How To Develop A Consistent Bowling Hook
If you are an experienced bowler averaging 170 or less and are looking to improve your game, then learning
how to develop a consistent bowling hook is an important step. First, improving your initial alignment skills and your lane adjustments techniques will certainly help you achieve a consistent
bowling ball motion and your ability to read the lanes.
We have posted many articles in the "BowlVersity" section of
bowlingball.com which address getting lined up to the pocket as well as articles discussing lane adjustments for changing lane conditions. We urge you check out a few of these articles to expand your thinking about playing the lanes and making effective adjustments. Improper alignment will cause your bowling ball to read the lane and react at unpredictable times and thereby reduce your ability to hit the pocket consistently. We cannot stress the importance of good alignment and adjustment techniques enough.
By knowing, however,
how to develop a consistent bowling hook, you can make clear adjustments because of reliable bowling ball deliveries. The process begins by understanding a few important release techniques to improve the quality of your shot-making.
Here are a few easy keys to get you on your way:
1. Maintain consistent
gripping pressure with your bowling fingers throughout your arm swing cycle. The majority of gripping pressure should be with the pads of your bowling fingers with very little pressure on the pad of your thumb.
2. Release the ball between the shoe laces of your sliding shoe and the toe of the shoe. The momentum developed from the swinging of the bowling ball will carry the ball onto the lane surface beyond the foul line.
3. To produce a modest and controllable hook, less finger rotation at the moment of release is required than if you wish to produce a larger hooking action as the ball travels down the lane. Less hook is easy to control. A strong hook requires more discipline because of a faster and larger rotation by the fingers during the release of the ball.
4. Place your hand holding the ball not flatly underneath the ball and not completely on the side of the ball as if you were going to shake hands with someone, but rather in between the two positions. If you were to allow your hand to maintain this position through the entire swing cycle and into the release area, you will rotate the axis of the ball perhaps only 15-20 degrees and the result will be a controllable hook on the back end of the lane.
5. Avoid "over-turning" your hand and bowling elbow while releasing the ball as to have your hand pass over the top of the ball and your palm of your bowling hand face the floor. That type of release will certainly cause inconsistencies and result in poor direction toward your target as well as an ineffective roll.
6. For a sharper hook motion, place your hand under the ball with the palm of your hand facing toward the ceiling. This type of hand position is commonly known as "behind the ball" positioning. As your hand reaches the critical release zone with your hand maintaining the "behind the ball" positioning on the forward swing, you must rotate your fingers quickly and decisively from left to right (for right handed bowlers - opposite for left handed bowlers) or about two or three hours on a visualized clock dial from "behind the ball" to the side of the ball near to the three o' clock or four o' clock positions. This quick and decisive rotation of the bowling ball by your bowling fingers will tilt the rotating axis of your ball causing it to hook more sharply than the previous example of maintaining your hand between the "behind the ball" position and the "handshake" position.
7. In tips 5 & 6, be careful not to rotate your entire arm but rather only your fingers and wrist action.
8. Use a
wrist device when practicing (if you do not already use one) which allows for a setting to be adjusted to create a quick and consistent thumb release and a crisp axis-tilt rotation motion. Tilting the wrist upward while you are releasing the ball will fly your thumb out of the ball well before the fingers so the fingers can rotate the ball decisively and create additional revolutions on the ball and/or increase the amount of tilt in the rotating axis of the ball, both of which will undoubtedly work toward maximizing your release hook potential.
bowlingball.com always recommends you consult with a certified coach so you can sharpen your skills and learn how to develop a consistent bowling hook. We hope these tips help!
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