A drill using a 12" or a 16" softball if you can find one.....

[Hammer]

Everyone has heard of the football drill where you throw it with an underhand spiral to put spin on it. Seeing that a bowling ball is round I thought that a 12" or a 16" softball would be better. After getting the ball find a wall of some kind you can bounce it off of or even maybe off the back part of your couch or recliner. You hold the ball in your hand and let it hang straight down from your shoulder. Now have the palm of your hand face forward. Make sure your wrist is straight
or slightly cupped. Try to position your fingers like you are holding a bowling ball. Maybe you like a spread index finger.
After you get your fingers set how you like them swing back and swing forward and see what kind of spin you can put on the ball. By noticing the spin on the ball you can see if the ball has that nice 45 degree spin. This way you can see if your hand is turning enough at the release. It isn't a big turn either, just and inch or two. I think a lot of folks think it is a big turn. It is important to stay behind the ball as long as possible until the thumb comes out and the weight of the ball falls onto the fingers and then a little turn and a lift should put some nice revs on the ball.

[billf]

You thought of this all on your own? Not from the multiple posts on here or one of the other forums, Youtube, etc??

[Hammer]

You thought of this all on your own? Not from the multiple posts on here or one of the other forums, Youtube, etc??

Yep! To be honest I saw the youtube football drill but haven't seen one using the softball. Maybe new folks here haven't seen it either.
That is who I was aiming for. Some things here are repeated anyway for those new to the site. Maybe it is old hat to the oldies here but not to some others that may not have heard or seen it. I am sure that you have repeated things here yourself. So maybe someone here can use this if they need it. On with the show!

[GeoLes]

I do a few minutes of release drill in the gym after cooling down from other workout the same way. The gymnasium is usually empty. I grab a basketball stand 10' or so from a wall, assume final slide position holding bal with thumb and fingertips on ball, swing and release at the wall. Watch ball rotation as the ball leaves your hand. You can do it at home with a grapefruit too. Be careful not to get juice on the walls, however.

[billf]

Yep! To be honest I saw the youtube football drill but haven't seen one using the softball. Maybe new folks here haven't seen it either.
That is who I was aiming for. Some things here are repeated anyway for those new to the site. Maybe it is old hat to the oldies here but not to some others that may not have heard or seen it. I am sure that you have repeated things here yourself. So maybe someone here can use this if they need it. On with the show!

We all repeat thing and have to for the reasons you stated. I am surprised though that you don't recall the thread Bowl1820 posted, with video, of this drill. It's a good drill.

[Hammer]

We all repeat thing and have to for the reasons you stated. I am surprised though that you don't recall the thread Bowl1820 posted, with video, of this drill. It's a good drill.

I didn't sign up to this forum until some time in October. Maybe it was posted before then or maybe it was posted when I got here but didn't read the post. Oh well, like I said maybe someone here is reading it for the first time. Maybe I will have to find Bowl1820 post and see what he says.

[billf]

Somebody needs to make a bowling ball as light as a softball and soft like a nerf ball so we can use that for the drill at home.
The one thing the softball and football drill lack is the ability to simulate the thumb coming out of the ball. The when and where (the thumb comes out) are so important in this game.

[Hammer]

Somebody needs to make a bowling ball as light as a softball and soft like a nerf ball so we can use that for the drill at home.
The one thing the softball and football drill lack is the ability to simulate the thumb coming out of the ball. The when and where (the thumb comes out) are so important in this game.

Easy! Make a thumbhole in the softball. LOL.