Develop A Clean Bowling Release

By: bowlingball.com, 5/11/16

As an advanced bowler and one who competes regularly in leagues and in occasional tournaments, develop a clean bowling release so you can depend on reliable bowling ball skid distances as you bowl on a variety of lane conditions.

Because of the considerable differences in oil patterns and the volume of oil applied to lane surface on different oil patterns, controlling your ball skid distance is a key factor in getting your ball to react predictably in the mid-lane and on the back end.

It begins with developing a smooth and clean release technique so you are able to trigger the ball exiting your bowling thumb and fingers at essentially the same moment relative to your sliding bowling shoe each delivery you make.

The majority of gripping pressure should be with the pads of your bowling fingers with very little pressure on the pad of your thumb.

Your thumb must exit the ball slightly before the fingers rotate the ball slightly.

If you are squeezing your thumb so tightly as to prohibit your thumb from exiting the ball quickly and cleanly, then your ball skid distance becomes adversely affected.

Remember, use a very light gripping pressure with your thumb and keep the thumb in the ball straight with no knuckle-bend. In doing so, you avoid hanging up in the thumb hole and releasing the ball at different points relative to your sliding step.

The goal here is a quick and clean release of your thumb.

Keeping most of the firm gripping pressure on the pads of your gripping fingers (not your thumb) will enable you to rotate the ball consistently and at the same "moment of release" each successive shot.



One good tip is to maintain constant grip pressure on your bowling ball with both your thumb and fingers from the beginning of your swing movement and throughout the entire swing motion including when releasing your ball.

Avoid grabbing the ball at various points of your downswing or forward swing so you can key the release to happen as planned and ultimately control your ball skid distance.

Another factor in developing a clean bowling release is to avoid rotating your entire arm but rather only your fingers at the point of release.

Some top tier players like to feel their bowling ball flow off of their thumb and fingers with little to no force so the overall ball skid distance is regulated and a reliable ball reaction is obtained.

Strive to control your release technique so when you deliver your ball at a speed you intend, you can rely on getting a good ball reaction and hitting the pocket during competition with remarkable consistency.