BallReviews

General Category => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: Brodieman on December 18, 2005, 11:22:59 PM

Title: SQUEEZING the ball
Post by: Brodieman on December 18, 2005, 11:22:59 PM: Ok ive been having issues with squeezing the ball during my release, due to the fact that i was throwing dads old equipment for 4 years which had a 1/8 and inch longer span and slightly larger thumb, anyways the point is im trying to unlearn this rev/accuracy killer that i have so developed. I dont know if anyone has any advice about how to unprogram myself??? (obviously practice practice practice)
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Title: Re: SQUEEZING the ball
Post by: Scolai on December 19, 2005, 07:56:17 AM: Try this next time in practice. Think about pressing the back of your thumb against the back of the thumbhole. By doing this you will be pressing out on the ball rather than squeezing it. You'll hear your thumbnail rake the edge of the thumbhole as your thumb clears the ball. If I find I'm grabbing the ball, I'll do this to prevent squeezing.

Another trick, however unpleasant it may sound, is try to imagine you're holding your nuts in your hand. How hard are you going to squeeze? Thought so.

Snug up your thumbhole a little (with tape or Ron C's "Magic Carpet") so you won't feel like the ball is going to fall off your hand. That one thing in and of itself will likely prevent some of the squeezing that is caused by fear of losing the ball in mid-swing.

You'll have to think a little now so you won't have to think (worry) about this later.
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Nut
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Title: Re: SQUEEZING the ball
Post by: LuckyLefty on December 19, 2005, 07:59:45 AM: There are so many better things to squeeze!

rEgards,

Luckylefty
PS many would also say Magic carpet could help in back of hole...and others like the Ta-1d tape from Vise grip in the back of the hole. Both allow the bowler to just ...let go at the right time! And keep you in with less effort!
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Title: Re: SQUEEZING the ball
Post by: JPRLane1 on December 19, 2005, 08:00:42 AM: Step 1 get equipment fixed to properly fit your hand. Then come back and we will fix your squeezing problem. You should never bowl with equipment not fitted to your hand no matter how close it is or how "OK" it feels.
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Title: Re: SQUEEZING the ball
Post by: Jeffrevs on December 19, 2005, 08:01:37 AM: remember, practice sessions aren't just for scoring....as a matter of fact you should NEVER pay attention to scoring when practicing....I'm not saying you are, I'm just throwing it out there......

But....practice a game or two with ONLY concentrating on NOT grabbing the ball!

If that's all you concentrate on...you'll be surprised out how much better it'll feel.....
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JEFF
"A Mayhem and a couple of Hercs.......uhm.....Nice!.."
Title: Re: SQUEEZING the ball
Post by: Brodieman on December 19, 2005, 08:04:35 AM: I have fitting equipment, the problems came from using equipment for a number of years that did not.

quote:
Another trick, however unpleasant it may sound, is try to imagine you're holding your nuts in your hand. How hard are you going to squeeze? Thought so.

On that note i might need to send that to my woman, as she thinks im a jersey cow sometimes.
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Frodo Baggins has failed...George Bush has the ring...
Title: Re: SQUEEZING the ball
Post by: dizzyfugu on December 19, 2005, 09:02:05 AM: I also come form squeezing and gripping too tight. Well, it took me 10 months to get it better now. The solution was and is simple: relax and let go! Nothing else helps. For me, it was a mental thing. Even though the balÃ¶l fitted right, I lacked the confidence in the ball itself to perform right. So I tried subconsciously to steer it and released it way to late, almost lofting it on every shot.

My solution came with much training and concentration. First of all, I focussed on an upright body position and a free pendulum. Then, I tried to relax more. When the ball comes forward in my swing and feel it coing up to my ankle I subvocalize a "let go" - and I let the thumb go and have the weight shifted onto my fingers as it is supposed to be. Good thing about this trigger is that I can use it "mechanically" when I get tense and I sense that I squeeze it again.

When I am relaxed now, I even do not need this command anymore due to training and body memory. Today I can hook the ball as it is supposed to be and have true power in my ball. Big step forward since the beginning of 2005!

Maybe it helps some of you, too?
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Title: Re: SQUEEZING the ball
Post by: Brickguy221 on December 19, 2005, 11:06:47 AM: I understand where Brodieman and Ernie McCraken are coming from. I began bowling off and on around 1960. All I had then and for years after that was house balls with their over sized thumb holes and wrong spans. A person had to squeeze as there was no other choice. After doing this for approx. 20 years I finally got my first ball of which I learned after a couple more years of continuing to squeeze that it was an improper fit.

