I joined a Jr league when I was 13 and started like everyone else, with a house ball around 11 lbs. My league had the sweetest elderly coach named Tony. He was like 85 when I started and he spent much of his free time there. He's the one that taught me the traditional thumb in method as that's what he used his whole life. I upgraded my gear, came in multiple days per week for practice after school, and got really good at it. By the time I was 17, I maintained a 200+ average consistently and have never strayed from the traditional thumb in method. 👍🏼
My father taught me the suitcase method I guess he just called it the thumb to your nose method. With the right ball on dry house lanes it works good. Fresh oil there’s not enough spin the ball just sails past the pocket. Guess that’s why my average sucks lol.
I was a hand shaker for years and it worked pretty well. My game plateaued so I took lessons with a coach. He made some drastic changes in my steps, positioning, angle, how i aimed and posture. It took some time, but the result was we found a much more natural feeling, free swinging, under the ball release style, something that had eluded me for years. Made a huge difference in both confidence, consistency and overall performance. Can't recommend finding a good coach enough.
@jameskinchen2148 Oddly enough, Wess Mellott owns the pro shop and offers lessons in Austin TX. I haven't heard anybody say anything about being overpriced. Even though I have 14 yrs of league experience, I might ask him for a lesson.
In a bowling league there's 8 bowlers most are right handed. They burn up the oil pattern. When I start the game Im rolling slow with lots of spin. And by the third game Im bowling with a stiff wrist, strait and much faster.
Watching this made me realize just how good of a coach I had in high school. Taught us all the suitcase method year 1, and we progressed to the thumb-in method in the years following. 3 years brought my average from ~110 to ~190
I started with the suitcase method and did that most of my bowling time. I only got better when I didn't have my dad breathing down my neck. Then, I also got better by watching you and Brad and Kyle's channel. Helped me get under the ball more and learn to go slower. Brought my average from like a 110 or so to a 150 to 160
With the new balls and league oil patterns, the suitcase method will get you a 200+ average, a few 700 series and maybe even occasional 800 a year. That same release thrown on competition oil patterns will turn that 210 average into a 182 real quick.
I guess you could say that I started with the suitcase method, I got low revs (less than 150) and i wanted more power. I started looking more into it and learned that most pros have a cup in their elbow in their downswing. This helps you get more under the ball and thus more revs. After around a year and a half or so of practicing this (I went bowling 2x a week), I finally got it down and can shoot 200s very consistently. I now have 400+ rev rate and I throw the ball 17-18mph. I'm also very skinny, so you don't have to be super strong to be able to bowl 1-handed well. It just takes A LOT of practice. I am 16 yo and I started bowling when I was 13.
My boyfriend’s dad (he and my boyfriend taught me how to bowl) does the suitcase method and it hasn’t really worked for me consistently but the last method surprisingly has worked amazingly
So, I started competing in an amateur bowling competition with 4 friends out of the blue because it seemed like a fun thing to do last august. I am 42 years old and have bowled like 20 times on all kinds of occasions in my entire life prior to joining this competition. Since the first match I have been using house balls and my average over 5 matches went from 122 to 126. I throw straight ahead, no hooking or anything fancy. Now after playing those matches I'm convinced I'll never score higher than that bowling the way I do and I am looking for ways to improve my game by mastering hooking with those house balls. Mind you: I'm a bit stubborn and refuse to get my own ball before maximizing my game with de default materials at hand at the bowling center. I practiced a few times at getting those spares which got me to a few 170-180 games already. So that should hopefully get my scores up some in the next competition match. Yesterday I practiced with getting the ball to rotate but it just wouldn't hook and despite a nice left rotation the ball just continued in a straight line. I have been wondering why it wouldn't hook but this video is full of tips to go forward from. Starting with maybe throwing a little less hard, haha. Thanks for putting these useful videos up!
Honestly if you’re hitting 150+ with the house balls I recommend getting a ball at this point. A low reactive resin ball will get you that exact hook you’re looking for and more consistently too. Entry level are really not that expensive and even if you’re bowling casually it’s worth getting something that somewhat correlates to your play style.
I tried everything to hook the ball,it's so easy when I start using 2 fingers with house balls then I got my own ball and the ball is hooking much easier. Hope this helps.
I would argue that the suitcase release will work pretty well on shorter, dryer patterns, which you find in leagues. Oh and wooden lanes. But when you start doing comps, where you have longer patterns and need bigger back ends you need more revs. A suitcase release will easily get you to 180 average though.
4:16 I use a Brunswick Twist!!! mine is unique because it’s already in a spin before it hits the lane. I also throw it a little downwards oppose to it being forward. I let my fingers and my other hand to spin it.
Darren, I have a few buddies I've gotten into bowling in the last couple years. This is a great breakdown for them as I've been doing 1 step drills with them to try and get them more comfortable. They are still working with the suitcase, but think this video can breakdown what I'm saying about staying behind the ball. Thanks for the great content as always.
I was a suitcase guy for about 26 years.. I think most of us were that came up in the 90-00s.. best I ever avg was 180-190. Recently took a lesson with a local pro and have been working on staying under the ball. I'll finish this summer with a 205. I know it's a short summer league but it's the best I've ever finished. Can't wait to start the fall.
As a lefty, you left out one. I can't describe it any better than watch Steve Cook roll one. Index finger down, rotate along that axis. A lot of people open their shoulders to generate spin. Only Monicelli perfected that. That wrist pop from open to close is a dice toss. At least it was on laquer lanes.
Ive spent over a decade of my life trying to perfect the 4th way. Its by far the best and most satisfying way to throw a breaking ball once you can get some serious power behind it.
