How To Stay Behind The Bowling Ball

If you wish to learn how to stay behind the bowling ball, then consider a few important techniques the pro bowlers focus on during pressure moments in competition. First, if you watch recent televised finals of PBA National Tour events, you may have heard one or two players "miked" for the cameras vocalize the words "stay behind the ball." If this mental reminder in the heat of competition is an indicator of how important keeping the hand behind the ball is to the best players in the world, then you will surely place importance on learning how to stay behind the bowling ball so you can improve the quality of your own pressure-packed shot making.
Next, let's identify which position your bowling hand needs to be in as you begin your forward swing so you are in position to keep your hand behind the ball as your hand enters the release zone. By the way, we refer to the release zone as the position your bowling hand arrives at while swinging the bowling ball at a very rapid rate and as your bowling hand passes the heel of your sliding bowling shoe to a point slightly before the tip of the toe of the slide shoe. If your thumb exits the ball in that release zone, then you will achieve a reasonable and level angle of trajectory upon releasing the ball onto the lane surface.

If the back of your bowling hand is wide open at the top of your back swing, then your hand is in position to rotate the ball slightly and still be well behind the ball as your hand enters the release zone. This wide open hand position is common with power players who impart a high rev-rate onto the bowling ball and it allows the hand the greatest opportunity to rotate the bowling ball with your fingers, perhaps 90 degrees to 140 degrees, and create maximum axis of rotation.
If your hand is directly behind the bowling ball so the palm of your hand faces the pins down the lane as your hand enters the release zone, then you are properly behind the ball and then are able to make a full rotation of your bowling fingers at the moment of release, perhaps 60 degrees to 90 degrees of finger rotation, and impart sufficient axis tilt and rev rate onto the bowling ball to gain an effective delivery. You would also be in position to rotate the bowling fingers only very slightly as to produce a low axis tilt and impart a forward rolling action onto the bowling ball.
If your hand is positioned slightly to the outside of the bowling ball, then you are not in position to rotate the ball much at all and should try and remain rotation-less with your fingers throughout the releasing action. If you do rotate the ball from a position on the side of the ball, you risk the overturning motion the pro bowlers refer to which results in making an ineffective delivery. Avoid overturning your bowling fingers and palm of your hand around the front of the ball at all times.
Making sure you keep the inside bone of your bowling elbow tucked closely toward your torso during your forward swing will help you from turning your whole arm as well as rotating your fingers while releasing the bowling ball. If you focus on keeping your elbow and the palm of your bowling hand behind the ball on the forward swing and into the release zone, your chances at making an effective delivery will be very high. If your bowling arm swings closely next to your body as you swing the ball into the release zone, the chances of staying behind the ball are also very good.
It does not really require much finger rotation to impart good rev-rate and enough axis tilt to help your ball traveling down the lane transition properly in the mid-lane and again at the break point to the pins. Most "stroker" players and up-the-boards players do not rotate the ball a great deal and can be extremely effective at imparting a good release action onto the bowling ball.
Trying to over-rotate your fingers in an attempt to make the ball hook will also cause your hand, and possibly your arm, to overturn in front of the ball as you enter the release zone. This type of overturning motion also causes the elbow to rotate around and outside the bowling ball and results in a poor delivery. Overturning the ball is a common mistake to all bowlers, pro bowlers included. You can reduce this overturn motion by training your hand and bowling arm, through practice, to remain in position behind the ball until the hand reaches the release zone, your thumb exits the ball, and your fingers rotate the ball. Your swing should continue upward toward a full-finish follow through position.
To regulate a consistent release motion, begin with the proper gripping pressure with your fingers in the bowling ball. Avoid squeezing the bowling ball so hard with your fingers and thumb as to prohibit the quick and consistent release of the ball. The majority of gripping pressure should be with the pads of your bowling fingers with very little pressure on the pad of your thumb.

Your thumb must exit the ball slightly before the fingers at the "moment of release" as you are entering the sliding sliding step of your approach. If you are squeezing your thumb so tightly as to prohibit your thumb from exiting the ball, then the release will be adversely affected and the ball will leave your hand at non-predicable times with the possibility of "over-turning" or "over-rotating" your hand with the bowling elbow following in the same incorrect manner may occur.
Remember, use a very light gripping pressure with your thumb and keep the thumb in the ball straight with no knuckle-bend to slow down an otherwise quick and smooth exiting of the thumb from your bowling ball. This technique is one which will help you stay behind the ball shot after shot. Leading the release with your ring finger on your bowling hand in an upward motion is another useful technique used by good players to avoid rotating the ball early.
bowlingball.com always recommends you consult with a certified coach so you can sharpen your skills and develop a good technique to stay behind the ball at release. We hope these tips help. By the way, bowlingball.com has become the No. 1 e-tailer of choice for bowling equipment by the consumer of America. Please be reminded that every item at our site comes with free shipping, free insurance, and no hidden handling charges. To place your order, simply follow our easy online instructions available 24 hours a day, every day. Thanks for visiting bowlingball.com.