Ten-Pin Bowling Techniques

Ten-pin bowling, commonly referred to simply as "bowling," is a sport often built around finding the correct timing, footwork and arm swing. Once you have established and become comfortable and consistent with each of these skills, you can develop other techniques to develop a specific style of bowling shot. Different techniques use different grips, slides and release points for different effects on the ball.

  1. Straight Shot

    • The most basic technique in bowling requires keeping the wrist of the ball hand straight to minimize spin. The resulting throw should slide down the lane straight ahead, following the trajectory of the arm upon release. This technique will prove especially useful on dry lanes and during spares.

    Crank

    • The crank technique uses greater power while losing some accuracy. "Cranking" refers to a late release of the ball toward the end of the swing, and with a bent ball-side elbow for a higher backswing. This release leads to great power, as the body becomes firmly planted by the end of the slide, giving the upper body more ability to whip the ball around.

    Finger Tip

    • This technique has the bowler place the fingers into the bowling ball holes only up to the first joint near the tip of the fingers. Flicking the wrist while gripping the ball in this fashion leads to greater spin. Keeping the thumb removed and palming the ball before the fingertip release can also increase the rotation.

    Stroke

    • One of the most consistent bowling techniques when used properly, the stroke times the release with the slide, getting the ball out just as the foot comes to the foul line with a moderate amount of power and spin. Learning the stroke technique requires knowing the exact moment in your motion when to begin the backswing and release, as well as how far to follow through, and practicing these until the timing is perfect.

    Spin

    • The spin technique requires players to use a lighter balls, typically between 10 and 12 lbs., and throwing with a high amount of horizontal spin. The ball skids straight ahead, contacting the lane with only a small portion of the ball's surface, and deflects off to the side after making contact with the pins. Usually used on subpar lanes, the results of this technique tend to be unpredictable.

    Roll

    • A roll refers to releasing the ball before the completion of the slide, like the opposite of a crank, with a short follow-through. This technique sacrifices hook and power for accuracy and therefore works well with spares, which require exact location.