Starting to get serious

[MrFabulous]

Hey guys, first time posting.  For the last few months me and my brother have been going bowling a couple times a week, and have self taught ourselves how to spin and such, and I think we have pretty good form.  We average about 140ish with house balls.  I have a couple questions, when throwing with the house balls, we leave our thumbs outside of the hole, seems like if we try to spin with our thumb in the thumb hole of these house balls that our wrist is going to give out, it this normal, or a flaw in the way we are throwing?

My next question is, if this isnt a flaw, then im thinking of buying my own ball, and would like any recomendations for a casual bowler who has some decent spin on the ball.

And finally, I live in northern california, chico to be exact, are there any good pro shops around here? theres one at the bowling alley I frequent, however im not sure as to how good they are there.

Thanks for any help you can give me !

[MrFabulous]

Oh and 1 other thing, money is not an issue when buying the ball, I would like to get the best ball there is for me.

[TheBowlingKid25]

First off, put your thumb in the ball. All 'serious' bowlers bowl with all 3 fingers in. THe reason you cant 'spin' a house ball is becuase they are drilled conventional, meaning your fingers go in up to the second knuckle, which makes it hard to hook the ball. If you get a ball, get it drilled fingertip. Fingertip means that your fingers only go in to the first knuckle. Trust me, not many 2 finger bowlers are successful. I would recomend something like a Brunswick Power Groove to start with. If you have any other questions feel free to ask, we dont bite!
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16 years and still going strong! 16 years old that is! The names Warrior Princess, Xena..Warrior Princess
And why would I "saw" pins in half, THATS A WASTE OF PINS!

[MrFabulous]

I would like to use my thumb however on the houes balls, the thumb hole is directly between the 2 finger holes, and when I try to spin the ball it hurts my wrist.  Does this mean im throwing it incorrectly?

[MrFabulous]

With my new ball I was planning to use all three, but I was also planning to get the thumb hole drilled off to the side a bit.  Is this unconventional?

[MrFabulous]

With my new ball I was planning to use all three, but I was also planning to get the thumb hole drilled off to the side a bit.  Is this unconventional?

[stanski]

no that is not unconventional, being properly fitted for a bowling ball by a pro shop should help with the pain in your wrist. once you are properly fitted, you will be able to get more revs on the ball, though not as much as with the 2 fingers. if you get a ball that isnt rubber(most house balls are), then this will also help it hook.
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stanski

[TheBowlingKid25]

Here I'll put it into a little bit more simple terms since you dont know a lot of bowling lingo. House balls are drilled to be as close to a good fit for everyone, so they do a very general drilling on it that will fit alot of people. House balls are not really MEANT to hook, there ment to be thrown straight by people who just come to bowl for fun you know, come like once a month kinda people. When you get your own ball it will be fitted specifically for YOUR hand, and will be ALOT more comfortable. As for pain the wrist, like I said its because the ball is not fitted to you. Just so you know, when someone on here refers to "revs" it means revolutions, or how much you spin the ball. Another good thing would be to get your own cheap pair of shoes while your at the pro shop, will be a world of difference. Again, have any more questions just ask.
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16 years and still going strong! 16 years old that is! The names Warrior Princess, Xena..Warrior Princess
And why would I "saw" pins in half, THATS A WASTE OF PINS!

[9andaWiggle]

I think V12 hit it... If you really want to learn the right way to do it, and get good at the game, ask around and find a good coach.  Now is the time to do it, since you are just starting and don't have years of bad bowling habits to break.

IMO, you would be better served to buy a low-mid priced ball that is drilled to fit, and then spend some money on a coach at this time rather than merely dropping big bucks for the best ball on the market.  Once you have built a solid foundation (good form, follow through, consistency) then you can spend at will on better equipment that will compliment your great abilities! Good luck, hope you enjoy the game for a long time!
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9~

Keep your balls on the lane and your mind in the gutter!

[MrFabulous]

Thanks for all the help guys, I really appriciate it.  After doing some talking with the guy at my local pro shop, I ended up getting a Storm Depth Charge.  Haven't had a chance to throw it yet, had to order the ball, but will get the chance in a couple days, did I make an okay decision getting this ball? Or am I gonna be in trouble?