Release Your Fingers Up The Back Of Your Bowling Ball

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 12/3/2013; Updated 1/28/2023

Simplify your release when you are getting a poor ball reaction. When you believe you might be overturning your bowling ball. If your teammates tell you that your fingers are rolling over the top of your ball and your bowling hand is getting away from your sliding ankle.

It is time to release your fingers up the back of your bowling ball and keep your swing tucked close to your body.

By rotating your bowling fingers only a half of an inch to one inch of rotation, you will reduce your rev-rate slightly and produce forward rolling motion on your ball with low axis tilt.

Staying directly behind the back of your bowling ball as your hand enters the delivery zone is the first challenge you have to avoid overturning your ball.

Once your thumb exits your bowling ball, it is important to not try and rotate your fingers, rather feel as though the tips of your bowling fingers follow-through upward. As if to poke holes in the bottom of the bowling lane.

This type of release action also can be thought of as delivering your ball with the palm of your hand behind the bowling ball when your thumb exits the ball and remains under the ball and follows through facing the ceiling.

Although you may think that this will cause you to roll your ball over your gripping holes and will not produce a hook, you will be pleased to see that you will develop an end-over-end rolling motion as your ball leaves your hand coupled with a very controllable hook.

Because you were overturning the ball, you almost have to think no turn, a back-lifting motion, just to reduce the amount of turn you actually impart with your fingers onto your bowling ball.
With your hand staying behind the ball, your forward swing can more easily remain close to your upper body.


When your forward swing is very closely tucked in under your bowling shoulder and your hand remains behind the ball as you release the ball, you will produce a reliable swing direction along your intended delivery path.

Reducing the amount of “cupping” of your bowling wrist will also help to reduce the amount of finger rotation you impart on your ball. A flat wrist, or slightly “broken” wrist position, will work nicely to help you stay behind your ball and gain a controllable ball reaction.

When you are overturning your ball, release your fingers up the back of your ball and eliminate unneeded side turn.

Your accuracy will improve and you will gain a consistent ball reaction. Add some speed control and you will be able to make sensible alignment decisions to hit the pocket repeatedly.