the release point

[wes909]

ok so i was in a conversation with the owner of the proshop at my local bowling alley . he is a real nice dude with unbeatable prices and good advise. so we were talking about release points and where your thumb should be when you release. he said its best if you release the ball with your thumb first , when your thumb is at the 11 o clock position.i told him i released mine at 8 o'clock . he then told me i was hurting my hook.and that you should never twist your wrist. that i was trying to help the ball but was actualy hurting it. so can some one post up a video of exactly what your wrist should be doing . should it twist ? how should i hold the ball full palm or just above. i am going back to basics please help

[DanielMareina]

I will try and put together a video if I have time in the next day or two. As for holding the ball, you should have your palm on the ball, but still have a little wiggle room. You should be able to slide nothing larger than a pencil between your palm and the ball. Your wrist, during your release isn't really a twist. If you stick your hand straight down, you would lift with the part of the palm that is where the bottom of your thumb meets your wrist. By lifting this part of your hand up, your hand will naturally rotate to having your thumb up and your pinky down. This is the finishing position that people sometimes refer to as the "shaking hands position. Your pro shop guy is correct about everything he said. The reason that the spinner release, which is what happens when your thumb is at 8 O'Clock when you release, isn't helping you is because it causes the core of the ball to take too long to get into it's optimum position. Also, if all you have is side roll, when the ball hits the dry part of the lane, it will slow down and shift momentum to the side. This gets hook, but at the cost of momentum. The key is to roll the ball at about a 45 degree angle, so when it hits the dry part of the lane it not only moves sideways but also increases forward momentum. This will increase power into the pocket and pin carry. I will post the video on this thread if I get time. I hope this helped.

[wes909]

thanks man i understand some of it i will try it out hopefuly you can make that video i am more of a visual learner.so really its all about leting the ball do the work? you just kinda put it in the right position

[DanielMareina]

Without going way too deep into core technology and how to use it to it's full potential, see if this helps. Imagine that your ball is a car tire. While that tire is spinning on ice just peeling out, it isnt changing direction much because it has no traction. This is like the ball when it is sliding on the oil. Now once that tire grips the road, it will launch you in the direction it was aimed. What you want, is to have the wheels aimed the right direction before they get traction. So if you can roll your ball at the angle you want it to go once it grabs, then that is the direction it will go. Once again, I will try to make that video soon. Tonight is final position round in my league and we have a chance to win, so I am focused on that tonight.

[wes909]

thanks man good luck with bowling btw i found 3 video's that make sense to me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTfvMfEnNzs&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh8Gglh8i_k&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGIyYa5egu8&NR=1

[wes909]

guys watch and heed these videos i just got done bowling i applied these videos. i went up to 196 :cool:

[wes909]

also watch this it will help to

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdeWmuaJyaY&NR=1

[Strike Domination]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAQj2H1u25U

That might help also. I think that's really basic.

[wes909]

wow i got release the ball lower thanks for the vid

[yeehayashi]

The are other keys to getting a clean & powerful release. In my opinion, are footwork timing, balance at the line, ball speed and follow through. When I get this right, I know because I finish & post the shot; if I don't get it right, I tend to fall away to the right rather than staying upright at the line.

[wes909]

i played again today and got a 198 thats much better for me i never got below 186 today

[Strike Domination]

Good shooting, sounds like you're on the right track

[wes909]

guys i need some more help my stance and slide and swing have improved 10 fold but still cant get the spin i want i cant figure it out .

[DanielMareina]

If you can video tape yourself throwing the ball and upload it to you tube or something, I am sure we can help out. If not, describe what direction the ball spins and how much it reacts. The key is to make sure that you are not spinning the ball like a top (coming around the side of the ball) or coming flat behind it. Also if you could tell us what ball you are throwing and where the pin is located in relation to your fingers, it will help us to know what and when and how much to expect the ball to move if you throw it properly. I will tell you though, of the videos you had on your previous posts, throwing the football spiral underhand is the one that will help you the most, but the guy on the video doesn't do a great job demonstrating it. It is an effective practice routine though.

[wes909]

ok i will get a video up asap

[wes909]

guys i got sum videos they are up loading now ok so i did realy bad to day but guess what i have never had so much fun bowling ! i actually figured out what i was doing wrong ! so now i throw with a ton of hook! can you guess what it was ? .....10 seconds to guess .... 5 ...4 ...3 ...2 ..1 ...kablam! it was my foot work it was because my legs were far to straight when i released once i realized my hook took off it was amazing it was great i only bowled like a 120 but i actually felt like i knew what i was doing and not just getting luckY ill have the videos up in just a sec

[DanielMareina]

Where did you upload the video to? I couldn't find them.

[yeehayashi]

Wes, for me the key to a strong release that hooks without me trying to force the ball reaction is to keep my hand the ball right up to when I release the ball at or slightly past my ankle. I also focus on keeping my wrist firm and follow through directly toward my target. My wrist rotates about 1/4 turn counterclockwise, cuz anymore than that leads to me topping the ball and creating a weak shot. Try reading Ron Clifton's TIP Archive at www.bowl4fun.com or Joe Slowinski's website for articles that discuss armswing & release at www.bowlingknowledge.info. I have learned a lot from their articles. That plus working with a coach and a good friend & teammate who is a very good bowler with a textbook stroker style have helped me greatly.

[wes909]

the video files were to large il have to edit them tonight. alas i think i am still doing something wrong i have a huge gash in my thumb from bowling and that shouldn't happen

[wes909]

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk117/clubsrt4/th_001-5.jpg (http://s278.photobucket.com/albums/kk117/clubsrt4/?action=view&current=001-5.flv) here is a video .. my arms should be straighter

[wes909]

i am going to meet some friends tomorrow they said they would help me figure it out both of them are very good bowlers so i am hoping it will be a progressive day

[wes909]

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk117/clubsrt4/th_bowlin.jpg (http://s278.photobucket.com/albums/kk117/clubsrt4/?action=view&current=bowlin.flv)

[DanielMareina]

I hope your friends are able to help you. From watching the video, I would say that number one thing you need to work on is balance. After you let the ball go, you should be able to stay upright on your slide foot for atleast 3 seconds. Secondly, you should work on pulling the ball straight backwards and straight forwards while keeping it closer to your body. Right now you pull back and away from your body and then never really get it back in line. Lastly, for now, is you should follow through after your release farther. Your hand should lift above your shoulders as you follow through. Hopefully you can use this info and let me know how it goes.