How Can I Improve My Ball Reaction?

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 3/22/15; Updated: 3/28/21

If you ask how can I improve my ball reaction, make sure you get the ball out on the lane consistently?

It is surprising how few bowlers work on controlling their loft distance and getting the ball over the foul line effectively.

If you are a beginner bowler or a bowler with little experience looking to improve, one key is to get your bowling ball out onto the lane and not contacting the floor behind the foul line.

Your ability to get the ball over the foul line will help you gain a good ball reaction and prevent a loss of effective roll on your ball.

If you are a bowler averaging 150 - 170, then it becomes important to learn to regulate your ball speed as well as loft distance.

There are techniques to help you control your ball speed and the distance your ball clears the foul line producing a proper ball angle of descent into the lane surface.

Learning to key your release, the moment your ball exits your hand relative to your sliding shoe, is important in controlling loft distance.

By controlling loft distance and by accelerating your forward swing consistently from shot to shot are the prime ingredients in ball speed control and ultimately controlling your ball reaction.

A good objective in releasing the ball onto the lane surface is avoid seeing your ball bounce several times before settling into a skidding motion.

Developing a gradual descent angle by your release technique so the ball bounces the least when coming in contact to the floor is a very important element to gaining a good ball reaction.

A gradual angle of bowling ball descent into the lane surface controls your ball skid length.

The key techniques which help you release your bowling ball properly into the lane surface are allowing the palm of your bowling hand to pass your sliding leg at mid-calf elevation and to release the ball at or very near the shoelaces of your bowling shoe each shot.

By doing so, the bottom of your bowling ball will be close enough to the floor to gain the gradual descent angle needed to minimize bouncing.



In order to get your bowling hand to pass at mid-calf elevation of your sliding leg, two things must happen - maintaining good knee flex throughout your sliding step and maintaining an athletic posture for good balance and control.

If your bowling shoulder is perhaps two or three inches lower than your non-bowling shoulder and if you use a good amount of knee bend in your sliding step, you will be in a good position to release your ball at a descending angle into the surface of the lane and not drop the ball behind the foul line.

With a little practice, you can improve your delivery technique, loft your ball over the line consistently, control your ball speed and improve your ball reaction significantly.