This helped me SO much recently. Ive been bowling for 20 years and have been throwing too fast and not letting my ball react. Taking the time to practise being UNDER the ball and creating that rotation slowly. I cant wait to see my game improve
I just started throwing a suitcase method. I was originally a bowler where when I was throwing, my hand was going over the ball as in palm down instead of handshake, I got over that, and I started the suitcase method and almost instantly starting throwing well into the 200's. Heck, in a span of 4 games, 3 of them were over 200 and the lowly was a 144 (game was full of nasty splits 4 or 5 tbe) Almost the entire league noticed my change
So glad I started with the traditional thumb in route, I screwed up my wrist for the first month doing it but now that I’ve got it down it just feels and looks so smooth
Two questions... With two handed, do you orient the ball the same way everytime you hold it? If not, doesn't that affect the "layout" of the ball/ it being pin up or pin down and all the measurements..? And what the difference between methods 1 and 4? Handshake and free swinging look very similar and i now don't know which I'm doing! Lol
A bit of a late reply but with handshake your hand comes over the ball while thumb-in comes through it. For newer bowlers handshake is a good starting point to build up to thumb-in, the big thing is as someone else said in the comments before thumb-in requires a lot more wrist and forearm strength to comfortably and reliably do, but when you're able to you can get a lot more power because coming over the ball tends to hit really flat and not get the carry you want.
#1 the wrist is locked straight and #4 you kind of cup your wrist a bit more so the release causes you to give you more revs. I bowl #1 method for spares especially sparing #10 pin and #4 method for my first throw
Looking back at some old video of some of my league games, I guess I was doing the suitcase method, sorta. I only used my fingertips, didn't have a real high backswing and spun the ball as I released it. Always went straight down the lane and would hook at the last second. It worked well enough to get me a few 300s. Balls were just a blue Rhino and a red Hammer.
I've only used two fingers for the longest time. I have very large hands, which I think it helps me with this method as I get a lot of movement when I bowl.
i have a question. as of right now, i kind of have the suitcase method but i want to get the pro release. you say to try to keep my hand under the ball but every time i try to, my wrist always flattens out even with my wrist device. but i'm also only 12 1/2 years old. how do i get under it more on my release?
@@alexlindsay6687 i have tried that and i get like 9 revs from it lol. and every time i do it, i spin the ball like a planet and get literally no hook.
Worth noting for anyone getting into leagues: USBC rules were updated in 2020 to state that all holes in your ball must be used on every delivery. So if you're gonna throw with 2 fingers your ball must be drilled for that with no thumb hole and have a + marked where the center of palm is. This rule change was basically to eliminate balance holes.
Super interesting. I have always just bowled casually, never really watched videos or professional but as I grew up just naturally gravitated and discovered the two hand with no thumb strat. It just felt natural and nice.
Interesting reel. I'm a senior woman with significant wrist arthritis and a permantly bent right elbow. I cannot rotate my arm so my hand is under the ball. I have to start with my hand holding the ball and my thumb at 12:00. I swing back and forward so my release is in the same position as when I start. I would like more hook but not sure what else I can do. Any ideas?
That’s definitely my issue but more often than not if I go up the back my ball ends up very straight with practically no hook at all. Typically up the second arrow and it will kind of stay there.
@@alexroberts6416pay closer attention to where his hand is on release. If you notice, it's behind the ball, not on the side of it. Keeping your fingers on the inside of the ball (towards your legs) and finishing on the other side. This is what creates your axis rotation. If your ball ends up straight your either doing it wrong or you have way too much speed.
When I started bowling people always said to do the suitcase method and it feels like it's so self sabotaging if you want to get into any kind of skillful play like I wanted to. There's times I've gotten those nasty perfect releases with the wrist lock and all but I started a lot later in my life so yay muscle memory and all that mental elasticity and whatnot.
I naturally started with the Two Finger No Thumb after watching actual bowlers do Thumb in, but it kept hurting my thumbs. Then I switched to Suitcase method after a few years. Now I can do Thumb In with house balls if the thumb is loose enough.
One thing I can’t seam to find a description of is how you carry the weight of the ball or not. If my thumb is loose and relaxed how tight do my fingers grip feel and then what are my outside fingers are doing. When I’m trying to get far under the swing how can I curl my wrist up and hold the weight? Do I use the strength in my index finger and pinky to keep the ball curled up before I try to flick and release the thumb and follow through to get some revolution’s?
Have you tried moving your target closer to your feet? Like, if you use the arrows, try using the dots. Just realize this will likely cause your ball to pick up sooner, too.
I’m having a hard time not having my track roll over my thumb hole, please help what is it I’m doing wrong?? Is it my hand position, my timing, my fit on the ball maybe or like am I coming around the ball wrong?? Ive bowled forever but always have had this problem and would really just love some advice on how to correct it to improve my game. Thank you 🙏🏼
Yo Darren Tang! I have started bowling in 2021! I am a two handed bowler and I’m still learning, my highest game is 200 and I only got it 2 times so far. My average is fairly decent, 147-149. I also use a Storm Phase 2 that’s 15LBS and a Storm Mix that’s also 15LBS
I'm a lefty bowler, but I bowl like I'm right handed. I do get strikes, disabled, new to this field, & love it. I'm going to college & want to start a bowling club at De Anza college. It would be my honor if you were there ors part of it.
I’ve been using method #2 for a few years now. I just purchased a hammer effect and fear this method will not work with this ball. With a house ball I line up mostly on the 32-35 board and slide to the 20 board….but my release is near the 10. I’ve learned to hook the ball and have it break further down the lane…with the Hammer, I assume it will break harder with the same method described. How should I tighten up. Start further left?
