How to Hook a Bowling Ball (Easiest to Hardest Method) 

By the way, I know a lot of people are commenting “your style from 1, 2, and 4 don’t change” and that’s TRUE! My approach and swing overall doesn’t change. This about the RELEASE of the ball. And I can assure you the releases are very different as seen from the ball reaction downlane. My style isn’t gonna go from what it was in the first swing to EJ snapping it out of my hand in the final, cause this is my technique. I don’t bowl that way. Anyways, the 4th could’ve been better yes but the lesson still stands. Hope you enjoyed the content and we’re gonna do better going forward to make sure we execute on what we want you to learn. Thank you

Great video. Sent it to a friend just getting into the sport and it helped him see the difference in where he's at and where he needs to be. Thanks.

Good stuff, really breaking down into the effectiveness of each release, easy to understand though. Thank you!

You guys make understanding tips easier to understand then some other big names on yt

I've got a release like #4. I have the pro shop drill my thumb hole with a bit of side pitch, which helps retain stability while my wrist is inside of the ball. (If you use finger grips, they should be slightly turned counter clockwise for a RH as well.) Just a tip you might try out.

I think this is the best representation of "inside of the ball" ive seen.

Fantastic vid! Great Job!

Hand position is key. Having a good layout also helps. You can buy mid performance ball with low rg, but with proper layout you can definitely make your ball hit hard. Worst thing you can do is buy a big strong ball thinking it’s going to improve your game. I made that mistake a few times myself.

Video is too dark (not bright). Good tips but the presenters need light.

Thank you for this video. One of the things that hasn't been obvious to me isn't only getting under the ball at release, but the wrist position as well.

I like to use the door approch but I have a twist. Before throwing I rotate the ball in my hand so my 3rd and 4th finger are on top of each other and then im getting ready to throw where I twist my wrist. When the fingers are on top of each other and the ball releases from your hand it already spinning and with the additional spin my wrist is adding it just make it a better throw

the one i do mostly because using a thumb hole always seem to tear my hand apart is 2 fingers with no thumb similar to 2 handed but with one hand. i go back and forth between 2 handed and 1 handed depending on what i'm wanting the ball to do and since the 2 are so similar when not using the thumb hole.

I go with a similar to two handed approach but just one hand and with cupped wrist. (and two hands with my balance and style) I can bend and hook the ball with ease honestly even when i first started so i chose that way. OF COURSE, I COULD NOT HIT A SINGLE PIN BACK IN THE DAY WHEN I *FIRST STARTED* BUT MASTERED IT NOW! 😉

I like the 1 hand no thumb with the house balls

I have been trying a more up the back kind of release but I have noticed that most of the time it really doesn't go anywhere once it hits the end of the pattern. Is that more a function of the layout and coverstock of the ball or am I not doing the 2nd release type correctly?

Keep up the good work guys! I used to average a hair under 230, but after taking in a lot of your content I am now averaging around 186. I am so glad I found this channel! I can't wait for the next one!

Chipped my burner pearl pretty bad. Looking to upgrade to a 2 ball set up for league night ( + a spare ball that I already have) any recommendations?

Hey guys, do they sell lights where you’re from? If so go buy some and use the Rembrandt style of lighting….. prior to your next video.

helpfull

Also, from the looks of it your "pro release" needs an update. A lot of pros let their wrist flair out completely on their backswing, and do NOT keep their wrist stiffened under the ball. They let the ball carry their momentum, and bend their arm going forward so that they can get their hand under the ball. Darren Tang exemplifies this perfectly and teaches this same method on his channel.

Still slightly confused about the 2 hand release. Is it more up the back or more palm/finger rotation?

Good video but wrist strength isn’t necessarily the issue with release 4. I’ve seen lots of guys much bigger than me and stronger in the arms not be able to hook a bowling ball. It comes down to timing and understanding the yo yo release or whip. Been bowling 30+ years and compete in regional PBA tournaments and my wrists are pretty small compared to most men.

This actually makes more sense , now. I throw #2. I did throw easier, the #1, but now I notice my Pink black widow urethane , doesn't seem to hook as much anymore. Very inconsistent, and that is driving me crazy. I bowled, a first time ever, a 625 series a couple weeks ago and now I can't get out of the 400. Ugggg.. so deflating, really.

i think this is really good... other than how two-handed bowlers have started to become the new generation of bowling... even though you see a bunch of one handed bowlers in the PBA, its just because thats how the last generation was, and now a lot of two handers are coming into the game

Still looking for a good 2 finger 1 handed video. I know there is not a big demand for it, since there are few of is. Still would be nice to find.

I've bowled my entire life using style 1. (I'm turning 50 in 2 months) I've very recently started implementing style 4 (I'll NEVER stoop to 2-handed) and am still building up my wrist strength. But I can already tell a MAJOR difference in how much power the ball has through the pocket. It's like night & day

What is the right way to hold a bowling ball is it with your hand under the bowling ball

What happened to one handed no thumb?

I bowled about 5 years and averaged about 190, and did not know that I was using the simpliest but less effective release to do it until about 2022.

Can I send a video of me bowling ? And if I can where ? To see what style I have and how to fix it

It seems that a lot of pros on recent TV broadcasts are in fact using a two-handed approach (no thumb in ball).

