Modern Release??

[mx1alex]

I've learned a lot in this thread. Thanks to those who've shared!

[boatman37]

Well sort of tried this tonight on my first practice ball. Tonight was for the championship so didn't want to screw it up (which I did anyway). Tried it my first practice shot. My hand generally hangs down sort of flat anyway so I didn't do the first part of the 'yo-yo'. Just before release I sort of cupped my hand upward. I'm sure I didn't do it very good but the ball rolled more like a full roller. I didn't even try again after that but plan to over the summer. The one team that has about a 220 team average was beside us and I watched the one guy (the PSO). He gets a ton of pin action and I was watching his release tonight and a few others on the team and they all do it.

Tonight we had to bowl our first game on a set of lanes then for the 2nd game move to the next pair to the right then then 3rd move to the next pair to the right. Well this team was on the pair to the right and I had heard others comment throughout the year about bowling against these guys and how hard it is because they carry oil down the lanes. Well our right handers were having trouble all night. They don't typically have to move much throughout the night but tonight they were complaining about how dry the lanes had got. I'm a lefty so I didn't have that issue but it was interesting to hear and see how dry they got (I assume from following these high rev bowlers?)

So on to my games....148, 154, and 180. Horrible. We finished next to last tonight (we finished the regular season in 2nd)

[GrumpyCatFace]

Well, I think I’ve made some progress on this. Last night at league (we’re out of contention anyway), I experimented with cocking my wrist to the left a bit in my stance, and holding that way until release. Revs increased!

I’m sure that I still don’t quite have this right, but it’s encouraging to at least see some result in the hook.

My biggest sticking point seems to be at the point of release - how to position my height properly to “unwind” the wrist both straight and down at the right time. I also experienced some trouble with getting my fingers to pull through, but I’m still speed-dominant by far, and that’s limiting my curve quite a bit.

Luckily, I have all summer to figure it out.

[GrumpyCatFace]

IT FINALLY CLICKED!!!

I realized that my whole issue was with using my arm too much. Once I finally got myself to relax my shoulder/bicep, my average jumped 40 pins. WOW what a difference!

[boatman37]

IT FINALLY CLICKED!!!

I realized that my whole issue was with using my arm too much. Once I finally got myself to relax my shoulder/bicep, my average jumped 40 pins. WOW what a difference!

Well I need it to 'click'...lol. Yesterday I was in a store with my wife. I hate shopping so have to find something to occupy myself so I grabbed a little Nerf football and started tossing it up in the air. Then I remembered reading on here somewhere about the modern release being compared to tossing a football underhand? I wanted so bad to try it in the store launching it forward but my wife wouldn't have been happy...lol.

So if this is correct then when applied to bowling think of releasing the ball from the side (suitcase style) as 90* and coming straight up the back as being 0*. So you want to be more like 45*, or maybe even less, when releasing using this? I tried it one day in practice but I was more behind the ball and it pretty much rolled straight with a slight hook.

[GrumpyCatFace]

Well I need it to 'click'...lol. Yesterday I was in a store with my wife. I hate shopping so have to find something to occupy myself so I grabbed a little Nerf football and started tossing it up in the air. Then I remembered reading on here somewhere about the modern release being compared to tossing a football underhand? I wanted so bad to try it in the store launching it forward but my wife wouldn't have been happy...lol.

So if this is correct then when applied to bowling think of releasing the ball from the side (suitcase style) as 90* and coming straight up the back as being 0*. So you want to be more like 45*, or maybe even less, when releasing using this? I tried it one day in practice but I was more behind the ball and it pretty much rolled straight with a slight hook.

Yep. I had the very same issue.

I think the experienced bowlers keep saying ‘behind the ball’ to mean ‘not a suitcase’, but to us, it sounds more like ‘RIGHT BEHIND IT’.

We need to be around 20-30 degrees off to the side, and I’ve gotten a much better result by cocking my wrist to the side, in the stance.

I tried twisting my wrist at the top/middle of the swing, but the timing is not very repeatable. Better to ‘set it and forget it’.

But the biggest change was simply forcing myself to accept the timing of the swing, and not trying to adjust during my approach. Every single time I “swung it” with my arm, I launched the ball off to the side, or screwed up my release. It has to be a pendulum. That slows the ball enough, and allows you to concentrate on the release enough for it to come together.

[boatman37]

Yep. I had the very same issue.

I think the experienced bowlers keep saying ‘behind the ball’ to mean ‘not a suitcase’, but to us, it sounds more like ‘RIGHT BEHIND IT’.

We need to be around 20-30 degrees off to the side, and I’ve gotten a much better result by cocking my wrist to the side, in the stance.

I tried twisting my wrist at the top/middle of the swing, but the timing is not very repeatable. Better to ‘set it and forget it’.

But the biggest change was simply forcing myself to accept the timing of the swing, and not trying to adjust during my approach. Every single time I “swung it” with my arm, I launched the ball off to the side, or screwed up my release. It has to be a pendulum. That slows the ball enough, and allows you to concentrate on the release enough for it to come together.

Well part of my problem is probably that I am an experienced bowler but sat out the last 15 years. Hard to teach an old dog new tricks. I do seem to be at about that 20-30* mark but I simply let the ball roll off my fingertips. Seems like maybe all I need to do is to finish the last step of the yo-yo and get that flick up in my wrist at the end?

Still not sure I will adopt this release but will try it a few more times. If I can get my consistency back then I know I can be a 210 bowler and I only bowl leagues so not concerned with having the highest average. I don't plan on any tournaments. I also want to be sure I don't create any type of injuries. I can't use my right arm due to an accident at 4 years old so can't afford any injuries to my left arm...lol.

[GrumpyCatFace]

There is a very slight snap of the wrist at the end. The only point that you ‘accelerate’ is after the thumb is out. Just a flick of the wrist, as they say.

This is why I start with the wrist cocked to the side, and then just let it pull off my hand at the end.

[HowDoIHookAgain]

I've always followed the rule of staying behind the ball. Lot less work for me to do and I feel like I'm more consistent this way

[Astropin]

I've always followed the rule of staying behind the ball. Lot less work for me to do and I feel like I'm more consistent this way

My only issue with this term "Staying behind the ball" implies you never do anything with your fingers at release and just follow straight through the ball? If you did your ball is going to be rotating straight at the pins and the ball is going to go straight. That's how I throw my spare ball and it goes dead straight. Sure an aggressive core and cover might make it move a tiny bit overall...but it's not going to "hook".

If you do "stay behind the ball" then you need to rotate your fingers through the ball at release in order to generate revs away from the pins and generate an eventual curve/hook.

Either that or you have to "old school" come off the side of the ball which involves some lifting in order to get the ball to curve.