How Can I Stop Turning My Bowling Ball Early?

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 1/18/2015; Updated: 3/12/2024

A common question bowlers ask is how can I stop turning my bowling ball early?

If this is one of your challenges on the lanes, then you can focus on one or two keys to help you reduce or eliminate your early turning of your bowling ball.

One quick way to do so is keep your bowling thumb to the right of your gripping bowling fingers throughout your release, if you are a right handed bowler.

The opposite will work for left handed bowlers.

Overturning the ball is every bowler’s challenge to avoid.

Visualize rotating your bowling fingers no more than a half of an inch maximum when releasing your ball.

Less rotation will help you develop a consistent delivery technique and will also produce a controllable ball reaction.

Overturning the ball also can lead to pulling the ball off of your intended delivery path.

By visualizing keeping your thumb outside your bowling fingers and reducing your finger rotation will reduce the amount you overturn your ball.

When your hand rotates over the top of the ball, your release is weakened unless you are super-skilled enough to do it by choice.




Your bowling fingers and thumb are important keys in gaining a consistent and effective release.

If you think you are overturning your ball, think no rotation to hopefully gain a reduced rotation.

The simplest techniques are often th most effective ones.

When asking yourself how can I stop turning my bowling ball early, these quick tips can surely help solve the challenge you face.