A check list can be a very good thing. And since this seems, from your description of your bowling buddies, that this is not a serious league(although you are very serious about your bowling), this is as safe an environment to have a check list. Normally I'd only suggest it in practice or if you're totally lost. Looking at a list can be distracting. Experience and practice will solidify some of your technique and keys and reduce the need in certain areas, but that will come in time.
Not sure how follow through differs from posting the shot.
One key that 99% of the inexperienced players violate is their pushaway step: they fail to even know at what point is the roght point for them to pushway the ball in coordination with the right phase of the step (beginnign, middle, end?). You only see that they are not doing it correctly when they continually pull the ball and leave a 4 pin or worse.
A 2nd vital one is to pushaway towards your target, while walking towards your target abd keeping your shoulders perpendicular to the line you are walking. (not talking about when you open you shoulders and close them again)
As far as your coming up the back of the ball, you'll get to the point where that is (or should be) not a concern. Other than knowing how you want to release the ball, which can change from night to night depending on the lanes, for the most part that should not be a point of focus. Until you solidify your "A" game, you'll have only one release anyway, and that must become ingrained through practice.
Realize that while doing your appraoch and delivery, there are only so many things your brain can focus on at one time. You've got to pick your 2 or 3, one of which must be your target, which your eyes and brain have to lock on from pushaway to post.
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"...for advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise...."
J. R. R. Tolkien