And she throws a hook!

**josheaton16** · 07-02-2013, 09:37 AM

I agree, just do what works best. I know about 5-6 women in a mixed league i bowl in that throw backup balls. Most carry avgs around 160 or so with one around 180. So it can be done, and very well at that.

**DLP** · 07-02-2013, 09:23 PM

Highly frustrated and confused. Went back to the alley tonight with my Fringe and my Path.
What I DO know:
1) The thumb on the Fringe needs to be fixed.
2) The span probably could use some love as well
3) I CAN throw it, completely relaxed, and get an ok backup ball (see notes above).
4) I CAN throw my Path with better accuracy right now, probably because of the proper drilling on it, and... wait for it .... it has the proper rotation leading to a hook
5) Previously I couldn't throw the Path with any consistency so I had no real visible oil tracks. I am now down to two... one that is perfectly symmetrical, cutting the radius of the ball in half over the thumb hole and going right between the finger holes and another that is at an angle off to the left of the finger holes angled back towards the thumb hole and going beneath it. Very low flare (only two visible thin stripes)
6) I have an oil track on my Fringe that was a good 10-15 degrees wide that starts just a little above the one I had on my Path and continued down... the right side. So it was exactly opposite of the track on the Path.

I'm taking these finding to the Pro and getting his best guess synopsis of what in the hoot is going on. Because I sure don't know....
Throwing the Fridge, I was convinced that I just needed to resign myself that I would forever be blessed with a backup ball. Throw my polyester ball into the picture and all of a sudden the case for that argument is more than immediately invalidated.

I have some video from tonight taken only from behind me that I after I edit and get it posted to youtube I'll toss the link us.

**DLP** · 07-02-2013, 09:39 PM

Scratch the video.. unless you want 17 minutes of watch me from the mid-thigh down. Hubby didn't get it when I asked him to take the camera along - nor did he ask!

**bowlerRob2** · 07-03-2013, 02:13 PM

Originally Posted by DLP

Is throwing a backup ball necessarily a bad thing?

As a perpetual student of the sport I have learned to believe there is no "wrong" way of bowling. In this video (it's more than 3 hours long but you can find a quality backup bowler in it). Jessica bowls with a mean backup and is able to bowl alongside the likes of Missy Parkins, Kendra Gaines and Lynda Barnes. Check her out! (She does have some problems with 7 pins just like the rest of us have occasional trouble with 10 pins).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar6EjVPu9lk

**Tampabaybob** · 07-04-2013, 08:05 AM

Donna, I understand your confusion, as to which way to go. As Bill mentioned earlier, Women's arms are different from Men's, in the natural way they bend. The decision, to stay with the back up ball vs a hook has several pro's and cons. 1st off, would be which release is more "comfortable" to you ? Very important ! Next, I would suggest, if you want to stay with your back up ball, then you need to have the proshop look at the way it's drilled. Most pro shops drill a right handers ball One way and one way only, never asking or better yet watching the way a bowler releases their ball. I'd bet my next paycheck that your ball is drilled for a right hander with the pin more towards the right side of your ring finger. Am I correct? If so, that drilling would be for someone to be able to throw a hook. BUT...if you really want to stay with your back up ball, the ball really should be drill as it would be for a leftie, to maximize the balance and weight block of the ball. Basically when you throw a back up ball, your rolling as a leftie, and if it's not drilled that way, the ball will react incorrectly.

SO, there's a decision point for you as to which way to go. I've bowled against some guys that threw a back-up ball and they were no slouches. Using the left side of the lane does have several advantages. Tough decision, but check out your ball and see how it's drilled. Just a comment from an old bowler that 'used to' work in proshops.

**DLP** · 07-07-2013, 12:04 AM

It's drilled pretty neutral right now with the pin and the cg aligned to the center of the drill pattern in what Storm lists in their drilling guide as the low track 4"x4"x2". This happens to be the used ball that was already drilled really close to my span when I picked it up, so I've left it like that until I've figured out which direction I wanted to go. The Pro has seen me throw pretty much from the start of me bowling and has made some minor adjustments for me, including introducing me to bowling tape (was that really only a few months ago?!?!). Since I'm throwing the Fringe on Sunday night, I'll probably take it into the shop on Monday to get it upgraded(HA!) with moving the pin to the left of the index finger. There are other adjustments that will happen as well so I might end up getting measured again since I want it drilled fingertip (and I haven't had a ball drilled true fingertip to my exact measurements yet though the current layout on the Fringe comes close). I actually sat down and asked him what I could do. Series of questions, we figured out what the best approach would be, basically some good ol' re-assurance that while unheard of this isn't unique (some of my frustration was trying to correct something I wanted to fix because I thought it was wrong no matter how dang uncomfortable it was going to be). He suggested going with moving the pin to the left of the middle finger and some other minor changes and seeing where it goes from there.

Threw on Friday at the little lane I was talking about. Nothing snazzy, nothing special... but I stuck to my Fringe and was back to a pretty trusty backup ball that saved me from the gutter more than once, and landed me spares more than I care to admit. It's just very very comfortable for me to throw it that way, so if I end up with a ball drilled for a backup, I'm not sure what to expect ... but it is going to be FUN (that much I do know)!!!

**billf** · 07-07-2013, 01:12 PM

It's more than just moving the pin in relation to the fingers. Think of the core as a triangle. Two points will go from finger holes to thumb hole. The other point will go towards the bowlers body. As a back up bowler you will need a drilling for a left-handed bowler which means the core will have to be rotated 180°. It's not a big deal I just didn't want you to think you were getting ripped off when they charged to plug and drill all the holes.

**DLP** · 07-07-2013, 01:30 PM

Thanks for the explanation

Was probably in for a complete re-drill anyway. The span is just that 1/16" of an inch to big. I'll let my Pro do what he sees fit. He's done a lot for my hubby and I. I just feel really bad for the poor guy having to tolerate the crazy lady!!!

What's really great is he has no problem coming out of the shop and watching the people who he works with bowl both before and after he has done any drilling. He'll take the ball back and do quick adjustments (like sanding out, beveling, etc) right on the spot if he sees anything he can do to improve a person's game. He has yet to steer me wrong from the onset (you know, trust the guy with years of experience).

Like Bob said, I'll get to play the left side of the lane a lot more, so who knows what may happen.

**DLP** · 07-07-2013, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by bowlerRob2

As a perpetual student of the sport I have learned to believe there is no "wrong" way of bowling. In this video (it's more than 3 hours long but you can find a quality backup bowler in it). Jessica bowls with a mean backup and is able to bowl alongside the likes of Missy Parkins, Kendra Gaines and Lynda Barnes. Check her out! (She does have some problems with 7 pins just like the rest of us have occasional trouble with 10 pins).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar6EjVPu9lk

Thank you MUCHLY!!! Got a chance to watch a bit of it

It helps to learn I'm not as much as a fruit loop as I thought I was