I declare, I bowled for 20 years ,but I can never see any difference in the 3 one handed styles,that being said,I obviously have a horrible release because I don't know what I am even trying to do, even in my practice I never get it. I get people telling me what I'm doing wrong,and correcting me,but I just don't get it,what is the key to developing a proper hand behind the ball release?

I really liked this video. Great explanation of the releases. There was one other release style you didn't mention that I personally use, the Classic Full Roller.

I wish there was a little bit more explanation on the second release (tweener/stroker). There is something that is missing in the explanation of what your hand is doing. When I do it like mentioned, my ball does not hook at all, it still just goes straight.

There are a number of posts on RU-vid which feature the bending of the elbow for more revs and the un-cupping of the hand at release. I'm surprised you didn't incorporate this method into another way to hook the bowling ball and perhaps even more effectively. Good luck and good bowling...

So what about 2 finger no thumb (but not two handed)

How about turning up the light

So the pro style is to cup the balls?

Watching Darren Tang bowl one handed is crazy. From the left corner over the head arrow, almost to the gutter and it just hangs a left and comes back in a way I almost don't understand. Watch his release, its straight up a whip in his wrist that looks painful but he gets crazy rpm out of it.

The lighting really needs improvement here. You were in dark shadows most of the time off the lane approach. Very hard to see.

i throw back up and i've been trying different methods.

Need some lighting there bros

The tips sound good but visually not as helpful as I think you want it to be. You need some backlighting, and to record the release in slow motion. A friend that was watching this with me commented that the fourth release looks exactly like the second, surely it's not, but the difference is not easy to see.

Helpful video but I would suggest you guys invest in a light source to avoid looking like unlockable players in a fighting game.

That “Pro” release needs some work.

You look like unlocked characters

You have to cup the ball pretty hard to be two handed so building up wrist strength has nothing to do with throwing it one handed at all as I’m completely relaxed in the ball. If you need to build wrist strength for one handed then it’s time for a re fit of your ball until it’s where you just in the ball without muscle to hold it in position

You guys needed an extra light for this video

1st method your saying spinning the ball you don't ever do that. Old style release for hook is release ball with thumb 10 o'clock fingers at 5-4 this gives some side rotation for a little hook it's not top spin!

BIG DOES NOT KNOCK DOWN PINS, IT DOES NOT WIN GAMES AND IT HURTS YOUR CHANCES OF MAKING SPARES

just a nitpick, the "pro" release is a weird way to sum it up because its not exactly right. anyone whos ever watched a pro league match will know that every single one handed bowler (and two hander) release and setup their ball differently. while some do set it up that far over not all do

Kind of missing an essential piece of information in this video. You need a custom-drilled ball with a core. Yes, you can hook a house ball but it's not efficient and will create bad hard to reverse habits. Second piece of information missing is the amount of oil on the lanes which is a big determining factor in how much the ball will hook, when it reacts, and how it goes through the pins.

two handed flicker ball is perfect for saturday night cosmic drunk bowling...your friends will think you are cool.

My friend, you were not inside on your so-called pro. Shot by any means, the only time you were inside on that shot is on the push away for about a 1/2 a second.

you forgot the 5th style.

Why the vid so dark

You cover picture saying "impossible" is pretty much how Sean Rash does it so it's not impossible 🤷

lol but how?

1 2 and 4 looked identical lolol you doorknobbed all 3 lmao

The PBA bowler who throws the ball fastest is a one handed bowler.

Why didn’t you do the two finger ball release??

Love that both have their thumb IN the ball...traditional bowling. I try to "get under" the ball and turn through my release. I laugh at the people who can't bowl with their thumb in and have to try and throw a hook with two hands and no thumb, or one had and no thumb. I get it, some people have figured it out with no thumb but most do it because they can't bowl the traditional way. CHEERS

Great effort in trying to put together a video to help beginners choose a method to develope their game, however I'd suggest redoing the video with people who have mastered each style. The point where your thumb leaves the ball and how you turned the ball were identical in all 3 examples. Mid downswing in all 3 approaches were almost identical. You routinely begin turning the ball before the thumb even comes out. This is undesirable for accuracy's sake and not something a new bowler should learn or try to emulate. Anyone who decides to advance to a higher skill level will struggle to refine their ball roll to compete. Ya'll have video worthy personas so keep trying. But if you want views, you need to make sure you give the best technical advise available to you.

Two handed bowling ?? no,, nope. No good. Just isn't cricket , old boy!"

small hands. good try tho buddy

MOST BOWLING CENTERS LEAVE THE LANES DRY AND YOU CANT USE THE TWEENER AND PRO RELEASE. THE RELEASE THAT I USED MOST OF MY LIFE WAS THE SIDE RELEASE. THERE ARE TIMES I HAVE USED A METHOD IN WHICH I THREW A REACTIVE BLUE ZONE LIKE A STRAIGHT BALL OR A LITTLE BIT OF TILT ON A LANE THAT HAD OIL.

2 handed bowling is for hacks who cannot bowl properly

I thought the hook of the ball is base on the the drilling pattern with respect to your PAP. I drilled my own ball and use a dual angle drilling pattern. I have maybe 2 pairs of of same same model ball and I drilled one for maximum hook for heavy long pattern oil and one less hook for length medium oil. I keep my thumb between 11 to 12 o’clock upon release depending on how my ball hook.