Anyone care to share a few tips with a new bowler?

[archerbrad]

Dave, again, I listened to your advice and me and my coach worked on what you suggested. I beat my high game again with a 147. And I know what you mean about it being a buzz when you're doing good.... I can hardly believe how I've improved.

-Brad

[ffemtreed]

If you are serious about learning to bowl correctly, stop using the house ball's and save your pennies and go purchase yourself an entry level reactive ball that fits your hand. Maybe your parents will give you an early xmas present.

Its not so much the reactive ball, its the correctly drilled to custom fit your hand that is important. you can throw a reactive ball straight.

you might as well get it drilled fingertip style as well, since there really isn't any benefit of learning with a conventional grip and then switching.

Depending on how athletic you are, 12 lbs might be too light of ball for you as well. Maybe with a houseball you can only handle 12lb, but with a custom fit ball a 14 lb ball might feel lighter than the 12 lb house ball.

The goal is to have the ball freeswing once you push it out, if you have to light of a ball its too easy to muscle through it.

There are some really good balls out there right now, such as the ebonite cylcone, storm breeze, brunswick slingshot, hammer vibe that will do you well when you are first learning and also still give you the ability to learn to hook the ball correctly once you get comfortable on the lanes.

PS -- don't worry about your scores dragging down the team, I am assuming your league is handicapped, so just as long as you bowl close to your average you aren't hurting your team at all. I bet if you stick with it, by the end of the season you will find you are throwing 120 - 130 every game but still have a 110 average which will be helping your team a whole lot!!!

[aussiedave]

If you are serious about learning to bowl correctly, stop using the house ball's and save your pennies and go purchase yourself an entry level reactive ball that fits your hand. Maybe your parents will give you an early xmas present.

Its not so much the reactive ball, its the correctly drilled to custom fit your hand that is important. you can throw a reactive ball straight.

you might as well get it drilled fingertip style as well, since there really isn't any benefit of learning with a conventional grip and then switching.

Depending on how athletic you are, 12 lbs might be too light of ball for you as well. Maybe with a houseball you can only handle 12lb, but with a custom fit ball a 14 lb ball might feel lighter than the 12 lb house ball.

The goal is to have the ball freeswing once you push it out, if you have to light of a ball its too easy to muscle through it.

There are some really good balls out there right now, such as the ebonite cylcone, storm breeze, brunswick slingshot, hammer vibe that will do you well when you are first learning and also still give you the ability to learn to hook the ball correctly once you get comfortable on the lanes.

PS -- don't worry about your scores dragging down the team, I am assuming your league is handicapped, so just as long as you bowl close to your average you aren't hurting your team at all. I bet if you stick with it, by the end of the season you will find you are throwing 120 - 130 every game but still have a 110 average which will be helping your team a whole lot!!!

Good advice ffemtreed - I second that.
A good entry level ball for a new "hooker" is the Slingshot - it will give you some hook and they aren't all that expensive either.
ad.

[aussiedave]

Dave, again, I listened to your advice and me and my coach worked on what you suggested. I beat my high game again with a 147. And I know what you mean about it being a buzz when you're doing good.... I can hardly believe how I've improved.

-Brad

Good for you brad!
The next level of the game that will really get you excited is bowling fingertip and getting that ball to hook. This will take a little getting used to but with a coach right there with you, you will be bowling hooks in no time.
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