HELP !!! it wont hook (new bowling ball)

[thangbom]

Ok.. I Did Some Searching Online And Found What Im Looking For.. ( A Clip Of The Release) And It Seem To Me That Im Doing It The Right Way ( Just As I Thought..) So.. There Is Something Els Wrong That Is Messing Me Up.. And I Think I Know What It Is.. Something Is Wrong With My Thumb Hole.. How Loose Is It Sapose To Be?? Cuzz When I Put Just My Thumb Into It.. It's Like Really Shugg Of A Fitting.. ( But Sometimes When I Put My Ring And Middle In Then My Thumb.. My Hand Gets Stuck In The Ball... And I Have To Use My Other Hand To Pull My Ring And Middle Finger Out To Get My Hand Off The Ball...)

 

[devilboy]

Ng,
like they were saying it seems like u have the basic idea. actually when you release a bowling ball, (this is the easiest way i can explain it) when you are doing your approach to the foul line, you are in ur back swing, when the ball reaches around you hip, your thumb should already be out of the ball, ur hand turns to the side but staying underneath the ball, and rip thru the ball, mostly with your ring finger giving you all the lift and rotation. i hope this helps, it is not the best explantion. and as for your question about the fit of your thumb, this is another issue. is it too loose or to tight? if it was drilled correctly they can put either forward or reverse pitch into the thumb hole. let me explain this, reverse pitch exactly what it says ur thumb will be basically pointing straight behind you, this is for ppl that tend to hang up in the ball alot, with a normal 0 pitch in the thumb hole. and will allow you to come out of the ball much smoother. forward pitch is the oppossite where your thumb is facing forward, this is done with bowlers that tend to drop the ball upon release and it will give them that extra second with the thumb in the ball.
my balls are all drilled exactly the same. with alittle reverse pitch in my thumb to allow my thumb to come out smoothly. but to answer your question the size of the hole for the thumb should be equivilant to that of a slip fit of 2 fittings.
just remember on your release when you lift thru the ball bring your hand up like you are shaking someones hand and your thumb should be at 12 o clock.
i hope this helps some

 

[devilboy]

PS....
can you take a picture for me of the pin placement of the ball, where the pin is placed to where the finger holes are located have alot to do if the ball will have a big back end (big hook) or very little back end (not a lot of hook)

 

[thangbom]

some pics of the ball and my thumb in it... it's like really snugg.. i feel the outside wall of the ball all around my thumb when it's stuck in..

 

[thangbom]

ill post a few more ina min.. friggin digi died on me... ( pic of thumb 1/2 way in ball and how the darn thing dont naturally fall off my hand via gravity..)

 

[devilboy]

yea imo, your thumb hole is drilled to small.... nothing the alittle easy slide wont take care of. but you may want to have whoever drilled ream out your thumb hole some.
and also imo, the pin placement of that ball to where the holes are drilled, will make that ball go looooooooooong, what i mean by that it will go straight down the alley then eventually flip but very late with little hook. the pins on my balls are all off to the right of my ring finger hole, ball will go short, and flip early down the lane which gives it a big nice hook

 

[hagfish]

It shouldn't fall off with gravity if you have your thumb and fingers in it. It should if you just have your thumb in it though. If it feels like it's sticking on your thumb, just take it to your local pro shop and he'll fix it for you, probably for free. Ask him/her for some pointers while you are there. If they are worth a crap they should be willing to watch you bowl and give some advice.

 

[hagfish]

I agree with devilboy about the pin placement. That ball is drilled to go long. But don't change that yet. First get your thumb hole fixed. You need to know how you can throw what you've got before you make changes.