In our amateur league, my team doesn't call it the handshake method. We call it "answering the phone" because of where your hand ends up at the end of the motion. So if someone is off, we might shout "answer that phone!" I've always done two fingers and I want to include the thumb for more backswing, but that's how I pick up the 10 pin. I'm so bad at hooking with my thumb in that I use it to my advantage.
When I have my hand under the ball when I release a lot of time I hurt my wrist to where I can’t even lift the ball afterwards, any reason why that happens?
You’re probably grabbing the ball, you don’t want to grab it at all. If you’re 1 handed out some tape in your thumbhole so you don’t need to squeeze it for it to not fall out
My ball holes have no play room once my hand is in, thumb makes a pop sound exiting usually, that's a vacuum seal on the thumb, fingers only to the first top bend and I can sling a 15lb one handed with thumb around 16 mph with much hook, around 390rpm
I switched to the 2 hand method after watching Belmonte on the Dude Perfect vid. I will never switch back. Super simple and super easy on your wrist and arm.
My parents used to take me with them to their league nights and sometimes in between league weeks, we'd go just the four of us to the bowling alley. He got me my first bowling ball when I was 6 which was plastic and told me to hook the ball I have to release the ball sideways with my hand extending up like I'm "shaking hands with god". Never understood that so I tried bowling again when I was 12 because I started watching the PBA more than ever (I actually watched the PBA for as long as I could remember well into the mid-2010's) and my mom got me a 13lb Gyro Pro which was reactive and purple with green and yellow fingertips. Started bowling in a league and tried the handshake method again but could never get it right. I had everything else going for me though. I was still very young, had a nice high backswing, but it was just frustrating how I for some reason couldn't compute how to properly release the ball to give it a nice rev rate or curve. My avg sat around 110-118. I tried so hard to get it right and never could. What sucked too was that there were a lot of kids my age and a little older who had nice forms with great rev rates and curve throws. It was so discouraging. So by the time I was 13, I bowled in the last league I ever did til this day and bowled in a tournament. It was one my dad actually came to and I did so bad. I still remember I bowled 98-112-118. He was so angry at me because I placed 98th out of 120 kids, yelling at me all the way home and said I threw it like a girl blah blah blah and that was what made me give up bowling completely for a long time. About 7 years later, I decided to try it again. I bought a new Scout urethane ball with white fingertips and tried for 3 months to get it right and ultimately gave up trying to curve it with my thumb in and just started playing like Daugherty with my palm. It looks so easy but something just isn't computing right in my brain as to when to release and how to do it right when I try. I'll never get it right, especially now that I'm in my late 30s. Shame cuz I've always idolized Pete Weber's form as to me it's been the most beautiful form I've ever seen even though it's not a deep under palm style with a high rev rate like yours or Dom Barrett or Sam Cooley. Sometimes I wonder if I can still get it right with the right equipment and coach. It really looks and sounds so easy.
I kind of settled into a weird version of two-fingered bowling where I have the tip of my thumb in the thumb hole and palm the ball. I tried two-fingered bowling but I was less accurate. I'm not sure if I would be better off trying to go two-fingered or thumb-in but it's just what's comfortable for me right now.
I use the 2 finger, no thumb method. I'm not the greatest and i bet my stance etc might be a bit bad but its what I'm practicing and what I'm getting much better with. when i started earlier this year i could barely reach 110 pins, now I've recently hit a PB of 171.
@@EnidDev Very nice my previous PB was 149 and that took a couple months to get with the same method, yeah im not hitting that high much but my average is slowly climbing
I started when I was 8 bowling league, my natural release led to me staying up the back until I was releasing it around the side. Covering 10 boards with a White Dot in 1980.
A good method for conventional 1 hand when I started bowling is cheating a bit by not putting your thumb all the way in. This simulates a no thumb style and creates more revs/hook. Then as you get more comfortable you place your thumb further in.
I was a suitcase method player averaging 150 with a Norm Duke style rolling straight down the lane with a small hook into the 1-2 pocket (lefty). Didn’t bowl for decades and decided to get back into bowling. Did the same thing but had an issue with my thumb near the palm. A small ball-like thing started forming and it was painful. Bowler’s thumb maybe? The pain would only go away if I completely stopped using my thumb for bowling and took around 6 months for the ball-like swelling to go away. Anyways, this forced me to go two finger style ala Daugherty method. Took a year to get good at it, experimenting with different approaches, footwork, and speeds, but now I’m averaging around 200. I find it easier to control than using two handed method.
@@newkeepon 1st method is more of u rolling it from the top/side with your fingers which will create small hook while the 4th method is more underneath the ball creating more rev/hook
I can get actually pretty decent hook and sometimes pretty angular with suitcase method. Ideally have been working towards thumb in more hook but having trouble moving left and finding a safe speed to keep it on the lane and not sure where to aim
so i started off with the suitcase method and slowly started learning to put more lift into/ get behind it more thanks to my dad and i went from a avg of 150 160 to an 190 i just need to get more spares and place my ball better and i feel i can start averaging 200
How do you keep your arm straight wiener bowling ? so it doesn’t go strange with a gutter because for me mine hooks way too much and to the right gutter or the left gutter
As a rookie, I have never seen or heard of ways two and three. Those methods look tough to learn, but number four, I've seen multiple pros at my local alley throw and absolutely shatter the pins. Never realized there was this much technicality behind bowling. I'm probably using a ball that's too light as well. Never going beyond 12 lbs.
ive been bowling for about 2 years now using the "daugherty" method. I had so many people tell me to either add a hand or put in the thumb, i never listened im now getting to the point where im shooting clean games almost everytime i bowl and im now the highest average in my league holding the high game and series. ANYWAY, what im saying is if YOU like the way you bowl and how it feels, dont change anything from what anyone else says, you have to figure it out on your own and you will find the best possible way to do that thing you are trying to do. Keep bowling brothas
I was recently told by our Bowling Alley Pro that if you ball has 3 drilled holes you must have fingers (thumb) in all three. You mentioned leaving the thumb out and that is only correct if you have a two hole bowling ball...is that correct?
