Still confused on how to turn the ball

[bowl1820]

I agree with 75 and the others who have said it, your over thinking everything and making how you bowl too complex. Your questions are all over the map, your trying to change so many things all at once.

Also there is just so far you can go with reading about how to bowl. If you keep having trouble with everything, you are at the point where you need someone on the lane to help you.

You are in Cali. there are plenty of coaches around there, one lesson is cheaper than a new ball and does more. If you don't get a coach, just ask around at the bowling lanes. The Pro there might help or might could recommend another bowler that might give you some pointers.

But 75 has it right it takes practice, pick one thing and work on that before moving on to something new.

[Ball99999]

I agree with 75 and the others who have said it, your over thinking everything and making how you bowl too complex. Your questions are all over the map, your trying to change so many things all at once.

Also there is just so far you can go with reading about how to bowl. If you keep having trouble with everything, you are at the point where you need someone on the lane to help you.

You are in Cali. there are plenty of coaches around there, one lesson is cheaper than a new ball and does more. If you don't get a coach, just ask around at the bowling lanes. The Pro there might help or might could recommend another bowler that might give you some pointers.

But 75 has it right it takes practice, pick one thing and work on that before moving on to something new.

They don't all translate into changes. Discussing this stuff on forums is what I enjoy doing. It's part of the hobby for me.

I have to emphasize that I don't need a coach at this point. I understand what I do wrong when I do it, it just takes practice.
Also I've mentioned a few times I've had coaches before. In fact they were the cause of problems. All I'm asking is that people don't keep suggesting a coach anymore. And if they don't like questions or topics, that's how the internet works. They read the topic and if they don't like it they don't have to read it.

[75lockwood]

They don't all translate into changes. Discussing this stuff on forums is what I enjoy doing. It's part of the hobby for me.

I have to emphasize that I don't need a coach at this point. I understand what I do wrong when I do it, it just takes practice.

I think that's a big part of whats missing here, I think everyone is under the assumption that every topic is regarding something you are looking to change and not that its a simple discussion, when a bowler with a lower average starts discussing cup/uncup cock/uncock the instinct is that this person is trying to do something that is a lot more complex than what they are capable of at this stage in there bowling career.

It's great to learn, perhaps mark on posts that you just want to discuss theoretical rather that looking for help on a specific issue.

[UBowling]

I don't have a football but the problem remains, I can see the same result in videos but not be clear on which muscles are being used.. are people using their wrist to turn, like a doorknob, and then letting the arm push the fingers through the ball... or is there no wrist muscle action and instead the fingers are PULLING the ball up and around the side?

It isn't really a wrist action movement that you want to go for. Maybe after bowling for a few years and you have gotten a really solid release you can experiment with this and start getting more revs, but for now I would suggest staying away from any major wrist movement, it could cause problems you don't want to deal with. Typically the wrist put the ball in the position that you need for your hand to do the work. In a strong wrist position you can really get your fingers and hand under the ball for the most leverage and your fingers do the work of lifting and turning the ball.

[noeymc]

everyone needs a coach even pros have coach's

[martinezsam2495]

This guy is just asking for attention.. Obviously he doesn't listen to any of the useful posts, and is changing his question to accommodate his knowledge. If he doesn't want to listen to you guys, just ignore him..

[Zothen]

I was taught to keep my hand under the ball(4,6,7 0'clock). Index finger pointing at 4 o'clock,middle & ring fingers at 6 o'clock and pinky at 7 o'clock. I tried it the way you showed in the pic,but,it was very uncomfortable and painfull so this is how I was taught.

When I said 12 o'clock,etc I was refering to your hand after you have released the ball.

Zothen

[AZBowla]

I think you've got it right in that you simply have to practice more. No amount of coaching or watching release videos or reading posts in here will train your brain to turn your hand the way you're supposed to - only practice can do that, and a bunch of it. You're in a league so part of the deal should be discounts on practice games. Take advantage of that, and stay in that league because that's the closest thing to entering a competition that you can get for the money. Enter a tournament too if you can, who cares if you place dead last. The experience you'll walk away with will be worth the entry fee. Becoming a better bowler is an investment in both time and money. The more you spend on it (especially the time) the more you'll get from it. I know money is tight, I'm in the same boat, but I'm sure if you look at what you're spending money on, you can find things you can do without so that you'll have more money for bowling. That's what I've had to do, because I too want to become a better bowler and someday be able to enter tournaments so that this rather expensive hobby can start hopefully paying for itself someday.

[Big Nick]

I'll go ahead and toss in my 2 cents.

I set my wrist position before my swing ever starts, and I do the best to keep it in that position throughout my swing and release. There is little bit of a wrist turn that takes place after my thumb exits the ball and before my fingers exit, but it's a fraction of a second and a very small movement. I find that if I put my wrist in the right position before starting my swing that I don't even have to think about turning my wrist... it just happens. I just have to make sure to consistently release the ball at the bottom of my swing since I have a tendency to hang onto it for a little too long.

I know that you've said that you don't want coaching right now, and I completely understand that. I was in a similar situation when I started practicing for my first league back at the beginning of the summer. I was averaging around 130 and I was having a really tough time finding any consistency. I did some reading online and found that I was throwing a full-roller, and I set about teaching myself to throw a semi-roller. I read about wrist turns and finger positions and cupping the ball and none of it helped. Not knowing any better, I was trying my best to do what I had read but I was doing it all wrong..... There aren't many wrong ways to throw a bowling ball, but I had definitely found one. Disgusted with my worsening performance, I decided to bite the bullet and get a lesson from the pro at the local lanes.... I mean, what could it hurt for one $35 lesson. It helped a ton because I had another set of eyes to look at what I was doing wrong and tell me what I needed to do to correct it. Since the first lesson, I've had four more which brings the grand total for coaching to $175. I couldn't even tell you how much I've spent practicing, but it's a heck of a lot more than the 5 lessons cost me. However, without the coaching, I wouldn't have known what I needed to work on and I doubt I'd be much better now than I was five months ago.

[bowl1820]

With the spill over of the other thread, I think this thread has hit the law of diminishing returns also. I'm locking it , lets move on people.