What are the different types of bowling styles?-Part 4

    As previously discussed in prior blog posts, there is a Cranker style, Stroker, and Tweener style.
The last two styles a bowler may have, can fall in the category of either "Straight" or the  "Back up Ball". I feel they are worth mentioning because I do see many a bowler with these styles and don't want anyone to feel left out. 

​4. The STRAIGHT ball goes in a straight line, just as the name implies. If you have trouble mastering wrist turning and getting "stuff" or lift on the ball, then you may want to develop this style. It is fairly simple to master and all you need to do is place all three fingers in the ball and let your hand stay in a "Flat" position at the stance, on the down swing, and then release the ball with NO wrist or arm turn. If a bowler starts in the center of the lane (20th board as you know) he would walk in a straight line with the shoulder finishing fairly square to the lane. The Straight ball is also the best for getting your spares because there is more accuracy in the Straight ball approach.

    However because there is no hook at all on the ball, there will be more "Pin Deflection" and it will be a bit more difficult to get the strike. From my observance over the years, many bowlers with this style usually begin from the right side of the lane to help compensate for this deflection, and the squareness of the shoulders and hips will be in a line directly with the 1-3 pocket (1-2 for lefty's).


5. The BACK-UP style is when a bowler hooks the ball in the opposite direction of the norm. For example, when a right handed bowler throws a hook, it will hook toward the left into the 1-3 pocket. Bowlers who use this style begin and end the same way as the "Stroker" except will rotate the arm and bowling hand in the opposite direction and will use the 1-2 pocket instead of the 1-3 pocket. The ball hooks to the right.


​    After reading about these five different Bowling Styles, you can now place yourself into one of these categories. However, your BOWLING STYLE is still yours and unique because it's a combination of how high or low you choose to hold the ball, how you position your feet, the posture you have at the foul line, and what type of "stuff" you put on the ball. Some bowlers don't keep their knees bent the entire time they are walking along the approach for example, but can still have the Cranker Style. 

    My point is that you should pick a style that comes down to your own preference, comfort, and one that will get down the most pins as possible!

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I hope you have been practicing and doing those bowling exercises!!

​Join me back here next week when I'll be discussing "Mechanical problems in bowling".

​Good Luck and High Scoring!!