How to Throw Hooks With a Bowling Ball
- 1). Insert your thumb fully inside the thumb hole, and insert only the first joint of each of your first two fingers into the ball. The end result is the "fingertip" grip, used by more-experienced and professional players.
- 2). Swing the ball backwards as you approach the lane. Position the bowling ball so that your thumb points toward the 11 o'clock position if you're a right-handed bowler or toward the 1 o'clock position if you're a left-handed bowler.
- 3). With the ball in your hand, place your ball-hand palm under the bowling ball as you begin to swing forward, while placing your other hand on the side of the ball to steady it until you swing the ball backward. Use your thumb to control the ball until the point of release. Keep your wrist moderately firm during the release and make sure your thumb slips out of the ball before your fingertips do.
- 4). Rotate your fingers 1/2 turn counterclockwise (or clockwise if you are left-handed) at the point of release. Let the bowling ball roll off your thumb and fingers. This will allow the ball to spin horizontally, creating the curving motion that allows the bowling ball to make a "hook" as it travels down the lane.
- 5). Observe the ball's motion as it travels down the lane. With the right amount of spin, the ball will hook into the first pin, taking down the other pins in succession.
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