First Performance Ball

[Ming]

Hi guys, I started bowling weekly back around Christmas time using house balls. About a month ago, I started using a barrowed 15lb C300 Encounter to learn how throw a hook. I think my form is down and fairly consistent. With this ball I can barely get a hook, just slightly. Usually the hook starts right at the face of the pins. The ball is drilled with the pin above my ring finger and the CG in between the finger and thumb holes, and the ball track is about 1.5in. from the finger hole and it crosses the thumb hole. I throw pretty fast with medium revs, and this ball goes basically straight. This is on a THS, but I don't know how much oil is down. Can you guys recommend me some balls so I know what look for as far as price goes when I go to the pro shop, and maybe how it would be drilled it to get a more early hook. Thanks.

[Hammer]

Something isn't right if you can't get this ball to hook for you on a THS pattern. The Columbia 300 Encounter is made for lanes with medium to heavy oil so it is a porus surface for good traction on those types of lanes. That means it should hook with no trouble on a THS pattern. Maybe it is your technique which means that you are not keeping your wrist straight and your hand behind the ball up to the release. If your wrist bends backwards on your forward swing and your hand starts to turn to the inside before the release you will lose revs and the ball will not hook like it is supposed to. The Encounter ball will not like this technique.

If you want balls that are more inline for you go to bowlingball.com site and look at the Storm Crossroads and the Brunswick Slingshot. These are good balls for THS pattern for folks like you trying to get things in your game straightened out. The Encounter is a pro performance ball with an asymetric core. If it isn't thrown right it ain't gonna work right. Plus if you want your ball to hook make sure that
that you set up to get your ball thrown to a breakpoint that goes somewhere between board 3 and board 9. That is where the dry part of the alley is on a THS pattern. You get your ball to that point with some decent revs your ball will hook. After that you adjust where you stand on the approach to get your ball to the pocket.

[ecub]

Since it's a borrowed ball, the span may not be correct. Curious on the oil track crossing over your thumb hole as well. Do you insert your fingers and thumb in the ball or only the fingers? Could you provide a video? Of course, getting your bowling ball, fit for you, should help with getting a good release to create a hook.

[billf]

1. Given it's borrowed there is no telling how much oil the cover has absorbed.
2. It wasn't drilled for you. Your PAP is different than who it was drilled for bringing the track too close.
3. Again, it wasn't drilled for you so the chance that the span and pitches are correct are pretty slim but possible.

High speed, average to high rev, high track player I would suggest a DV8 Marauder drilled 60° X 4" X 30°. It will rev easily, read the lane well and react strong to friction.