Bowling Soft Loft

By: bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 7/16/17; Updated: 9/28/2021

Releasing your ball over the foul line the same distance every shot and not bouncing the ball onto the lane surface requires bowling soft loft.

Releasing the ball onto the lane surface at a consistent angle of descent and a consistent distance beyond the foul line as often as possible without bouncing is good goal to strive for when delivering your bowling ball.

Getting your bowling ball over the line the same distance each shot is a big step in controlling ball speed, loft distance, and ball skid distance.

Your goal must be to release your ball in such a way as to allow it to enter the lane surface at a gradual angle of descent just as commercial airplanes do when making a smooth landing with passengers aboard.

If your ball is dropped onto the lane at a steep angle of descent, the ball will bounce and not skid consistently before reaching the mid lane.

If you hang on to the ball too long, the ball tends to go airborne in an upward motion before dropping onto the lane surface and bouncing unpredictably.

Make an effort to feel your moment of release where the ball exits your bowling hand at the bottom of your forward swing arc by the heel or laces of your sliding bowling shoe.

You must check to see if your ball clears the foul line by at least 6” to 12” before contacting the lane bed. If you drop the ball early and it lands behind the foul line, work at delaying your release until the ball reaches the toe or slightly in front of the toe of your sliding shoe.

If you notice your ball lofting up in the air too far and crashing on the lane well beyond the foul line, try and feel as though your hand is releasing the ball at or slightly behind the heel of your sliding shoe.

The entire forward swing movement happens rather quickly so monitoring how and where your ball contacts the lane will provide the feedback needed to slightly alter your release point so you achieve the gradual angle of descent previously noted.

To check your loft distance, do not be bashful during practice games to place your bowling towel on the foul line where your bowling ball passes over the towel and lands softly on the lane without moving the towel.

This is an excellent practice drill to check your loft distance with the goal of releasing the ball landing within two or three inches of the previous shot but always over the foul line.

Use a friend to watch where your ball first contacts the lane surface beyond the foul line until you develop a feel so you need no one to “spot” your release.

Other factors which affect your ball motion are the speed at which the ball exits your hand and the movement of your hand at the very moment of release. Your delivery technique is the number one factor controlling your ball reaction. The more consistently you can release the ball onto the lane surface at a controlled launch speed and with a repeating release technique, the more consistently your ball will react traveling down the lane. Seeking the bowling soft loft technique described earlier is a great way to develop an effective release.

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