Expert: - 5/7/2008

Question
To give some background, I am a novice bowler that mainly played with house balls.  I normally stick around 13 lb balls and would have a cranker spin to the house balls without using my thumb.  I read this is bad to do that so I bought my first bowling ball.

My first bowling ball is a Tropical storm and now I use my thumb but it has very little hook.  More I read and the ball is normally used for dry lanes and hooks very little.  At first I would hold the ball pretty much palm facing up and thumb at a 12 o'clock position.  No hook at all and it really tore layers of skin.  So at the end of the day I would be bleeding from the layers of skin it took away.  So, I changed my grip where my thumb is at a 10o'clock position and I see more of a spin but not nearly as much as I want.

I was given a gift of the 2 for 1 bowlers paradise thing (bad choice IMHO) but I received the Blue elite Alien and the Twisted Fury.  I drilled the twisted fury (I cant tell you specific specs bc I dont understand the specs) but I can tell you that the ring finger hole and the middle finger hole is on both sides of the "yellow dot" on the ball.  I was expecting the ball to hook alot but it hooks less than my tropical storm.  I hold the ball with my thumb at 10o'clock and it only just spins horizontally and just goes straight and if I keep my thumb at 12o'clock it has a slight hook in which I am looking for a larger hook effect.

Is there something I am doing wrong or is it just bad drilling?

Answer
Eric,
I think both you and the driller are not making good choices.

You are trying to learn with a ball that has an agenda (it wants to do what it is designed to do, whether you want that or not). You may be throwing the ball too hard for the conditions you bowl on (oily or oily part of the lane).

I am hearing several things that bother me, you said: “13 lb balls and would have a cranker spin” Do you throw a 13lb ball now? What is your height and weight and would you consider yourself athletic? Physical job? Pretty sedentary and bowling is your only exercise? Please let me know? With your thumb in, did the driller explain how the ball should come off your hand? Does the ball just hang in your hand, when you extend it down to your hip/knee, and relax your grip? The ball should let go of you.

Further, you said (when referring to the two finger delivery): “I read this is bad to do” It is bad (very inconsistent and dependent on EASY lane conditions for success), where did you read this? (interested in the sources you use for input on the sport, and it may help me understand some of what is going on).

You also mentioned that you read the Tropical Storm is for dry lanes and doesn't hook much. The Tropical is a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde ball. The slower it is thrown, with an average rev rate, the more it hooks. For many bowlers throwing harder, turning the ball average, on a Typical House Shot (THS) the ball actually works very well. Did your driller recommend it? Did the store representative see you bowl? How long have you had it? How hard do you throw (compared to others playing around you, about average, a little slower, faster, a lot faster)?

Next, the torn thumb and lack of acceptable ball reaction leads me to believe you throw hard, maybe still grip too much and don’t have a lot of time at the point of delivery to turn the ball much. Since I can’t see you bowl, nor get a good idea from the details I have now, I’d like to get further information before making all kind of assumptions with out evidence and confusing you more.

I want to help you become a better bowler, but I need more information to understand some of what you've said. Please let me know more. I am concerned about your ball layout, the drilling, the lane conditions you bowl on, the use of performance equipment and how quickly in your evolution as a bowler you got into higher tech balls? If you'll bare with me and provide more info, we can determine more of what's going on with your game and get you better. Thanks for the questions. I look forward to hearing back. Good luck and good bowling.