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Improving Your Bowling Technique
Bowling is an entertaining sport which involves rolling a ball down a lane and knocking down pins, but you’ve got to have the proper bowling technique in order to be successful.
How to Grip The Bowling Ball
One of the first things you should examine is the way you grip the ball. Use a bowling ball with holes that are large enough to allow your fingers and thumb to slide out easily, but not so large that you can’t grip the ball. Your arm should be loose while you hold the ball and roll it down the lane.
The Proper Bowling Approach
A proper approach is also important to improving bowling technique. First, make sure you don’t cross the foul line during your approach to the lane. Keep your shoulders squared at the end of the lane during your entire approach and don’t rush it. Only move toward the lane as quickly as you feel comfortable. Also keep your focus only on the pins at the end of the lane. If your focus shifts elsewhere, your ball won’t roll in a straight line.
The Proper Stance
Another important aspect of proper bowling technique is your stance. Remain upright while you roll the ball, but try to get your center of gravity closer to the floor. Only one of your feet remains on the ground when you roll the ball, and make sure that foot is planted. Bend your knee when you’re on your last step to lower your center of gravity. Slide your foot strait forward and use your other leg to balance by moving it in the opposite direction of your bowling arm. This will help to keep you upright as you roll the ball down the lane.
The Proper Release
Having the proper release may be the most important bowling technique of all to master. Advanced bowlers may change their release on every approach, but it’s important for those just learning to master the sport to have a consistent release that looks the same every single time. Find a feel that works for you and aim for the same feel on every single release during your game.
The 3 Kinds of "Hook" Shot
If you’ve ever watched professional bowlers, you may have noticed many of them practicing what’s called a hook shot. The point of this bowling technique is to have the ball end up in the pocket, or the space between the front pin and either of the two pins directly behind it. There are three different kinds of hook shots. The cranker requires the bowler to actually reach the beginning of the lane slightly before the ball. The bowler than cranks the ball up to make it spin rapidly as it rolls down the lane. This type of hook shot is the most difficult of the three. The stroker hook shot uses less force, and the ball spins less than it does in a cranker shot while it rolls down the lane.
Typically the curve created by the stroker shot is smaller than the one in the cranker shot. The third kind of hook shot is the helicopter. This shot looks almost like a backwards bowling shot due to the way the bowler holds the ball. Instead of holding it at the bottom with palms up toward the ball, the bowler uses his fingers to hold the top of the ball while his palm faces downward. During the approach, the bowler then does a quick top-spin with the ball, angling toward the pins he’s trying to take out.