Then for the next several years it was overly stretched spans and large thumb holes of which was normal for bowlers where I lived and squeezing was supposedly normal. By the time I learned that a person wasn't supposed to squeeze a ball, this squeezing was really drilled into my brain and to this day I haven't been able to stop squeezing. I have tried almost every span, pitch, hole size and every gadget, tape including Magic Carpet, etc. out there and I still squeeze, although not as bad as I once did.

Hopefully I wasn't hi-jacking Brodieman's post here, I was just trying to state why I understand where he is coming from.

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Brick
Title: Re: SQUEEZING the ball
Post by: Brodieman on December 19, 2005, 12:06:03 PM: quote:
Hopefully I wasn't hi-jacking Brodieman's post here, I was just trying to state why I understand where he is coming from.

Get off my post you heathen!! J/K

Last night kept trying to repeat to myself (verbally before each ball) dont squeeze it. Well it seem to work more than it did not. It is not that im an awfully terrible bowler (209 on the books last year) I just think that this the difference from me seriously competing, and faltering. As for my practice session the only time i seemed to really do it was right after my pushaway step, its like im tensing up into my backswing. I just need reformatted or something.
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Frodo Baggins has failed...George Bush has the ring...
Title: Re: SQUEEZING the ball
Post by: northface28 on December 19, 2005, 12:14:21 PM: Let it go! Easier said than done, I once read somewhere that to prevent squeezing, set up in your normal position then squeeze the ball as hard as you can. Once you have done that your hand should relax and you should be ready to bowl. Since I have adopted no inserts I have no more problems squeezing with the fingers and I never really squeezed with my thumb. My problem comes when I dont trust the ball and I guide it with my elbow (chicken wing, forced swing, etc) this only happens on tougher patterns when I get tense and dont trust the ball and feel the need to aim it.
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Title: Re: SQUEEZING the ball
Post by: Ragnar on December 19, 2005, 12:18:48 PM: I tend to squeeze. My best cure has been 1) pitch change 2) in my set up I press my thumb back against the hole before I start, while trying to relax it. Seems to help, but I'll still grab one pretty good now and again.
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Will Jesus bring the pork chops?
Title: Re: SQUEEZING the ball
Post by: scotts33 on December 19, 2005, 12:21:55 PM: To my way of thinking squeezing and grabbing the ball at the bottom of the swing are two different animals. Even players with the right fit can still grab at the bottom of the swing at release. I believe if you look at Mike Wolfe's poorer shots yesterday that he pinched/grabbed the ball a bit at release.
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Scott
Title: Re: SQUEEZING the ball
Post by: Ragnar on December 19, 2005, 12:24:26 PM: Let me distinguish. IMO there are two possible grabs - one with the fingers (a la Wolfe) and one with the thumb, imo a squeeze. Semantics I guess.
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Will Jesus bring the pork chops?
Title: Re: SQUEEZING the ball
Post by: scotts33 on December 19, 2005, 12:26:11 PM: Yep Mario, we think alike...that's scary.
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Scott
Title: Re: SQUEEZING the ball
Post by: Brodieman on December 19, 2005, 12:27:36 PM: quote:
To my way of thinking squeezing and grabbing the ball at the bottom of the swing are two different animals. Even players with the right fit can still grab at the bottom of the swing at release. I believe if you look at Mike Wolfe's poorer shots yesterday that he pinched/grabbed the ball a bit at release.

Then it might be safe to say im a victim of both? As it would seem that a tense hand position througout my swing would lead to a funky release i.e. off target to the left, and fingers not doing their job.
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Frodo Baggins has failed...George Bush has the ring...
Title: Re: SQUEEZING the ball
Post by: scotts33 on December 19, 2005, 12:48:39 PM: Two things one of which has already been hit on.

1.) Pushaway if you aren't balancing ball in your non bowling hand well and resting that weight of the ball in non bowling hand then I'd think you might already have a tense bowling hand. A good start/pushaway allows a free arm swing which alleviates squeezing.

2.) The right fit. You may feel you are fitted right but do you really know? Your pro maybe a great fitter but then again maybe not. Have you gotten other qualified opinions?

I recently got re-fitted went away from what I had been using the past 3 years to a shorter span slight more left lateral and from 1/8" reverse to 1/8" forward and a smaller thumb hole...did away with MC. Trying a couple of different tapes.

If there are any questions in your mind Brodieman take an old ball in to get plugged and re-fitted and see what you come up with it maybe very enlightening and cost less in th long run plus you will improve dramatically.
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Scott

Edited on 12/19/2005 1:38 PM