Why do bowlers curve the ball

Straight Bowler vs. Hook Bowler Live Healthy Sports. By Tyler Brett. Do Golf Brushes Scratch the Heads? Advantages of Straight Bowling Straight bowling is often the first style used by new bowlers.

Disadvantages of Straight Bowling When you throw the bowling ball straight down the lane, the pins don't always fall like you think they should. Advantages of Hook Bowling Hook bowling is the technique used by almost every professional bowler. Disadvantages of Hook Bowling Perfecting your hook can take a significant investment of time and money.

Hold the bowling ball with your free hand while you adjust the position of your grip hand so that it appears as if you are shaking hands with the ball, according to bowlingball. Keep your wrist straight, so that it lines up with your hand. Focus on the aiming arrows printed on the lane. If you are a right-handed bowler, look at the second arrow in from the right side.

Left-handed bowlers should look at the second arrow in from the left side. This is the area where you want to roll the bowling ball. Walk toward the foul line with a steady motion, and lean your body forward while swinging the bowling ball backward.

Keep your wrist and your hand straight while you swing the ball back, to ensure proper control upon release. This promotes lift, rotation and most important — accuracy. The next step is really where the revolutions are created. When releasing the ball, you should naturally flick your fingers as you let go.

At the point where you feel your thumb exiting the ball is when you start to lift with your fingers. Try to feel the ball on the tips of your fingers and lift as you're getting ready to release the ball. The final step goes hand in hand with the previous step. As you're lifting with your fingers, you should rotate your hand and wrist counter-clockwise to the handshake position.

Follow through by directing your ball and make sure it remains in the same position to avoid injuries. A good way to practice this technique is by practicing it with a tennis ball. Continue moving your hand up on your swing to direct the ball down the lane, finishing in a handshake position.

Ideally, you want to go from a 4 o'clock position to a 7 o'clock position. The ball should be totally out of your hands by the seven o'clock position, and your arm should follow through to the 12 o'clock position with your hand up by your ear all while your eyes are lock on the arrow you are trying to hit.

Try hard not to subconsciously decelerate your swing in an effort to concentrate on and nail your hook; the same power is still needed. Or if you do, account for the differential; when you resume your normal throw, the hook could be very different.

Learn to control the degree of your curve by varying the ball's position and timing your release. To increase the degree of the curve, release your fingers from the ball more rapidly. Your counterclockwise motion could also be more or less drastic. If you're not getting it, isolate the variables and experiment with each one alone. Try starting from a different start spot. Try switching up your footwork.

Heck, experiment with different balls. It's possible that your wrist and hand positioning is just fine and there's another element that's mixing it up. Part 2. Use a tennis ball to practice. A great way to practice your hook shot without having to make an embarrassing trip to the bowling alley is to practice with a tennis ball. It'll go straight when you throw it, but when it hits the bounce, it'll veer off to the side -- if you're doing it right, of course! Use a bowling ball that is a few pounds lighter than the ball you would normally use as you're learning.

A lighter ball allows you to focus on learning the new throwing technique. While you definitely want to get up to your normal ball sooner rather than later, the lighter ball can help you concentrate on what your hands should be doing.

Just don't get too used to it! Think of it like spiraling a football, only upside down. If you have experience spiraling a football, it's the same general principle.

Just under-handed! Your fingers move along the side of the ball in much the same way. Just think of throwing a football underhanded, trying to maintain the same spin. It starts cupped in your hand, and the last point of contact is with the tips of your fingers as it spins off.

Part 3. If you're using a house ball, know that it could be very difficult. Those balls at the bowling alley are meant for straight shots; hooking them could require different, more outrageous methodology to get the same, natural hook effect. So if you don't have your own, don't stress! It could be your equipment. If you're pounds, choose a pound ball. Get a ball with a fingertip grip.

Certain balls most house balls come with knuckle grip, where the holes go down to your second knuckle. But a fingertip grip is much more conducive to throwing a hooked ball -- since your thumb and fingers have to come out, the actions are a lot swifter and smoother. Get your own ball with a urethane or resin coating. A urethane coverstock on your bowling ball will make your hook shot so much easier; they don't absorb oil from the lane and they provide way more friction than your standard plastic ball the house ball.