How do you "cock" your wrist?

[Ball99999]

What is meant by the yoyo analogy? Is that for end over end straight shots?

[Tampabaybob]

I'm not familiar with that term. I'll have to research it. Like everything, people coin new terms all of the time. I'll see if I can find out and get back to you or someone else on the forum may know.

Bob

[Ball99999]

Thanks. Whenever I keep my hand behind the ball and come up behind the ball, the ball goes dead straight. But I'm wondering if cocking it/twisting it, then releasing by coming up behind the ball will still create side turn since I am rotating it a little bit.

[billf]

Thanks. Whenever I keep my hand behind the ball and come up behind the ball, the ball goes dead straight. But I'm wondering if cocking it/twisting it, then releasing by coming up behind the ball will still create side turn since I am rotating it a little bit.

If I'm interpreting your description correctly, then yes it will. Given the problems you are having getting side rotation, I'm beginning to wonder if maybe you feel as though you are behind the ball yet may actually be staying a little inside the ball. Most of what humans feel is exaggerated with most bowlers coming around the outside of the ball to some degree when they feel they are behind it. So maybe you're a little different (a good thing in my book) and are actually too far inside.

[Tampabaybob]

Thanks. Whenever I keep my hand behind the ball and come up behind the ball, the ball goes dead straight. But I'm wondering if cocking it/twisting it, then releasing by coming up behind the ball will still create side turn since I am rotating it a little bit.

When I have a bowler that goes over the top of the ball (and I have a few that do regularly), I'll tell them to position their thumb at 11:00 or 12:00 and then attempt to throw a straight ball. 99% of the time the ball will still hook, because the muscle memory in your body will take over and the wrist and fingers will still do the same rotation. It's really mind over matter, but the hardest thing to get through to some bowlers, is focusing on their hand throughout the backswing and keeping the hand rigid till the point of release. You still need to relax your release and "allow" the wrist to rotate. Your ball WILL hook.

I know that many of the bowlers on this forum are fairly new to the game, and haven't had the many years of experience that many here have had, and it's very easy to "tell" someone how to do something. It's another thing for that person to go out and practice it based on a written explanation. Practice, with the thought of concentrating on one particular point, is probably the best way to achieve fixing a problem. The hard part comes in, putting it all together. Sometimes it's a painstaking experience to make the changes we all want to make in our game, to increase our scores. We all, no matter how long you've been doing this, STILL make stupid errors during the course of the 3 league games. I have many shots that I would love to have taken over, but that's one thing that makes us all come back the next time; to not make those mistakes and score higher.

Bob

[billf]

Bob, it wouldn't be any fun if we didn't make those mistakes. A bunch of 300 average bowlers isn't for me. The worst part of things here is we aren't there to point out when it looks correct or incorrect. We both know that what is usually felt isn't was is actually happening. That's why everybody should record their practices (if possible) so they can see what is really happening. Most people are dismayed the first time they see themselves bowling. I've even taken to recording the youth league so now when I say "stay under the ball" (or whatever) and they say they are, I show them the tape. Then they say, "I thought I was".