And she throws a hook!

[DLP]

I'll take that as a compliment

[DLP]

Reporting in that Dippy is back in my hands

Plugged and re-drilled similar to the 3 1/2" X 5" X 3" high track layout (reversed of course because of that whole backup ball thing) that Storm has on their symmetrical drill sheet. She was also spit-shined and polished
He waited for me to come in tonight because he didn't have my fingertip measurements and he wanted to make sure it was drilled right. I have oval inserts, and with the span being just right it feels like I'm barely throwing the thing.

While I don't have to completely re-learn, I am finding that because it's set up to have be a stronger backup ball, I've had to make some adjustments.
When I bowled my 163 last Sunday, I was playing across the lane, starting with my right foot on the 10 and aiming between the 2nd and 3rd arrow, it would end up landing in the 1-2 pocket, after a sudden curve to the right once it got off the oil. This was pretty easy to repeat until today. It is safe to say that that isn't going to work anymore. It would be probably doable if I moved over another board or so, but I'm quickly running out of boards to the right.

So far, my best results have been planting my left foot on the 36 and aiming between the 5 and the 6, favoring the 5 slightly more.
Did get a chance to work with the Pro a bit, so needless to say I did get some coaching. The fact that I ended up throwing a turkey after a few things he shared with me, I can at least consider myself not a lost cause.

Since throwing a backup ball is usually considered "incorrect" there isn't a whole lot of direction or advice online regarding it. So I'm kind of winging it (not in the chicken winging it sense but in the sense that I feel like I'm really flying blind). It's going to take some time before I feel comfortable with taking what I can learn and understanding how to apply it to my game. For now, I'm going to do nothing but listen to my coach and my pro and go from there.

The good news though is she's back in my hands, and it felt good to be back on the lanes again. We are going bowling again tomorrow and then have leagues again on Sunday.

[DLP]

Actually - fix that - my left foot was on the 32 and my right on the 28. Counted 5 boards to far :9

[Tampabaybob]

So, I'll assume (!) that the guy in the pro shop agreed that the ball was drill wrong for someone who normally throws a reverse hook, right? Once you get used to what the ball reaction is going to give you, you'll be fine. If it's really hooking a lot, keep in mind that you want to set the ball down in the heavier part of the oil (at the line) and let it slide out to the friction area. In other words, if you're targeting the 5 board you want to lay the ball down, maybe around 10 or 12. Depending on how much the ball is hooking, and that might not be enough. Here's a couple of other things you can try. When getting into your stance, draw an imaginary line between the "4" pin and your target arrow and your ball. Keep moving your target to the right (still using the 4 pin as your end target). This should help you adjust to the amount of hook. Also something else that might help, that I use ALL of the time (also helps with your follow through), and that's to look about 3 feet past the arrows at a spot on your target board and use that as your target. It'll help the ball go a little longer. Try these and let me know if it helped.

[billf]

Everything you learned will still apply, just read it all as if you have to flip everything. It's what left-handers have to do all the time.

What Bob alluded to above with looking past the arrows works well. It's called three point targeting with quiet eye. Basically to go further down lane move your eyes further down lane. To hook earlier you move your eyes closer to the foul line. In full form it's an advance technique but using the basic part will get you close. At State this year I actually had to aim at the ten pin to hit the pocket. Yes, it felt strange looking that far down lane and that far over but I couldn't get any further left with my feet.

[DLP]

Bob and Bill - both of you are either psychic OR ...well I'll leave it at that.

I started reading both your posts and had to sit here laughing, because I was JUST reading about the three point targeting with quiet eye last night off of BowlingKnowldge.info and watched the youtube video explaining it.

And yes, Bob - no assumption needed there - ball was drilled all wrong for backup, so as my Pro puts it "I'm not fighting the laws of physics anymore".

[billf]

That article had me shaking my head a bit. It just didn't seem logical. So I printed it out, went to the alley and put it to practice. It's amazing how the body and mind adapt to change the roll without you even realizing it.
Joe Slowingski is also the coach that was at IRTC that blind folded bowlers to perform his study on muscle memory and the importance of being able to see your target. The jist was elite bowlers don't have to see their target to get to the pocket. Their superior mental visualization was enough to get there even if carry percentage was down.

Now when you read some of Joe's articles, remember you want to start outside the ball and end up inside of it. DYDS!

[DLP]

Hoookay.... sub 100 series and then a 140 at my last game of 4. This is going to be long winded so bear with me...

