Bowldle · Guide
How to throw a hook in bowling
A hook is a ball that rolls straight down the oily front of the lane, then curves into the pins near the end. Bowlers hook the ball because a ball that enters the pins at an angle knocks down far more of them. Here's how to start throwing one.
Why a hook strikes more often
The best spot to hit is the pocket: between the head pin and the pin just behind it on your throwing side (the 1 and 3 pins for a right-hander, the 1 and 2 for a left-hander). A straight ball that hits the pocket tends to deflect and leave a corner pin standing. A ball that curves into the pocket keeps driving through the rack and sends pins into each other, which is how most strikes happen.
1. Grip
Put your middle and ring fingers in the two finger holes and your thumb fully in the thumb hole. On a house ball, your fingers go in to the second knuckle. Bowlers who hook a lot often use a fingertip grip, with the fingers in only to the first knuckle, because it lets the fingers lift the ball harder as it leaves the hand. Keep your grip relaxed. Squeezing the ball kills the hook.
2. Stance and approach
Stand on the approach a few steps back from the foul line, using the dots on the floor to repeat the same starting spot every time. Most people use a four or five step approach: the ball pushes away on the first step, swings back like a pendulum, then comes forward as you slide on your last step.
3. The release: where the hook comes from
- Keep your hand behind or slightly under the ball as it swings down. Think of carrying a suitcase.
- As the ball passes your ankle, let your thumb come out first.
- Your fingers stay in a split second longer and lift up through the ball while your hand rotates as if shaking someone's hand. That lift and rotation is what puts side spin on the ball.
- Follow through toward your target, ending with your hand up near your face.
Right-handers' balls hook to the left. Left-handers do everything mirrored, and the ball hooks to the right.
4. Aim at the arrows, not the pins
About 15 feet down the lane are seven arrows. They're much easier to hit than pins 60 feet away. Pick an arrow, roll the ball over it, and watch where the ball ends up. If it hooks too much and misses left (for a right-hander), move your feet left and keep the same arrow. If it doesn't hook enough, move your feet right.
5. Speed and oil
Lanes are oiled, usually for the first 35 to 45 feet. The ball skids through the oil and hooks once it reaches the dry wood near the pins. Slower balls hook more because they spend longer on the dry part. Faster balls hook less. Most hook bowlers throw around 14 to 18 mph. See bowling oil patterns explained for how the oil changes your line.
Common mistakes
- Turning the hand over too early. If your hand is on top of the ball at release, it spins like a top and barely hooks.
- Muscling the ball. Let the swing do the work. A forced swing throws you off line.
- Changing your target every shot. Keep the arrow the same and adjust with your feet.
Practice it in Bowldle
Bowldle models the same thing: set the Hook slider, roll over the arrows, and watch the ball break when it leaves the oil. Each day's lane has a different oil length, so you get to read a new lane every day. See today's lane and the line that strikes most.