Is it normal that it hurts abit in the wrist at the beginning of hooking the ball? I can feel it when using thumb too. Im having a rough time getting it to hook properly when using thumb too.
Thanks for presenting different approaches without making it seem like there is only one correct way to do it. For a long time, I was embarrassed to be around "serious" bowlers with my two-finger, no-thumb technique. I worked really hard to disguise that I wasn't using a thumb, and now I enjoy the look on my buddies' faces when they realize that my ball only has two holes... and I'm averaging 200+.
I’m a suit case release person even after 1 year of bowling, and to be honest I am happy where I am Even though I am limited on rev rate I still have two releases and two speeds to tweak, so that’s 4 things I can do with one ball
That's great. I remember learning to bowl decades ago and was taught to shake hands. I see the shaking hands or suitcase method as the beginning step to stage 4. You really have to build up your grip strength and your forearm muscle to control the ball to get to step 4, and you'll naturally do that while you develop the shaking hands/suitcase method. If you go to the gym or have some dumbbells at home, do a few sets working that wrist and it'll be easier to stay behind the ball.
I’m going to. It my first ball. I’ve decided on the Brunswick Twist. Should I have it drilled pin up or pin down. I do like a bit of hook but I’m not trying to dominate the league. Yet! Just want to be more consistent in throwing strikes. What would you recommend?
I just couldn't grasp how to do the handshake method and having the wrist strength to rlly keep the ball So the two finger method while i do still have a thumb hole and use it... i took to that easily and it felt natural.. so i kept that method lol. Other than sometimes my hands to the right of the ball at the release. Some tweaking and i'll get there to consistency!
When I was like 13 years old, our league coach had me stand at the line and hold the ball with my hand underneath and simply release the ball. It taught me how to turn the ball and get rotations. He keep telling me not to worry where the ball was going. LOL. Oh, this was olden times when we'd never heard of not using the thumb, so there was no such thing as the "Dougherty Method".
I throw the ball like #4 which creates tons of speed of hook. I used to have to bring a 2nd ball to pick up spares to pick up the 7 pin (I'm lefty) because I couldn't get it to not hook. Then I learned how to flatten out any ball by instead of using middle finger and ring finger switch it to pinky and ring finger and you will generate almost no spin.
Why does thump hole not allow when you bowl 2 hands or 2 fingers, even when you don’t use thump hole while bowling but it helps to pick up the ball easier?
I joined a Jr league when I was 13 and started like everyone else, with a house ball around 11 lbs. My league had the sweetest elderly coach named Tony. He was like 85 when I started and he spent much of his free time there. He's the one that taught me the traditional thumb in method as that's what he used his whole life. I upgraded my gear, came in multiple days per week for practice after school, and got really good at it. By the time I was 17, I maintained a 200+ average consistently and have never strayed from the traditional thumb in method. 👍🏼
My father taught me the suitcase method I guess he just called it the thumb to your nose method. With the right ball on dry house lanes it works good. Fresh oil there’s not enough spin the ball just sails past the pocket. Guess that’s why my average sucks lol.
Crazy! My story is almost exact the same, how small the world can be
I was a hand shaker for years and it worked pretty well. My game plateaued so I took lessons with a coach. He made some drastic changes in my steps, positioning, angle, how i aimed and posture. It took some time, but the result was we found a much more natural feeling, free swinging, under the ball release style, something that had eluded me for years. Made a huge difference in both confidence, consistency and overall performance. Can't recommend finding a good coach enough.
And how do you find one that happens to live near you?
@jameskinchen2148 Oddly enough, Wess Mellott owns the pro shop and offers lessons in Austin TX. I haven't heard anybody say anything about being overpriced. Even though I have 14 yrs of league experience, I might ask him for a lesson.
Bowling is so fascinating. So many nuances and variations. Physics in play.
In a bowling league there's 8 bowlers most are right handed. They burn up the oil pattern. When I start the game Im rolling slow with lots of spin. And by the third game Im bowling with a stiff wrist, strait and much faster.
Repetitive
Watching this made me realize just how good of a coach I had in high school. Taught us all the suitcase method year 1, and we progressed to the thumb-in method in the years following. 3 years brought my average from ~110 to ~190
I started with the suitcase method and did that most of my bowling time. I only got better when I didn't have my dad breathing down my neck. Then, I also got better by watching you and Brad and Kyle's channel. Helped me get under the ball more and learn to go slower. Brought my average from like a 110 or so to a 150 to 160
Similar situation to you except my dad taught me the two finger method while he breathed down my neck. Wait was your comment about bowling??
@pbnsmf yes, was about bowling
@@pbnsmfbruhhhhh 💀💀💀
@@APinTheAK😂
@@pbnsmfhahahaha
The suitcase method has worked for me, and has been the foot note for creating more axis rotation in my experience
With the new balls and league oil patterns, the suitcase method will get you a 200+ average, a few 700 series and maybe even occasional 800 a year. That same release thrown on competition oil patterns will turn that 210 average into a 182 real quick.
I guess you could say that I started with the suitcase method, I got low revs (less than 150) and i wanted more power. I started looking more into it and learned that most pros have a cup in their elbow in their downswing. This helps you get more under the ball and thus more revs. After around a year and a half or so of practicing this (I went bowling 2x a week), I finally got it down and can shoot 200s very consistently. I now have 400+ rev rate and I throw the ball 17-18mph. I'm also very skinny, so you don't have to be super strong to be able to bowl 1-handed well. It just takes A LOT of practice. I am 16 yo and I started bowling when I was 13.
