Dear Mr. Baker,
A bowling ball should weigh 10 percent of your body weight (up to 16 pounds), which means you really shouldn’t be grabbing, say, an 8-pound ball if you weigh 150 pounds. You want some weight to the ball, but it shouldn’t be so heavy that it’s uncomfortable. The finger holes shouldn’t be too small or too big. If they don’t fit just right, that can throw off your entire game. You should have enough room between your hand and the ball to fit a pencil beneath your palm. If it lightly touches both your palm and the ball, then you know that you’re not overstretching your hand or gripping the ball too tightly. You should have enough room between your hand and the ball to fit a pencil beneath your palm. If it lightly touches both your palm and the ball, then you know that you’re not overstretching your hand or gripping the ball too tightly.
Throwing the perfect shot can lead to a higher bowling score; throwing lots of perfect shots can lead to a perfect game — a score of 300. To achieve a perfect hook shot: Your bowling hand, not surprisingly, is the one that’s holding the ball. Be careful not to bend or flex your wrist. If you’re left-handed, rotate your wrist toward the right. If you’re right-handed, rotate your wrist toward the left. You know your hand is in the handshake position when your thumb is pointing up and your palm is facing the inside of the lane. The main difference between a straight shot and a hook shot is that you keep your hand straight all the way through the backswing and the release of the ball. Make sure you’re throwing the first ball of every frame (called your strike shot) from the same starting position. Consistency helps increase your chances of throwing strikes. Each step of your foot should match up with a specific part of your arm swing and release. Get the timing right, and you’re off to a great start.
Sincerely,
Tanya Arendt