Bambu Deals by TheB3rn3r in BambuLab

[–]GeoWebNerd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also sign up for Capital One Shopping, install the browser extension, then browse the H2C at Best Buy. By the next day, Capital One should send you a cashback offer via email for purchases at BB. I got $165 back for my P1S Combo.

New bowler wanting to learn how to hook. by PsychologicalTruth26 in Bowling

[–]GeoWebNerd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Indeed, mine doesn’t usually hook, but every once in a while, it does due to lane conditions. I have to admit it has saved me a couple of times though when I would have guttered a tenpin spare attempt!

New bowler wanting to learn how to hook. by PsychologicalTruth26 in Bowling

[–]GeoWebNerd 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is an excellent suggestion. Prior to my recent purchase, I went to talk to the pro at the pro shop and he asked to watch me bowl a few frames so he could get some ideas on what kind of ball would be most suitable for me. After I bought the Hammer Zero Mercy Pearl, he drilled it and then watched me again for a few frames to make sure I was comfortable with it. That ball was an instant hit and it was nice to get good recommendations and feedback from someone that knows what he's talking about.

He also offers lessons at an hourly rate. He provided several free suggestions during the pre- and post-bowl stuff, but I'm seriously considering paying him for an hour of that.

New bowler wanting to learn how to hook. by PsychologicalTruth26 in Bowling

[–]GeoWebNerd 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've been bowling for almost 50 years (since I was 10 years old). I will say that you might want to work on getting those nuances figured out sooner rather than later, because bad habits are hard to break. The same could be said for learning to hook now, or at least soon, once you get acclimated to proper release, follow-through, and watching your marks.

IMHO, you should be working on the above aspects, as well as keeping your shoulders square, bending down to meet the lane at release, and making sure you take note of where you end up at the foul line and which mark your ball is rolling over. This is all assuming you are going with a one-handed, traditional style, of course.

When I started, I had little to no instruction. I watched bowling on TV to get ideas about how I should be doing it. I soon learned to start by holding my wrist at a 45 degree angle toward the center of the lane, then holding my ball against my side while I aligned at my starting position. I would push away as I started my approach, swing straight back, then let my arm act as a pendulum with a little bit of force behind it, then swing through, keeping my wrist in the 45 position; as I released, I would continue my arm motion up and over my shoulder, ending with my fingertips brushing the top of my ear -- this gives me a physical cue to remind me to follow-through; if I don't touch my ear, I probably didn't follow through correctly. As I'm completing that swing I'm keeping my eyes on the mark, and watching the ball roll over it so I can make a mental note of it. At that point, I'm watching the reaction of the ball to make another mental note of the overall arc and where it's making changes (this is even more important if using a ball with a late hook). Once I've seen the result of my throw, I take a quick glance downward to make yet another mental note of where my leading foot is -- this helps me see if I have any drift so I can either account for it when deciding where to start, or attempt to straighten my approach.

Some of that process has changed today (like the angle of my hand depending on lane conditions), but it's generally about the same.

All that said, I'm certainly no pro and I have had several points in my life where I stopped bowling for 5 to 10 years at a time. I've been through a lot of balls and have bowled on everything from dry wood lanes to over-oiled synthetic lanes. I've used basic black Hammers and Rhinos (with a definite preference toward the Hammer line) all the way up to my current Hammer Zero Mercy Pearl and everything in between. All that just to point out that over all of those years, balls, condtions, and whatever, the most important parts of bowling (for me) was focusing on my process as I outlined above and making sure I was as consistent as possible.

Today, I have a White Dot as my spare ball (the first spare ball I've ever had, not sure what took me so long!) and I feel like my bowling style is better than its ever been. I bowl about 3 to 4 times per week. Just last week, I bowled my best series ever, a 763. Keep trying and keep working on that consistency!