Need help selecting my first Hooking ball.

[swanny50]

HI, I've been bowling a while now, and i avg. around a 165. I throw a straight roller starting from the right corner and coming across the lane to hit the head pin and 2ND row right in that pocket. It seems no matter how perfect the ball is placed and how much the pins blowup, there will be always a pin left up somewhere and it's a crappy feeling. Basically to get into the two hundreds you get lucky and those pins fall those days. But other than that it seems to bee the curse of rolling it without a hook.  So I want to step up to a tweenerish type ball that hooks in order to get my scores up. I'm a good technique type guy, and i strive for perfection, I have no doubt i will become a lot better once i can get the hooking down. But first things first is ball selection. I wouldn't like to spend to much, but whatever, I just need some good recommendations on a ball and where the best spot to drill them are.  I usually roll a 15lb ball around 18mph I'm righthanded and IDK if that matters one bit. So anyone with a good ball to build into would be greatly appreciated. Thanks For reading and And for any replies.  Thanks And ROCKON!
SWANNY

[BallReviews-Removed0385]

The Karma Solid is a great ball for the meager price!

Personally, my "go to" ball for the outside part of the lane is the Karma Pearl, but some guys are insecure in their manhood and shy away from the pink/purple color scheme. I have a great time beating up on those guys with this one. Good luck.

[KID A]

Brunswick Slingshots are cheap.  Not sure about the performance, but they seem to be a good entry level ball. 

A friend of mine is looking to buy his first ball, and the pro where I bowl recommended a Columbia Freeze. The price on that isn't bad either.

[Impending Doom]

If your local pro shop has them, the 900 Global Hook series is great.

Another thing. I personally wouldn't go with a shiny ball to be your first foray into hooking a bowling ball. Shiny reactive balls can be very sensitive to the oil pattern, and your release. If you get one that is sanded, those factors won't be as magnified.

So, there are plenty of options.

900 Global Hook Blue/Blue
Columbia 300 Freeze Solid
Track 300T
Ebonite Cyclone
Hammer Midnight Vibe
Brunswick Karma Solid
Storm Tropical Heat Black/Purple
Rotogrip Scream, Shout, or Shatter


Now, none of these balls are better or worse than the other. They're to start you off with a baseline. Most important is that the ball fit well. You might go into a pro shop that is biased towards one company or another, and that's ok. That's why I gave you something from almost every company. The way the ball fits your hand is much more important than the actual ball.

Coaching will also help too. Please, do not overlook coaching. If the ball fits well, and you're practicing the wrong thing, it won't help you get better.

Good luck, and welcome to the fold!

[stc067]

      There are many good entry level options,Ebonite Cyclone,Storm tropical Breeze,Columbia 300 Freeze,etc.All are great options for a first performance ball.I would also suggest that you invest in some lessons with a qualified coach to help you develop a hook, and proper fundamentals.Ask around to find a good local pro shop to purchase, and drill your new ball.Your pro shop operator should also help you understand proper care and maintenance of your equipment.I hope I have been of some assistance!

[stc067]

You beat me to it Doom!We seem to be on the same wavelength.

[milorafferty]

If you are throwing 18 mph into the 1-3 pocket at the angle you mentioned above, with a 165 average, I suspect that your ball doesn't have time to hook. Even a premium heavy oil ball can be thrown through the break point if you don't have the hand to match your speed.


Once you decide on a new ball, you would be well served to look for a coach who can show you how to use it.

[Impending Doom]

Milo, I suspect that there is a lot of foot speed, and a lot of muscle in that swing from having to have a death grip on a house ball. That's also why I said something sanded. Give the ball a chance to start gripping the lane.

STC, good advice is good advice. What can I say?

[trash heap]

Are you going to try moving towards a finger tip grip?

[milorafferty]

Agreed Doom, defiantly something sanded! I didn't catch that he was using a house ball, but that would make sense.

If 18 mph into the pocket at an angle doesn't get you strikes, then the ball must still be skidding at the pocket. 

[tommyboy74]

I would go with something sanded with that speed otherwise the ball can blow through the breakpoint.  As someone mentioned, the Ebonite Cyclone, Roto Grip Scream/Shout, Storm Tropical Breeze, 900 Global Hook, and the Hammer Vibe lines are all very good as a starting point.  I would also suggest looking at the Track 300 series balls, which also deliver a lot of performance for not a lot of cash.

Even though we can all give suggestions, the best advice that we can give in this forum is for you to visit a good pro shop first.  A good pro shop will take you out on the lanes to watch you bowl, and then give you honest feedback on what ball may work best for your game.  Once that is discussed, you'll get measured up for the best fit, and then have something drilled to match what you need.

If a shop does not offer to take you on the lanes, find another pro shop.  Otherwise, you'll end up having something that probably won't match what you need.  Also, you may end up having to have a ball plugged and redrilled, which means more cash out of your pocket.

[bigz]

i'd work on technique first to get the mechanics of throwing a hook before buying a new ball.get a coach and have them videotape you so you have something to view on your own and study.there are plenty of entry level balls that you can buy and not go wrong such as a cyclone,tropical,freeze,slingshot,karma and a few others.

[swanny50]

Hey thanks for all the suggestions, don't worry i will change my form to suit the new style of throwing. I'm a technique guy, who wants to do it right. there's no better feeling than being able to do something close to perfect and seeing/feeling the results! Like smashing a homerun in softball, nailing a drive, V2-ing X-countryskiing, and swinging the rearend of your car out around a curve keeping it balanced perfectly between ditch and joy. I hope to get that mojo if i can master the art of the hook. Learning something that takes some grace and sighting the factors of the lane conditions. I look forward to it all, Thanks much.

RockON! JON