Advanced Tips For Bowling That Will Improve Your Game

Bowling enthusiasts are always on the look out on tips for bowling so that they can play the game better and ultimately become a better bowler. There are many bowling techniques you can learn but the hook technique is one of the bowling techniques you can learn to be good at and add to your bowling arsenal.

If you've never heard of "hook" as it is used in bowling, the term simply refers to the curve taken by the bowling ball away from where it started and through the board. The exact point where the bowling ball changed its direction is called the hook angle. The most curved path that the bowling ball will go to is referred to as the hook potential. In bowling, these three concepts are what define the hook technique.

Basically, the hook technique involves keeping your hand in a handshake position beginning from the approach, swing and up to when you release the ball. Your swing will make or break your hook ball. When you are getting ready to swing, make sure the hand holding the bowling ball is positioned palm up under the ball. As you swing, turn the bowling ball in such a way that when you release it, your bowling hand is on the outside of the bowling ball (as if you are shaking hands).

If you're a novice bowler, you may find the hook technique a bit difficult to master at first. However, once you do master the hook technique, you will find it pretty useful for picking up spares. Needless to say, learning the hook technique will help increase your score, thereby raising your overall bowling average.

Now that you know the basic of hook technique, the next thing you need to know is the three types of hook balls you can learn and use on the bowling alley: stroker, cranker and helicopter.

The stroker is a hook technique wherein your slider foot comes to a complete stop prior to the bowling ball reaching your swing's low point. This hook technique helps you increase your control of the bowling ball. You will need to keep your shoulders square when using the stroker.

The cranker is a hook technique you can use if you want to produce a lot more power in your swing. In this hook technique, you arrive at the foul line even before you release the ball. Of all the three types of hook balls, the cranker involves movement that if not controlled can severely injure muscles.

The helicopter is the third hook technique that is more commonly used by Asian bowlers. This is because bowling lanes in this part of the world tend to be low quality, and so for balls that are between 10 and 12 pounds, the helicopter hook is best used. The helicopter requires a grip much different from the other hook balls: the fingers remain around the top of the bowling ball. Once the ball is released, the ball travels a straight path but is spinning like a helicopter.

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Sean Bailey is a fitness and sports enthusiast. He has written for a number of fitness websites and publications. He currently runs a website giving bowling tips at [http://www.tipsforbowling.net]

7 Tips for the Advanced Bowlers

Once you have mastered bowling's fundamentals, you will find that there are many subtleties of the approach and delivery that still may be something of a mystery to you. Be heartened by the fact that even the most advanced bowling stars have scoring problems. Some of the most common of these are listed below:

1) ALLEY SENSE Bowlers too often "fight" the lane. The ball either hooks too much or it won't hook at all, so try to adjust to lane conditions.If you feel you are releasing the ball properly and the ball still won't hook, there are a number of adjustments you can make: a) move slightly to the right of your normal stance position; b) attempt to slow up the speed of your ball, thereby giving it more traction; and c) try changing your target to a point inside the second rangefinder.

You may move it in as far as the third rangefinder (from the right). Experience will show you the proper adjustment to make. If the ball is hooking too mucjh try one of the following: a) move your starting stance slightly to the left using your same target, b) try picking a spot further down the lane to use as your target, or c) increase the speed of your ball.

2) TEN-PIN LEAVES When the ten pin remains on what seems to be a good pocket hit, the fault generally lies with the bowler. Experts in the sport feel the reason for it is that the ball doesn't have enough rolling action when it strikes the 1--3 pocket, or the ball may be traveling at too great a speed when it hits the pins. If you are bothered by ten-pin leaves, try giving the ball more roll, less spin, and less speed.

3) POCKET SPLITS Many bowlers are bothered by troublesome splits that occur on what should be 1--3 pocket hits. If this happens to you, it is an indication that the ball is "quitting"--failing to finish in the proper rolling fashion. Usually this is caused by the thumb coming out of the ball too late. As a result, the ball is given inadequate finger lift. To overcome this failure, shift the position of your thumb in the ball--bring it up to at least nine o'clock.

4) SPEED Speed really isn't an all important factor in getting your scores. Control and accuracy are much more important.If you are rolling a ball that is too fast, I suggest you shorten the approach by two or three feet in order to cut down your backswing. Junie McMahon, Hall of Fame star, had almost no backswing at all, and he became one of the East's all-time stars. If you want to generate more speed, simply increase the height of your backswing. Or, a change to a lighter ball will work, too.

5) SPARE SHOOTING Many of the more advanced bowlers stand to the left of the approach area when attempting to convert pins remaining on the left side of the lane. This is done to diminish the possibility of "chopping," and I don't recommend it to newcomers. The left side of the lane can be troublesome unless you have a precise understanding of just how the ball is going to react.

6) DRIFTING Drifting simply means failure to approach the foul line in a straight line. The remedies for this malady are simple. If you are drifting to the right of the approach, I suggest you keep your first step more to the left than is normally proper. If you are drifting toward the left, step off a bit to the right on your first step.

7) BALL ROLLING OVER THUMB HOLE A ball that rolls over the thumb hole sometimes causes loss of direction and thereby inaccuracy. Usually, a ball rolls in this way because the bowler turns or breaks his wrist at the time of his release. Or, again, it may be simply a case of the thumb hole not fitting properly. Always, the Index finger should be placed on the ball. But don't be overly troubled by this. Just let your finger relax over the contour of the ball in a natural way.

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Visit [http://www.realniches.com/archives/2005/06/how-to-score-in-bowling.html] for tips on how to score in Bowling.

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