If you have your own ball, you probably know how to grip it. However, if you’re working with a house ball, you may need to adjust your style. House balls generally have knuckle grips – you want your fingers (and especially thumb) to come out swiftly, so don’t jam them in there. Hold the ball so it aligns straight with your wrist. Hand positions are covered later on in this article; it’s more important during your swing than before.
Be sure to keep your wrist strong. If you carry too much of the weight on your wrist or twist it back and forth, you could hurt yourself – or at the very least wear yourself down before your frames are up.
The standard way to hook the ball is to place your two fingers and thumb in the three holes as normal. In other words, change nothing. Some people choose to not put their thumb in the ball at all, and instead sort of cup the ball on their palm and/or wrist as they swing the ball back and release it in the follow-through. And yet a few choose to only place one finger (the index finger) in the slot and palm the ball, spinning in the same motion on the release. However, you risk the ball turning in your grip, and that can lead to sprained wrists and fingers.
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.
With a little practice you will know if you’ve thrown a good ball or not by how close the arrow you are. 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.
Another option is a pool ball, but the damage potential of nearby objects is a bit more substantial!
The general rule of thumb is that you choose a ball that’s 10% of your body weight. If you’re 160 pounds, choose a 16-pound ball. [4] X Research source That is, if you’re of normal health and have no reason why a lighter ball would be more down your (bowling) alley.
A resin coating can actually dig into the oil in the lane, upping the chance that you hit exactly where you’re aiming for. But they’re quite an investment and only for the most serious of bowlers.
So many options! When in doubt, explain your situation to the assistant. As long as you give them all your variables and what you’d like to do, they can find the perfect ball for you. Don’t choose a ball drilled to your fingers and with your axis point until you have your hook down. As you get better at it, your hook changes. So wait it out! You want a ball that’s all your own when you’re at your peak.
