In the first place, I try to change my approach. I have a free pendular swing and a "comfortable" routine which I try to keep up as long as possible.

If nothing works (no hook due to oil) or the ball becomes uncontrollable, I try to raise ball speed holding the ball higher in my approach - from waist height (~15mph) just 10cm higher, and starting with an upward motion. For me, this generates more speed but kills the hook.
On difficult/slick conditions I will also take hook out of the release, changing my target (normally 12 board) towards 3rd arrow. Not nice, losing hook and angle, but it works, especially with polished balls like my Trauma or Fuze Raging Red. I can keep up my normal approach from the 2nd set of dots, and still have my free armswing.

On shorter patterns, when less speed is needed, I cup my wrist more than usual. Sometimes this works, especially with dull and particle balls, and gives me more revs to get the ball to the pocket, but I lose accuracy and over time my hand starts to hurt.

Only in dire straits I will change balls, since it takes too long to adjust to the new equipment on the lane, and in many cases the results are not really predictable.
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DizzyFugu --- Reporting from Germany

"All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream..." - Edgar Allen Poe

When i want to throw the ball faster, I slightly raise the ball (usually only a small amount) and hit the ball much more at the bottom of my swing. By using more force at the bottom of my swing, my timing isn't thrown off and I still have a similar backswing height. When i start the ball really high, my backswing gets unconfortably high for me and my timing gets thrown off big time. Also, to speed up when throwing at splits (I usually fire the ball about 21 or 22 quibica, fast for a 130 pound kid throwin 15 pounds) I open my shoulder up some.
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stanski