With the ball resting in the palm of your dominant hand, put your middle and ring finger all the way into the two holes that are side-by-side, and your thumb in the hole under them. The holes should be the size of the fingers and thumb, and you should be able to hold the ball easily in the palm of your hand. There shouldn’t be tension in the web of your thumb, nor should it be slack. [2] X Research source It should take very little pressure to hold the ball in your hand. If you could break an egg with that amount of pressure, it’s too much.
Look over your bowling ball and see if it has just one “pin”–the spot on the exterior, usually of a different color, indicating the orientation of the core–or a single normal pin plus a second PSA indicator/mass bias pin. If there is only one pin, the ball should have a symmetric weight block. If you bisected the ball along the axis of the pin, you would discover that both sides are symmetric. This type of ball may be easier for a beginner to handle. A ball with an asymmetric weight block should possess two pins or a pin and an indicator. Just as the name indicates, these balls do not contain symmetric cores, and can contain any shape from that of a cube to something resembling the letter “L. " It may prove slightly more difficult for a beginner to attain consistent performance with these bowling balls, but practice with a single ball can certainly change that.
It is important to use a ball of the appropriate weight in order to impart the necessary amount of spin. A strong individual using a smallish ball could easily impart too much torque and put the ball in the gutter. A weaker individual using too heavy a ball could struggle to impart enough spin in order to make the ball hook. The weight of the ball should be clearly marked on it.
A “relaxed” grip is more likely to produce a straighter roll, and thus a minimal hook. In this grip, the hand is flexed back at the wrist, so that as you pass into the forward swing it is on top of the ball. For a “strong” grip, the hand bends forward, as if to cradle the ball between your palm and inner wrist. If seen from the side, the angle from your forearm to your thumb should appear to be 90 degrees. This grip can provide a greater amount of spin, and from that a greater hook. A “firm” grip is an intermediate form that results in a moderate hook. In this grip the wrist neither bends nor flexes, creating a continuous line from your forearm through your hand. [6] X Research source
Relaxed grip: The ball should travel straight down the lane into the pocket, so if you’re right-handed, your stance should be in the outside right, and lefties in the outside left. Firm grip: Your stance should be in the middle, so the ball curves moderately (either left or right) and enters your target pocket. Strong grip: You want to allow plenty of room for the ball’s hook to curve around and enter the pocket. If you’re right-handed, you should be on the outside left side; if you’re left-handed, you should be on the outside right. [7] X Research source
Take one step forward with your right foot and simultaneously bring the ball forward to a position over that foot. Keep your non-bowling hand supporting the ball at this point. Move your left foot forward as you lower the ball close to a knee-level position and then further back behind you, making a half-circle. Your non-bowling hand will have released the ball at this point. Take another step forward with your right leg. At the same time you should be entering the highest point of your backswing with the ball. Bring the ball forward as you take your last step toward the line with your left leg. Your right leg should subtly pass sideways behind your left as you plant your left leg and release the ball. Lower your hips and shift your weight slightly back, bending your torso forward at a 15-degree angle. [8] X Research source
Imagine positioning your hand as if coming into a handshake.
Also work on your timing with the Four Step Approach: you want to make sure that your foot and the ball arrive at the foul line at the same time. Try recording yourself bowling to get a better sense of how good your timing is.
