what does STAY BEHIND THE BALL mean?

[GeoLes]

It's entirely possibly to stay behind the ball, with your hand in the correct position without cupping the ball. It's less strain on the wrist/forearm if you do it uncupped.

I fully agree. I use the cupped position in practice drills because it is the easiest to monitor as the ball is kind of balanced in the palm of the hand throughout the swing. (this is just for practice of course.) As others have stated, there are variiances in wrist position from cupped to broken, variences in wrist angle, but the fundamentals are the same. ) As long and the hand is behind the ball at the point of release, you are "behind the ball".

Another drill for that is to practice rolling the ball thumb hole only. You have to keep the wrist is full support position up to the point of release or you lose the ball.

As long and the hand is behind the ball at the point of release, you are "behind the ball". Which is the point of my post.

[Hammer]

When you push a stalled car you push from behind the car for more energy to get the car going forward. You wouldn't push a car from the side of the car and expect to have enough force to make it go forward. The same with a bowling ball. As you come to the release area you want your hand to be behind the ball and then your thumb will come out first and then your fingers will rotate about an inch or two as the ball is coming off of your hand. Make sure that when your hand and fingers rotate that you don't turn your whole arm to do it.
Just your hand turns. Try turning your hand slightly without holding a ball by putting your arm straight out in front of you with your palm facing the sky. Now turn your hand and fingers slightly to the left if you are right handed and opposite if you are left handed. As
you can see you can turn just your hand one or two inches without using your whole arm to do it. Your forearm might turn just a little but your elbow should still be facing the floor. Also as you come to the release area make sure your wrist stays straight or a little cupped
and does not break towards the rear. You will lose energy to the ball to make it go forward if you do and it will cut down on your revs.

[classygranny]

Try turning your hand slightly without holding a ball by putting your arm straight out in front of you with your palm facing the sky. Now turn your hand and fingers slightly to the left if you are right handed and opposite if you are left handed. As
you can see you can turn just your hand one or two inches without using your whole arm to do it. Your forearm might turn just a little but your elbow should still be facing the floor.

Humm...Is this why I have such a tendency to overturn the ball? When I hold my arm out straight in front with palm up, I am able to turn my hand to where it is palm down and my arm and elbow never move, the elbow is still facing the floor? Left handed I can't turn as much but almost...Maybe I should try bowling left handed...lol - NOT.

[Hammer]

To classygranny: When you get to the release zone which is by your sliding foot your hand should still be behind the ball. At that time your thumb will come out quickly and then you just have to turn your hand as little as one to two inches. Some folks are under the impression that to make the ball have revs you have to spin the ball with an over the top motion of your hand. What actually puts revs
on the ball is that slight turn of your hand and the weight of the bowling ball pulling off of the tips of your fingers. What you don't want to do is to straighten your fingertips to let the ball come off your hand. Keep your fingertips locked in the position that they are in when you put them into the ball. Let the weight of the bowling pull itself off of your fingertips. The ball with it's weight and the force of your swing will not make it a hard job for the ball to come off of your hand. You will be surprised at how easy it is to put revs on the ball if you use this technique. Remember, don't spin the ball with an over rotation of your hand to make it hook. A one to two inch turn of your hand and the ball pulling off of your locked in position fingertips will give you nice revs.

[classygranny]

Hammer...I don't tend to overturn the ball like I did when I first started learning to bowl. But I thought it interesting that I could turn my hand completely over when you felt it would not be possible without turning the elbow or arm. I guess we are all built different and move different.

I did find your comment about the fingertips a jolt. This is something I had learned many years ago, but haven't thought about it in a very long time. I just can't remember if I still do it or not. Guess I will have to examine that part of my game next time out...Friday. Thanks for the headsup reminder.

[GeoLes]

I find it confusing to thick of hand positions on a clock or when thumb comes out. I simply think set my wrist positon and leave it there until my hand begins to pass my sliding foot. At that time I simply move the hand from firm palm up to palm palm to the side.


You can practice that as described earlier by extending empty palm forward (straight arm, or course), then turn to a "judo chop" position with thumb up. That's all there is to it. Natural, effortless motion.

[JPbowl]

Something i need to remind myself when the ball looses its bite on oily lanes.
I don't even think about rotating my wrist at release, it just happens when i follow through and get the ball off my hand cleanly.

[Hammer]

To JPbowl: I don't have to think about turning my hand at release after my thumb comes out either. It seems to happen on it's own like it is a natural thing for me. I had an earlier post about that asking if the hand rotation happens naturally for some folks like it does for me. The only thing I think about is keeping my wrist straight or a little cupped and my hand behind the ball until I reach the release zone.

[GeoLes]

++++

Or to simply state it as my coach does...

Just reach out and shanke hands with the pins..

[JPbowl]

>>Or to simply state it as my coach does...
>>Just reach out and shanke hands with the pins..

This confused the hell out of me when i was trying to learn how to hook it. got me doing some weird rotating wrist motion at release that did get the ball to hook some what, but no where near what a proper release should be.
Now that i know what im doing my hand is more palm up during release. more like pitching a softball.

I wish we could get rid of the suit cases and shaking hands references ;P