How did you practice getting your elbow to bend some on the downswing, also do you slide on your approach?
Who else watching this while at a bowling alley???
Watching this now looking up bowling alley to go to
me
I can't let myself stay 2nd place
Ahahaha 😂
Me
My boyfriend’s dad (he and my boyfriend taught me how to bowl) does the suitcase method and it hasn’t really worked for me consistently but the last method surprisingly has worked amazingly
So, I started competing in an amateur bowling competition with 4 friends out of the blue because it seemed like a fun thing to do last august. I am 42 years old and have bowled like 20 times on all kinds of occasions in my entire life prior to joining this competition.
Since the first match I have been using house balls and my average over 5 matches went from 122 to 126. I throw straight ahead, no hooking or anything fancy.
Now after playing those matches I'm convinced I'll never score higher than that bowling the way I do and I am looking for ways to improve my game by mastering hooking with those house balls. Mind you: I'm a bit stubborn and refuse to get my own ball before maximizing my game with de default materials at hand at the bowling center.
I practiced a few times at getting those spares which got me to a few 170-180 games already. So that should hopefully get my scores up some in the next competition match.
Yesterday I practiced with getting the ball to rotate but it just wouldn't hook and despite a nice left rotation the ball just continued in a straight line.
I have been wondering why it wouldn't hook but this video is full of tips to go forward from. Starting with maybe throwing a little less hard, haha.
Thanks for putting these useful videos up!
Honestly if you’re hitting 150+ with the house balls I recommend getting a ball at this point. A low reactive resin ball will get you that exact hook you’re looking for and more consistently too.
Entry level are really not that expensive and even if you’re bowling casually it’s worth getting something that somewhat correlates to your play style.
I tried everything to hook the ball,it's so easy when I start using 2 fingers with house balls then I got my own ball and the ball is hooking much easier. Hope this helps.
I would argue that the suitcase release will work pretty well on shorter, dryer patterns, which you find in leagues. Oh and wooden lanes. But when you start doing comps, where you have longer patterns and need bigger back ends you need more revs. A suitcase release will easily get you to 180 average though.
Thx Mr.Darren Tang. No one can tell me how to curve the ball ever, but you are the only one who told me how to curve the ball nice and easy.
Finally..I've been waiting for this video with simple & detail explaination..I'm having hard time to learn how to hook..Thanks bro..
4:16 I use a Brunswick Twist!!! mine is unique because it’s already in a spin before it hits the lane. I also throw it a little downwards oppose to it being forward. I let my fingers and my other hand to spin it.
Darren, I have a few buddies I've gotten into bowling in the last couple years. This is a great breakdown for them as I've been doing 1 step drills with them to try and get them more comfortable. They are still working with the suitcase, but think this video can breakdown what I'm saying about staying behind the ball. Thanks for the great content as always.
I was a suitcase guy for about 26 years.. I think most of us were that came up in the 90-00s.. best I ever avg was 180-190. Recently took a lesson with a local pro and have been working on staying under the ball. I'll finish this summer with a 205. I know it's a short summer league but it's the best I've ever finished. Can't wait to start the fall.
As a lefty, you left out one. I can't describe it any better than watch Steve Cook roll one. Index finger down, rotate along that axis. A lot of people open their shoulders to generate spin. Only Monicelli perfected that. That wrist pop from open to close is a dice toss. At least it was on laquer lanes.
Simple, and informative enough to not confuse. Thumbs up.
Ive spent over a decade of my life trying to perfect the 4th way. Its by far the best and most satisfying way to throw a breaking ball once you can get some serious power behind it.
This helped me SO much recently. Ive been bowling for 20 years and have been throwing too fast and not letting my ball react. Taking the time to practise being UNDER the ball and creating that rotation slowly. I cant wait to see my game improve
I just started throwing a suitcase method. I was originally a bowler where when I was throwing, my hand was going over the ball as in palm down instead of handshake, I got over that, and I started the suitcase method and almost instantly starting throwing well into the 200's. Heck, in a span of 4 games, 3 of them were over 200 and the lowly was a 144 (game was full of nasty splits 4 or 5 tbe) Almost the entire league noticed my change
So glad I started with the traditional thumb in route, I screwed up my wrist for the first month doing it but now that I’ve got it down it just feels and looks so smooth
Darren, what’s is on your arm that looks like orange tape? Can you explain its use?
Thanks for the tips, im a 5 pin bowler but im going 10 pin bowling tomorrow and i absolutely suck at it
Two questions...
With two handed, do you orient the ball the same way everytime you hold it? If not, doesn't that affect the "layout" of the ball/ it being pin up or pin down and all the measurements..?
And what the difference between methods 1 and 4? Handshake and free swinging look very similar and i now don't know which I'm doing! Lol
A bit of a late reply but with handshake your hand comes over the ball while thumb-in comes through it. For newer bowlers handshake is a good starting point to build up to thumb-in, the big thing is as someone else said in the comments before thumb-in requires a lot more wrist and forearm strength to comfortably and reliably do, but when you're able to you can get a lot more power because coming over the ball tends to hit really flat and not get the carry you want.
please talk about axel tilt in the rev and hooking the ball it would be much appreciated
whats the difference between suitcase and thumb in method? (#1 and #4)
#1 the wrist is locked straight and #4 you kind of cup your wrist a bit more so the release causes you to give you more revs. I bowl #1 method for spares especially sparing #10 pin and #4 method for my first throw
Looking back at some old video of some of my league games, I guess I was doing the suitcase method, sorta. I only used my fingertips, didn't have a real high backswing and spun the ball as I released it. Always went straight down the lane and would hook at the last second. It worked well enough to get me a few 300s. Balls were just a blue Rhino and a red Hammer.
