Expert: Russ King - 12/26/2006

Question
Currently i have found out about my problems, someone told me that i have a problem releasing the ball earlier.Can you suggest any tips for me so that i can overcome this problem.
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Hi Russ,
Thanks for answering my question,but i would like to hear your opinion.After i buy my bowling ball,i only play less than 20 games but the ball condition looks like i had been playing for years.It seems like there has been scratches and tiny crack on the ball surface. I get AMF maximum velocity at a bargain price. Now I thought of selling it off and buy a new bowling ball. Currently I am using 15pound bowling ball and maybe is kind of heavy for me who weigh about 125pounds but if i buy 12 or 13 pounds,later i may have to change to heavier ball. Any suggestion?if i want to get a new ball,which one will u recommend?I visit few pro shop before but the opinion i received wasn't helpful enough.I'm from Malaysia,we don't have the professional service(PBA) like what you all had in America.

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Thanks for answering my question.I will follow your instruction and see how it goes then i will keep you update with the progress. My thumb get hurt not at the bast where thumb meet palm. The skin got slight torn down between the finger nails of my thumb and where the thumb meets the palm.Right now i have to paste a plaster so that i wont get the skin torn down further.Currently i am using 15 pounds and i only weigh about 125 pounds,do u think this could be  a reason why i can't hook my bowling ball.This morning i just went to bowl,i try to hold firmly and most of the time when i bring my ball up,is just lose its ways   
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All this while,i cant seem to hook the ball in correct ways.Recently i just bought a new bowling ball-AMF maximum velocity.However,my games did improve a bit but yet i cant get the right way to hook my bowling ball.Can you teach me how to hook the ball in correct ways.By the way,when i wear my wrist support,most of the time the ball will end up in   hole without getting any pin hit.I don't know why my thumb gets hurt lately.was it because of how i release the ball that hurts my thumb or the hole doesn't fit my thumb.
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If the straps of the wristband goes under the hand between the ball, it takes up space & creates a stretched grip. If your thumb gets numb or hurts at the base where the thumb meets your palm, this is probably what is going on.You should only use a wristband for an injury or to use as a trainer in practice ONLY!
I think your backing off your hand at release. Keep your hand firm at release.Your thumb points up at the sky at release & you need to slightly press your fingertips into your palm at release.You need to push the ball down the lane with your fingers.This will strengthen up your release.There should be absolutely NO movement in your wrist & fingers all the way thru your armswing.Lock in your wrist & hand position as you hold the ball & DONOT NOT MOVE OR ADJUST ANYTHING FROM THAT POINT (WITHOUT THE WRISTBAND).Strokers will have a straight wrist & still get great carry & hit.Movement of the wrist & hand greatly reduces the carry & hit.Crankers & strokers drive their hands thru the ball.This means locking the hand & wrist.
Now, DONOT NOT rotate your hand around the ball at release. Keep your hand behind the ball & drive your hand thru the back of the ball & follow thru.Also lock your elbow between the time of pushaway to passing your side going into your back swing.Keep it locked all the way thru release & into your follow thru.
 TRY THESE LESSONS & LET ME KNOW HOW THEY WORKED FOR YOU. THEN WE MOVE INTO THE NEXT LESSON FROM THE RESULTS OF THIS.
 Your thumbhole should be slightly loose but not sloppy.A sloppy thumb is a lot of space to where you can move your thumb around alot.If you are caulking bending your thumb knuckle, you will hang in it because you are gripping it & maybe the hole is too big.Pointing your thumb up to the sky at release will tell us whats going on if your thumb still hurts after pointing to the sky.
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I have a snake head shaped thumb & I have to oval out the thumb so it won't rub on the sides of my thumb. You may have to do this also to relieve the rubbing pressure.You also have to get it very smooth like glass.If there is some roughness , you will get a blister or tear in your skin. Also there might be a pitch that needs to be increased. If the beveling doesn't work, you need to change the angle(pitches) to relieve the rubbing.Try working out your thumb hole to relieve the pressure. Have the Pro Shop person do it & make sure they smooth it out good.
 I don't know if you have a thumb slug in the ball. But if you have just the hole & no sleeve or slug,you might be sticking on the resin surface which is coarse & tacky.In the early days before slugs, I used to brush fingernail polish on the sides where it rubbed to smooth out the hole.
LOOK INTO THIS & TELL ME IF YOU KNOW WHAT IS GOING WRONG IN THE THUMB HOLE.
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I f the marks are in the track area,there is dirt or foreign matter on the lane.When the ball rolls over it, it will put marks like small scratches in this area. If it is in the axis area, it maybe a screw head thats sticking up in the flat gutters(gutters alongside the pin deck).Also something wrong in the ball return underground tracks.If your on wood lanes, the black foul line is kept in place by finnish nails & sometimes they work up to expose the nail head.This mark will be a wider scratch with a beveled side to it.If this only happens in one house, the top problems may be the ones. If it happens in 2 or more houses, then maybe the ball surface is too soft.
LET ME KNOW IF ANY OF THESE SEEM TO BE THE PROBLEM.

Answer
There are many ways to jump into time. It all depends on just how far out of time you are. If just a little,try a bigger or smaller first step.If way out of time, you may need either to add or delete a step.
Other ways are,bigger pushaway,higher backswing,delay pushaway 1/2 step,lower the ball in your stance. Any of these might jump you into time.Try each one or a combination of several. It will be trial & error.Sometimes just a deep breath before starting your approach will work.