I now have no control of the ball throwing across the lane (from right to left which used to be my go to and what my coach taught me to do). Forget it, not going to happen. So to the left side of the lane it is....

The numbering is as a lefty... because that is where I start now but really need some advice.

Flipped to start on the 10 board to throw between the 2-3 arrow and always ended up on the left side of the pins. Completely missing the 1-2. So spares with the right pins.

Stood on the dots with my shoulder dropped so the ball was swinging freely and noticed where I was standing, my free swing was more over the 20 board than anything.

Moved to the left, so my feet were straddling the 5 board, tested my swing with a dropped shoulder and found it was more over the 14-15 board.

Now it is just a matter of consistency....... several throws went into the 1-2 pocket with very little effort, but left more spares than I care to admit, mostly on the right side with the 7 pin standing. The 7 pin has become my arch-nemesis.
Also had a few that right to the right of the head pin and after it got into the mix, also left pins on the right side.

Now here is the biggest challenge. I threw a couple that just hooked so beautifully from my 5 board starting point, went over my target of the 14/15 board, caught about mid-way down the lane and hooked left, completely missing the head pin. I was left with the 1,2,4,7.

Here is what I don't know.... how I did it. I asked my hubby to watch and he said that when I did that it was because my hand was open at the bottom of my swing, but he can't explain to me exactly what he means. Does anyone know what he means?

Also, I'm not sure what happened. The thumb was fitted fine for me last night and it was working great. I needed to slap in a piece of tape today because it was to lose and then on the last throw I tore open the back of my thumb just below the knuckle to the right. I've got Nu-skin on it right now but will probably need to tape it tomorrow night in order to bowl.

[J Anderson]

Hoookay.... sub 100 series and then a 140 at my last game of 4. This is going to be long winded so bear with me...

I now have no control of the ball throwing across the lane (from right to left which used to be my go to and what my coach taught me to do). Forget it, not going to happen. So to the left side of the lane it is....

The numbering is as a lefty... because that is where I start now but really need some advice.

Flipped to start on the 10 board to throw between the 2-3 arrow and always ended up on the left side of the pins. Completely missing the 1-2. So spares with the right pins.

Stood on the dots with my shoulder dropped so the ball was swinging freely and noticed where I was standing, my free swing was more over the 20 board than anything.

Moved to the left, so my feet were straddling the 5 board, tested my swing with a dropped shoulder and found it was more over the 14-15 board.

Now it is just a matter of consistency....... several throws went into the 1-2 pocket with very little effort, but left more spares than I care to admit, mostly on the right side with the 7 pin standing. The 7 pin has become my arch-nemesis.
Also had a few that right to the right of the head pin and after it got into the mix, also left pins on the right side.

Now here is the biggest challenge. I threw a couple that just hooked so beautifully from my 5 board starting point, went over my target of the 14/15 board, caught about mid-way down the lane and hooked left, completely missing the head pin. I was left with the 1,2,4,7.

Here is what I don't know.... how I did it. I asked my hubby to watch and he said that when I did that it was because my hand was open at the bottom of my swing, but he can't explain to me exactly what he means. Does anyone know what he means?

Also, I'm not sure what happened. The thumb was fitted fine for me last night and it was working great. I needed to slap in a piece of tape today because it was to lose and then on the last throw I tore open the back of my thumb just below the knuckle to the right. I've got Nu-skin on it right now but will probably need to tape it tomorrow night in order to bowl.

It looks like you've figured out that as a right=hander throwing at the 1-2 pocket you'll have to start with your feet well to the left of where a left-hander would stand to play the same line. You may want to check to see what board your left foot winds up on at the foul line to see if you drift, and also have some one watch to see which board you actually release the ball over.

"Now here is the biggest challenge. I threw a couple that just hooked so beautifully from my 5 board starting point, went over my target of the 14/15 board, caught about mid-way down the lane and hooked left, completely missing the head pin. I was left with the 1,2,4,7."
Don't you mean hooked right? The 2, 4, & 7 are all left of the headpin.

As for the Thumb it sounds like you started bending your thumb to grip the ball. Odd as it may sound you may have needed another piece of tape in the hole.

[DLP]

Ya hooked right.... eventually I'll get the nomenclature down because I'm a righty throwing like a lefty so, I have to think of things bass ackwards now...

I feel like I'm back in high school when I was trying to learn to read bass clef after reading treble for years (if you know how to read music and didn't learn how to read both at the same time as in piano) you'll know what I mean!!!