Do you want to progress your skills in bowling and become a professional bowler? If so, you need to know how to hook a bowling ball to take your game to the next level. It will improve your skill as well as better your shot overall. Indeed, hooking a bowling ball enhances your chance to knock down maximum pins. If you get a consistently higher score, learn all the bowling ball’s basic techniques. Stick with us to know the hidden techniques of bowling balls if you want to become an expert bowler. Let’s start!
Hook a bowling ball with 8 easy steps
Hooking the bowling ball is the most common style that professionals even use. That’s because it generates effective spin action, which consequently hits the bowling pins every time. So, what is an excellent way of throwing a great hook to hit the bowling spin? Let’s discuss it step by step.
Step 1: Think About the Bowling Lane
Think about the bowling lane condition first when throwing the ball to the lane surface. Verily, the bowling ball reacts differently on a too-oily lane. So, set up your feet and bowling style based on the amount of oil. Once you get familiar with the hook ball, you can adjust to it. Consequently, it’ll be easier for you to achieve more points. Use the right foot when testing the hooks of your lane.
Step 2: Keep A Distance Away from The Foul Line
Keep several inches’ distance from the foul line before you start. Standing a minimum of 4 inches away from the offensive line will be ideal for throwing the bowling ball.
Step 3: Always Try to Use the Solid Grip
Well, you will get two different types of grips with your bowling ball-conventional grip, and finger grip. However, finger grip is excellent for players who want to make higher scores. When adjusting your fingertip grip into the second joint of the bowling ball, it is called a conventional grip. If you’re a beginner bowler and using a house ball, you’ll require a traditional grip. Conversely, you better use the bowling finger grip to make continuous scoring.
Step 4: Swing the Ball Before Throwing
Take your arm straight back and straight forward before throwing the ball into the arrow of the dry lane. It is swinging the bowling ball, which is compulsory for hooking the bowling. You won’t get the same hook potential you desire from your ball without swinging a little bit. Instead, it will go to the gutter with no control over it.
Step 5: Maintain Your Arm’s Straightness
Although you’re going to hook the ball, you must keep your hand straight while hooking. Indeed, straightening the hand is easy to adjust with the ball hook.
Step 6: Release the Bowling Ball
Now, as you have a solid grip on the bowling ball, it’s time to release it. Mandatorily, keep your hand underneath the ball to remove it unrestrictedly. Also, rotate the ball when releasing the bowling ball.
Step 7: Concentrate on the Fingers While Releasing
Make sure your thumb departs from the ball before the two fingers are inside it. Here the two fingers will control the ball until you release it for hooking. Make an original flick with your fingers, especially with the middle finger, before releasing the bowling ball from your hand. Nevertheless, don’t create too much flick, and maintain some control until you release the ball.
Step 8: Follow Through
Bring your hand in the same position after releasing the ball and notice the ball motion. Please don’t overdo it. It will cause serious injury if you do so.
Make Necessary Adjustments for hooking a Bowling Ball
Once you get comfortable releasing the ball, you’ll learn to make the necessary adjustments. Necessary adjustments include the following things,
- If you’re a right-hander and create a high hit, move your leg to the left a little. Make sure you are keeping your target on the lane precisely as before.
- Conversely, when you hit the pocket lightly with your bowling ball, shift your feet from left to the right. It is a significant step for the left-hander. Moreover, if you don’t follow the stage, you may play the bowling ball at weird angles.
- If you’re an expert in advanced bowling on challenging lanes, you’ll become habituated with the right and left move.
How To Customize a Bowling Ball?
Indeed, a customized bowling ball enhances the chance of scoring in the bowling ball game. Plus, if you get customized holes at the right place of your bowling ball, it’ll be more comfortable to hold. So, it is not helpful but crucial to customize and purchase the best quality bowling ball. But how to customize a bowling ball? Let’s discuss this.
1. Choose the Right Equipment
When getting a customized ball, you need to consider its material first. The bowling ball is made of reactive resin, plastic, particle, and urethane. Wherein the house balls are made of plastic materials. The plastic ball cannot hook bowling effectively. They can only offer a low hook potential. Regardless of hooking, plastic balls cannot carry the pins very well or perfectly fit into the hand. Conversely, the reactive resin ball effectively strikes and provides a good grip.
2. Drill Your Ball
All of our hand’s length is not the same. Some of us have a more extended grip, and some have smaller ones. So, if you purchase an auto-drilled reactive ball, your hand may not reach the holes. Therefore, the best option would be to drill your bowling ball according to the size of your hand. Seek the advice of a pro-shop operator and make the holes according to your hand’s length.
Conclusion
Becoming the master of a bowling ball depends on practice and lanes. Regardless of training and lane, you must choose the right approach to become a good scorer. Hopefully, with our guidelines on making a great hook of a bowling ball, you can become the master in the sport. Don’t forget to customize your ball if you aren’t getting your expected result with your current ball.