 

[thangbom]

yeah,, the pro shop guy is a cool guy.. he watch me bowl 3 frams and said a was doing the right thing..( i just happen to bowled 192 that gane.. i was lucky..) anyhow.. whish he seenme when i was me regular crappy self... ( stressing to get 110 or so) this ball is really killing me... sucks that i cant bowl as good as i use to... with a HOUSE ball...
anyhow.. ill show him how the frigginball sticks to my hand and wont release.. maybe afther that ill get back to my old self.. and and is it normal for u guys to get blister on the side of your thumb??.. cuzz i have one now...
but about the pattern that the ball is drilled now.. well i told him i was a really high rev'er when i was 2 finger bowling.. so i guess thats why he drilled it the way he did... ( i dont kow anything about balls and drilling.. so i let him do what he thought was best..) anyhow.. my ball already have battle scars from the ally.. friggin old bowling lane... ( and is it normal for a ball to collect so much dirt??i mean.. i know it catchesiol from the lanebut my ball turned dull afther onlyabout 10 games...so i windex it..)

 

[devilboy]

no you should not get blisters on your thumb from the thumb hole.
it almost looks like in one of your photos that your span is also off. in order to check to see if this is correct i want you to do this for me, and get back to me with the answer.
1. put your thumb in the ball.
2. reach your hand straight out with out putting your fingers into the holes.
3. see where the middle of your finger holes are in relation to your middle finger and ring finger.
4. a properly drilled ball when your thumb is placed in the thumb and fingers straight out the first crease in your fingers, the 1st knuckle should be the centerline of the middle finger hole, and the centerline of the ring finger hole.
from your previous response, i am gathering this is your first finger tip bowling ball?

 

[thangbom]

yupper... it is.. and let me take apic for u..

 

[devilboy]

ok i will be waiting then. i have been bowling for 20 yrs, and it took me a long time to get where i am at today, you can take my advice with a grain of salt it is entirely up to you. but i am just telling you what has worked for me in the past. i am going to attach a very bad sketch of the line i normally play. and i dont even know if i myself would be able to get your ball to hook considering the way it is drilled.
you may want to ask you pro shop guy about putting a thumb slug in your thumb and redrill that thumb, all 6 of my bowling balls have thumb slugs, i seem to be able to have a smoother release with my thumb for the material the slug is made out of instead of whatever the ball is made out of.

 

[thangbom]

look ...

 

[devilboy]

here is the bad sketch, just let me describe in words:
there are arrows on the lanes right? every 5 boards there is an arrow. i normally try to play real deep, which would be between the 4th or 5th middle arrow. but as you can tell by the sketch my left foot is way left on my approach. about the 3rd dot from the left hand gutter.

 

[thangbom]

when i played 2 fingers i was like on the 1st arrow cozz of mu hook... ( it would go all the way down and hook when it was to the last arrow on the right) .. but how wit this ball.. im smack right in the middle... cuzz i cant hook it..

 

[devilboy]

ok looks good bro. correct span. a finger tip ball takes some time to get used too. it is not the same as bowling with a normal ball. the main thing what ya need to do is get used to lifting with your ring finger up thru the ball, straight up towards the ceiling. your ring finger should be the last finger coming out of the ball... if you watch a video of the PBA bowlers and tivo it, and slow it down on the approach and release i would bet that all of them that their last finger out of the ball is the ring.
next time you bowl, try this too, it will help you get more revs out of your ball. when you are there ready to bowl, try tucking you pinky finger in up against the palm of your hand. this will hurt, the weight of the ball will be resting on that pinky, i have a nice callous on my pinky from doing it. or if thats no comfortable for ya, try spreading your pinky towards the middle of your body. i have a buncha lil tricks that i can try and help ya with.

 

[devilboy]

do you stand further right then i do ?

 

[thangbom]

when i was 2 finger bowling i stood the the lefth more.. but how i stand right in the middle.. ( so the 1st pin is dead in front of me)

 

[devilboy]

hmm... its hard to say if it is mechanics that are wrong, or the ball is just drilled to go long like that. by looking at the pin placement the ball is drilled to go long, and have a very little back end. but i am not saying that the ball wont hook. it may or may not. actually my ball i use for my 10 pins is drilled almost like that, the pin in front of the fingers so the ball will not flip and hook past a 10 pin.

 

[thangbom]

Yeah.. But Im Not Even Cranking It At All Like.. It Bearly Hooks... And I Try To Roll This Thing As Lightly As Possible
Cuzz It Will Stick To My Hand And Go Aitbowrn If I Try To Put Power Into It..