How to hold a bowling ball and let it go

The conventional grip

House balls are drilled for the conventional grip. Your middle and ring fingers go into the finger holes up to the second knuckle, and your thumb goes all the way into the thumb hole. Your index finger and little finger rest on the surface of the ball, spread slightly for balance.

Insert the fingers first, then the thumb. Doing it in that order sets your hand in the same position every time.

Experienced bowlers often use a fingertip grip, where the fingers go in only to the first knuckle. That grip needs a ball drilled for it, so it is not something to try with a house ball. Talk to a coach or pro shop staff if you want to move to one later.

Grip pressure

Hold the ball just firmly enough not to drop it. Many beginners squeeze hard, especially with the thumb, and that tension spreads up the arm and turns a smooth swing into a push. A useful check: if your knuckles go white or your forearm feels tight while you stand on the approach, relax your hand.

Support the weight of the ball with your other hand while you stand and set up. Your bowling hand only needs to hold the ball once the swing starts, and gravity carries most of the load.

Wrist position

For a beginner, a firm, straight wrist works best. Keep the wrist in line with the forearm, neither bent back nor curled in, all the way through the swing. A wrist that breaks backward lets the ball wobble and puts strain on the joint.

Some bowlers wear a wrist support to keep the wrist straight. It is optional. If your wrist hurts after bowling, try a lighter ball and a looser grip first, and see a medical professional if the pain continues.

A relaxed swing

Think of your arm as a pendulum. The shoulder is the pivot and the ball swings under it. Keep the swing close to your body, with the ball passing near your leg, and let it rise on the backswing only as high as it goes on its own. Forcing a high backswing makes it hard to come back down on the same line.

The approach guide shows how the swing fits with your steps.

The release

The release happens at the bottom of the swing, next to your sliding foot at the foul line. Your thumb comes out first, then your fingers a split second later. With a house ball and a beginner grip, aim for a straight ball: your hand stays behind the ball, palm facing the pins, like a handshake at the end.

1. Let the ball swing down past your ankle.
2. Feel the thumb leave the ball as it passes the bottom of the swing.
3. Let the fingers lift through the ball as it leaves your hand.
4. Keep your arm moving up toward your target in a full follow-through.

If the ball lands with a loud thud well past the foul line, you are holding on too long and lofting it. Release a little earlier and lower, so the ball rolls onto the lane just past the line.

What about a hook?

A hook ball curves toward the pocket between the 1 and 3 pins (or the 1 and 2 for left-handers). It can carry more strikes, and many league bowlers throw one. It works best with a reactive ball drilled for your hand and a coach who can watch your release. For a first season with house balls, a straight, accurate ball and good spare shooting will raise your scores faster.

Quick fixes