Curve with new ball

[Haroldm814]

Hey everyone!

I'm new here and relatively new to bowling. I'm on my high school team but only because the captain is one of my best friends and I just ordered a new ball.

I've been using my dad's ball which is from 1986 and has the thumb hole too big for both of us (same sized hand) but I ordered a new Storm Secret Agent ball at the suggestion of my friend.

So my question is, how do I go about getting a hook? I know this is a basic question and not much detail but like I said I'm relatively new.

The ball I use a 16lb round rock for lack of a better turn. You can turn your wrist 360 degrees and it will slowly move to the left. No matter what I try I can't hook it so I'm hoping this new ball will allow me to do it. I've been bowling for about 5 weeks and 3 games once a week so about 15 games.

I bowled a 144 (best score ever =[ ) tonight and thats throwing a straightball with no experience so I'm hoping I'll get better once my ball arrives (Monday probably)

Soo any advice/suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks!!

-Harold

[BigDawg70]

The best thing you can do is take some lessons now before you develop a bunch of bad habits. Trust me, it will be the best $$ you ever spent.
I know thats probably not the answer you were looking for but thats the best advise I can give ya.

[Haroldm814]

Well my friend is teaching me and alot of the bowlers at the local alley come and watch and everyone says his form is perfect so I kinda am taking lessons.

I already have a 5-step approach and good balance when I release. The bowlers say nothing is wrong there and that the only thing I need to do is get a ball that will start to hook which I did.

I know on the backswing I should my wrist cocked under the ball and shaped like I'm answering the telephone.

The thing is, with my present ball I physically cannot hold my wrist like that. SO I'm hoping when I get my new ball I can get a lot of practice games in.

[TenPin]

Does the High School team have a coach? If so, listen and take notes and practice. Like BigDawg said, $$ spent on a coach now is better than what could happen later. Bad habits can be really hard to break later.

[BowlingTracker]

Pretty much anything will hook more than your "round rock". Those old hard rubber balls just can't cut the oil that's used today..

A good consistant hook depends on a good consistant release and the direction you turn the ball. If the ball spins like a top all the way down, then you'll have less hook.. if it spins more like a thrown foot ball, the you'll get much more hook..

Here's a couple of terms for you. Axis-Rotation and Axis-Tilt. When you throw the ball, look at the spin and get an idea at which direction the axis is pointing (like a north and south poll). Your release is what determines these..

If the axis points absolutely strait up at the ceiling, you have 90 deg axis tilt. If the axis is parrallel to the fllor, you have 0 deg axis tilt.

If the axis points back toward you then you have 90 axis rotation. If it points straight out to the side you have 0 deg axis rotation.

Now.. with that said..

A higer axis rotation will give you more overall hook more distance before it starts hooking. A lower axis rotation will give you less overall hook and less distance (will hook earlier).

A higher axis tilt will give you more length and less hook. A lower axis tilt will will give you more hook and less length..

So you see with the combination of axis rotation/tilt, you can get a very wide range of reactions from the ball.. And then of course there's ball speed to thrown in the mix too.. You can adjust all these to get just the amount of reaction you want..

If you're getting a little hook out of that rubber ball, then perhaps you do have a decent release. It's not easy to get a rubber ball to hook on anything other than a pretty dry condition.. unless maybe your like Tommy Jones with over 450 RPM rev rate..

Anyway.. i'm not sure if i've helped at all... But I think the new ball will do wonders for you.. Both because it'll read the lane better and it'll fit your hand..

Cheers,
James

[Haroldm814]

Sadly no, it's a player coach team.

Thank you for that informative post! I'm very excited about the new ball and so is everyone else.

Yeah, I think my release is ok, but I only throw a straight ball because I can't hook this one.

When I do turn my wrist the ball like you said kind of spins like a top and slowly hooks. I can't cup the ball as it is too heavy and am hoping this new ball will do the trick.

I hope it arrives soon and when it does I will surely update you.

I had practice today again for the team and my best game was a 145. It's pretty sad, but for someone who hasn't bowled more than a month, I think it's decent progress.

[presence1960]

welcome to bowling

Harold, just remember this : Rome was not built in a day! It takes dedication and a will practice to succeed in this game. That being said the best thing you can do is find a coach. This will insure you don't practice bad techniques which will develop into bad habits. Muscle memory is difficult to overcome.

[Haroldm814]

Oh I know. Re-learning how to swing a baseball bat to have the swing I do now was extremely difficult. I had been playing for 10 years with it! It's definitely worth it to do it right though.

I was at the lanes today with my buddy and we asked the local bowling champ/coach that the lanes has to watch my form (set, approach and release), and he said he had no complaints with my approach, but apparently I swing across my body (which he said is amazing considering how heavy the ball is and how dead weight it is) and told me to stand on the second dot to the left.

He said I had a great 5 step approach and my slide, balance and release were fine. I just need to start using the new ball when it arrives as soon as I can he said.

Thanks for the all the replies! I'm feeling extremely welcomed and I'm impressed by the amount of informative knowledge all of you seem to possess.