How to Hook A Bowling Ball for Beginner Bowlers | Bowling Lessons to Improve Your Game

How to Hook A Bowling Ball for Beginner Bowlers | Bowling Lessons to Improve Your Game

• Mike Shady is a silver level certified bowling coach and a coach for Team USA bowling.
• In this learn to bowl video, Coach Shady shows you how to hook a bowling ball properly.
• Check back weekly for more informative tips to help you bowl better from coach Shady.
• Know it! Learn it! Live it!

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[jasminduncanson]

I'll be sure to use these tips once the alleys reopen

[idogflyer]

I think for teaching beginners it is important to go over what the hook actually 'is'. Essentially the hand must induce a roll that is angled left of the ball motion (through the skid phase and for right handers). Then there is all the stuff you mentioned (which was great). Also could of added that there is 2 main ways to hook a bowling ball. Have your hand twisted so the index finger is pointing straight down and the middle and ring to the left upon release (and behind the ball). The other way is to not have your hand twisted (so the hand is vertical behind the ball) but upon release the hand will make its way to the right side of the ball and pull up (the hand will be perpendicular to the ground the whole time). These are 2 important notes that I often see missed. I realize this was a quick summary for the short video but maybe next time you can touch on these important points

[troyboydston]

I tried this technique last week after watching the video. IT WORKS! Thank you so much for the lessons.

[sophivqx]

pls my friend invitined me to a bowling place for her bday, and for a school camp trip were also going to a bowling place and now I just found myself here. Lol

[LeonardoDg]

Thank you for this very technical guide. Will put this in to good use. Appreciate!

[doctorrobert]

Great video! Funny that the other day watched video from 1994-95 of baker team competition on YouTube. One of the teams had Mike Shady and Earl Anthony was praising his game on how solid it was. He was hammering the pocket on a difficult oil pattern.

[zzzzzz...]

I am a beginner. I always bowled without a hook, and I average about 120 a game. Today I decided I really want to try to learn how to hook better to get more pin action and watched a few videos on this topic. The thing I learned from these videos is that there is more than one way to do this. Speed is also a factor that should be calculated in as from videos, the more speed you have throwing the ball, the less time the ball has to spin and more time to spin the slower you go. My grandpa mentioned spot bowling to me before and that works, and my grandma always said to focus on a pin and keep your hand straight, which also worked. This was for no spinning of course. Both my grandpas said for spinning, you should start with your fingers in the holes sideways and then bowl. I did try this once or twice in regular games, but I always gutter as there seems to be no consistency. So today I played 4 games by myself. The very first thing I tried was to bowl with 2 fingers one hand, well that failed horribly as the ball just dropped before getting into the alley. So, I then tried to hold the ball with my other hand the whole time and spin with my other hand. The ball goes into the alley but did not spin. I tried again, still same result. So, then I tried one handed with hand in holes down below and spinning the ball at the same time, same result with no curve. I then tried combining what both my grandpas said with what you tube said, which was 2 fingers in hole to the right, not underneath and other hand holding the ball and throw with making the ball spin with my left hand (other hand). Finally, my ball curved and in a big way. I was happy I got my ball to spin. I tried again and same result where the ball spins at least. The whole time it has been gutter balls with maybe 1 pin. I then tried spot bowling using what I have learned, and boy did it take a lot of trial and error using up a few games. I tried the first set of dots mixing it up, I tried picking up the speed, I tried using the arrow markers to aim at and not consistent at all. I would occasionally get lucky and get a strike. Finally, in the fourth game I tried using my grandma's advice about looking at a pin. So, I found out during my fourth game that if I stand lined up with the fourth dot from the left and look at the farthest pin to the right, that about 60% of the time I was able to get the ball to curve and go right into the sweet spot. My consistency is still lacking but is much better than before. So now I need to see if maybe the speed is now a factor or if maybe I am not consistent because I am changing back and forth between my left hand engaging to spin the ball or not engaging. Basically, find out if it's the fingers being to the right and not underneath is spinning the ball or if it's the combination of both hands spinning the ball along with speed for the sweet pocket. So, my scores for games 1-3 were terrible being about 1-50. My fourth game where I was getting more consistent was 94. I think if I keep practicing and homing in on what does what, I can get my consistency up and thus my score will increase along with it. Later this week I will go play another 3-4 games. Overall, I think today was a good day and a good use of $14 as I gained experience and intel. So that is my journey I had today by myself just trying to try different things and finding out what works for me.

[Fejix]

A comment on axis rotation would have been helpful. Looked like the ball was going end over end on the rev mat which also wouldn't hook down lane. Nice video.

[TheDuckofLaw]

That was fantastic! Thanks for the tips!

[stevekeller]

Coach Mike(s), Thanks for the fine video with great explanation/demonstration.
As a life long chicken winger I can’t seem to stay under & behind the ball all the way. Maybe I’m pulling ?
Anyway, I can execute the last drill (getting hand out to produce revs ) but don’t understand how to do that when the ball is swinging. Learn to let the thumb come out then rip the fingers ?
Thank you

[QuaNiMiTyy]

For anyone who knows forearm anatomy and planes of movement, it seems that what you need for spin is pronation of the wrist between 90 to 180 degrees from a fully supinated position. Further, the degree of wrist flexion affects the amount of spin you can generate.

I also assume that the amount of forward force you generate also determines the point at which the ball grips the surface of the lane and initiates its spin. In other words, were you to apply maximal forward force I imagine spin would not take effect even if done correctly due to the forward inertia overcoming any rotational force.

[StylesE]

Good Tips and drills.... but there aren't any good videos out ther yet that talk about how to even control the wrist/ball in the swing back to the top in order to have the flat wrist! The hardest thing as a beginner is to be able to handle the ball back and through to the point of release and have your wrist in that posistion. For the most part beginners are rotaded forward in order to hold on to the ball through that motion so it dosent fly off! Can you make a video of how to keep the wrist cupped tight from the draw back to the top and to the bottom at release? Release drill doesnt help if the thumb is so far forward holding th ball for dear life.

[fernandovelascovelasco]

Overall great video. I can now go to the alleys with confidence

[juliodefreitas]

Awesome lesson and thank you for sharing ❤️❤️🔥👍👍

[wcwindom]

when I first started bowling I was told not to attempt to learn to hook one until avg was at least 150 -- that was in the early 90s

[aprilpringle]

I’ve been trying to hook for the longest. I hope I can try this way and be successfully. Thx

[TheRappaDappa]

How do I purchase the same rev tool you guys are using?

[reinalizmartinez]

I need classes. I love watching you guys, I’m very bad playing bowling, If you were close to show me how to play.

[nickkduhh]

Is there a specific spot on the lane you should release at? Far left, far right, center left, center right?

[frankformella]

Thanks again always trying to get more hook