling buddy.com also had the fel ball which comes with finger holes to help with revs, rotation and how to use the fingers.

[Hammer]

I got a great idea to practice releasing a bowling ball. The place where I get therapy for my hip replacement gave me the idea. I told my therapist that I was going to finally try bowling the next day. This is just a little over two months since the operation. She gave me this weighted rubber ball the size of a 16 inch softball. It was 10 pounds. I took a five step approach slowly and rolled the ball at a wall 15 feet away. I couldn't slide of course because I had on gym shoes and I was on a rug. She had me do this several times. It was great because I could keep my hand behind the ball at the release and then my hand turned just about an inch or two when I let the ball go.

It was easy to keep my hand behind the ball without turning early because it was easy to cup and not turn early. When I finally went bowling I had that feeling I had with the rubber ball and was able to get that same feeling with my bowling ball. This would be great to get the same exercise ball to practice at home throwing it at a wall or couch from like 15 or more feet from whatever you will throw at. My therapist said it might be harder doing it with a heavy bowling with finger holes. I didn't think it was when I did it with my ball. So having one of these to practice staying behind the ball at your release will be a great practice item. It is easier to do to get the right feeling with this weighted rubber ball.

Before you know it your brain will be trained to get that right feeling with your bowling ball.