Handshake (suitcase) method never really worked for me the two finger method has been best for me.
Same for me
It’s crazy I learned how to do this with only one finger
@@MikeSmithMLS😵
I don’t understand how you can have control with the two finger but more power to you if you can.
I've only used two fingers for the longest time. I have very large hands, which I think it helps me with this method as I get a lot of movement when I bowl.
At 5:45 is the best i ever seen Darren release a bowling ball
i have a question. as of right now, i kind of have the suitcase method but i want to get the pro release. you say to try to keep my hand under the ball but every time i try to, my wrist always flattens out even with my wrist device. but i'm also only 12 1/2 years old. how do i get under it more on my release?
A lot of practice
Prolly would be weird at first but take the wrister off and just try it from there
@@alexlindsay6687 i have tried that and i get like 9 revs from it lol. and every time i do it, i spin the ball like a planet and get literally no hook.
@@alexlindsay6687 you were right. i tried it, now i have like 365 revs. thx man lol.
Worth noting for anyone getting into leagues:
USBC rules were updated in 2020 to state that all holes in your ball must be used on every delivery. So if you're gonna throw with 2 fingers your ball must be drilled for that with no thumb hole and have a + marked where the center of palm is. This rule change was basically to eliminate balance holes.
Super interesting. I have always just bowled casually, never really watched videos or professional but as I grew up just naturally gravitated and discovered the two hand with no thumb strat. It just felt natural and nice.
Can someone explain the difference between the suitcase and the last method? They look the same to me. He even explained them the same.
Thx Mr.Darren Tang. No one can tell me how to curve the ball ever, but you are the only one who told me how to curve the ball nice and easy.
Interesting reel. I'm a senior woman with significant wrist arthritis and a permantly bent right elbow. I cannot rotate my arm so my hand is under the ball. I have to start with my hand holding the ball and my thumb at 12:00. I swing back and forward so my release is in the same position as when I start. I would like more hook but not sure what else I can do. Any ideas?
The first one is what I did all my life and it worked great. No need to crank the ball over
Something to note on method 4 is to make sure you hand comes behind the ball and not around the side of it. A lot of people struggle with that
That’s definitely my issue but more often than not if I go up the back my ball ends up very straight with practically no hook at all. Typically up the second arrow and it will kind of stay there.
Yup, that's my problem. My hand naturally wants to go to the side.
Hand coming behind the ball with middle finger more highlighted than the ring finger right and forward-up sweeping motion right?
I don't understand. How can you get left rotation if your hand doesn't go around the side?
@@alexroberts6416pay closer attention to where his hand is on release. If you notice, it's behind the ball, not on the side of it. Keeping your fingers on the inside of the ball (towards your legs) and finishing on the other side. This is what creates your axis rotation. If your ball ends up straight your either doing it wrong or you have way too much speed.
When I started bowling people always said to do the suitcase method and it feels like it's so self sabotaging if you want to get into any kind of skillful play like I wanted to. There's times I've gotten those nasty perfect releases with the wrist lock and all but I started a lot later in my life so yay muscle memory and all that mental elasticity and whatnot.
I naturally started with the Two Finger No Thumb after watching actual bowlers do Thumb in, but it kept hurting my thumbs. Then I switched to Suitcase method after a few years. Now I can do Thumb In with house balls if the thumb is loose enough.
One thing I can’t seam to find a description of is how you carry the weight of the ball or not. If my thumb is loose and relaxed how tight do my fingers grip feel and then what are my outside fingers are doing. When I’m trying to get far under the swing how can I curl my wrist up and hold the weight? Do I use the strength in my index finger and pinky to keep the ball curled up before I try to flick and release the thumb and follow through to get some revolution’s?
I’ve modeled my release after the Chris Barnes release I just struggle with getting lower to the ground so I’m often lofting unintentionally.
Have you tried moving your target closer to your feet? Like, if you use the arrows, try using the dots. Just realize this will likely cause your ball to pick up sooner, too.
I’m having a hard time not having my track roll over my thumb hole, please help what is it I’m doing wrong?? Is it my hand position, my timing, my fit on the ball maybe or like am I coming around the ball wrong?? Ive bowled forever but always have had this problem and would really just love some advice on how to correct it to improve my game. Thank you 🙏🏼
Yo Darren Tang! I have started bowling in 2021! I am a two handed bowler and I’m still learning, my highest game is 200 and I only got it 2 times so far. My average is fairly decent, 147-149. I also use a Storm Phase 2 that’s 15LBS and a Storm Mix that’s also 15LBS
Can someone explain what the main differences are between the handshake method and the last one he showed?
I'm a lefty bowler, but I bowl like I'm right handed. I do get strikes, disabled, new to this field, & love it. I'm going to college & want to start a bowling club at De Anza college. It would be my honor if you were there ors part of it.
I’ve been using method #2 for a few years now. I just purchased a hammer effect and fear this method will not work with this ball. With a house ball I line up mostly on the 32-35 board and slide to the 20 board….but my release is near the 10. I’ve learned to hook the ball and have it break further down the lane…with the Hammer, I assume it will break harder with the same method described. How should I tighten up. Start further left?
In our amateur league, my team doesn't call it the handshake method. We call it "answering the phone" because of where your hand ends up at the end of the motion. So if someone is off, we might shout "answer that phone!" I've always done two fingers and I want to include the thumb for more backswing, but that's how I pick up the 10 pin. I'm so bad at hooking with my thumb in that I use it to my advantage.
