How to Hook a Bowling Ball

Knowing how to hook a bowling ball will give you better control over where your ball actually ends up. You will prevent many of the splits that straight bowling results in, and you should get more strikes. Learn to hook a bowling ball to almost certainly improve your score, impress your friends and increase your enjoyment of the game.

Instructions

1. Choose a bowling ball that will help you hook the ball. Urethane, reactive resin and particle bowling balls allow for more hooking than the more common plastic or polyester balls. The use of a custom-fit ball can greatly increase your ability to hook the ball since the exact position of each hole increases or decreases the potential of your ball to hook.

2. Put your thumb in the thumb hole first at the 11 o'clock position, followed by your fingers. Try to keep your thumb in that same position throughout your delivery.

3. Create a spinning motion with the ball by rotating your fingers around the sides of the ball just before you release it. Your wrist should remain straight throughout the release allowing your fingers to control the spinning action. This spinning motion is what causes the ball to hook into the pins as it nears the end of the lane.

4. Follow through to ensure you get enough spin on the bowling ball to create enough hooking action. Your hand should be pointing towards the target after you release the ball and should continue up until you can see your hand directly in front of your eyes.

5. Maintain your balance to keep control as you hook the bowling ball. This is easier to do if you don't rush your approach to the foul line and you carry out your delivery, release and follow through at a moderate pace.