Is There a Correct Way to Bowl?

Jason Belmonte (left) and Osku Palermaa (right) demonstrate the two-handed bowling style.

When I was learning to bowl at a young age, I learned the traditional way. Middle and ring finger in the two top holes and your thumb in the bottom. Approach the foul line and throw the ball with one arm. Over the past decade, we have seen the rise of many different bowling styles. From Jason Belmonte, to Tom Smallwood, and now the rising star, Jakob Butturff, we are seeing that there is no proper bowling technique.

I recently read a brief article from Ken Browne on the OlympicChannel.com, talking about Jakob Butturff and his intriguing style. Butturff has hypermobility in his left hand and wrist, better known as double jointed, allowing him to contort his hand in a way most people cannot.

If you see Butturff bowling on television, the first time you will have to do a double take. You might think you are hallucinating, but in fact you saw it correctly. Butturff has essentially no backswing at all. He sprints to the foul line and throws the ball with a good amount of power and a lot of rotation. You may think that someone could not be successful the way he throws, but he throws a lot of strikes and scores very high.

While Butturff has been getting a lot of attention, no one can forget the man who took bowling by storm in 2008. Jason Belmonte.

A brief documentary showcases Jason Belmonte and how he grew to be come the best bowler in the world. (YouTube Channel: Scotty Gilbertson)

Belmonte came on the PBA tour with many critics and a lot of haters. People said that the two-handed style was overall bad for the sport and should not be allowed. But Belmonte has silenced his critics and then some. In just over ten years, Belmonte has won 22 titles including 11 major championships.

Success in a sport sometimes cannot be taught with traditional techniques. Sometimes the individual needs to experiment with different styles to see what works best for them. Not just in bowling either. Take baseball players such as Willie Stargell and his unorthodox batting stance, or Hideo Nomo and his anything but normal pitching style. In the world of sports, the saying ‘different strokes for different folks’ truly applies.

The Art of Bowling YouTube Channel discusses two-handed bowling.

Back to bowling. We see some players experiment a lot with different styles. It is not just in the motion of how the bowler throws the ball, but it also revolves around how their ball is drilled. Some two-handed players do not even have a thumb hole in their ball since they do not use it.

Jakob Butturff has his thumb hole drilled to the left of his two finger holes, so he has total control of the ball, as does Tom Smallwood, being a right handed bowler, his thumb hole is drilled to the right.

Different styles will continue to be recognized with the passage of time. They are also becoming more accepted ever since Belmonte gained so much attention with his success and becoming the best bowler in the world. Children are growing up and learning to bowl two-handed to try and replicate Belmonte’s style. I’ve tried it myself and it is not as easy as it looks.

Different styles have their advantages, however. Two-handers can put more power and rotation on the ball giving them the potential to strike more. A style such as Butturff does not give as much speed, but a lot of rotation. Both are not easy to get used to, but they are great ways to perform well.

If you find yourself struggling while bowling with one hand, give a different style a chance! You never know what could happen. You could find yourself doing better or maybe even worse. If it does not work, try another way. Maybe you will even find your own unique style that sets you apart from others.

What are your thoughts? Do you think that different bowling techniques are beneficial to the game? Let me know in the comments.

What Bowling Ball is Best for You?

Photo by Flickr user: ray_explores

I can remember how lost I was when I first started bowling as a kid. I had no idea how to hold the ball, how to throw it, or what ball to even pick. What you learn quickly is that the ball you pick has a major effect on how well you bowl. However, picking the right ball is not as easy as you might think.

I recently read an article by Mike Hawkins, a bowling columnist for DailyAdvance.com. Mike does a fantastic job informing of all the details when choosing a bowling ball that is right for you.

The article discusses the individuals finger fitment in the holes as well as the proper weight for the individual. Keep in mind that when choosing the weight of the ball, it should be approximately ten percent of your body weight. For example, if you weigh 120 pounds, you should be throwing a 12-pound ball.

For the more advanced bowlers out there, what if you want to start improving your game by buying your own bowling ball that is drilled so your fingers fit perfectly in the ball?

There are a few things to know if you are looking to get into your own bowling ball. If you are still a novice bowler and have only been at it for short amount of time, I would recommend your first ball to be a plastic ball. Buying a plastic ball such as a Brunswick T-Zone is a smart choice and it will not break the bank. It was the first plastic ball I ever threw.

A plastic ball will allow you to focus on your accuracy which is the most important part of bowling. Forget ball speed and curving the ball. If you’re new, accuracy is key and you will see your scores gradually increase over time.

The best way to improve your accuracy is by throwing the ball in one fluid motion and holding the ball the right way. Have your middle and ring finger in the top holes and your thumb in the bottom. When you walk to the lane, do not stop at the foul line. Rather the ball should be moving as you walk so by the time you get to the foul line; you are already throwing the ball.

Hall of Fame Bowler Randy Pederson showcases a fluid bowling motion.
YouTube: MonkeySee

Once you have improved your game with plastic balls and you want to improve your game further, it is time to start looking at reactive bowling balls.

If you are ever at the bowling alley or watching professional bowling on TV and see players put a curve on the ball, this is thanks to reactive bowling balls.

Note: the ball is not the only thing that causes the ball to move. A lot of it is the way the player releases the ball. To learn more about how players create power and rotation on the ball, watch the video below.

Pro bowlers Brad Miller and Kyle Sherman break down how to properly hook a bowling ball.
YouTube: Brad & Kyle

The outside layer of the bowling ball is known as the coverstock. There are four types of coverstocks. We already talked about one of them, being plastic, the other three are urethane, reactive resin, and particle, otherwise known as proactive.

The urethane coverstock offers more friction between the ball and the lane, giving it more hook potential than plastic.

The reactive resin coverstock gives the ball more friction on the lane, giving the ball the ability hook more when traveling down the lane.

The particle or proactive coverstock gives the ball a rough feeling as it travels down the lane. This offers the most hook potential on the heavier oil patterns. It is a must for advanced bowlers.

A visual of the bowling balls coverstock and core.
Photo by: Marcus British

Here are some quality bowling ball brands to look at when you are looking to get into a more advanced ball: Storm, Hammer, Ebonite.

The other factor in the way the bowling ball moves is the core. Cores cause the ball to spin in such a way that will cause each ball to move differently. Each core is shaped differently giving each ball a different ability to how much it will move.

The last thing to keep in mind when picking your bowling ball is the way the finger holes are drilled. If you are still a beginner and you are getting your first plastic ball, it is best to get a traditional fit to the ball. If you are advanced however, and are getting into a reactive ball, you should get a fingertip fitting.

Fingertip fittings are exactly what it sounds like. Instead of your whole finger going in the top holes, it will be just your fingertips. This will give you a wider grip on the ball which will allow you to control the ball more and put more rotation on the ball so it will curve more.

The ball you choose has a great impact on how you perform on the lanes. You are definitely more likely to succeed with your own ball that is custom fitted to your own hand. If you are serious about bowling and you want to improve, this is the way to go.

How advanced are you in your game? Are you a beginner or are you more experienced and throwing a hook? If you have any questions about the types of bowling balls or what you should buy, feel free to ask me in the comments!