When I have my hand under the ball when I release a lot of time I hurt my wrist to where I can’t even lift the ball afterwards, any reason why that happens?
You’re probably grabbing the ball, you don’t want to grab it at all. If you’re 1 handed out some tape in your thumbhole so you don’t need to squeeze it for it to not fall out
My ball holes have no play room once my hand is in, thumb makes a pop sound exiting usually, that's a vacuum seal on the thumb, fingers only to the first top bend and I can sling a 15lb one handed with thumb around 16 mph with much hook, around 390rpm
how do you get your hand under the ball? I can't keep it under during the swing
It's the main difference between thumb in 1 and 3 that 3 has the hand under it more where 1 starts more up and to the side?
Can someone explain the difference between the handshake method and the last method he showed . They both look similar to my casual eye
I switched to the 2 hand method after watching Belmonte on the Dude Perfect vid. I will never switch back. Super simple and super easy on your wrist and arm.
are you rotating your hand clockwise on release?
My parents used to take me with them to their league nights and sometimes in between league weeks, we'd go just the four of us to the bowling alley. He got me my first bowling ball when I was 6 which was plastic and told me to hook the ball I have to release the ball sideways with my hand extending up like I'm "shaking hands with god". Never understood that so I tried bowling again when I was 12 because I started watching the PBA more than ever (I actually watched the PBA for as long as I could remember well into the mid-2010's) and my mom got me a 13lb Gyro Pro which was reactive and purple with green and yellow fingertips. Started bowling in a league and tried the handshake method again but could never get it right. I had everything else going for me though. I was still very young, had a nice high backswing, but it was just frustrating how I for some reason couldn't compute how to properly release the ball to give it a nice rev rate or curve. My avg sat around 110-118. I tried so hard to get it right and never could. What sucked too was that there were a lot of kids my age and a little older who had nice forms with great rev rates and curve throws. It was so discouraging. So by the time I was 13, I bowled in the last league I ever did til this day and bowled in a tournament. It was one my dad actually came to and I did so bad. I still remember I bowled 98-112-118. He was so angry at me because I placed 98th out of 120 kids, yelling at me all the way home and said I threw it like a girl blah blah blah and that was what made me give up bowling completely for a long time. About 7 years later, I decided to try it again. I bought a new Scout urethane ball with white fingertips and tried for 3 months to get it right and ultimately gave up trying to curve it with my thumb in and just started playing like Daugherty with my palm. It looks so easy but something just isn't computing right in my brain as to when to release and how to do it right when I try. I'll never get it right, especially now that I'm in my late 30s. Shame cuz I've always idolized Pete Weber's form as to me it's been the most beautiful form I've ever seen even though it's not a deep under palm style with a high rev rate like yours or Dom Barrett or Sam Cooley. Sometimes I wonder if I can still get it right with the right equipment and coach. It really looks and sounds so easy.
I kind of settled into a weird version of two-fingered bowling where I have the tip of my thumb in the thumb hole and palm the ball. I tried two-fingered bowling but I was less accurate. I'm not sure if I would be better off trying to go two-fingered or thumb-in but it's just what's comfortable for me right now.
I use the 2 finger, no thumb method. I'm not the greatest and i bet my stance etc might be a bit bad but its what I'm practicing and what I'm getting much better with. when i started earlier this year i could barely reach 110 pins, now I've recently hit a PB of 171.
im using the same method and so far i got a PB of 152
not the best but i would say its not bad considering i started a little over a month ago
@@EnidDev Very nice my previous PB was 149 and that took a couple months to get with the same method, yeah im not hitting that high much but my average is slowly climbing
I currently use a hammer diesel for the past 5 years, looking to upgrade what ball should i be looking to get next any recommendations?
I have a question, should the thump hole need to be tied or loose😮
I started when I was 8 bowling league, my natural release led to me staying up the back until I was releasing it around the side. Covering 10 boards with a White Dot in 1980.
Do u have a video of finding the right ball/weight ??? And figuring a good thumb size for yourself
A good method for conventional 1 hand when I started bowling is cheating a bit by not putting your thumb all the way in. This simulates a no thumb style and creates more revs/hook. Then as you get more comfortable you place your thumb further in.
I've done the same, for me when I I set my thumb all the way in it feels lime I'm not going to let go of the ball so I insert it in loosely
I've done this for about 10 years. It gives me more accuracy compared to when I tried no thumb.
How fast are you bowling? I’m usually around 20 mph but that’s straight. I do want to learn how to hook but do I need to slow it down?
I was a suitcase method player averaging 150 with a Norm Duke style rolling straight down the lane with a small hook into the 1-2 pocket (lefty). Didn’t bowl for decades and decided to get back into bowling. Did the same thing but had an issue with my thumb near the palm. A small ball-like thing started forming and it was painful. Bowler’s thumb maybe? The pain would only go away if I completely stopped using my thumb for bowling and took around 6 months for the ball-like swelling to go away.
Anyways, this forced me to go two finger style ala Daugherty method. Took a year to get good at it, experimenting with different approaches, footwork, and speeds, but now I’m averaging around 200. I find it easier to control than using two handed method.
