Deliver Your Bowling Ball Over The Foul Line

If you are a new bowler and are learning to release the ball, then deliver your bowling ball over the foul line.

Your ability to control bowling ball loft (the distance you deliver your ball beyond the foul line when it first contacts the lane surface) will help you regulate your release, ball speed, direction, and maintain a consistent rev-rate, all of which will work in helping you improve your game and scores.

When your bowling ball exits your hand at the “moment of release” between the back of your slide shoe and the laces of the shoe, allow your hand to continue moving toward your target down lane following the ball path.

The momentum built during your swing cycle will propel your ball over the foul line if you do not release the ball too soon.

It is important to avoid over-lofting your bowling ball where it is airborne well beyond the foul line and bounces uncontrollably on the lane surface.

Normally, a loft distance ranging from 6 inches loft to 3 feet of loft is well suited for a good ball reaction and scoring.

By releasing the ball too soon, your ball will fall onto the approach floor behind the foul line. You will lose effective roll on the ball.

If you are releasing the ball too soon and it contacts the floor behind the foul line, hold onto the ball longer before releasing the ball.

You may need slightly more gripping pressure with your bowling fingers than you presently use.

If you hang onto your ball too long, you deliver your ball on the upswing and the ball will noticeably travel upward before falling onto the lane surface as opposed to traveling at a gradual angle of descent into the lane.

Once you are able to control a consistent loft distance past the foul line and maintain a regulated ball speed, then you can work at changing loft distances slightly as an adjustment in controlling your skid distance length.

Try and keep the release angle between the lane surface and the angle of descent into the lane surface at a desired angle of about 20-25 degrees.

Maintaining a consistent ball speed regardless of how much loft you use will help you control your ball reaction.