What's the difference between suitcase and the fourth method? Looks the same
@@newkeepon 1st method is more of u rolling it from the top/side with your fingers which will create small hook while the 4th method is more underneath the ball creating more rev/hook
I can get actually pretty decent hook and sometimes pretty angular with suitcase method. Ideally have been working towards thumb in more hook but having trouble moving left and finding a safe speed to keep it on the lane and not sure where to aim
so i started off with the suitcase method and slowly started learning to put more lift into/ get behind it more thanks to my dad and i went from a avg of 150 160 to an 190 i just need to get more spares and place my ball better and i feel i can start averaging 200
as someone who is now 23, and has been playing about since I was 10, would you recommend trying to switch from 1 to 2 handed or not
How do you keep your arm straight wiener bowling ? so it doesn’t go strange with a gutter because for me mine hooks way too much and to the right gutter or the left gutter
Are any of these techniques applicable when you use a rental bowling ball?
What was the difference between the first and last ones you showed
5:15 I love it when there's fingers in the end.
What pount ball do you use in competition
How do you get the thumb come out of the ball when your hand is underneath the ball?
As a rookie, I have never seen or heard of ways two and three. Those methods look tough to learn, but number four, I've seen multiple pros at my local alley throw and absolutely shatter the pins. Never realized there was this much technicality behind bowling. I'm probably using a ball that's too light as well. Never going beyond 12 lbs.
ive been bowling for about 2 years now using the "daugherty" method. I had so many people tell me to either add a hand or put in the thumb, i never listened im now getting to the point where im shooting clean games almost everytime i bowl and im now the highest average in my league holding the high game and series. ANYWAY, what im saying is if YOU like the way you bowl and how it feels, dont change anything from what anyone else says, you have to figure it out on your own and you will find the best possible way to do that thing you are trying to do. Keep bowling brothas
I say this all the time. Find your style and master it. Im just trying to put a little rotation in my throws as i need too
@@Nerdblurt For real. It is much more interesting to see unorthodox bowling styles that are pocket powerhouses.
What is the difference between suitcase and the last thumb in?
I was recently told by our Bowling Alley Pro that if you ball has 3 drilled holes you must have fingers (thumb) in all three. You mentioned leaving the thumb out and that is only correct if you have a two hole bowling ball...is that correct?
Is it normal that it hurts abit in the wrist at the beginning of hooking the ball?
I can feel it when using thumb too. Im having a rough time getting it to hook properly when using thumb too.
Thanks for presenting different approaches without making it seem like there is only one correct way to do it. For a long time, I was embarrassed to be around "serious" bowlers with my two-finger, no-thumb technique. I worked really hard to disguise that I wasn't using a thumb, and now I enjoy the look on my buddies' faces when they realize that my ball only has two holes... and I'm averaging 200+.
My fingers are too long so I'm more comfortable using 2 fingers don't ever feel ashamed of your style
@@pimphandslik Thats what she said.
I’m a suit case release person even after 1 year of bowling, and to be honest I am happy where I am
Even though I am limited on rev rate I still have two releases and two speeds to tweak, so that’s 4 things I can do with one ball
I'm gonna guess your average is 163
@@716Adventureswho cares? They said they were happy with where they were at
@tomrogue13 what are you a white knight? Mind ya business. They been bowling only 1 year, if they're above 150 it would be good result
@@716Adventures Yea thereabouts, did have a runner last session and did 183 average
I should try again and maybe average more than 165
That's great. I remember learning to bowl decades ago and was taught to shake hands. I see the shaking hands or suitcase method as the beginning step to stage 4. You really have to build up your grip strength and your forearm muscle to control the ball to get to step 4, and you'll naturally do that while you develop the shaking hands/suitcase method. If you go to the gym or have some dumbbells at home, do a few sets working that wrist and it'll be easier to stay behind the ball.
I have a rev matt. Any tips for drills on getting thumb out first?
I’m going to. It my first ball. I’ve decided on the Brunswick Twist. Should I have it drilled pin up or pin down. I do like a bit of hook but I’m not trying to dominate the league. Yet! Just want to be more consistent in throwing strikes. What would you recommend?
So I guess i don't understand, what is the difference between the 1st method and the last. It looks almost identical to me (obv very new to this)
So, does the rotation keep it from going into the gutter, or is it a feel thing?
I was a method 4 guy. Open the shoulders up high backswing with a quick thumb, 1/2" away, 1/2' reverse
Is shaving ones leg also increase the speed and hook?
Only been bowling consistently for about a month now and bowled my first 210 using the 2 handed method
I just couldn't grasp how to do the handshake method and having the wrist strength to rlly keep the ball
So the two finger method while i do still have a thumb hole and use it... i took to that easily and it felt natural.. so i kept that method lol. Other than sometimes my hands to the right of the ball at the release. Some tweaking and i'll get there to consistency!
When I was like 13 years old, our league coach had me stand at the line and hold the ball with my hand underneath and simply release the ball. It taught me how to turn the ball and get rotations. He keep telling me not to worry where the ball was going. LOL. Oh, this was olden times when we'd never heard of not using the thumb, so there was no such thing as the "Dougherty Method".
What weight ball so you use?
I had an average of 185 prior to using spin, I was happy with that!
I throw the ball like #4 which creates tons of speed of hook. I used to have to bring a 2nd ball to pick up spares to pick up the 7 pin (I'm lefty) because I couldn't get it to not hook. Then I learned how to flatten out any ball by instead of using middle finger and ring finger switch it to pinky and ring finger and you will generate almost no spin.
Is the first method and the last method the same thing ?
Thank you Darren! I shopped at midnight today to get in on your deal! Thanks!
Is it a good method to start with practicing with method 2 and slowly converting to method 4? Because that is what I am practicing to do right now.
I can’t seem to replicate the sound at 3:47. Any tips?
Why does thump hole not allow when you bowl 2 hands or 2 fingers, even when you don’t use thump hole while bowling but it helps to pick up the ball easier?
Is there a technique where the ball moves side to side across the lane? Because that’s what I accidentally did when I went bowling.
It's like you saw me in league last week and knew I needed this video lol